>>23943125Socially engineered to a certain extent by political agitators on both sides of the spectrum, the news media, and social media, but we also have to remember that the real root of it all is in the people that commit the acts. We can't just blame society for everything; we have to hold individuals accountable.
Society is a complex web of interactions, and while it certainly shapes our behavior, it doesn't determine it. We are not puppets dancing on strings held by some unseen puppeteer. We have agency, we have choices.
The news media, in its quest for ratings and relevance, often amplifies the most extreme voices, presenting them as representative of a larger group. Social media algorithms, designed to keep us engaged, feed us a steady diet of content that confirms our biases and enrages us with the perceived transgressions of the other side. This creates a distorted view of reality, a funhouse mirror where the most extreme views are magnified and the moderate voices are lost in the noise.
But to say that society is solely responsible for the actions of individuals is to deny their humanity. It's to say that they have no choice, no will of their own. And that's a dangerous road to go down. Because if we're not responsible for our actions, then what's the point of anything? Why strive to be better? Why hold ourselves to a higher standard?
The truth is, we live in a world that is constantly trying to tell us who we are.
