Shock value

I like many many other people love to read internet articles and as a result get 99% of my news from the internet.  Though along with reading the articles I love to read the comments.  I am one of those people that enjoys knowing what people think about the news, I guess it's the therapist inside me.  What I have noticed a growing trend of is the amount of negative or what I call "shock value" comments.  Those comments that are so blatently rude or negative.  I wonder did someone put these comments in to get a response or is this comment the person's real belief?  I attempt to ignore most of these "shock value" comments and read the ones that actually provide some kind of intellectual content.  But at the end of the day sometimes idiocy of our society does start to annoy me, and I find myself having to accept that there are somethings that I cannot change.

Self Improvement

As a typical virgo I am quite the perfectionist.  Just not in the way most think of a perfectionist, I am a perfectionist of myself.  I have tasked myself with constantly attempting to self improve.  However the more I think about this the more I have to consider this can be a very futile effort.  Given the fact that as a human being I am doomed to be flawed and not perfect.  So then comes the contridiction of when do continue to improve upon myself, and when do I admit that I am flawed and accept my imperfections.  I cannot accept that I should give up on trying to improve myself.  Though logic does say that I will never achive perfection.  I then have to wonder how many people struggle through these same internal debates.  Or is this just one of my many flaws that I will just have to accept and move on through my daily life.

An Introduction

When I chose my title for my page I did not realize how versitile the phrase "fence rider" was.  However when I went to define it I found that no one can agree on the proper term.  So let me give you my definition.

A fence rider is a person who can see both sides of the story.  Thier life is defined in grays and never in black and white.  They do not make a decision because to them nothing is definate. 

So yes, this is how I think of myself.  I have not ever chosen a religion or political side.  My parents raised me to keep an open mind and hear all sides of the story.  Maybe I took it too far, however I have found myself unable to make a decision on hot button topic.  I am of a very firm belief that no one side can be all right or all wrong.  This does not mean that I have chosen to live a free spirit life, I have given myself a very strict set of rules, with the most important one is to treat everyone with a basic human dignity and respect.  I have found in following this one rule my life is a happy and fulfilled one.  I also will rarely tell anyone they are wrong, everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs in my "book of life".  I will however at times will find out the facts and point them out, but in the presence of just opinions I choose to open my mind and absorb the information.  So for anyone looking for a staunch reaction or rant on politics, religion, or modern society you're probably in the wrong place.  But I do promise to keep you thinking.