Ain't I a Human?
Ain’t I a woman? That is the question that abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, asked at the Women’s Rights Convention of 1851. If you are familiar with these words, then you might see how I came up with the question ain’t I a human? My words will not flow as poetically like I’ve heard when many have recited her words. But my question remains the same. Though what’s on my mind is not likely what you are thinking.
The morning after the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention I was listening to some reactions. One reaction in particular struck me. The name of the person is irrelevant to the points I will make. No need to wonder who said what. This person was particularly impressed with Congresswoman, Jasmine Crockett from Texas. The congresswoman shared a personal anecdote about the first time she met Vice President Kamala Harris. It was a very touching moment and a story never told before.
This person was especially struck by her vulnerability and then went on a tangent about how these types of moments are human moments. I, too, was struck by her vulnerability. However, I’m a bit bothered by these declarations of what is human and by omission, what is not human.
Sure we want people to genuine. We don’t want people to misrepresent themselves. But even if they do misrepresent themselves, they are still human. They just aren’t comfortable enough with themselves to be authentic. Speaking of the cuff doesn’t make a person human. There are many in this world that never even had the ability to speak or have lost their ability to speak. They are no less human.
Sure we don’t want people to sound rehearsed or scripted. But a person’s ability to freestyle eloquently does not make them human. And just because a person doesn’t sound rehearsed doesn’t mean they haven’t rehearsed. There is an entire profession called acting that is made to look authentic when it is nothing but. Preparing and thinking about what you want to say does not mean that a lie is in the making. Quite frankly lies are often quick and reflexive responses. If someone responds quickly, depending on the scenario, I’d quickly become skeptical. By the way liars are human too. They just can’t be trusted. But thoughtfulness should be appreciated and mindlessness should be what’s bothersome to us.
Those with a bit more education under their belt and have an expansive vocabulary are often ragged on for putting that vocabulary and education to use in the normal course of their lives. They aren’t considered down-to-earth. Sure they should take care and be mindful of their audience but they are not less human. Conversely they aren’t superhuman if they put their brainpower to use and solve a major problem.
To err is human…
Ok so perfection should never be anyone’s goal because perfection doesn’t exist. We make mistakes. We aren’t God even if we, as humans, believe we are made in the image of God. But what gets me is this tendency to only be human when we are dealing with our flaws and mistakes. When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I’m pretty sure he and others said that he makes mistakes. He is human too. Well you know what’s also human? Not slapping Chris Rock.
Continuing with the slap heard around the world, I believe one of Chris Rock’s responses was that Will Smith proved he is just as bad of a person as everybody else. I don’t know that Will ever put himself on a pedestal. We elevate others in our minds by conflating a brand with character. Will’s actions were inconsistent with what we’ve known of him, but all of the good we saw in Will is still very much human. Which segues to the broader point that no one wants to be called a goodie-two-shoes. As if being good is a problem; as if being good is not human. We are a mixture of good and bad, darkness and light, flaws and strengths. It’s all human!!
Expressing emotion is human. But so is critical thinking and being logical. Figuring out the appropriate moments for each is usually the challenge. Interestingly enough when someone’s logic is appreciated, that person is usually called smart not human as if the two are mutually exclusive.
Calling out something as human seems to have started in recent years. Perhaps in response to callous behavior and/or inauthentic behavior. It may also be in response to people being critical of another’s vulnerability. Whatever the reason, it all shakes out to be one-sided in my opinion.
I wish I understood why we seem to have fallen into this pattern. My hypothesis is that we seem to be on a constant quest for relatability and do not want to be pushed outside of our comfort zones. It’s always someone else’s responsibility to engage, entertain and inspire us in a way that is relatable to us. If we don’t instantly connect or find ourselves intrigued, then it’s the other person’s fault. It’s like it’s too much of a chore for us to be curious enough to probe deeper beyond any surface relatability.
Relatability and connection are actually functions of our intention. If I wanted to relate and find a connection with a turtle, I can set out to do so by studying, learning and probing deeper about turtles. It just so happens that I have no interest in connecting with a turtle.
Our connections to one another may not be immediate, but that should not diminish the potential for connection. If we so choose not to relate or connect, then so be it. But we should own that choice. It’s not because the other person(s) is not human. Our humanity is a given.
So from person to person the answer to my opening question, “ain’t I a human?” is always yes.
Onward with intentional human connections and Harmonious Balance, my friends!
Johanna
**For customized content requests,1:1 coaching and/or speaking inquiries, feel free to contact me.**