Consequence Free


Do you ever wake up to an “ear-worm”, a song that’s just stuck in your mind?  If you’re lucky, it’s at least one that you like!

Today, I woke up with one of my favourites, “Consequence Free” by Great Big Sea.  When I first heard this song, I was immediately seduced with the first line

“Wouldn’t it be great if no one ever got offended?                                      And wouldn’t it be great to say what’s really on your mind?”  

I thought, YES!!!  As someone who tends to direct communication rather than obfuscation, I often find myself frustrated by people who don’t “get to the point”. 

That’s not the only point of the song, of course, it goes on (in my opinion) to look at the many ties and obligations place on us by society and the world at large.  Are accountability and consequences such a bad thing, though?

The short answer is that it depends.  Accountability, speaking generally, is good.  Consequences are often good – they help us remember the impact of our actions on others.  However, it’s when that accountability becomes stereotypes, or “we’ve always done it that way” where I think it becomes a problem.

If you’ve watched the video for this song, there’s a strong emphasis on conformity – something which goes to the stereotypes I so despise.  Yes, there are women who love pink, want to shop all day, and have no sense of direction.  Yes, there are white people who see all other races as homogenous (all Orientals look the same, all black people look the same).  Yes, there are Canadians who love hockey and live at Tim Horton’s with their their double-double.  All of those things are ok, but I’m none of those people, and perhaps my lack of conformity to the “expected” is a factor in my dislike of stereotypes.

I like to think, though, that my lack of conformity isn’t a bad thing.  After all, I’m unique – just like you’re unique.  My uniqueness displays itself in an interest in cars, an aptitude for math, a really good sense of direction, and a complete and utter disregard for sports, including hockey.  Perhaps your uniqueness is more a love for polo, sushi, and opera.  That’s ok too – though you can keep all of those away from me.


The other benefit of non-conformity – for me, at least – is the ability to learn.  To grow.  To broaden our vision.  Because once I listen to your love for polo, and the reasons for it, I have new knowledge.  I still might not agree with it, but I’ve expanded not only my knowledge, but likely my tolerance – as humans, we’re typically more accepting of what we understand.

One of the last lyrics in the song is

“Wouldn’t it be great if the band just never ended?                                       We could stay out late, and we would never hear ‘last call’.                       We wouldn’t need to worry about approvals or permissions.                       We could slip off the edge, and never worry about the fall.”  


Wouldn’t it be great if we just applied this mindset to the people around us?  They don’t need our approval or permission to be who they are.  We don’t need theirs.  Who you are is already ok – maybe be a little careful about the slipping off the edge part, but if you don’t need to worry about the fall, perhaps that’s ok too.

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