a speech about life is unfair

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Life isn't fair - deal with it.

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There seems to be a lot of talk these days about what is fair, and what is not. President Obama seems to believe life should be fair – that “everybody should have a fair shake.” Some of the 99% seem to believe life has treated them unfairly, and some of the 1% percent feel life hasn’t treated them fairly enough. My questions are these: What is fair? Is life fair? Should life be fair? I’ll frame the debate, and you decide…

We clearly have no choice about how we come into this world, we have little choice early in life, but as we grow older choices abound. I have long believed that while we have no control over the beginning of our life, the overwhelming majority of us have the ability to influence the outcomes we attain. Fair is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind.

In business, in politics, and in life, most of us are beneficiaries of the outcomes we have contributed to. Our station in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, our pastors, our government, or our society - it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt.

People have overcome poverty, drug addiction, incarceration, abuse, divorce, mental illness, victimization, and virtually every challenge known to man. Life is full of examples of the uneducated, the mentally and physically challenged, people born into war-torn impoverished backgrounds, who could have complained about life being unfair, but who instead chose a different path – they chose to overcome the odds and to leave the world better than they found it. Regardless of the challenges they faced, they had the character to choose contribution over complaint.

I don’t dispute that challenges exist. I don’t even dispute that many have an uphill battle due to the severity of the challenges they face. What I vehemently dispute is attempting to regulate, adjudicate, or legislate fairness somehow solves the world’s problems. Mandates don’t create fairness, but people’s desire and determination can work around or overcome most life challenges.

It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. It’s not the circumstances by which you come into this world, but what you make of them once you arrive that matter. One of my clients came to this country from Africa in his late teens, barely spoke the language, drove a cab while working his way through college, and is now the President of a large technology services firm. Stories such as this are all around us – they are not miracles, nor are they the rare exception. They do however demonstrate blindness to the mindset of the fairness doctrine.

From a leadership perspective, it’s a leader’s obligation to do the right thing, regardless of whether or not it’s perceived as the fair thing. When leaders attempt to navigate the slippery slope of fairness, they will find themselves arbiter of public opinion and hostage to the politically correct. Fair isn’t a standard to be imposed unless a leader is attempting to impose mediocrity. Fair blends to a norm, and in doing so, it limits, inhibits, stifles, and restricts, all under the guise of balance and equality. I believe fair only exists as a rationalization or justification. The following 11 points came from a commencement speech widely attributed to Bill Gates entitled Rules for Life. While many dispute the source , whether it was proffered by Bill Gates or not, I tend to agree with the hypothesis:

Rule 1: Life is not fair -- get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Here’s the thing – we all face challenges, and life treats us all unfairly. We all make regrettable choices, and we all suffer from things thrust upon us do to little if any fault of our own. When I suffered a debilitating stroke at an early age, I certainly asked myself “why did this happen to me?” I could have felt sorry for myself and became bitter, I could have thrown in the towel and quit on my family and myself – I didn’t. It took two years of gut-wrenching effort, but what I thought was a great injustice at the time changed my life for the better. Today, you couldn’t tell I ever had a stroke. The greatest adversity life can throw at you simply affords you an opportunity to make changes, improve, and get better.

By the title of today’s column you have no doubt surmised I believe life is not fair, nor do I believe we should attempt to socially or financially engineer it to be such. Fair is not an objective term – it is a matter of perspective filtered by a subjective assessment. My subjective assessment is that fair is an entitlement concept manufactured to appease those who somehow feel slighted. Life isn’t fair - #occupyreality

Follow me on Twitter @mikemyatt

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12 Reasons Why is life so Unfair: Exploring Life’s Injustices

It may seem that some people have to face more difficulties, sufferings, or injustices than others and that they have no control over their circumstances. There are many possible reasons for this, but some of them are: Life is unpredictable and complex, and we cannot foresee or prevent everything that happens to us or around us. Sometimes, random events or factors can have a positive or negative impact on our lives..

Sanju Pradeepa

You’re scrolling through news feeds and see another story of a person who had their life taken away too early. You think to yourself, “What kind of world is this?” It’s a question that many of us have asked at some point in our lives. We live in an unjust world, and it can be hard to process why things are the way they are. But instead of feeling helpless and stuck in this unfairness, you can take control of your own path despite the odds.

It’s no secret that life can feel pretty unfair sometimes. Whether it’s due to a bad break, a missing piece of luck, or simply not getting what you deserve, dealing with life’s injustices can weigh heavily on your heart and mind.

Focusing on the unfairness of it all will do nothing but keep us stuck in a cycle of frustration and bitterness. So, instead of wallowing in the unfairness of life, we should take the time to understand why life is so unfair in the first place.

Let’s take a deep dive into how life works and how you can strive to make a difference by taking charge of your own destiny, even when the deck may sometimes appear stacked against you.

We’ll explore why life is so unfair, bust myths about what’s standing in your way, and ultimately uncover how to create a more just future for generations to come.

Table of Contents

What is ‘unfairness’.

Have you ever felt like life is unfair? It’s a feeling that can happen when things don’t go our way and the world seems to take advantage of us. That’s because life can be unpredictable, chaotic, and sometimes seemingly unjust.

But what exactly is “unfairness,” and why does it happen so often? When we experience an obstacle that we were not expecting or when the outcome of a situation does not match the effort put into it, we are experiencing unfairness.

For example, when you put in a month’s worth of hard work on an assignment only to get a grade of C instead of an A, this may feel unfair.

In reality, there is no universal definition for “unfairness.” Everyone’s perception of justice will be different and shaped by individual experiences.

However, recognizing when something feels unfair can be a useful tool for identifying and understanding our values , including what matters to us, what we think is important in life, and how best to combat the injustice that occurs.

The Nature of The Unfairness of Life

You’ve probably asked yourself at some point: Why is life so unfair? It’s a fair question, one that has been explored by philosophers since the beginning of time. There are many theories as to why life can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, from the idea that it’s all part of a karmic cycle to the notion that life’s hurdles are there to grow us as individuals.

At its core, life’s unfairness can be attributed to two things: chance and our choices. Chance or luck plays a key role in what happens in our lives; it may be as simple as winning a lottery or as complex as our parents’ decision to move away from a war-torn country.

Our choices, on the other hand, determine how we respond to circumstances that come our way. We may choose to give up or carry on, complain about what we don’t have, or find ways to work with the resources we do have.

Understanding these competing forces allows us to accept and embrace life’s challenges with grace and dignity, while also keeping sight of our power in creating positive change.

Perhaps more than anything else, life’s unfairness can lead us to a sense of deep resignation, a feeling that all of our strivings are for naught. We can go our entire lives asking why it has to be this way and never find an answer.

But instead of succumbing to this feeling of helplessness, try to look at life’s unfairness through the lens of humanity. Rather than asking how I cope, consider the strengths, skills, and experiences I’ve gained as a result of my difficult journey. Then apply them to guide and direct your efforts to address inequities in your own community or environment.

No matter what happens, it’s essential to keep believing in a better tomorrow. Accepting that life is unfair does not have to mean accepting defeat; instead, it can serve as motivation for being an advocate for fairness in your own life and community.

Find strength in yourself and your convictions so that you are not resigned but instead inspired to make the world a better place.

Not all Storms Come to Disrupt Your Life But Also to Shape

Common misconceptions about life’s fairness.

Maybe you’ve heard people say that life isn’t fair and it’s often the most difficult circumstances that can serve as a harsh reminder of that phrase. Here are a few common misconceptions about life’s fairness:

1. Life is supposed to be easy.

It isn’t always supposed to be easy. In fact, we learn lessons and gain strength through struggle. Life is meant to challenge us, stretch us, and make us grow. This doesn’t mean it’s always easy or that things won’t seem unfair at times, but if we persevere through the storms with resilience, we will grow stronger and more capable of tackling even bigger challenges in the future.

2. It matters who you know .

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who you know or who your parents are. It’s all about how hard you work. You don’t need to be related to someone influential or depended on luck; it comes down to putting in the hours and not giving up when things get tough.

3. Only Money buys happiness .

This couldn’t be further from the truth: money can never buy true joy or unconditional love in your life. We should appreciate what we have instead of striving for something more materialistic. True happiness comes from within and experiencing new things, not from having more stuff around us.

Reasons Why Money Can’t Buy Happiness: 12 possible Reasons

Reasons why is life so unfair.

Life can be unfair due to chance and our choices. Chance or luck plays a key role in what happens in our lives, while our choices can also lead to unfairness. For example, we may choose to associate with people who are not good for us, or we may make poor decisions that lead to negative consequences. It’s important to recognize that life is not always fair and to focus on what we can control .

We all feel like life is unfair sometimes. We all deserve a fair break in this world, but the truth is, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes it seems unfair because you happen to have been born with fewer advantages than someone else, and it seems unfair that people judge your success as your own doing and their failure as a result of their own shortcomings.

But what’s important to remember is that these feelings of unfairness don’t need to strongly affect your life or make you feel worse. It’s easy to let them consume us, but we must be able to take a step back from how we think and be objective about the situation so that we don’t allow our emotions to take control of what we do.

1. Life Is Unpredictable and Uncontrollable

At times, it can feel like life is entirely out of your control. We do our best to plan, prepare, and make decisions but sometimes, it seems like the universe has something else planned for us. Life is unpredictable and uncontrollable, and that feeling of powerlessness can often lead to feelings of unfairness.

Put simply: you never know what challenges or obstacles life is going to throw your way. A lot of the time, these will be beyond your control which makes it hard to find solutions that will make life fairer in the future.

You may find yourself imagining different circumstances that would have allowed you to have a more successful outcome, but you’ll never be able to predict exactly what challenges will arise in your future. The unpredictable nature of life often makes things feel unfair, as if success isn’t down to our own hard work and perseverance.

Why is life so Short: The Fleeting Nature of Existence

2. unequal life opportunities.

Life can seem especially unfair when you consider the unequal opportunities available between social classes and those in different locations. No matter how hard you work, if you don’t have the same opportunities as others, chances are that you won’t be successful.

The way you’ve been educated plays a major role in what kind of future awaits you. For example, if you come from a poorer background and don’t get the same quality of education as those from higher socioeconomic classes, your career options are automatically limited. You might not even get access to certain job openings or competitive courses due to your lack of access to proper education.

Geographic Location

Though the internet has made our world smaller, where you physically live in it still matters. Living in certain areas can determine what kind of job opportunities are available to you, or how much money you can make doing certain jobs.

Depending on where you live, there might be a lower supply and higher demand for certain jobs meaning less competition for people looking for work but that may also mean lower wages than elsewhere.

Though life can seem unfair at times, it’s important to remember that everyone has different life experiences, privileges, and obstacles they have overcome along the way, and these factors all play into what we have achieved in our lives so far. There is no right or wrong way to reach success, just hard work and perseverance.

Why is Life so Hard for Some and not Others: 10 Injustices

3. our own mindsets can manifest injustice.

It’s all too easy to spend our days feeling helpless and angry in the face of injustice. But while external forces can often be out of our control, one thing we can control is our own mindset and attitude . The way you view the world can affect how you experience it, and that means that your own mindset can be a tool for justice or for destructive behavior.

This is because our mindsets shape the stories that we tell ourselves about why certain situations are the way that they are, whether through a lens of injustice or justice.

You have the power to start shaping these stories to fit a more just perspective within your own mind by investing time in self-reflection and learning how to become aware of your own negative biases , understand the history of various forms of oppression, and explore your privilege when engaging with others. In doing this, you can create space to build solidarity with those who experience injustice instead of perpetuating it.

4. We Have Limited Control Over Our Destiny

At the end of the day, much of what happens to us in life is out of our control. You may have had ambitions and dreams for yourself and your future, but there are always external factors that can have a significant impact on how things turn out.

For instance, perhaps you applied for your dream job, hoping for success. But unbeknownst to you, the company was only offering the role internally, and so you didn’t even stand a chance from the start.

Or maybe you wanted to major in engineering at college but ended up having to take out student loans and couldn’t afford them. In both cases, it’s far from fair or reasonable that you couldn’t fulfill your plans, but these things simply can’t be helped in some cases.

It is important to remember that life isn’t necessarily designed to be “fair” or easy all the time, no matter how much we wish it were. Just because we are faced with obstacles doesn’t mean hope is lost. Understanding why life isn’t fair can help us find our way forward when faced with hardships.

Why is Life so Sad: 8 Reasons behind Your Life’s Sadness

5. we are victims of our own circumstances.

Sometimes, life feels unfair because we are victims of our circumstances. When the cards are dealt, it may seem like some people have been dealt better hands than others. It’s true some people may be born into wealth and privilege, while others may come from poverty and inequality. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck in your circumstances forever.

You can make the best of what you have, no matter where you come from or what resources you have to draw upon. Here is a list of ways in which you can create a brighter future for yourself regardless of your current situation:

• Develop strong relationships with those around you.
• Take the initiative to improve your skillset.
• Make use of any resources available to you
• Embrace challenges as learning opportunities.
• Set short-term and long-term goals.
• Find mentors who can guide and advise you.
• Surround yourself with positive, like-minded people.
• Take time to think, plan and reflect on your progress.
• Persevere through adversity, and never give up hope.

Why is Life So Cruel: 8 Brutal Truths About Life’s Cruelty

6. society’s definition of success can be unfair.

It can feel like life is unfair when trying to determine what is considered ‘successful’ in society. We’re all so different and each of us is unique in our own way yet the same old rules seem to apply no matter what.

When it comes to measuring success, society tends to focus on traditional markers like education, financial status, job titles, and material possessions. And while these are important, they don’t always reflect the achievements you’re proudest of or the true value of your unique set of skills.

That’s not fair. Your definition of success should be personal; it’s how you define accomplishment on your own terms. Don’t let someone else decide what success looks like for you because everybody’s path looks different, and everyone takes a different route before reaching the version of success that works for them.

It can be hard to stick up for yourself sometimes and believe in yourself. But remind yourself that the world has no idea what you’re capable of until you show them. Ultimately, it’s up to you to craft your goals and work toward a purpose that makes sense for you, not anyone else.

7. Unfair Expectations Based on Gender and Race

Have you ever felt like you’re being judged or even held to different standards, simply because of your gender or race? It’s no secret that society still hasn’t completely transcended traditional ideas about gender and race, and sometimes this leads to unfair expectations from friends, family, school, the workplace, and more.

Here are some examples of how these expectations can be unfair:

Family Pressure

When it comes to family, it’s common for certain expectations to be placed on particular genders or racial identities. For example, a single mother might put a lot more pressure on her son to succeed than her daughter, in order to “make up” for the absence of a male role model in the home.

Appearance Standards

There is also a lot of pressure placed on people to subscribe and conform to societal beauty standards from hair length, skin tone and clothing choice which can be based on gender or race. This is especially true in the media and fashion industries.

Implications in Employment Opportunities

Race-based discrimination can still exist within hiring practices at workplaces from job interviews right through to promotions where certain stereotypes about specific ethnic minorities may cause them to be overlooked for roles that they are qualified for but that someone else may be deemed more suitable for.

It’s not easy living with fair expectations that feel unfair but being aware of the problem is an important first step towards creating change.

I used to struggle with my mind for a long time, wondering why this happened to me even though I did my best. After a long period of sitting in a corner, thinking about the unfairness of life and why I deserved it when I hadn’t done anything wrong, here are some ways I’ve learned to cope with the majority of my unfair situations:

8. Life isn’t supposed to be fair or equal for everyone.

Life isn’t supposed to be fair or equal for everyone. Some people are born into wealth and privilege, while others face immense hardships from day one. As much as we wish it weren’t so, the truth is that life’s injustices are unavoidable.

We all have moments when the unfairness of it all hits us hard. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do jerks seem to have all the luck? It can feel profoundly unjust.

The hard truth is that there’s no grand plan ensuring that good deeds are rewarded or that hard work always pays off. Life is simply neither fair nor unfair. While we can work to remedy injustice and inequality on a societal scale, on an individual level, the only thing we can control is our reaction. When life’s inequities threaten to get you down:

• Practice self-care. Make sure to connect with loved ones who support you.
• Focus on gratitude. Appreciate the good things you do have, rather than resenting what you lack.
• Do small acts of kindness. Helping others gets your mind off your worries and boosts your well-being.

Accept what you can’t change. As hard as it is, make peace with the fact that life isn’t meant to be fair. The only thing you can control is your response.

Though the world may not always be just, we can find meaning even in suffering. We can choose compassion over bitterness and kindness over resentment. Life may not be fair, but we can still make the world a little bit better. That is within our power.

Life Can Change in an Instant: Even In the Blink of an Eye

9. the role of luck and randomness in outcomes.

We all know life isn’t fair. As much as we’d like to believe that hard work and perseverance always pay off, the truth is that luck and randomness play a huge role in how things turn out.

Take getting into college, for example. No matter how good your grades are or how high you score on the SAT, there’s an element of chance regarding who gets accepted and who gets rejected. Admissions officers have to make judgment calls, and they don’t always get it right. Sometimes less deserving students get in while more deserving ones don’t. It’s not fair, but it’s life.

The same is true in careers and business. Two equally smart, hardworking entrepreneurs could start companies at the same time but end up with vastly different outcomes based primarily on luck. One might happen to launch a product that taps into the cultural zeitgeist and spreads like wildfire, while the other’s offering fails to gain traction through no fault of their own.

Romantic relationships are also subject to a fair amount of randomness. Meeting the right person often comes down to fortunate timing and stumbling into a serendipitous encounter. While there are things we can do to increase the probability of finding a good match, ultimately finding “the one” requires a bit of luck.

The truth is, life’s not fair because randomness and luck are built into the system. The universe is chaotic, complex, and unpredictable. While there are always things we can do to tilt the odds in our favor, at the end of the day, the amount of control we have over outcomes is limited. The sooner we accept this, the less disappointed we’ll be when life feels unfair. The good news is that, while randomness may work against us at times, it can also work in our favor. So, here’s to hoping Lady Luck is on your side!

Is Success Luck or Hard Work: Unpacking the Success Equation

10. cognitive biases lead us to see injustice where it may not exist..

We all have a tendency to perceive injustice and unfairness in the world around us, even when they do not exist. Our cognitive biases—the mental shortcuts our brains take to make quick judgments—often lead us to see unfairness where there is none.

Confirmation bias

We seek out and believe information that confirms what we already think and ignore information that contradicts our preexisting beliefs. So if we expect the world to be unfair, we’ll notice and focus on examples that prove that belief while dismissing instances that suggest otherwise.

Illusory correlation

We tend to perceive a relationship between two events when there is none. For example, we may think people of a certain ethnicity get promoted more often because of their character flaws, when in reality there is no connection. Our mind is creating an illusory correlation.

Fundamental attribution error

We blame individuals for their circumstances rather than considering external factors. When we see someone in an unfortunate situation, we assume it’s due to their own poor choices or character flaws. We fail to account for factors outside of their control, like their environment, upbringing, education, and opportunities (or lack thereof). This bias leads us to believe that life’s injustices are deserved or self-inflicted, rather than a result of an unfair system or random chance.

We judge people for things outside of their control, like natural talents, family wealth, health issues, or other life circumstances. But no one chooses the conditions into which they are born or the random events that shape their lives. Recognizing this “moral luck” can help us develop more empathy and see that perceived injustices are often due to arbitrary factors, not life.

The truth is, life isn’t always fair. But by being aware of our cognitive biases, we can gain a more balanced perspective and work to build a society with greater justice and equality of opportunity. Recognizing moral luck and arbitrary chance can help foster more empathy, compassion, and kindness toward others.

Cognitive Bias: 9 Invisible Forces That Shape Our Decisions

11. early childhood experiences shape our sense of fairness..

Our sense of fairness is shaped from an early age. As children, we observe the world around us and internalize beliefs about justice and equality based on how we see others treated. Unfortunately, the lessons we learn aren’t always good ones.

Many of us grew up in environments where we witnessed inequality, prejudice, and mistreatment. We saw people denied opportunities or judged harshly due to their gender, race, orientation, religion, or social class. These early experiences taught us that the world isn’t fair and planted the seeds of cynicism.

The messages we received

As kids, well-meaning adults often tell us “life isn’t fair” to prepare us for disappointment. But hearing this repeatedly can lead us to accept unfairness and even spread it to others. We may adopt beliefs like:

• People get what they deserve.
• Might makes right. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.

These toxic messages stay with us and skew our views. Even small injustices in childhood, like perceived favoritism shown to another child, can have a lasting impact.

The scars remain.

The unfairness we observe as children leaves scars on our sense of justice that are hard to heal. As adults, we see the world through this lens of cynicism and expect the worst. When we encounter new injustices, no matter how small, old wounds are ripped open. Our reaction is disproportionate to the current situation because it taps into a well of accumulated pain.

The only way to improve our sense of fairness is through conscious effort. We must challenge old beliefs, increase our empathy, and commit to building a more just world for others. It’s a long process, but by healing ourselves, we can help make society a little fairer too.

12. Some groups face systemic injustices and discrimination.

Some groups in society face systemic discrimination and injustice. Minority groups, marginalized communities, and vulnerable populations often struggle against unfair treatment, a lack of opportunity, and unequal access to resources.

As a society, we have come a long way toward promoting equality and justice for all. But we still have a long way to go to remedy the harms of discrimination and make sure everyone has a fair chance in life, regardless of their race, gender, internal orientation, disability status, or other attributes.

Racial minorities

Racial discrimination and racial injustice are still major problems. Minority groups face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, police violence, and incarceration. They have less access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. Systemic racism built into our institutions and policies continues to negatively impact people of color.

Women face discrimination and unequal treatment in the workplace, like unequal pay and a lack of career advancement opportunities compared to men. They experience high rates of domestic violence. In some cultures, women have little access to education, healthcare, and control over family planning. Legal rights and protections for women are still lacking in many parts of the world.

LGBTQ+ community

The LGBTQ+ community faces discrimination, stigma, and a lack of legal rights in many places. They experience high rates of harassment, violence, homelessness, and mental health issues. Same-gender marriage and adoption rights are still not recognized universally. Many face rejection from friends and family due to their internal orientation or gender identity.

People with disabilities

Those with physical, intellectual, and mental disabilities often face discrimination, lack of accommodation, and unequal access to public spaces, transportation, healthcare, education, and employment. Many live in poverty due to a lack of opportunity and difficulty finding gainful work. Legal protections against discrimination are not strongly enforced.

We all must work to remedy injustice, promote equal treatment under the law, and create a fair and just society for people from all walks of life. No one should face unfair barriers due to attributes outside of their control. Together, we can build a more equitable and inclusive world for all.

How do you cope with the unfairness of life?

It doesn’t seem fair that some people get to experience privilege and affluence and others don’t, does it? You may feel powerless to make a change in the world, but your life is still within your control. Here’s how you can start taking ownership of your own path:

1. Recognize and Accept Unfairness

No one likes to think about it, but unfairness is an unavoidable truth in life. No matter how hard you try or how much you think you deserve something, unfair things happen. Recognizing and accepting this can be difficult, but it’s key to gaining the strength to keep going when times are tough.

So, how do you recognize and accept the unfairness of life? Start by understanding that life is not fair for everyone not for you , and not for anybody else either. Treating yourself with compassion during hard times will help to remind you that everyone experiences their share of misfortune from time to time.

Often, unfairness can be seen as a test of emotional resilience ; it’s a reminder to stay strong and not give up in the face of struggle or disappointment. It also helps to look at how far you’ve come : learn from your past experiences so that they don’t become roadblocks as you move forward in your journey.

By acknowledging the nature of life’s inherent unfairness and recognizing its purpose, you can find inner strength when faced with an unjust reality.

2. Learn to Cultivate Gratitude and Perspective.

It may seem like life is simply unfair to you right now, but the feeling of helplessness is only natural. The best thing to do is to stop worrying so much and focus your energy on cultivating gratitude and perspective in your life.

When things don’t go your way, take a moment to look around and appreciate the good things in your life. Making a list of all the people, places, and moments that have brought you joy can be a powerful tool for reflection and refocusing on what makes life worth living.

It’s also a great reminder that even when times feel hard, they could always be worse. So, take advantage of these moments to practice gratitude and kindness.

Perspective

Life has its ups and downs, but if you take the time to look back over the course of your life, is it really that different than it was before? As you evaluate difficult situations, remember that it’s not just about what happened today, yesterday, or last week. It’s also about how you got here.

How did this decision lead up to this moment? You can learn so much by trying to understand how events unfolded in order to help make better decisions down the line.

Learning how to cultivate gratitude and perspective are two invaluable tools for dealing with unfair times in life. Not only will they help you move past unfortunate events more easily, but they will also serve as reminders of the more beautiful aspects of life as well as give you an opportunity for growth through reflection and insight.

3. Become more aware of your thoughts and feelings

There are many ways to cope with the unfairness of life. The first step is awareness, so you can start making changes in your life. When we’re stressed, it can be difficult for us to see that we’re feeling upset or angry about something. We need to know how we feel so that we can acknowledge what’s troubling us and take steps toward changing it, if necessary.

Life is what you make of it. The world, as we know it, is a reflection of our thoughts and feelings, our desires and fears . To this day, the majority of people believe that life has been unfair to them and that they were born into unjust circumstances.

I would like to challenge this assumption by explaining how you can change your response to what happens in your life, instead of waiting for life to give back all its natural blessings without asking for anything in return.

If you want something bad enough, then nothing will stop you from getting it, even if there are obstacles standing in your way.

We are all born with different abilities and talents, some with a silver spoon in their mouths and others with a golden one. Some people have to work hard for what they want, while others do not.

Some may have been lucky enough to be born into wealthy families who can afford to give them everything they need, but this doesn’t mean that you won’t have struggles of your own if you don’t get what everyone else gets on your birth certificate.

It’s easy to think that life isn’t fair because we’ve all experienced hardships or problems at some point in our lives, but remember: This doesn’t mean there isn’t hope for change.

You Can’t Change What Happens to You

When your best friend moves away, gets fired, or breaks up with their boyfriend or girlfriend and leaves town for good when these things happen, they’re just the way they are.

You can’t do anything about them other than respond appropriately in response to them and then go on with life as if nothing happened. They are part of who we are as humans; our lives are made up of who we have been and what has happened to us throughout our lives (both positive and negative).

You won’t change this fact about yourself by changing your circumstances; there isn’t any magic wand that will allow you access to another dimension where everything goes according to plan for everyone who lives there.

You Can Change Your Response

We all have a choice when we’re faced with situations like this. We can choose to be happy or sad.

If you feel sad, think about what you can change about your response:

• Change your perspective . Think about how the situation makes sense from an outside perspective, rather than from the perspective of someone who has been through it before and knows what’s coming next (e.g., “This is just one more thing out of our hands.”)
• Focus on what matters most in life instead of focusing on things that don’t matter at all (like dwelling in the past).

Don’t Dream Your Life Live Your Dreams: Make Them a Reality

4. learn to focus on what makes you happy, instead of what doesn’t..

“Focus on what makes you happy, and do what gives meaning to your life”   Barry Schwartz,  The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

It’s easy to focus on the negative and dwell on everything that’s going wrong. But if you’re trying to find happiness, it’s important to look at the positive things in life as well.

When I was younger, I was always too preoccupied with what I didn’t have instead of focusing on all the things that I could control, which usually led me right back down into a pit of depression.

But now that I’ve learned how valuable it is for me (and others) to take time out each day just thinking about those things that make us smile or laugh out loud.

5. Be kind and be grateful for what you have

The world is full of people who have it worse than you do, so it’s easy to take things for granted and feel like your life is unfair. But if you’re always thankful for all the good things in your life, then this will help remind you that there are some people out there who have even less than what they deserve.

If you can’t do this, then try to see the positive side of things, or at least try not to focus on all the bad things that happen in life and only think about how lucky we are if we get through them alive, or just be able to wake up tomorrow morning without being paralyzed by fear from what could happen next time around.

Take time out for yourself : If there isn’t anything else going on during the day (and this includes family members),

*Try taking a break from work or school by spending an hour doing something relaxing, such as reading a book or listening to music .

* Talk about it: Talking about how you feel with someone who cares about you will help relieve some stressors in your life.

*Engage in a hobby or practice mindfulness.

* Get enough sleep at night before going to work each morning so that when daylight comes around again after midnight then there won’t be any need whatsoever.”

* Be kinder towards yourself by recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, rather than focusing on all the things that could go wrong if something bad happened (like losing an important job). It may sound silly, but sometimes asking someone else how they would handle an issue can help us get over ourselves enough so we can move forward with confidence instead of being stuck in fear mode all day long.

6. Find the Strength to Move Forward

It’s okay to feel sad, angry and frustrated when life feels unfair. After all, what other emotions should you be feeling in these trying times? It’s natural to have a range of emotions just don’t let them consume you.

What do you do when life doesn’t go the way you expected? How do you find the strength to move forward even though it feels like your world has been shattered?

1. Acknowledge Your Emotions

It’s important to acknowledge and accept that life is unfair sometimes. We can try our best to control what happens around us, but at the end of the day, we’re not always in control. Accepting that will help ease your mind and free up inner strength for moving on.

2. Surround Yourself with Support

Having a strong support system help you process your emotions and provide comfort during difficult times. Being surrounded by family or friends who understand your situation can be incredibly beneficial in helping you cope with an injustice or unfairness that’s beyond your control.

3. Believe in Something Bigger

If you believe in something bigger than yourself, like a spiritual practice, religion, or force of nature, finding strength during tough times can be easier knowing that everything happens for a reason. Whether it’s fate, destiny, or luck, believing something greater is controlling your world can make unfairness seem more manageable.

4. Look for role models.

Find people who have faced or are facing similar struggles and see how they tackled them. Their stories of resilience might just be what helps you take control of your own path and find hope in an unjust world.

5. Practice self-care and self-compassion.

Take time to nurture yourself and practice self-love so that you can be in a better state of mind to tackle any obstacles that come your way.

6. Know that it isn’t your fault.

You may feel like you’ve been dealt a bad hand in life, but don’t blame yourself a lot of the time, we simply don’t have control over our circumstances.

7. Find Your Power.

In order to take control of your own path, you first need to find your power. This power can come from within, through self-esteem and self-confidence , or it can be found in those around you—family, friends, and other support systems. Once you have identified your source of power, use it to guide you towards the knowledge and skills that will help you flourish in challenging times.

What Determines Self-Worth: 9 Factors (Not to Focus on)

8. find the meaning and purpose in your life.

It’s natural to feel like everything is outside of your control when life throws challenges your way. But believe it or not, you can still take back some level of control. Start by asking yourself what meaning and purpose you want your life to have.

Think of this exercise like mapping a path, but instead of a physical one, it’s a mental pathway, leading towards the goals and purpose you want to find in life. It’s up to you and only you to establish what it is you want out of life and take the steps necessary to make it happen.

What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What causes do you stand for? These are just some of the questions that will help define your life’s purpose. Consider who has inspired you throughout your journey and how their story has shaped or motivated yours . Who are the people or things that bring positivity into your life?

After identifying goals for yourself, create action plans for turning them into reality. Consider what resources are at your disposal. Think about the skills that come naturally to you and how they can help bring those ideas from conception to implementation.

Life can be harsh, unpredictable, and sometimes downright cruel at times, but it doesn’t have to end there. By taking the time to focus on what truly matters in life and what drives us forward in our lives, we can start reclaiming some control and establishing a higher level of contentment.

Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life Despite Its Unfairness

Life is not always fair, but this doesn’t mean that it is devoid of any purpose or meaning. As hard as it may seem, finding purpose and meaning in life despite its unfairness is a key step to understanding and accepting the unfairness of life.

Firstly, it’s important to remember that life is about perspective. Everyone experiences different things in life, so the way you view life’s unfairness will depend on your own unique experience. You can find ways to make sense of the situations that feel unfair by taking a step back and reframing them in terms of what you can learn from them and where they may be leading you.

Secondly, it is essential to focus on what makes life meaningful to you finding things that give you joy and bring out the best in yourself will help provide perspective during tough times. This could involve getting involved in something that helps society, developing your creativity or engaging with your community.

Finally, it is important to remember that there are some things in life we cannot control; however, challenging yourself to change what you do have control over will help you find strength during times when things seem unfair. This could involve taking an active role in seeking out helpful insights or changing your expectations or beliefs about yourself and the world around you.

How to Determine Your Values:  A Guide to Find What Matters

How to find balance between accepting fate and taking control of our lives.

Fate is the idea that our future is fixed, predetermined, or preordained by some outside influence. It’s the belief that some higher power has arranged everything for us and our actions don’t really make a difference. On the other hand, taking control implies that you are in charge of your destiny and have the power to make decisions to shape your own future.

At first glance, it may seem like accepting fate and taking control of our lives are opposites. After all, one involves trusting that whatever happens is meant to be, while the other requires us to take on the responsibility of creating our own destiny.

But the truth is that they are deeply connected. When we accept the things we have no control over the events, people, and situations in our lives that can’t be changed we actually create space in our minds and hearts to focus more on the things we can control. Instead of worrying about something outside of our power, we can shift our energy towards productive goals and actions.

Once we understand this connection, it becomes much easier to find a balance between these two forces in life: accepting what’s out of our hands and taking action on what’s within it. Knowing when to embrace fate and when to take charge will lead us closer to achieving a fulfilling life.

It can be hard to find the balance between accepting fate and taking control of our lives, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Here are a few tips for how you can do it:

1. Living Purposefully

It involves doing the things that matter most to us and focusing on our goals and dreams. Making conscious decisions about our lives, instead of simply allowing life to control us, is a way to take control of our own destiny.

For example, if you want to become a doctor, create a plan that outlines how you will make that happen what courses do you need to take? What will your timeline look like? How will you pay for your education? These are just some examples of how you can start taking control of your life while still accepting that there may be bumps in the road along the way.

2. Embracing Uncertainty

Accepting our fate means embracing uncertainty with an open mind and heart. This can be difficult, especially because uncertainty often carries shame and guilt. Instead of trying to close off from these feelings, try to sit with them and work through them so that you can move forward in a healthy way.

3. Letting Go of Expectations

It is key when it comes to finding balance between accepting fate and taking control of our own lives . We all have certain hopes or expectations when it comes to where we want to go in life. The difference is in how we approach those expectations. If we’re too rigid in our expectations, it might mean that we don’t leave room for unexpected surprises along the way or opportunities for growth and learning.

4. Take Action

At the same time, it’s important to take action and make decisions that are in your best interest. There will always be things that are out of our control, but we can still make choices that will lead us in the right direction. Whether it’s taking on a new job, starting a business, going back to school or investing in yourself, taking proactive steps towards your goals makes you more in control of your own destiny and gives you hope for the future.

5. Celebrate Small Wins

When life isn’t going your way, focus on small wins as a reminder that progress is possible even when the odds seem stacked against you. Celebrating small wins builds resilience. It is something we need to get through challenging times and boosts our sense of self-efficacy (our belief in ourselves). It also helps keep our focus on what matters most: staying resilient despite life’s injustices and having faith that good things will happen eventually.

Who Said Life Had to Be Always Fair?

If you have ever opened up the newspaper or your Facebook feed, you know this to be true. The world is full of people who are suffering in one way or another. People suffer from a disease, poverty, oppression, or the way they were born (even the appearance and more about themselves).

Life is a bit unfair. And you’re not the only one who feels this way. There are many people out there who are also living their lives in a world that seems unfair, but what can we do about it? Firstly , know that your situation is unique to you and no one else. It may seem like everyone else has it worse than you, but they don’t; they just have different circumstances that affect them differently from yours.

Second of all : although some things will be harder for you than others (and those things will probably happen sooner or later), there’s always hope for change. Things always get better as time goes on, if it doesn’t sound like it right now.

Maybe it won’t be so bad tomorrow… or next year… or even ten years from now, when we’re all old ladies sitting in our rocking chairs, reminiscing about how much fun we used to have together when life was simpler.

So, it is better to wake up our mind to see the truth/ the reality of the life .

Sometimes you are the one who has more advantages than someone else, and it seems unfair that people judge your success as your own doing and their failure as a result of their own shortcomings.

We all have different circumstances. Some people are born into more fortunate situations than others, and some are in less fortunate situations, but we all have to deal with what we’re dealt with in life. We don’t make our own luck or misfortune; it’s just part of being human.

Remember not only you, many people struggle with the question of why life is so unfair. They may feel that they have been dealt a bad hand, that they face more challenges than others, or that they are victims of fate or circumstance. But is life really unfair, or is it just our perception of it?

One way to approach this question is to consider the concept of fairness itself. What does it mean for something to be fair? How do we measure fairness? Who decides what is fair and what is not? These are not easy questions to answer, and different people may have different opinions and values. Another way to approach this question is to recognize that life is not a single entity but a complex and dynamic system of interconnected events, choices, and consequences.

Life is not something that happens to us, but something that we participate in and influence. We cannot control everything that happens in life, but we can control how we respond to it. We can choose to see life as a series of opportunities and challenges rather than as a series of obstacles and injustices.

Life is not fair or unfair; it is what we make of it. We can choose to focus on the positive aspects of life, such as our strengths, our passions, our relationships, and our goals. We can also choose to learn from the negative aspects of life, such as our mistakes, our failures, our setbacks, and our losses. We can use these experiences as sources of growth, resilience, and wisdom.

Life is not a competition or a comparison; it is a journey and a discovery. We can choose to appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of life rather than judge or envy others. We can also choose to celebrate our own achievements and contributions, rather than diminish or undermine them. We can use these moments as sources of joy, gratitude, and fulfillment.

We must live with the fact that life will not always be fair, no matter how hard we try. There are many people out there who have it worse than you do. This is just a fact of life that we must accept as we grow older and face the challenges and struggles of adulthood.

Life is not always as fair as you’d expect. You can’t change that. But you can change how you respond to it. Sometimes things indeed happen in life that make you wonder, “Why is life so unfair to me?” or feel angry, sad, or frustrated. But if we learn to focus on what makes us happy instead of what doesn’t, then those experiences become opportunities for growth instead of obstacles to it.

If you’re feeling down about life being unfair, don’t focus on the negatives. Instead, focus on what makes you happy and positive, and let those feelings carry you through your day. You may not be able to change what happens around us, but we can sure as heck change our own reactions towards them, and that will help us feel better in any situation.

It’s easy to get caught up in the feeling that life is unfair, but it’s important to remember that you have the power to create your own path. Some of the most essential steps are learning how to take control, identifying the views and beliefs that you want to live by, and taking the time to develop practices that will help you self-regulate your emotions and create positive change .

• Life is NOT FAIR. It NEVER Will Be. It’s OK. – YouTube video
• 7 reasons why life isn’t fair and how to be better at accepting it.
• ABOUT NEW YORK; Life Is Unfair, but Not Always Tragic – New York Times Magazine
• The Paradox of Choice – Book by Barry Schwartz

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2 thoughts on “12 Reasons Why is life so Unfair: Exploring Life’s Injustices”

Most of what you write is wrong. Life is unfair. That’s the first one. Although when taken as a simplification, you can let that one pass. As I don’t want to write a long clarification, I’ll keep it very concise by only writing the broad concept. Life is what happens and that can never be fair or unfair. It happens. Only when you define life as concept as the results of people’s actions, then certainly and without a doubt, life is unfair. Because people are incredibly unfair. And they are because it benefits themselves. When a situation presents itself where someone will benefit from being fair, then they will be fair. Will you then say that life is fair? Of course not. Life is perceived as unfair because the overwhelming majority of human interaction is so that someone will benefit by treating another person unfairly. It is rare that one will benefit by treating others fairly. So, no, life is not unfair or fair for that matter, it’s just life. It happens. It’s people who are overwhelmingly unfair ( and it’s not 60-40 or even 80-20, its 99,9-0.1) .

“Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your perspective on life and fairness. While it’s true that life can be unpredictable and people can be unfair, I believe that we can still strive to make the world a better place by treating others with kindness and respect. It’s important to remember that our actions have consequences and can impact others in ways we may not realize. That’s how our lives become unfair.

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Life Is Unfair – Motivational Speech (Video)

The majority of us have thought it, said it or heard someone say that “life is unfair”. I know I’ve certainly said it a few times over the last 25 years. It’s a phrase I regularly hear from students when working in schools and also when working with adults in my online #TeamHUD group. I decided to address this mentality in my most recent motivational video, posted below –

After watching the video you would have discovered it’s not the most positive motivational message you would have ever heard… BUT, it is the truth. I’m not into sharing lies just because they sounds good; my goal is to share information and motivational messages that will make you get up and do something about it, turn things around, and regardless of what you go through you are ready to brush the pain off and fight another day.

Life is not fair; it can kick us down when we are least expecting it, and at that moment when we feel we can’t physically and mentally take anymore, life still decides to throw another challenge your way. You can look at this any way you feel, you might even have a different opinion, but life doesn’t owe anyone anything, it doesn’t care about your feelings and the quicker we accept that the better.

It will take you less time to recover from life’s obstacles once we accept that life is not fair; we will spend less time being held down playing the victim and more time focusing on the solution and moving forward.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t grieve, or take a little time out, that is sometimes needed, we just can’t live in those kinds of places. You will feel more alive thinking about the future rather than focusing on the past and how life has done you wrong.

You have got this; create a plan and implement it, don’t stop for anything. If you need any help then follow me on my social media pages or email me on [email protected]

Finally, I just want to thank you all for supporting me on this journey, your help isn’t going unnoticed.

Life Is Unfair – Motivational Speech

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November 24, 2014

The problem isn’t that life is unfair – it’s your broken idea of fairness

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Unless you’re winning, most of life will seem hideously unfair to you.

The truth is, life is just playing by different rules.

The real rules are there. They actually make sense. But they’re a bit more complicated, and a lot less comfortable, which is why most people never manage to learn them.

Rule #1: Life is a competition

That business you work for? Someone’s trying to kill it. That job you like? Someone would love to replace you with a computer program. That girlfriend / boyfriend / high-paying job / Nobel Prize that you want? So does somebody else.

We’re all in competition, although we prefer not to realise it. Most achievements are only notable relative to others. You swam more miles, or can dance better, or got more Facebook Likes than the average. Well done.

It’s a painful thing to believe, of course, which is why we’re constantly assuring each other the opposite. “Just do your best”, we hear. “You’re only in competition with yourself”. The funny thing about platitudes like that is they’re designed to make you try harder anyway . If competition really didn’t matter, we’d tell struggling children to just give up.

Fortunately, we don’t live in a world where everyone has to kill each other to prosper. The blessing of modern civilisation is there’s abundant opportunities, and enough for us all to get by, even if we don’t compete directly.

But never fall for the collective delusion that there’s not a competition going on. People dress up to win partners. They interview to win jobs. If you deny that competition exists, you’re just losing. Everything in demand is on a competitive scale. And the best is only available to those who are willing to truly fight for it.

Rule #2. You’re judged by what you do, not what you think

Society judges people by what they can do for others . Can you save children from a burning house, or remove a tumour, or make a room of strangers laugh? You’ve got value right there.

That’s not how we judge ourselves though. We judge ourselves by our thoughts .

“I’m a good person”. “I’m ambitious”. “I’m better than this.” These idle impulses may comfort us at night, but they’re not how the world sees us. They’re not even how we see other people.

Well-meaning intentions don’t matter. An internal sense of honour and love and duty count for squat. What exactly can you and have you done for the world?

Abilities are not prized by their virtue. Whatever admiration society awards us, comes from the selfish perspectives of others. A hard working janitor is less rewarded by society than a ruthless stockbroker. A cancer researcher is rewarded less than a supermodel. Why? Because those abilities are rarer and impact more people.

We like to like to think that society rewards those who do the best work. Like so:

But in reality, social reward is just a network effect. Reward comes down mostly to the number of people you impact :

Write an unpublished book, you’re nobody. Write Harry Potter and the world wants to know you. Save a life, you’re a small-town hero, but cure cancer and you’re a legend. Unfortunately, the same rule applies to all talents, even unsavoury ones: get naked for one person and you might just make them smile, get naked for fifty million people and you might just be Kim Kardashian.

You may hate this. It may make you sick. Reality doesn’t care. You’re judged by what you have the ability to do, and the volume of people you can impact. If you don’t accept this, then the judgement of the world will seem very unfair indeed.

Rule #3. Our idea of fairness is self interest

People like to invent moral authority. It’s why we have referees in sports games and judges in courtrooms: we have an innate sense of right and wrong, and we expect the world to comply. Our parents tell us this. Our teachers teach us this. Be a good boy, and have some candy.

But reality is indifferent. You studied hard, but you failed the exam. You worked hard, but you didn’t get promoted. You love her, but she won’t return your calls.

The problem isn’t that life is unfair; it’s your broken idea of fairness.

Take a proper look at that person you fancy but didn’t fancy you back. That’s a complete person . A person with years of experience being someone completely different to you. A real person who interacts with hundreds or thousands of other people every year.

Now what are the odds that among all that, you’re automatically their first pick for love-of-their-life? Because – what – you exist? Because you feel something for them? That might matter to you , but their decision is not about you .

Similarly we love to hate our bosses and parents and politicians. Their judgements are unfair. And stupid. Because they don’t agree with me! And they should! Because I am unquestionably the greatest authority on everything ever in the whole world!

It’s true there are some truly awful authority figures. But they’re not all evil, self-serving monsters trying to line their own pockets and savour your misery. Most are just trying to do their best, under different circumstances to your own.

Maybe they know things you don’t – like, say, your company will go bust if they don’t do something unpopular. Maybe they have different priorities to you – like, say, long term growth over short term happiness.

But however they make you feel , the actions of others are not some cosmic judgement on your being. They’re just a byproduct of being alive.

Why life isn’t fair

Our idea of fairness isn’t actually obtainable. It’s really just a cloak for wishful thinking.

Can you imagine how insane life would be if it actually was ‘fair’ to everyone? No-one could fancy anyone who wasn’t the love of their life, for fear of breaking a heart. Companies would only fail if everyone who worked for them was evil. Relationships would only end when both partners died simultaneously. Raindrops would only fall on bad people.

Most of us get so hung up on how we think the world should work that we can’t see how it does. But facing that reality might just be the key to unlocking your understanding of the world, and with it, all of your potential.

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Essay on Life Unfairness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Life Unfairness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Life Unfairness

Introduction.

Life is a journey, filled with ups and downs. We often hear the phrase “life is unfair,” but what does it truly mean? Simply put, it means that life doesn’t always treat everyone the same way. Some people face more challenges than others, which can seem unfair.

Understanding Unfairness

Unfairness in life can be seen in many forms. Some people are born with more privileges than others. These can include wealth, health, or opportunities. Some people have to work harder to get the same things that others get easily, which is unfair.

Effects of Unfairness

Life unfairness can lead to feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration. It can make people feel like they are not good enough or that they don’t deserve good things. This can harm a person’s self-esteem and make it hard for them to be happy.

Overcoming Unfairness

Even though life can be unfair, it’s important to remember that everyone has the power to overcome challenges. By working hard, staying positive, and never giving up, we can make the most of the hand we are dealt. Life is what we make of it, after all.

In conclusion, life unfairness is a reality that we all have to deal with. It can be tough, but it’s also a chance for us to grow stronger. Remember, it’s not about what life gives you, but what you do with what you’re given.

250 Words Essay on Life Unfairness

Understanding life unfairness.

Life can sometimes seem unfair. This means that things do not always happen the way we want or expect. Some people may have more luck, money, or opportunities than others. This is what we call ‘life unfairness’.

Examples of Life Unfairness

One example of life unfairness is the difference between rich and poor people. Some people are born in rich families while others are born in poor families. This is not because of anything they did, but just by chance. This can affect the opportunities they get in life, like the kind of school they go to or the jobs they can get.

Dealing with Life Unfairness

Even though life can be unfair, it is important to remember that we can still do our best with what we have. We can work hard, be kind to others, and keep a positive attitude. We might not be able to change everything, but we can control how we respond to it.

Learning from Life Unfairness

Life unfairness can also be a chance to learn and grow. It can teach us to be understanding and compassionate. When we see others who are less fortunate, we can help them if we can. This can make us better people and make the world a better place.

In conclusion, life unfairness is a part of life that we all have to deal with. It can be hard, but it can also be a chance to learn and grow. We should remember to do our best with what we have and to help others when we can.

500 Words Essay on Life Unfairness

Introduction to life unfairness.

Life is a journey filled with many ups and downs. At times, it may seem like life is unfair. When we say “life is unfair”, we mean that things do not always go as planned or as we wish. Sometimes, we face problems that seem too big to handle. Other times, we see people who seem to have it all while we struggle. This is what we call ‘Life Unfairness’.

There are many examples of unfairness in life. Some people are born into rich families while others are born poor. Some people are healthy while others have to deal with sickness from a young age. Some are born with talents that others can only dream of. These are all examples of life’s unfairness. It’s not about who worked harder or who deserves more, it’s just the way things are.

Handling Life Unfairness

Even though life can be unfair, it doesn’t mean we should give up. Yes, life can be tough and it can seem like the odds are against us. But it’s important to remember that we all have the power to change our circumstances. We can work hard, be kind, and strive to make the best of what we have. We can’t control what life throws at us, but we can control how we react to it.

Learning from Unfairness

Life’s unfairness can teach us many things. It can make us stronger, more understanding, and more compassionate. Seeing unfairness can motivate us to help others and to fight for justice. It can also teach us to appreciate what we have and not to take things for granted.

In conclusion, life can indeed be unfair. But remember, it’s not about what happens to us, but how we react to it. We can let life’s unfairness bring us down, or we can use it as a tool to grow and become better people. Life’s unfairness is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to define us. We can choose to rise above it and make the best of what we have. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining, and even in the most unfair situations, there is always something good to be found.

In the end, life’s unfairness is a part of the journey. It’s a part of what makes us who we are. So, while life may be unfair, it’s also full of opportunities for growth and learning. And that’s something to be thankful for.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Life Struggles
• Essay on Life Plan
• Essay on Life Origin Theories

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Tough luck: accepting life's unfairness will set you free

How to Deal With Unfairness

Override your gut reactions before you make matters worse..

Posted August 17, 2011 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

Have you ever had a knee-jerk reaction to someone who cuts in front of you on the road (or should I say a mouth or finger-jerk reaction)? Have you glared at the person in front of you in the express lane at the grocery store who has too many items? Or have you fantasized about gluing the mouth shut of the person who interrupts you while you are talking and he doesn't let you finish?

Do other people's behaviors send you into a rage or cause you to feel so frustrated you shut down?

This is standard human behavior under the influence of unfairness.

When we feel something is unfair, we respond as if it were a threat and go into "fight or flight" mode. Or as Laura Cousino Klein, Ph.D. said about women in the famous study she led on women, stress , and friendship , we go into fight, flight, or call-a-friend-and-complain mode.

Many neuroscientists are using brain scans to study moral decision making . They have found that basic, primary reactions occur when your brain determines a situation is "just not fair" — demonstrating that your reactions are instinctually, not logically driven.

Steven Quartz from CalTech said , "The fact that the brain has such a robust response to unfairness suggests that sensing unfairness is a basic evolved capacity."

How does this play out? The moment your brain determines someone is not playing by the rules, your abilities to deliberate, weigh all sides of an issue and make thoughtful decisions are impaired.

Additionally, when you feel cheated your emotional system immediately prods you to say "no" to the offenders without thinking through your response and the consequences of your reaction. You can see this play out daily in our political system.

The Problem: Not everyone plays by the same set of rules. Cultural and religious background, family upbringing, education and life experiences all combine to help you form a mental frame called, "the world according to me." Other than legal and safety issues, these rules are often based on personal bias and opinions of what you think is right and wrong. You then act as if these rules are cast in stone when they actually differ from one person to the next.

The Result: You make snap decisions and emotionally react, then rationalize and justify your response using your logical brain.

The world is full of smart people who litter, plot against co-workers, scream at politicians at town hall meetings and give unaware grocery clerks the evil eye as they deal with what they believe is unfair.

1. Try to become aware of what your brain is doing. When you feel something is unfair or disrespectful of your rights, catch yourself reacting in anger or frustration. Then take a breath before you say or do anything to make the situation worse.

2. Determine if your loss is real or not. Is the rule you think was broken that important, really? Did the person who offended you take anything away from you other than a few minutes of your time? Was the action you resent a conscious offense or could the person have acted without realizing the impact on you? Did you lose your self-respect or respect from others? If the loss is not real or too small to bother with, choose to relax and let go. Then focus on something more interesting.

On the other hand, if the person who interrupted you is being intentionally rude or the person in the grocery store needs help finding the right lane, you might choose to let the person know the impact of their behavior and what would be a better choice they could make in the future. Screaming, sarcasm, or grunting creates conflict; it doesn't solve anything. If the loss is real, stand up for yourself by explaining the Impact and Desired Change of Behavior . Hopefully, this will start a useful dialogue.

3. Sometimes it is better to choose to be healthy instead of right. You decide where to put your most precious resource-your energy. Let go of what you cannot control.

In the end, one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself is to learn to quickly discern when it is time to let go from when it is time to react. There are times you need to stand up to what is unfair. There are times to move on.

This takes practice. Don't beat yourself up for having an emotional reaction. Your brain is doing what it is supposed to do-protect you. Instead, recognize when you are having an emotional reaction, take a breath and choose how you best want to respond.

It's time we take charge of our primitive brains, bringing more peace to our lives and to our world.

Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D. is the author of Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction.

Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D. , is the author of three leadership books, Coach the Person, Not the Problem, The Discomfort Zone, and Wander Woman . She is the president of Covisioning, teaching transformational coaching skills to coaches and leaders worldwide.

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At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

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Life Is Not Fair and It Never Will Be. It’s OK (Motivational Speech)

Download or Stream “It’s OK” Now on iTunes , Spotify , GooglePlay ,  Apple Music ,  Worldwide MP3 and AmazonMP3

It’s OK (Motivational Speech) Watch FREE On Youtube:

Speaker: Tyrone Stokes

Transcript – Life Is Not Fair and It Never Will Be. It’s OK (Motivational Speech)

I’ve never heard a sane person say life is fair.
 It’s not fair.
 It never has been, it wasn’t designed to be and it never will be.

But it can, and should be viewed as a blessing.
 It can, and should be viewed as a wonderful adventure that we only get for a brief moment, so we must make the most of it while we are here.

Things will break, It’s OK. Things will fall apart, It’s OK. Your plans won’t work out… It’s OK.

Blessings will turn into challenges and you’ll never know the difference… It’s OK. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ google_ad_client: "ca-pub-1604773209528901", enable_page_level_ads: true });

It won’t be fair. Ever. It’s OK.

Nothing will be handed to you, It’s OK.

People will do you wrong… Even some you trust… It’s OK.

You’ll let yourself down… It’s OK.

You’ll lose people you love… It’s OK.

You will fail, You will lose, It’s OK.

It’s ok because you’ll have perspective. It’s ok because you’ll live with gratitude. You’ll live with integrity.

When you fail… you’ll learn When you lose… you’ll be gracious and more determined to win next time.

When you lose someone you’ll remember that you really won. You won the time you had with them, the blessing of them in your life.

It’s OK. 
It is more than ok.

Life is whatever you make it.

Make it great.

Op-Ed: When Life Is Unfair

SED’s Bernice Lerner on what grads should know

In this season of endings and beginnings, accomplished individuals offer their wisdom to our nation’s graduates. They highlight unique attributes of this generation and the special challenges they face. They speak of matters of global concern. And at some institutions of higher education, an author, prize-winner, or statesman might awaken in young people the desire to serve, or to express their creativity, or to hone their senses of humility and awe.

I have not, however, heard a speech that focuses on this inevitability: life being unfair.

There is the ineffable injustice of being caught at the wrong place and time in history, such as a war or a natural disaster. There is the injustice of terrible events, such as having to deal with a debilitating illness or the loss of a loved one. And for those of us who are more blessed, there are less earth-shattering injustices, such as being covertly discriminated against, defrauded, or downsized out of a job. Such as having to deal with unreasonable demands on our time and energies or being denied what one is qualified for or entitled to. There is no limit to the docket of injustices that could be brought before cosmic small claims courts. And few among us, no matter how privileged or successful, escape some such instance in any decade of our lives.

Privileged to be studying and writing about lives, I know intimately how good, hardworking individuals, caring and altruistic people, and talented and consummate professionals have had, through no fault of their own, to surmount boulders dumped on their career paths or to face doors slammed shut. How they have been asked to do what their consciences would not allow.

How can those who deliver messages to graduates prepare them for this cold, cruel world? Perhaps by acknowledging that nature has already taken its course. Twenty-two or so years of life, both in and beyond school, offer plenty of opportunity for practice with unjust situations. An insensitive teacher dismisses a question; a classmate fails to do her part in a group project; a coach displays favoritism in managing the team; a friend betrays a confidence. To the extent that young people have learned to choose well from a range of responses to such situations, they have attained measures of a moral education. To the extent they have learned to anticipate and plan for the possibility of things gone awry, without being fearful, they display good judgment.

I envision a graduation speaker putting before young people historical or literary examples and exemplars, inspiring good judgment. Take the biblical Joseph, whose brilliance was evident not only in his predicting that famine would befall Egypt, but also in his proposing to Pharoah, and executing, a strategy to prevent it from having devastating effects. We need to conceive appropriate contingency plans. Though we cannot prepare for every situation, it is prudent to save, expand one’s network of friends, and have an updated résumé at the ready.

Beyond readying oneself, just responses to injustice may be outrage, acceptance, counting blessings (or “reframing”), or redoubling one’s efforts toward some hopefully achievable goal. A combination of responses may also be in order.

How to choose wisely from the range of options and their infinite permutations? By paying attention to what we feel and striving to display these feelings in the most excellent way, according to Aristotle. How can we locate this way? By realizing that it exists somewhere between two extremes: one of defect and one of excess. A person of fine character will neither underreact nor overreact, but will respond with decency to particular circumstances. He will know how he is temperamentally inclined to respond, and in trying to “get it right,” consciously lean toward the opposite tendency. He might ask what the most judicious person he knows would do in the same situation. And he will aim toward producing the least pernicious outcome.

When there is no time to reflect, we will respond to injustice in our usual way. This is why it is crucial for young people to develop good habits of heart and mind, i.e., to practice dealing constructively with the unfairness to which they are subjected. This may mean striving toward positive goals, directing attention to the disadvantaged or the needy, speaking out against discriminatory practices, or lobbying for a noble cause. Given their natural tendencies, given the situations in which they find themselves, young adults will thus be equipped to deal with the inevitable.

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Life is Unfair Quotes

Life is unfair, but that doesn’t mean we should stop fighting for what’s right.

In the game of life, sometimes the dice are loaded against us.

Life’s unfairness is a reminder to appreciate the moments of joy and happiness we do have.

The unfairness of life teaches us to be resilient and find strength in adversity.

Life’s unfairness might knock us down, but it’s up to us to choose to get back up.

Life is unfair, but it’s our job to make it fairer for future generations.

Even in the face of life’s unfairness, we can still find beauty and meaning.

The unfairness of life makes us appreciate the moments of fairness even more.

Life’s unfairness is a reminder to never take anything for granted.

The unfairness of life can be a catalyst for change and growth.

Despite life’s unfairness, we can choose to be kind and compassionate.

The unfairness of life reminds us to be grateful for what we have.

Life may be unfair, but we have the power to create our own destiny.

The unfairness of life is a call to action, to make a difference in the world.

Life’s unfairness challenges us to find our inner strength and keep pushing forward.

The unfairness of life is a reminder that we all have our own battles to fight.

Life may be unfair, but it’s our choice to either become bitter or strive for greatness.

The unfairness of life teaches us to appreciate the good moments, no matter how fleeting.

No matter how unfair life may seem, we always have the power to choose how we react.

The unfairness of life can be a motivator to challenge the status quo and fight for justice.

Life’s unfairness reminds us to show empathy and kindness to others going through their own battles.

The unfairness of life is a reminder to focus on what we can control, rather than what we can’t.

Life may be unfair, but it’s up to us to create our own opportunities and seize them.

The unfairness of life is a reminder that we are stronger than we think.

No matter how unfair life may seem, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.

The unfairness of life challenges us to confront our fears and overcome them.

Life may not always be fair, but we can choose to be fair in our actions and decisions.

The unfairness of life teaches us to be resilient and find our inner courage.

No matter how unfair life may be, we always have the power to choose our own happiness.

The unfairness of life is a reminder that we are all on our own unique journey.

Life’s unfairness is an opportunity for growth and self-discovery.

The unfairness of life can be a catalyst for change and innovation.

No matter how unfair life may seem, we can still find beauty in the imperfect moments.

The unfairness of life reminds us to never lose sight of our dreams and goals.

Life may be unfair, but it’s our job to make it fairer for others.

The unfairness of life challenges us to find our own path and define our own success.

No matter how unfair life may be, we can still find joy in the simple things.

The unfairness of life teaches us to be grateful for the moments of fairness we do experience.

Life’s unfairness is a reminder to treat others with compassion and understanding.

The unfairness of life can be a catalyst for personal growth and transformation.

No matter how unfair life may seem, we always have the power to choose how we respond.

The unfairness of life challenges us to find our inner resilience and keep going.

Life may be unfair, but it’s up to us to create our own opportunities.

The unfairness of life reminds us to appreciate the moments of joy and happiness when they come.

No matter how unfair life may be, we can still find beauty in the midst of chaos.

The unfairness of life teaches us to be adaptable and embrace change.

Life’s unfairness is an opportunity to learn and grow from our experiences.

The unfairness of life challenges us to find our own inner strength and rise above the circumstances.

No matter how unfair life may seem, we have the power to create our own happiness.

The unfairness of life reminds us to be kind to ourselves and others, for we never know what battles people are fighting.

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• Speech about Life for Students and Children

Speech about Life

Good morning one and all present here. I am standing before you all to share my thoughts through my speech about life. Life is a continuous ongoing process that has to end someday. Life is all about adoring yourself, creating yourself. A quote for you that life can be only understood backward but it must be lived forwards. Life itself is a golden opportunity to live a meaningful life and support others to do so. It doesn’t matter how many years you live. But it matters how well you live a quality life.

Source: pixabay.com

The fear of death always threatens our lives. Every person has to face death sooner or later, but that doesn’t mean that it should discourage us from living life to the fullest or achieving our goals. A person is wise only when he/she is ready to meet destiny when it comes, but until that time enjoys every bit of it. It is a sense of readiness. It is a journey in everyone’s life wherein we have to cross the bridge of death to be able to wake up to a life eternal.

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Human life – A very Precious Gift

Human life is truly a very precious gift. Each moment of human life carries us an opportunity, to act to develop and express our virtues. Every moment unlocks the path to us to receive blessings. This is the truth that life gives us both positive and negative situations. What is really important is how we react.

Life is the gift of God in the form of trust that we will make it meaningful in whatever we can. We are all unique individuals. No one is born like you and no one will ever be, so cherish your individuality. Many times, I come across people accusing God of things that they don’t have. They always cursing their lives. But, do they realize that this life itself is precious? If we make it worth living and work hard towards positivity.

Life is a Journey, not a Destination

Life is nothing but a journey with lessons, hardships, heartache and special moments. It will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be a plane; in fact, throughout our travels, we will face many challenges.

These challenges will always test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along our way, we may encounter obstacles that will come between the paths and we are destined to take.

In order to be on the right path, we must overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, only we don’t understand that at the time. The secret of life is best known to those who are not attached to anything deeply so much.

Therefore, they remain out of touch with worries and shifting fortunes of their lives. They are the people who do not measure their lives in terms of materialistic possessions, but by measuring their lives in terms of people they cannot live without.

Lastly, I will conclude that we should make life worthwhile. It should be with the love of our family and friends that life can be made beautiful. Life can be more beautiful and purposeful by discharging our duties in our family, at work, society and the world at large.

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Speech About Life Is Unfair

Don’t you just miss those times as a child when we use to ask for something and get it straight away? The world was controlled by our fingertips. Well, that’s what we believed in. But just that feeling of taking control was amazing. Right? Now it’s the complete opposite. We have to bend on our knees to get something- even that don’t work. Reality is unfair. Isn’t it? Although, when we got what we want, we would cherish it for the rest of our lives, like a child swimming in sweets and chocolates.

That is when we see life in a different prospectus

Essay Example on Life Sometimes Can Be Unfair

Our society is changing day by day, and making us forget the word ‘respect’ which nowadays no one is able to find in their dictionary. When I walk outside, the people who use to say hi are now acting as though they have no idea who I am.

Isn’t that unfair? Me being who I am, I say Hi and in return I get a spit in my face like a scum. Life is just not how we expect it to be. Our environment is slowly turning into a trash can because there is no ‘respect’. Don’t you think life is just unpredictable? Although, it doesn’t always end up like this. I wake up every day with a smile on my face, ready to meet the people who make my day.

Isn’t that just fantastic? Don’t you sometimes get the feeling that life is just perfect? Why wouldn’t it be? We make up our society, and bring the brightness upon the environment.

Proficient in: Behavior

“ Thank you so much for accepting my assignment the night before it was due. I look forward to working with you moving forward ”

I remember those moments of my childhood like a clear glass; running to the park just to meet my friends so we can go out to play. We was like a rugby team, we followed each other’s footstep from back to forth. Do you remember those moments? I bet you do because life was bright. It’s always a classic when your friends go against you for no particular reasons.

Oh wait, how could I forget? Gossip- it’s like the world is being covered by a cloth which no one is able to see the true side of life. It’s that unfair? Well, when you get embarrassed and humiliated in front of the whole school because of a misunderstanding. Is that unfair? Yes it is. The environment is being isolated with darkness and unfairness. On the other hand, maybe our society is being seen in a wrong prospectus. We make life fair. Don’t we? Have you ever been a victim of a crime? No? Have you ever got punished for a particular reason? No? Then why should we complain. Our life is made up of shiny silver which glows upon everyone.

There is always that feeling when you do something for someone, but think whether they will do the same for you. Believe me they do! Every help and support I gave to them, I received the same even more. How does that feel? Amazing! In my opinion I believe life is fair. We make our society and bring the goodness upon all. When you experience a moment, you will always cherish it in our heart and realise that whatever happens- life is fair. “What you give, you get”, it’s true! I had so many experiences in my life that, when something negative appears I just think of those moments which changes my opinion about the life we live in.

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Jerry Seinfeld’s Speech Was the Real News

Why did the media focus less on his words and more on the 30 protesters who didn’t hear them?

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Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

On Sunday at Duke University, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld delivered a commencement address that was, bizarrely, overshadowed in the media by a tiny, nondisruptive protest.

Seinfeld gave a compliment and a warning to his Gen Z audience.

First came the compliment. “I totally admire the ambitions of your generation to create a more just and inclusive society,” he said. “I think it is also wonderful that you care so much about not hurting other people’s feelings in the million and one ways we all do that.”

Then came the warning. “What I need to tell you as a comedian: Do not lose your sense of humor. You can have no idea at this point in your life how much you are going to need it to get through. Not enough of life makes sense for you to be able to survive it without humor.”

Seinfeld went on to defend “the slightly uncomfortable feeling of awkward humor,” arguing that it is “not something you need to fix,” because even as Gen Z improves the world, it will remain “a pretty insane mess.” Humor, he said, is “the most survival-essential quality you will ever have or need to navigate through the human experience.”

Tyler Austin Harper: America’s colleges are reaping what they sowed

All of that is newsworthy. Seinfeld is a perceptive observer of life and an undeniable expert on comedy. Plus, as he told the graduates, “I am 70. I am done. You are just starting. I only want to help you.” If he is convinced that humor is a crucial salve—“the most important thing I am confident that I know about life”—those of us who’ll never enjoy his success or wealth had really better keep laughing.

Yet coverage of the commencement treated something just before his speech as more newsworthy: As the Associated Press reported, roughly 30 student protesters walked out of the graduation ceremony as Seinfeld was introduced. They represented a tiny fraction of the 7,000 students present.

Media outlets covered the Duke graduation with headlines like these: “As Seinfeld Receives Honorary Degree at Duke, Students Walk Out in Protest” ( The New York Times ); “Duke Students Walk Out to Protest Jerry Seinfeld’s Commencement Speech in Latest Grad Disruption” ( USA Today ); “Duke Students Walk Out of Jerry Seinfeld’s Commencement Speech Amid Wave of Graduation Antiwar Protests” (NBC News); “Jerry Seinfeld’s Speech at Duke Commencement Prompts Walkout Protesting His Support for Israel” (Reuters); “Duke University Students Walk Out on Jerry Seinfeld’s Commencement Speech, Chant ‘Free Palestine’” (Fox News); “Watch: Anti-Israel Students Walk Out of Duke University Commencement to Protest Jerry Seinfeld” ( Breitbart News ).

Why was that the focus? The war in Gaza is, of course, more newsworthy than any commencement and has been covered extensively. Many protests about the war are newsworthy, too.

Read: This is helicopter protesting

But the airing of grievances at Duke was not notable for the number of people who participated, or for any insight offered on Gaza, or for even a remote prospect of affecting the conflict. To the credit of the students who walked out, it didn’t even disrupt the speech. So it was suspect, I think, to treat the protest as more important than the event that the activists sought to leverage for attention. A protest in and of itself does not confer importance.

Journalists often fail to distinguish between substantively newsworthy protests and mere deployment of the protest mode—a bias that activists have learned to exploit. Social media is optimized to signal-boost conflict more than attempts at distilling wisdom. And too many Americans revel in rather than resist conflicts.

The result at Duke: Coverage of a newsworthy speech was informed, more than any other factor, by the subset of the audience that did not hear it. At least, in the midst of a tragic war abroad and a vexing culture war at home, we can shake our heads and laugh about that absurdity.

Travis Kelce on Harrison Butker’s speech: ‘I don’t think that I should judge him by his views’

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he doesn’t agree with “the majority” of Harrison Butker’s recent commencement speech but said he won’t judge the place kicker by his views.

“He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness,” Kelce said of Butker on Friday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast . “And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said (in his) commencement speech, those are his.

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“I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.”

Kelce also commended Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ take on Butker’s controversial commencement speech, where Mahomes said he judges Butker by his character.

“I’ve known (Butker) for seven years,” Mahomes told reporters Wednesday . “I judge him by the character he shows every day and that’s a good person. … We’re not always going to agree. He said certain things I don’t agree with.”

During his commencement speech at Benedictine College, Butker referred to Pride Month as an example of the “deadly sins.” He also addressed gender ideologies and said a woman’s most important title is “homemaker.”

“It is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you,” Butker said during his speech to graduates earlier this month. “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

Kelce pointed out that both his mother and father, Donna and Ed Kelce, were “homemakers and providers” during his childhood.

“They were unbelievable at being present every single day of my life,” Kelce said. “That was a beautiful upbringing for me. … I’m not the same person without both of them being who they were in my life.”

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Although Butker referenced a Taylor Swift lyric in his speech, Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend, did not address it.

“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt,'” Butker said, referencing Swift’s song, “Bejeweled,” during the speech.

Butker also used the speech to criticize President Joe Biden on several issues, including abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic, and questioned Biden’s devotion to Catholicism.

Despite Butker’s comments on Biden, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that he believes Butker will go with the team to the White House on May 31 to celebrate its 2024 Super Bowl victory.

“I didn’t think I need to (address it). We’re a microcosm of life,” Reid said when asked about Butker’s comments. “We all respect each other’s opinions. We all have a voice.”

A few days after Butker delivered his speech,  the NFL released a statement distancing itself from his comments and said Butker’s views are not the same as the league as an organization.

When asked about Butker’s speech at the league meetings in Nashville on Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has a “diversity of opinions and thoughts.”

Kelce echoed a similar sentiment when discussing how teammates don’t always share the same views but can work together: “You put your differences aside for one goal in common, and that’s the beauty of team sports. That’s the beauty of the NFL.”

Required reading

• Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker says Pride Month is example of ‘deadly sin’ during commencement speech
• NFL distances itself from Chiefs’ Harrison Butker’s Benedictine College speech
• Benedictine Sisters denounce Harrison Butker’s speech as his jersey sales rise
• Patrick Mahomes: I didn’t agree with all of Harrison Butker’s speech comments, but he’s ‘a good person’

(Photo of Harrison Butker (left) and Travis Kelce (right): Arne Dedert / picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Jenna West is a staff editor on The Athletic's news team. Before joining The Athletic, she served as a writer and producer for Sports Illustrated's national news desk. Jenna is a graduate of Northwestern University.

COVID-19 eliminated a decade of progress in global level of life expectancy

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Data crunched by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that the COVID-19 emergency reversed more than a decade of gains in life expectancy , reinforcing the need for countries to agree on a global pandemic treaty to protect future generations.

According to the UN agency, between 2019 and 2021 – the early years of the global health emergency - life expectancy around the world dropped by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, which is the 2012 level. 

Responding to the findings, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the fragility of global health advances when confronted with unprecedented emergencies like the pandemic,  which caused more than seven million confirmed deaths . 

“In just two years, the COVID-19 pandemic erased a decade of gains in life expectancy,” Tedros said. “That's why the new Pandemic Agreement is so important: not only to strengthen global health security, but to protect long-term investments in health and promote equity within and between countries.”

Regional differences

Regionally, the Americas and South-East Asia felt the biggest impact of the coronavirus, with life expectancy dropping by around three years . 

In contrast, Western Pacific countries were minimally affected during the first two years of the pandemic, with only small losses in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.

The WHO’s World Health Statistics 2024 report confirmed that COVID-19 was the third highest cause of death globally in 2020 and the second highest a year later. 

The coronavirus was also the leading cause of mortality in the Americas for 2020 and 2021.

Noncommunicable diseases

Before the pandemic, noncommunicable diseases remained the top killer, the UN health agency said, accounting for 74 per cent of all deaths in 2019.

During the pandemic, chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke, cancer and dementia were behind 78 per cent of non-COVID deaths.

Malnutrition in children ‘striking’

Other major causes of lives being cut short are malnutrition, undernutrition, overweight and obesity. In 2022, over one billion people aged five years and older lived with obesity, while more than half a billion were underweight . 

“Malnutrition in children was also striking,” the WHO report said, “with 148 million children under five years old affected by stunting - too short for age - 45 million suffering from wasting - too thin for height - and 37 million overweight.”

Healthcare inequity

The WHO’s World Health Statistics report also highlighted the challenges faced by people with disabilities, refugees and migrants. 

In 2021, about 1.3 billion people, or 16 per cent of the global population, had a disability. “This group is disproportionately affected by health inequities resulting from avoidable, unjust and unfair conditions,” the UN health agency insisted.

Similar medical aid access problems exist for refugees and migrants, the WHO noted, after finding that only half of the dozens of countries surveyed between 2018 and 2021 provided publicly funded healthcare to them at the same level as other citizens. “This highlights the urgent need for health systems to adapt and address the persisting inequities and changing demographic needs of global populations,” WHO said.

Despite the multiple setbacks to public health caused by COVID-19, the UN health agency insisted that progress has been made towards achieving better health for all, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include the fact that since 2018, an additional 1.5 billion people achieved better health and wellbeing globally, and 585 million more people today have access to universal health coverage.

Pandemic treaty talks

In a bid to head off a future pandemic, the WHO is leading highly complex discussions with UN Member States to draft and negotiate a convention to agree on the collective steps that will be needed from governments around the world. 

The aim is to present the outcome of these negotiations at the next  World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva next week , where the WHO’s 194 Member States are scheduled to adopt the international accord.

Participation in the agreement by countries would be voluntary – contrary to online disinformation campaigns falsely alleging that the accord would mean surrendering sovereignty - and in the interests of the citizens of those countries and others, offering more effective pandemic preparedness and response.

According to  WHO , negotiations on a future agreement revolve around the need to ensure equitable access to the tools needed to prevent pandemics – vaccines, protective equipment, information and expertise – and universal access to healthcare for everyone.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on His Actions to Protect American Workers and Businesses from China’s Unfair Trade   Practices

Rose Garden

12:32 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  Now, I assume you’re standing in case you have to run when the rain starts.  (Laughter.)  Please, have a seat.

Rox, thank you very much for all you do to fight for American steelworkers.  I mean that sincerely. 

I — and I want to recognize all the labor unions here today, including Steel Workers, Auto Workers, Sheet Metal Workers, AFL-CIO, IBEW, Communications Workers, Boilermakers, Machinists. 

I’m proud, as Rox said, to be labeled the most pro-union President in American history.  You heard me say it before: Wall Street is important, lot of good folks there, but they didn’t build America.  The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class.

Folks, leaders from key American industries are here as well, including steel, aluminum, solar, semiconductors, automakers.

And members of my Cabinet are here as well.  Janet Yellen — the front row is Murderers’ Row here — (laughter) — the Treasury Department; Julie Su, our Trade — our — of — of Labor; and Katherine Tai, our nation’s Trade Representative; and outstanding members of Congress as well. 

From Michigan, Debbie Stabenow is here.  Debbie, welcome. 

And Hala- — and Haley Stevens is here.  No, I guess she — there you are.  Oh, you did make it.  They told me you might not be able to make it.  I’m sorry.

REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS:  I’m here.  (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  All right. 

And Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.  Again, you — smile, Debbie, it’s okay.  (Laughter.) 

REPRESENTATIVE DINGELL:  I am.  I’m happy. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Elissa Slotkin — 

Well, you should be.  You — you’re — you’re responsible for a lot of this.

Thank you for joining us as I announce a series of actions to make sure American workers and American business and corporations can compete and win in the industries of the future, because that’s what this is about. 

The fact is that American workers are — can outwork and outcompete anyone, as long as the competition is fair.  But for too long, it hasn’t been fair. 

For years, the Chinese government has poured state money into Chinese companies across a whole range of industries: steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar panels — the industries of the future — and even critical health equipment, like gloves and masks. 

China heavily subsidized all these products, pushing Chinese companies to produce far more than the rest of the world can absorb.  And then dumping the excess products onto the market at unfairly low prices, driving other manufacturers around the world out of business. 

You know, we — I won’t go into it, but we were talking about today about how many aluminum plants there used to be and how many there are now. 

The prices are unfairly low because Chinese companies don’t need to worry about a profit because the Chinese government subsidized them and subsidized them heavily.  

And the Chinese relies on other anticompetitive tactics as well, like forcing the American companies to transfer their technology in order to do business in China. 

I’ve spent a lot of time with Xi Jinping.  Early on, I told him — he said, why am I being unfair with China?  (Inaudible.)  I said, “Look, we’ll play by the same rules if you want.  If you want to do business in China, you got to have a 51 percent Chinese owner, you got to provide access to all your intellectual property, et cetera.  You want to do that in America?”  There was silence. 

Sometimes they just outright steal through cyber espionage and other means.  And it’s been a well-documented inter- — and internationally recognized.

When you make tactics like these, they are — they’re — you’re not competing.  It’s not competition.  It’s cheating.   And we’ve seen the damage here in America.  

To name one example, back in 2000, when cheap steel from China began to flood the market, U.S. steel towns across Pennsylvania and Ohio were hit hard.  And any of you from those areas know well.  More than 1,800 [18,000] ironworkers and steelworkers in Pennsylvania and Ohio lost their jobs.

I’m not going to let that happen again. 

That’s why today I’m announcing new tariffs in key sectors of the economy that are going to ensure that our workers are not held back by unfair trade practices.

They include a thing I’m announcing today: 25 percent tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum products.  And we’ll counter China’s overcapacity in these industries. 

And we’re making major investments in clean American steel and aluminum — clean American steel and aluminum.  It’s a big deal.  Clean because of the way we manufacture it here — it emits half as much carbon as steel made in China.  

Last month, my administration announced the largest investment in clean manufacturing in all of history, up to $1.5 billion in six clean steel projects across America, creating and supporting thousands — thousands of union jobs.  

Next, a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles made in China.  And people say, “Wow.”  (Applause.)  Because we’re not going to let China flood our market, making it impossible for American automakers — automobile — auto manufacturers to compete fairly. 

We’re also implementing a 25 percent tariff on electric vehicle batteries from China and a 25 percent tariff on the critical minerals that make those batteries. 

Folks, look, I’m determined that the future of the electric vehicles will be made in America by union workers.  Period.  (Applause.)  And we’ll do it by following international trade laws to do it. 

American companies are investing tens of billions of dollars in electric vehicles and their batteries.  And thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re building a network of 500,000 charging stations all across America, creating thousands — thousands of IBEW jobs across America.  Electric charging stations — (applause) — and the reason to do this is simple: Electric charging stations have to be as easy to find as a gas station, and that’s what this will be.  You’re not going to have to worry about — you’re taking off and you’re going to be able to make it all across the country in one — without having to figure something else out.

Our partners around the world are making similar investments.  They also want a supply chain for electric vehicles that isn’t dominated by unfair trade practices from China. 

America can continue to buy — Americans — I want to make this clear, notwithstanding what the other guy is saying — can buy any kind of car they want — whether it’s gas, electric, or hybrid — but we’re never going to allow China to fa- — unfairly control the market for these cars.  Period.

Next — (applause) — we’re going to raise tariffs on Chinese solar panels from 25 to 50 percent.  Here, again, because the Chinese government is subsidizing excess capacity, they’re flooding the market.  They’re driving manufacturing companies out of business in Europe.  But we won’t let that happen here in America.

We’re putting a 50 percent tariff on semiconductors made in China.  These are those tiny computer — all of you know this, but for the public — those little, tiny computer chips, smaller than a fingertip, that power everyday lives — everything from smartphones to automobiles to dishwashers, satellites. 

Look, America invented these cheeps [chips].  But over time, we stopped making them.  We invested other — overseas.  Now, thanks to my CHIPS and Science Act, one of the most significant investments ever in science and technology, we’re bringing this vital industry back home where it started, in the United States of America.  (Applause.)   

And finally, we’re putting tariffs on health equipment, like masks and gloves that nurses and doctors wear every single day.  If the pandemic caught us any- — tau- — taught us anything, we need a secure ply- — supply of essential supplies here at home. 

Folks, these key sectors, my administration is combining investments in America with tariffs that are strategic and targeted.  It’s a smart approach. 

Compare that to the pri- — what the prior administration did.  The — my predecessor promised to increase American exports and boost manufacturing.  But he didn’t either.  He failed.   

He signed a trade deal with China.  They were supposed to buy $200 billion more in American goods.  Instead, China imports from America barely budged. 

And now, Trump and his MAGA Republicans want across-the-board tariffs on all imports from all countries, if reelected.  Well, that would drive up costs for families on an average of $1,500 per year each year.  He simply doesn’t get it. 

For years, I’ve heard many Republicans and even Democratic friends say, “China is not on the rise” — excuse me, “China is on the rise; America is falling behind.”  I’ve always believed they got it wrong.  

America is rising.   We have the best economy in the world.  And since I’ve come into office, the GDP is up, our trade deficit with China is down to the lowest level in over a decade, and we’re standing up against Chinese government unfair economic practices now. 

At the same time — (applause) — we’re standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.  I’ve revitalized our partnerships with the Pacific allies in India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines — Pacific Island nations. 

I’ve made sure the most advanced American technologies we develop or invent can be used by the Chi- — can’t be used by the Chinese government to undermine our national security.

Frankly, before it rains — frankly, for all this tough talk on China, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that.

Bottom line: I want fair competition with China, not conflict.  And we’re in a stronger position to win that economic competition of the 21st century against China than anyone else because we’re investing in America again.

Let me close — let me close with this.  I come from Scranton, a town like a lot of working-class, middle-class neighborhoods all across America — like Racine, Wisconsin, which I visited last week.  Once a manufacturing boomtown until trickle-down economics came along, and the middle class in Racine got hollowed out. 

Six years ago, my predecessor showed up carrying a golden shovel, promising, thanks to his new $10 billion, manufacturing complex would be built in Racine.  He said it would be the eighth wonder of the world — big promises that never came true.  He used that golden shovel to dig a hole, and then he fell into it.  (Laughter.)

Well, that’s not on my — that’s not part of my — well, I’m delivering for Racine — delivering.  Thanks to the investment of my administration, Microsoft is investing billions to build a new data center in Racine, creating thousands of good-paying jobs. 

Because the view from Scranton and towns like it are a lot different than from Mar-a-Lago.  It’s the view where — that money doesn’t determine your worth, everyone is entitled to being treated with dignity and respect, and everyone deserves a fair shot.  We leave nobody behind. 

That’s the America we’re building together.  That’s why I’ve never been more optimistic about our future.  And I’m really going fast because of the rain.

We have — (laughter) — that’s why we have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  (Applause.)  And there is nothing — there is nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.

God bless you all.  And better get out of the rain.

Thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)

Thank you. 

Oh, we got to sign this.

Q    Mr. President, why wait three years for the tariffs?

(The presidential memorandum is signed.)   

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

Q    Mr. President —

Q    Mr. President, is Netanyahu going too far in Rafah?

Q    Mr. President, Trump said today, “China is eating our lunch.”  What do you say in response?  He said, “China is eating our lunch.”  That’s what Trump said today. 

THE PRESIDENT:  He’s being feeding them a long time.  (Laughter and applause.)

   12:45 P.M. EDT

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Chiefs' Harrison Butker blasted for commencement speech encouraging women to be homemakers

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has aggravated one of the internet's biggest culture wars by telling a class of college graduates that one of the “most important” titles a woman can hold is homemaker.

During a commencement speech last weekend at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, the NFL player railed against abortion, Pride month and Covid-19 lockdown measures.

Drawing the most viral backlash this week, however, was a section of his speech in which he addressed the female graduates specifically — telling them that it’s women who have had “the most diabolical lies” told to them.

“How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world,” Butker said. “But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

The criticisms that followed took aim at Butker as well as the NFL.

"Hey @NFL — If you want to continue to grow your female fan base and any other marginalized group (straight white men are already watching your product), come get your boy," wrote Lisa Guerrero, a former NFL sideline reporter and now an investigative journalist for "Inside Edition."

He went on to tell the graduates that his wife would agree that her life “truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.” It is her embrace of this role, he said, that made his own professional success possible.

Butker’s comments share similarities with some of the more extreme ideas around gender roles that have gained traction in communities that promote “ tradwife ” lifestyles or other relationship dynamics that center on traditional gender roles .

“Listen, there’s nothing wrong with his wife being a homemaker. Homemakers are wonderful, that’s not the point,” filmmaker Michael McWhorter, known by his more than 6 million TikTok followers as TizzyEnt, said in a video response. “The point is he seemed to be acting as if you should be ashamed if you don’t want to be a homemaker, or, ‘I know what you really want to do is just stay home and have babies.’"

The speech was the latest incident to add fuel to the flames of this increasingly vocal cultural battle, much of which is playing out online. While many prominent right-wing men have voiced such beliefs before, they’re usually confined to internet forums, podcasts and other online communities where these ideologies thrive.

A spokesperson for Butker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Benedictine College and the Kansas City Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for the NFL told People Magazine that Butker "gave a speech in his personal capacity" and his "views are not those of the NFL as an organization."

"The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger," a spokesperson told the publication.

Butker, who is teammates with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, further drew surprise and criticism when he quoted Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, whose monumental career success as a global pop star has inspired college courses .

“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘familiarity breeds contempt,’” he said, drawing murmurs from the crowd as he used the “Bejeweled” lyric as an analogy for why Catholic priests should not become “overly familiar” with their parishioners.

In the days since his speech, a Change.org petition for the Chiefs to dismiss Butker for “discriminatory remarks” has garnered nearly 19,000 signatures.

“These comments reinforce harmful stereotypes that threaten social progress,” the petition stated. “They create a toxic environment that hinders our collective efforts towards equality, diversity and inclusion in society. It is unacceptable for such a public figure to use their platform to foster harm rather than unity.”

Those who criticized Butker’s speech online include actor Bradley Whitford as well as DJ and rapper (and self-proclaimed Swiftie ) Flavor Flav .

But his speech was also lauded by some on the religious right, including conservative sports media personalities such as Clay Travis and Jason Whitlock , who defended Butker’s statements toward women.

“Not a word Harrison Butker says here should be remotely controversial. He’s 100% correct,” former NFL wide receiver T.J. Moe posted on X . “Those trying to convince women that being assistant VP of lending & intentionally childless at age 40 is more fulfilling than making a family and home are evil.”

Sports and culture commentator Jon Root also posted that Butker “exposed the lies that the world has been telling women.” Women, he wrote, are wrongly encouraged to climb the corporate ladder, view children as a “burden” and see marriage as “not worth pursuing.”

Still, a deluge of viewers online took issue with his attitude toward women and the LGBTQ community. Many women also rejected the premise that they would be happier staying at home in lieu of paid work, even if they do have a husband and children.

“I am moved. I actually had no idea that my life began when I met my husband,” neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch, known as Ladyspinedoc on TikTok, said sarcastically in a TikTok video . “It did not begin when I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with honors. It certainly did not begin when I graduated with a 4.0 GPA, Alpha Omega Alpha, from medical school. And I had no idea that it did not begin when I completed my residency in neurosurgery.”

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Harrison Butker Scores Win After Commencement Speech Backlash

H e may have come under fire for his divisive commencement speech at Kansas' Benedictine College, but Harrison Butker has scored a win on social media.

According to Social Blade, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker has gained 5,000 followers in a week—significantly more than previous weeks—taking his total count up to 332,927.

The football star delivered the commencement speech at the private Catholic liberal arts school on Saturday, with his words sparking uproar online.

Butker, who is a devout Catholic, critcized abortion and the LGBTQ+ community, along with emphasizing his belief in his traditional gender roles.

The 28-year-old slammed what he described as "bad policies and poor leadership" on major life issues such as abortion, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy and euthanasia.

"Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally," he said, hitting out at President Joe Biden .

Butker also advocated for old-fashioned gender roles, particularly for women, telling the audience to "fight against the cultural emasculation of men."

Speaking to directly to the female graduates present, Butker said: "It is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.

"How many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage and thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career. Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and children."

Butker went on to praise his wife, Isabelle, telling the crowd: "I'm on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation."

Graduating students were divided on the commencement speech. Susannah Leisegang, a graphic design major, expressed her discontent with Butker's remarks on TikTok .

"He was f***** horrible and some of us did boo," Leisegang said in the clip. "Me and my roommate definitely did.

"Most of the women were looking back and forth at each other, 'like what the f*** is going on?'"

However, Leisegang also noted that the majority of the crowd applauded, reminding followers that Benedictine is "a Catholic and conservative college," with many of the men present agreeing with Butker's views.

Along with his comments on gender roles and women's health issues, Butker was criticized online for his remarks on the claiming that LGBTQ+ Pride month stood for "deadly sins."

A spokesperson for the NFL told Newsweek : "Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger."

Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg defended Butker during Thursday's installment of The View .

The actress told co-hosts that people didn't have to like or agree with Butker's opinions, but that they should respect them.

"Listen, I like when people say what they need to say. He's at a Catholic college, he's a staunch Catholic, these are his beliefs, and he's welcome to them," she stated.

"We wanna give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours. I have the right to say what I say. He has the right to say what he says."

Following Butker's speech, an online petition calling for the Chiefs to release Butker went viral. As of May 17, the petition has garnered over 172,000 signatures.

In response, a petition to "p rotect Harrison Butker from unfair release by the Chiefs" has been created. It had 48 signatures at the time of publishing.

Related Articles

• Thousands Sign Christian Petition Condemning Harrison Butker's Remarks

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