Not just us Veterans are being stereotyped in a world quick to be critical towards those they think they got figured out and by doing that we are put on a wall of shame because the stereotypes that comes with being different from others just like anyone who is misunderstood (Photo upload by Wix.com gallery).
Why are Veterans Misread: Looked at By Many With Stereotypes (Stigma) In the Civilian World or Elsewhere?
(Warrior Blog Entry 15)
As a kid growing up in a family where I was treated differently for various reasons, and it didn't help that I at times I proved them right with their judgements/stereotypes, and that would lead to stigmas that would eventually cause me to be conflicted; knowing I was very different from many in mhy family, and being the youngest, and having difficulties dealing with my emotions, and of not being able at times to not deal with life very well, my emotions would get the best of me and help cause me to have behavioural issues, but I was not always out of control with my life, but when I was, and I didn't go small with making poor choices or being foolish; I would go very big; and by doing that got me in a lot of trouble as a kid, youngman,; and even as an adult.
I know looking back that even though I was getting in trouble, and I was a very big handful to deal with by Mom (Annie), and the rest of the family; I truly believe being misunderstood; and being judged instead of being looked as a problem or those having the attitude of having no hope in site for me to change; because time after time even when I didn't get in trouble for away; getting a trouble period after having a history of getting in trouble would make it more difficult to overcome many obstacles of gaining trust from others who were stereotyping or having the lack of confidence in me to change or be in their eyes a better person.
Having my brother Charles (John) being looked at as the normal one in the family would overshadow any hope of being able to be looked as any better or to be able to be at the calibra of where he was at or reaching; it was if I was never good enough or never could reach the level of where my brother John would be at or for that matter would ever become; because from what I have seen in life and how it can operate; it does seem that once you screw up too much in life; it is as if people in your life or around just don't care about you anymore; even if they tell you they do or love; it is so obvious the actions are not backing up the words and the words show a very different outcome of what others truly feel about you or how they even treat you or how you would think they would treat you by the mixed message of the words and actions of those words not matching up to what you would perceive to be; and I must say can be very confusing for a kid period; can you imagine a troubled kid with major emotional/ behavioural issues?
So, as a kid growing up I was a loner a lot, I just couldn't fit in with others even up until I became older, and at times even now. If you can even imagine what a troubled kid was like growing up that couldn't even fit in with his family or even feel welcome at times, and when you think you did fit in or was welcome you would find out very quickly that there was still a deep seeded attitude by your family and others that you really were not welcomed but actually still being looked as a failure or as someone who just makes excuses of why they can't just normal like them or others, and can you just imagine how confusing it must of been for me or others like myself?
Life is complicated on it's own, but when you bring the human element into the equation of interacting with others, well that just compounds the intensity of the residual effects from the experience of encountering those who seem to misread those who are different or who are stigmatized by those who think they truly understand the difference between what should be normal or not; and when a person does that of stereotyping others or put the person who is different in a category; the human element of interaction between others gives an underlying factor of assumption is cancelled out by what others prescieves about others from what they think they know is truth behind the encounters of others or by the experience themselves; regardless the truth behind life is that people can change; and life has proved in a world even when there are the stereotypes by others all the while that many are just not accurate or even true.
In essence that regardless if it is true or not the assumption of presumption is still only looked at by those who have already made-up their minds about someone; and in my case that is basically the story of my life back then, and even now.
So, you might where I am going with this, and I even going to bring up anything in relation to what the title is stating in the blog entry? Yes, of course, and what I was initially introducing is of my past, and how it relates now, and of what is such an obvious insight to what I have already brought up is just an introduction to what I am going to about to elaborate on that are key bullet points to what relates to the title above; it is of the following bullet points with examples, and with points to them.
The theme here is that stereotypes are never die, and many who are against stereotyping others have been guilty of stereotyping others or they themselves have been stereotyped by others they thought would never do that to them or have had it happen to them by they knew would, but regardless life brings us conundrums of contradictions that at many times seem to cause such distractions of confusions that will create stigmas on top of stigmas that will be held over those who have caused them to themselves or by others who have put that label in which when you look at is put a label and itemizing that person into a category so that maybe it makes the other person who is doing the labeling more comfortable or justifies the means to their rationel to thier way to make sense out of what they don't completely I understand or if they do think that, those who approach others in the way I am referring in their own minds has a logically reasoning behind why they stereotype others. But keep this in mind that many who look at others differently may at many times don't even consciously realize they are doing it or even think twice that they are even doing it, and if those that commonly stereotype others have friends or family that do the same as they do will look at as it being the norm for them and others, and it seems logically and justifiable to behave in such a manner that will be looked at by others as not even an issue, regardless the byproduct of that approach will and has hurt those who are affected by such reckless treatment towards others; wouldn't you think that to be true for you or others or what you may have encountered yourself as the one being the deliver of the stereotypes or being the one receiving it?
Now, growing up the struggles for me was always a reminder, and I know this to be for others what I have encountered by others as well struggling with the same issues of feeling different, and not being able to fit in; joining the military was no different for me, and even when I got out of the military of being seperated from the military, but through living a life that became more difficult for me through out my life after the military would prove for me that even while I served the issues I tried to avoid or supress would eventually have to be addressed if I like it or not, and at times facing the reality of suppressing the truth behind me being different can only be addressed through dramatic/ radical approaches that would cause me to either want to give up on myself and life in general or force myself to deal with the issues in mylife that make me so different from others through identifying the issues through understanding what is causing so much complications in my life that if I continue to go the direction I was going; the end result would never be able to function in a world destined to label me and categorize me with others like me or not or what the perceive others to be like me; that was my major cundrum in my life for many years.
So, here we go with the bullet points that will relate to the title:
Why are Veterans Misread: Looked at By Many With Stereotypes (Stigma) In the Civilian World or Elsewhere?
of this blog, and my thoughts on each bullet points:
Why are Veterans Misread?
(I believe it is because those who are doing the stereotyping are misinformed about that Veteran or not, but the person is using what they think is correct about that Veteran through what others have told them or what they have experienced in the past with a Veteran in a similar way, and the presumption is caused by muscle memory of the reminder of the previous encounter before the other Veteran. So inessence the stereotype is one of the main leading cause to the misleading factor!)
Why are Veterans looked at by many with stereotypes in the civilian world?
(I believe it is because many who have never served, just like those who haven't served in the military, but are being stereotyped by others who look at them self or others as being normal or not the same as those being stereotyped; not understanding the reason why one is the way they are because they choose not to understand or have been misinformed)
Of course as a soldier I was able to function and relate to others I served with at times actually more than ever before, and it seemed that those I served with would actually have a similar past as mine; and we could relate more than ever, but that was not always the case it just depended where I was stationed, what I was doing, and who I met.
I know when I stereotyped myself or others it really was not positive and it actually helped manifest an attitude that was very negative and very harmful to me and others. The truth is that not all Veterans are going to cause the problems or do the things that Hollywood may portray us as being reckless, crazy, drug addicts, who are criminals; but that is not the case for all or many, but can be a reality for some, but it is case by case. Just as it is with Veterans may think through a stereotype that all Civilians are weak, and lazy, and fools for thinking differently from them who are Veterans who may think they have the upperhand than a civilian, and that maybe true in some cases but not. See where I am going with this? Is this making sense to you so far?
What stereotypes have you used against yourself or others or what you have heard, and were those stereotypes always right, did they always panout and come true to all that you thought would be the case or even for yourself personally?
I don't have all the answers and I don't want others to think I do or give others that indication, because even if it may look like I am trying to convey I have all the answers; it is not the case; but I do know who does; it is my belief that God does; and with my past; and where I was in life and where I am at now; it is my opinion of belief that God has helped more in my life than myself or any professional out there in my life or life in this very complicated world it can bring to us; and the professionals and others seem to think they have all the answers of solutions to such a very complicated world not slowing down on complicating life more in the lives of those who are so different from the so called normal people in a world that really doesn't seem that normal or even right in so many ways that causes such complication in those who do not fit in or who go against the grain, and causes a ripple effect in the water that causes many to stereotype others that stigmatizes and complicates the encounter with others who are different, and I know this all to well, as I know others do to.
Many who think how they treat others in such a stereotypical approach of stereotyping others is justifiable; but I say different; and I know others do as well, and especially organizations I have volunteered and worked hard with those who are in the trenches with fighting back of educating/ informing those through training, groups and community activities of promoting to combat the stigmas of mental illnesses or mental behavioral aspects of a person's disabilities or disorders that not by choice to cause others to choose to stereotype others who are different because of basically of this reason and thought on why many are wrong on justifying their reason for stereotyping others:
"The reason does not justify the means it is the attitude and presumption based off of what one perceives to be right or wrong or of not even factoring in it to be even relevant but ones reality of a person's mindset that justifies one's behaviour towards others is how I see it."
The organization whom I have worked with in the past, and has been a very powerful resource of such a wide range of wealth of support in the communities all over the U.S., and elsewhere of not just advocating for others who are different from the so called norm, but of the educational tools they provide through the wealth of knowledge by experts in the field that are not just professionals but consumers who have at one point been exposed to being stereotyped, judged, and stigmatized of those who are not Veterans and for those who were in the military and are Veterans; such as myself being one of them; and NAMI (National Alliance On Mental Illness), yes has been instrumental in being a positive force of reinforcing and combating the stigma on mental illness for decades, and the men and women who work for NAMI/ Volunteer/ Consumers, and etc. make it possible to keep the mission going of educating/ lobbying/ and to be active in the community through being a Non-Profit that brings opportunities to help those who are struggling with mental/ illness or illnesses and a disorder or disorders or for those who are misinformed and are causing to be the reason for not moving forward with being more informed about why it is vital to having funding for those who are being stereotyped and need support through the government, and of course there are so much more that goes with NAMI,and I encourage you to checkout their website, and get familiar with NAMI, and get connected with them by going to: www.nami.org.
This is all I have to provide in this blog entry 15, and I know I could of gone further, but for now I know this is a good introduction in what I have brought up in this blog entry, and it covers enough, and of course there is so much more that needs to be covered, but I believe many will understand where I am coming from on what I was trying to address through this blog entry.
If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get with me, I would be honored and it will be my pleasure to address any questions or concerns that you may bring to me, and if I don't have the answers to your questions or able to address you concerns; then let's find a way to do so!
Down below is a video that I think may interest you and relates to this blog entry!
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Author's Message:
Thank you for taking the time to read Warrior Blog Entry 15, and I hope it has been insightful, educational, and useful information!
Remember, if anyone stereotypes you; just be bold & courageous, and tell them to not stereotype you and if they give you a chance tell them why, and show those this blog entry that do, and get them linked with NAMI!
Stay tune for more blog entries to come, and get others informed to become a member so they may enjoy the blog entries and the features on the website only members are privy to!
Yours Truly,
-Warrior Tim
Great video, and very truthful of needing to address the issues of stereotypes & stigmas! Note: Not sure if this video is in partnership with NAMI, don't think so, but please take the time to watch it, it should help put things into perspective.
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