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It’s really interesting to me how the world has embraced the World War II slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On.” On the surface, I completely understand the way people can relate to the words and it can even become somewhat of a personal mantra to get through stressful times. However, knowing it’s history, I find it hard to swallow the slogan. There are bomb raids happening all over London, and I’m supposed to keep calm?! I think it makes a lot of sense that the officials at the last minute chose not to post these posters.
But I also find it fascinating that so many people in our modern world are so quick to glom onto this phrase when so many people clearly do not “Keep Calm.” There are so many instances of road rage and people screaming at the clerk at the fast food restaurant, and fights in public places over some perceived affront. How about the “venting” that we all do? Why are we so quick to be so negative all the time? Possibly it is precisely because so many people find it hard to deal, in a calm and refined way, with things that inconvenience them that this phrase became a widespread fad. People are in awe of the fact that someone might be able to actually keep calm and carry on with their life.
The other thing that is interesting to me is this acceptance of the status quo that is inherent in the acceptance of this slogan. What about the times that it is best not to keep calm and carry on, but to get angry and do something about it. I don’t mean that you necessarily need to be stupid angry like the examples above, but maybe empowered is a better word. Why should I keep calm if there is something that needs to be rectified? I might get quite charged up and then respectfully deal with the situation. Why should I carry on doing something that doesn’t work? Maybe I need to stop and rethink before continuing.
Whichever way you look at it, I find it difficult to jump on this bandwagon. No matter which new thing I might be doing after I Keep Calm, I will always have a tough time with it. Maybe I can start a new fad, with a new catchy phrase: Be kind and Empathize. Stay tuned for the t-shirts, mugs, internet images, and other merchandise that are sure to come once this one takes off.
