Whats with all the hate?

[maintain]

Ok, bit of a rant here bear with me... It seems like nowadays theres a consant barrage of negative and hateful comments from the general public toward the bodybuilding community. Mostly I run into the worst of this on the net.

What would drive someone to insult another person who works hard on their physique? I was raised to keep my negative thoughts/opinions of someone to myself (especially of their appearance). I mean jeez I dont go around town goin up to overweight people sayin, "why did you do that to yourself?" or, "women arent attracted to that"!!

In my everyday life Im soft spoken, polite, and go out of my way to be friendly to everybody I meet. But, it seems like that counts for nothing these days. Do people just have this stereotype of the "cocky mean meathead" so far up its butt that anyone with a little muscle is instantly an asshole?
I could go on and on. This has been on my mind for a minute and its messin with my motivation. What are you alls thought/opinions? experiences?

[Lee Salado]

Bodybuilding is a weird beauty-pageant dog-show like sport that relies very heavily on extreme drug use/enhancement and people don't understand it. Of course there is going to be some negativity surrounding it. Just enjoy it if you like it and don't worry so much about what other people have to say.

[mentalflex]

Honestly, it doesn't matter what you say or do to help society or another individual, certainl people have their own sense of how they want to intrepret or view another person and are too ignorant to look beneath the surface.

Essentially, it is just profiling. When an individual passing judgement simply looks at you from a physical sense, they have a preconcieved notion that you are a certain type of person. They have not even taken the time to talk with you or get to know the kidn of person you are under your skin.

In my mind, if someone is so shallow and judgemental, it says something to me about the kind of person they are. I know who I am, and if someone who means nothing to me in the grand scheme wants to pass false judgement on me, have at it. Let them have a day with it.

If you are so in the mood, ask someone who does profile you to explain why they think as they do. Once the words start coming out their mouth they will realize (hopefully) how immature their accusations are. They'll say something like, "Well, you workout just to make up for shortcomings or want attention." Then you can ask them what shortcomings you think they have or say, well, I can also wear a pink flamingo on my head and that would also get attention, but I am not doing that...

Listen to the people that matter in your life. I've been told 33% of the people you know don't give a shit about what you do, 33% will go against you no matter what and 33% will either back you or take your opinion into consideration.

[Lee Salado]

Honestly, it doesn't matter what you say or do to help society or another individual, certainl people have their own sense of how they want to intrepret or view another person and are too ignorant to look beneath the surface.

Essentially, it is just profiling. When an individual passing judgement simply looks at you from a physical sense, they have a preconcieved notion that you are a certain type of person. They have not even taken the time to talk with you or get to know the kidn of person you are under your skin.

In my mind, if someone is so shallow and judgemental, it says something to me about the kind of person they are. I know who I am, and if someone who means nothing to me in the grand scheme wants to pass false judgement on me, have at it. Let them have a day with it.

If you are so in the mood, ask someone who does profile you to explain why they think as they do. Once the words start coming out their mouth they will realize (hopefully) how immature their accusations are. They'll say something like, "Well, you workout just to make up for shortcomings or want attention." Then you can ask them what shortcomings you think they have or say, well, I can also wear a pink flamingo on my head and that would also get attention, but I am not doing that...

Listen to the people that matter in your life. I've been told 33% of the people you know don't give a shit about what you do, 33% will go against you no matter what and 33% will either back you or take your opinion into consideration.

Generally I think people just look down on extremes. I personally think its cool as shit when someone can squat 1,000lbs, run a marathon, or walk around looking like an alien due to the extreme slabs of muscle hanging on their frame. Just enjoy living on the fringe. Thats where the most of the cool people are anyway.

[mentalflex]

Generally I think people just look down on extremes. I personally think its cool as shit when someone can squat 1,000lbs, run a marathon, or walk around looking like an alien due to the extreme slabs of muscle hanging on their frame. Just enjoy living on the fringe. Thats where the most of the cool people are anyway.

If you aren't living with a few screws loose, you aren't really living

[dakoose]

Ok, bit of a rant here bear with me... It seems like nowadays theres a consant barrage of negative and hateful comments from the general public toward the bodybuilding community. Mostly I run into the worst of this on the net.

What would drive someone to insult another person who works hard on their physique? I was raised to keep my negative thoughts/opinions of someone to myself (especially of their appearance). I mean jeez I dont go around town goin up to overweight people sayin, "why did you do that to yourself?" or, "women arent attracted to that"!!

In my everyday life Im soft spoken, polite, and go out of my way to be friendly to everybody I meet. But, it seems like that counts for nothing these days. Do people just have this stereotype of the "cocky mean meathead" so far up its butt that anyone with a little muscle is instantly an asshole?
I could go on and on. This has been on my mind for a minute and its messin with my motivation. What are you alls thought/opinions? experiences?

I'm not a psychologist by any means, but I'd guess that the people that rail on bodybuilders have issues with the way they themselves look and are probably just frustrated/upset that they don't look the way bodybuilders do.

In general, people that immediately jump to character assassination and defamation are just frustrated and angry idiots and you'd be better off staying away from those kind of people in general. Defamation is the last refuge of the non-thinker and I, and I assume most, would rather not hang out with idiots.

Mostly I run into the worst of this on the net.

Are you talking about generic comment boards like the one's posted on Yahoo articles, Youtube vids, etc? If so.....just stay the hell away.

[PBRevolution]

On a side note, isn't it ironic how Planet Fitness prides their establishment as a "Judgement Free Zone", yet discriminates against bodybuilders in their commercials.

[TLopez]

Little story for you. I went to a poker game at my buddy's house in August. It was an extremely hot night here in San Diego. I was wearing a tank top (not a wife beater). Got ripped on the whole night by all my friends that I was just trying to show off. Even the 5'-8" 275 lbs fat guy was poking fun. Finally I said, "why aren't you making fun of T.J. for being fat and wearing a wife beater?" I immediately got called a dick for making fun of the fat guy. "Dude, that's not cool, must be the roid rage." WTF, I'm 5'-4" and weigh 168 lbs. Double standard?

[theroymccoy]

People will make fun of/offend anyone especially behind the anonymity of an internet board.

Most people are just bored, had a bad day and want to get a rise out of people.

Some are just generally angry people and look for easy targets...greased up, oiled men in thongs with a propensity to use illegal substances is as easy as it gets.

[mentalflex]

Have to correct something for you

Some are just generally angry people and look for easy targets...greased up, oiled men in thongs who are passionate about grapefruits and have a propensity to use illegal substances is as easy as it gets.

[DCBliever]

Ok, here's something I learnied being a corrections officer, police officer, powerlifter, bodybuilder and married for 10 years, I just turned 33 last week, you have to learn to GIVE A FUCK LESS ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THINK. Does it truly bother you if some fat piece of shit rips on you? Makes me laugh, I forget who said this but "PEOPLE WON'T TALK ABOUT YOU IF YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WORTH TALKING ABOUT". I love it when people take time out of their day to hate or love me, I'm still on your mind.

Just like we shouldn't rip on those who don't want to do the things we do, is it normal to get under 600lbs and try to squat it? Shit no! But not settling for average is what sets leaders out from the rest of the sheep. I have been at my job less than a year and the other guys in the same position are hating on me because I work my ass off and show them up. They complain because I get to work 2 hours before everyone else, so what? They can get up earlier if they want but choose not to. I'm never happy where I am I continue to improve. That's a little off topic.

Remember people hate what they don't understand and someone else pointed out it usually has to do with someone elses own character flaws.

[Dean3238]

From what I can see, people who do that are merely shielding themselves from the negatives they feel about themselves for (warning: generalization) being fat lazy slobs.

As a result, they are busy telling themselves that what a BB looks like a) doesn't appeal to women and b) represents some form of cheating/unhealthy/unworthy lifestyle.

[nexa]

Just like we shouldn't rip on those who don't want to do the things we do, is it normal to get under 600lbs and try to squat it? Shit no!

Considering how many people I know (firefighters, nurses) who have injured themselves trying to lift 400 lb people and how many times I've had to help transport the obese at the hospital, lifting "heavy" at the gym doesn't seem all that weird.

[Sammich]

Whats with all the hate?

Because you people are weird. :typing:

[TLopez]

Because you people are weird. :typing: