The pandemic revealed a lot about our society. The whole academic discipline of Public Health needs a makeover. Hopefully, when we’re finally past this thing and can examine what was done, wasn’t done, and how information was communicated, positive progress can be made in the field.
One thing that’s also been brought into sharp relief is the amount of narcissism in our culture. Along with all the good things we’ve seen, and we have seen much good come out of this: neighbors caring for neighbors, ingenuity in business, government, and faith communities. There have been many blessings. But, narcissism was on full display. Remember the toilet paper debacle? Lord help us!
A recent news account reports that airlines are reaching out to the government to prosecute folks who’ve proven disruptive on flights. There’s a crisis in the skies. Airlines reported about 3,000 cases of disruptive passengers so far in 2021. We’re not even halfway through the year!
Over the past decade, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated about 140 cases a year for possible enforcement actions such as fines. This year, it was nearly 400 by late May.
Despite the FAA's efforts, Airlines for America, a trade association and lobbying group, continues "to see onboard behavior deteriorating into heinous acts, including assaults, threats and intimidation of crew members that directly interfere with the performance of crew member duties and jeopardize the safety and security of everyone onboard the aircraft," adding that "incidents continue and appear to be intensifying."
They’re asking the FAA to forward cases to the Department of Justice so perpetrators can be prosecuted and help publicize the FAA’s new Zero Tolerance Policy. Airlines in the United States have banned 3,000 passengers since May of last year. However, this number’s low because American Airlines and Southwest Airlines decline to share their statistics.
Some security experts believe the mask requirement is a big sore spot with passengers and if you remove the mask requirement, you’ll eliminate a major source of the problem.
Perhaps, but, the source of the problem is not the mask requirement. The source of the problem is people. People are selfish. Most of us are able to keep control of our narcissism and avoid creating a scene when we’re upset. We know how to keep it together in civil society. An increasing number, sadly, are allowing their sense of personal entitlement get the best of them.
Very few people I know enjoy flying. It’s a pain. You know what I don’t like about flying? The seat sizes. Americans are getting bigger and airplane seats are getting smaller. You know what else I don’t like? I hate getting on an airplane and all the overhead space is taken. Here I am in row twenty and some bum in row seven came all the way back and put stuff in my overhead compartment before I ever boarded the plane. I’m guessing it makes a lot of people mad. There have probably been fights over that, too. The only good thing about flying is you get to where you’re going faster. That’s it. There’s nothing good about flying unless you’re in First Class, then those little towels they give you are nice and the food is better.
Guess what?! The vast majority of people are capable of putting up with some inconvenience and get over it. Yes, at this point, the mask mandate probably isn’t logical, but so what?! Wear your mask. Get over it. Grow up. Let’s be adults and get through this experience so we can get on with our lives on the other side of this flight.
Okay. That’s my rant. A few narcissists are making life miserable for a lot of people. Please stop. You will actually enjoy your own life much more if you stop terrorizing other people with your whining.
Of all the Happiness blockers, narcissism may be the most influential. Narcissism keeps you thinking the world revolves around you, that every person in your life is here to make your life better, especially service staff like flight attendants or servers in restaurants. Narcissism not only blocks your happiness, but it infringes on the happiness of others. When you realize you’re not the only person who matters, your life can be a blessing to others. When you realize that relationships are two-way streets, your life grows much easier and more fulfilling.
So, let’s all take a deep breath. If you’re flying, just get ready for an uncomfortable, but temporary experience, get through it, and everyone will be happier when we hear those words we’ve been waiting for: “Buh-bye.”
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Video version on the Cultivate Happiness YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/a7bfnrBPIB8
Comic Book graphic by dcim-studio: https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/book