Why It's Time to Cancel 'Cancel Culture'

📝 This Week's Depth

Cancel culture. These words have dominated our social media landscape, becoming so normalized that we barely flinch when we hear them anymore. We rarely pause to think about what we're really saying when we declare someone "canceled."

In today's digital age, where everyone has a platform and a voice, passing judgment has become easier than ever.

Simply by tapping our screens, we can point out others' mistakes and shortcomings, quickly converting a single misstep, a poorly worded tweet, or a moment of ignorance into grounds for complete social exile.

We've created an imaginary world of perfect versus problematic, leaving no space for the messy and complex journey of being human.

Let’s be real though. Every single one of us has said or done things we regret. We've all held beliefs we later outgrew, made comments we wish we could take back, or acted in ways that make us cringe when we remember them.

By allowing cancel culture to take place, we're disregarding the fundamental human capacity for growth, learning, and change.

We're contributing to a world where people are terrified to acknowledge their mistakes, participate in meaningful conversations, or show vulnerability in their learning journey.

Ask yourself this: in a world where one mistake could end your social existence, would you be willing to take part in difficult conversations? Would you risk asking questions about things you don't understand? Would you ever admit to being in the process of learning and growing?

Yes, there are actions that deserve serious consequences. Violent crimes, severe abuse, and atrocious acts that harm others – these require proper justice through legal and formal systems. But these cases are very different from the casual "canceling" we've normalized online.

What we need isn't a culture of cancellation, but one of conscious accountability. How can we tell the difference between someone who is actively learning from their mistakes and someone who is repeatedly choosing harmful actions?

In our rush to cancel others, what are we really trying to accomplish? Are we seeking justice, or are we simply exercising the power of public shame? Are we creating a world where people can learn and grow, or one where they're afraid to even try?

Rather than asking, “When can we cancel others?” we should instead ask, "How can we hold people accountable?" At the end of the day, we are all works in progress, learning and unlearning, growing and changing.

💭 Thought Ripples

• Growth requires the courage to be imperfect in public

• The same empathy we wish for ourselves, we must extend to others

• The people who judge others most harshly may be carrying their own unacknowledged shame

🤔 The Inner Question

What growth in your own life would have been impossible if others hadn't given you the grace to learn and change?

🌟 Growth Notes

📖 Reflection

Think of a time when your understanding of something grew. What allowed you to grow? Was it judgment or compassion?

🎯 Action Step

Next time you feel the urge to "cancel" someone, ask yourself: What if this person is in the middle of their growth journey?

P.S. When was the last time someone gave you grace to grow? Perhaps today is a good day to extend that same gift to another.