This is very true. I knew a guy who only ate fast food, and he could not (or would not) eat at better restaurants. He simply did not like anything but the fast food hamburgers.
Is there anything you are really passionate about? Politics, religion, a TV show, genre of literature, charity, etc.?
I've found that it's easier to form faster relationships by being in a select "in-group" of people who are united around a cause. The downside to that is that if you change your views or become less passionate, the people may tend to isolate from you. Same thing for when you have friends from work. However, you can try to turn these more superficial friendships into more meaningful ones by talking about people's kids, dating life, childhood, etc. Once you talk about things that are more intimate, people will view you as a more intimate friend than you actually are. And remember you have to "give to get" - so talk about yourself and share details that push the boundary of your intimacy level (not in a creepy way). That will also make people feel that you have a closer relationship than you do and they will view you as a closer friend.
And read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for tips on talking to people more when you are with them.
This is pretty crazy. I'll continue to be "rude" then.
I've also learned to lower the armrest as soon as I sit down. If an overweight person sits next to you, it will be impossible to lower it and they will be taking up part of your seat.
That's very true. People are very averse to admitting that meat and dairy contribute negatively to their health, despite the many studies that show the contrary.
I can attest to this in the U.S. as well. I hang out with a pagan community that has a high percentage of people on food and cash assistance. They get so much money that they purchase holiday gifts with EBT (food stamps) and live almost solely on expensive branded snack food. Every person I've known on EBT has been gaming the system in some way - everything from getting roommates to sign off that rent is higher so they get more money and doing work under the table for cash and not reporting it, to wanting to get married but deciding not to because it would eliminate their benefits and turning down higher paying jobs because they know they need to keep low-wage, part-time jobs to keep benefits. Withdraw cash from a cash card to buy earrings, concert tickets and other luxuries - no problem! Until a couple years ago I didn't even know people were given debit cards with money on them from the government.
I had always thought that poor people bought generic products, had old TVs, couldn't afford cable, had old flip phones, etc. But it's the exact opposite. The poor people I know on welfare/assistance have much nicer things than the middle class people I know.
I believe that the system needs to be revised so only certain products can be purchased with government funds. It would help to keep the people using these services healthier as well.
I live in a small town and most of my poor friends voted for Obama. Now they are all furious because they're getting fined for not having health insurance. They don't make enough (or don't manage their money well enough) to pay for Obamacare every month. It doesn't provide great plans either - one person I know pays $130/month for a plan with a deductible of several thousand.
My parents have a pretty Biblical marriage in a number of ways. It's beautiful and has made me wish I believed in that doctrine just in order to have something like that. They believe, much like the article/manual states, that the man is the head of the household. However, he always consults the woman and in caring for her, does not make decisions that are harmful to her or cause her distress. Obviously it's not an either-or scenario, but it seems to work much better than other marriages I've seen where both people are so focused on what they want for themselves.
I'm glad to hear of more and more young people feeling this way. As a female who is a little bit older than you, I get worried about some of the negative effects of the younger generations being too gender-neutral. As an example, my mother and I both have a condition where we tend to get dizzy ("fainting spells"). That's one very small example of where we need to be feminine and allow men to help us out.
I would call this more "accidentally realist" than "accidentally sexist." I know for a fact that even though I am not a great coder (not a huge part of my job currently) I could get hired over more qualified men because I'm female. I've talked to women who know they got hired in tech because they are women, not because of the skills/experience they have. I know women working current jobs where it's obvious they are not qualified for the job they have (of course, that happens with men too). I've had people at colleges tell me that if only I wanted to do Computer Science I'd be guaranteed a scholarship because I'm female, but there are not the same scholarships for me. All of that, in my opinion, is very sexist against men.
I don't know if this is justified, but if I'd gotten death threats I'd be more worried about snipers than someone coming at me at close range. Your safety in numbers advice would be very good in that case too. The issue I have with Tasers is that they're as expensive as a gun and you only get one shot. I was thinking of non-lethal options because I don't know if the person can carry a gun if they aren't a citizen or if there are strict laws where he lives. If the person can afford it, I'd suggest looking into a lightweight bullet-proof vest as well.
This is sad to read. People of every race--black, white, whatever--need to make an effort to get to know their neighbors. Simply saying hello to people when you're walking, introducing yourself, pointing out where you live, telling them about your pets, children, where you work or go to school, where you moved from, etc., can make a big difference in a community. I used to live in a very racially diverse apartment complex (more than 50% non-white). I was friendly with everyone and felt like the people I got to know were almost friends. Smiling, waving or saying hello to people forms a small bond that could help these overzealous people realize that if they reach out, they will see that they are over-reacting. By being friendly and getting to know people, we can learn that most people are not threats to us, and we can all be united in watching against the people who really are.