2016 is not a serial killer. It's a YEAR.

[matt1993]

I am sick and tired of people blaming 2016 for all the bad things that have happened this year.

Yes, I get that there were a lot of celebrity deaths this year, people got upset with each other over the election even more so than usual, etc. Those were definitely bad things that happened this year. But the Internet has taken this WAY too far - I'm getting tired of people blaming the year for it. (Dear 42 and It's Over 9000: I apologize. You are not the most annoyingly overused number-related memes in existence.) the way some people talk, it's like they think nothing good happened in 2016 (not true!) or that nothing bad happened in 2015 or any other recent year (also not true!). They make me feel like I'm not allowed to enjoy anything that was released in 2016. :(

Sorry for the rant - I just needed to get this off my chest before the end of the year. (Not that it'll make any difference - there's still people who complain about Super Mario Maker being released on September 11 last year...)


To anyone who happens to discover my journal while this is still on the first page: Rest assured, rants like this (or rants of any kind) are not very common in my journal. :)

Comments

[pathvain-aelien.livejournal.com]

Well, 2016 was a pretty crappy year for a lot of people, but that definitely doesn't meant that good things didn't happen or that some people had a great year or that you shouldn't enjoy the year and the things that happened yourself. In my opinion and for me personally, it was a bad year, but there were also lots of good things that happened, too. :)

I personally don't mind it but if you do that's fine, too. Just don't let it make you upset because it's not a big deal and you are allowed to think differently from other people (or have other people think differently than you). :)

[matt1993]

I know it was a bad year for a lot of people, and I'm not saying they should completely forget about or ignore the bad things that happened. But some people are taking it too far and blaming the whole year for it, and I'm like, "Okay, you know that good things happened in 2016 too, right? And that 2016 is not the only year in which celebrities have died?" If it's possible to be prejudiced against days of a year, that's what they're doing about the good days in 2016.

(Actually it's more than just "some" people who do that. If it WERE just "some", I wouldn't be so annoyed by it.)

Hearing people talking about only the bad things that happened makes me feel like I'm not allowed to talk about or enjoy anything good that happened this year (or that if I do, I have to constantly preface it with "2016 was a bad year but..." or something.) In fact, even the fact that you told me "Well, 2016 was a pretty crappy year for a lot of people..." makes me feel like I'm not allowed to think about the good things that happened this year. :(


For some reason I tend to get annoyed if people constantly talk about the same news story for a really long time, even if it's a serious one (that's why I got sick of people talking about the swine flu [which I STILL always type as "swine flue" and have to backspace] constantly in 2009, for instance). I don't know why. ("Constantly" is the key word, though - I'm talking about like if over a quarter of all the conversations I hear are about it.)

[pathvain-aelien.livejournal.com]

The people who are commenting on that or posting that (like "enough, 2016) mean it as a joke.

And you are definitely allowed to feel like it was a good year or a mostly even year or whatever you want, just because it was a bad year for some doesn't mean it has to be for everyone. So don't worry about that.

I get it that things get overused or overjoked but that's a matter of opinion-totally fine for you to get irritated or annoyed but just something you've got to get over or just roll your eyes at and move on since other people might not feel the same way. For instance, I get annoyed when people shorten words or use baby-talk for words (like saying Cali for California or cray-cray for crazy) but I can't control what other people like to say so I just have to move on. That doesn't mean that it doesn't annoy me! And you can totally talk about it whenever you want, just keep in mind that everyone is different (no two people are not on fire) and other people may have things that are completely different pet peeves.

And as for the quarter of all conversations you hear being about it, that's possible but it could easily be that you are so annoyed by the subject that you are more attuned to that talk than you would be otherwise, so your mind just notices and remembers that when other things are being talked about more or as much.

I've noticed a lot of people making jokes about 2016 but I definitely wouldn't call it a quarter of it. It just may feel that way to you. I've felt that way about the cray-cray and OMG and IMHO and other things that drive me nuts but that doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

So anyway, there is nothing wrong with thinking whatever you think about 2016 and having other people feel differently, because everyone had a different year from every other person. You don't need to project your fears into the situation. You are definitely allowed to think WHATEVER you want and enjoy WHATEVER you want at all times.

Let's say that person A had a decent year (good and bad things happened equally) and person B had a year where a lot of bad things happened like maybe they lost their job and lost a loved one or whatever. Person A doesn't need to change their opinion of the year because someone else had a bad one-if that were the case, no one would ever have a good day, or minute, or even a second. And Person B isn't going to get mad at person A for not also having a bad year-that would be crazy.

Another example-on 9/11, a lot of people had a very bad day, obviously. For me personally, I hung out with my best friend and went to a nice dinner and we had a really good day-totally fine that we were sad about what happened but also had our own experiences which happened to be good.

All right? So you have nothing to worry about.

[matt1993]

The people who are commenting on that or posting that (like "enough, 2016) mean it as a joke.

Yes, I know it's a joke. It's just that I've heard it so many times that I'm getting tired of it.

I've noticed a lot of people making jokes about 2016 but I definitely wouldn't call it a quarter of it.

"A quarter of it" was just a guess as to what fraction it was (that, in fact, I first wrote as "a half of it" and then decided "Nah, it wasn't THAT much..."). I still think it's definitely pretty close to how often I heard people talk about it at our group today.

And Person B isn't going to get mad at person A for not also having a bad year-that would be crazy.

That would be crazy, but I still feel like that's happening. :(

Another example-on 9/11, a lot of people had a very bad day, obviously. For me personally, I hung out with my best friend and went to a nice dinner and we had a really good day-totally fine that we were sad about what happened but also had our own experiences which happened to be good.

Except people still complain when things are released on September 11 even in a different year, like what I said about people STILL being upset about Super Mario Maker being released on that day last year. (Wow, I can only imagine how much those people would annoy me had it been released on September 11 of THIS year...) And again, I know that some of those people are joking, but it's a joke that's gotten really old.

[pathvain-aelien.livejournal.com]

The people who are commenting on that or posting that (like "enough, 2016) mean it as a joke.

Yes, I know it's a joke. It's just that I've heard it so many times that I'm getting tired of it.

And that's totally your right to feel that way.

I've noticed a lot of people making jokes about 2016 but I definitely wouldn't call it a quarter of it.

"A quarter of it" was just a guess as to what fraction it was (that, in fact, I first wrote as "a half of it" and then decided "Nah, it wasn't THAT much..."). I still think it's definitely pretty close to how often I heard people talk about it at our group today.

What I said stands, your mind probably filters out a lot of other stuff and focuses more on this stuff to make it seem like the case, but it's probably not. :)

And Person B isn't going to get mad at person A for not also having a bad year-that would be crazy.

That would be crazy, but I still feel like that's happening. :(

That's just you! That's not what's actually happening. Mountain out of a molehill thing. You're projecting, so quit worrying.

Another example-on 9/11, a lot of people had a very bad day, obviously. For me personally, I hung out with my best friend and went to a nice dinner and we had a really good day-totally fine that we were sad about what happened but also had our own experiences which happened to be good.

Except people still complain when things are released on September 11 even in a different year, like what I said about people STILL being upset about Super Mario Maker being released on that day last year. (Wow, I can only imagine how much those people would annoy me had it been released on September 11 of THIS year...) And again, I know that some of those people are joking, but it's a joke that's gotten really old.

I haven't heard anything like that ever, but if people really are getting upset about that, that's on them and they are being irrational. And if it's a joke, remember that it might be old to you, but other people might still find it funny. That doesn't mean you have to or need to change your opinion, just keep in mind that people are different.

So to recap, you have nothing to worry about here. You are in the negative numbers on the worry scale. :)

[glowing-dragon.livejournal.com]

I agree with this comment.

[13catswaltz.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you!!!!! I had a great 2016! And awesome rant!!! Hahaha

[matt1993]

:)

[elsieellis.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. But also for the people who think 2016 was exclusively terrible, it's helping them set goals and feel good about moving forward. I do think the internet has a lot to answer for though, especially facebook!

[matt1993]

I wouldn't mind people talking about the bad things that happened this year so much if it didn't so often feel like people are refusing to talk about anything else, or at least the good things that happened this year. I hope that was clear earlier...

[wanderipity.livejournal.com]

I agree with you! Lets not blame the numbers.

[matt1993]

:)