You’re right, everyone tries to fit in due to human nature. The weakest follow, the strongest lead by setting the example others will follow. Being a visible minority in a predominantly white society, I have grown up being segregated and wasting my time trying to “fit in”. I find it pathetic. Just my opinion.

I’ll send you an essay I wrote called “Let’s all be individuals together”. You might enjoy it. Actually, I might post it and we can discuss.

No, having a rough day is not an excuse for a lack of common courtesy, but it -is- a reason. Furthermore, most people are not self-aware enough to recognize, while in the act of being rude, that they are being rude, or even more, so, that they are being rude for unrelated reasons. They might later on, but by then, the moment will have passed.

What I’m saying is we can’t presume someone does not normally practice common courtesy simply because of a short and minor event, but then again, I recognize that this an article regarding anecdotal evidence and not a scientific thesis …

She was carrying a yoga mat, so I presume she actually practiced it. Now, if she actually walked around in a yoga outfit, carrying a yoga mat, without actually practicing it, that’s a completely different story.

On a minor sidenote, even if someone starts yoga in order to be cool or fit in, if the end result is betterment of their life or a reduction in stress, what’s the problem? I know that I for one haven’t exactly done everything with the best, most ideal reason in mind, yet, even so, the things I have done which made no rational sense at the time, were the things that affected me deeply, and changed my life deeply, for the better.

EVERYBODY tries to fit in. It’s human nature. Ever look at the punks, goths, metalheads, who aspire to be different, to be unique, to be their own individual person? They all dress the same. They all listen to the same music. They all mimic each other in an attempt to be different from the rest of the world. (I was one of them.)

As for the 90% of girls who wear tight pants to show off their asses, more power to ‘em. I, for one, am not complaining.

Sure, maybe she was having a rough day. Does that give everyone an excuse for not showing common courtesy anymore? If someone pisses in your corn flakes, do you take it out on the rest of the world, especially those who try to offer a helping hand?

So Gonzo, are you actually defending the indifferent, apathetic, self-absorbed attitude bred by our generation?

I concede your point about her trying to fit in though. Maybe she is really into yoga. Nine times out of ten the girls wearing the lulemon or TNA pants are just trying to show off their ass(ets). From my educated guess, maybe 10% of the ladies wearing the gear actually do practice yoga, so I’m making a martyr out of her

Furthermore, just because a girl is reasonably cute and almost endearing doesn’t mean she doesn’t have problems. Every girl has problems. Every guy has problems, too.

Just because someone doesn’t react with a cheery “Oh, thank you!” doesn’t mean they’re assholes. More than likely, it means they’re just ordinary people who have other shit that’s on their mind.

So, let’s step back: She’s carrying a backpack, a yoga mat, a lunch pack, a shopping bag, some shopping bags, her purse, and a cellphone.

The purse and the cellphone is a given. The backpack, yoga mat, and lunch pack implies she’s a) in school b) going to the gym/working out/whatever c) either trying to eat well or not rich enough to eat out every day. So, she’s a busy person. Add the shopping bags, and given that it’s being done in the middle of a busy day, my guess would be groceries, for either a) eating healthy or b) saving some money. All together, carrying a lot of stuff with her, she’s going to have a lot on her mind, and walking around with a cheery smile isn’t on the top of her list.

Now, lastly, why is it that you assume that someone who’s dressed in silly yoga clothes is trying to be like everyone else and be spiritual? Ever think, maybe people wear silly yoga clothes because they do practice yoga, and the reason they practice yoga is because yoga actually IS extremely beneficial for the body and the mind, even more so as a stress relief … you know, something which helps people who are otherwise extremely busy people (for example, working students who would rather spend their time staying in shape than walking around town stoned).