---
title: Double Standards In Society
date: 2025-10-23T00:00:00
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
I was sitting in my car this morning, sunlight creeping over the dashboard, almost blinding but comforting, you know? Like, a weird kind of warmth you can't trust. I caught myself staring at the couple across the street, both dressed for a jog. The guy was shirtless, and the girl had on a tank top and shorts. And I was like, hmm, is anyone judging them? Or is it just me? Are there double standards for this kind of thing? My mind wandered off like it always does, especially when I’m supposed to be heading to the gym but end up debating life's oddities instead.
I don't know, maybe it's just in my head or maybe it's everywhere. I think I heard somewhere (could be a podcast or an article I skimmed - not sure) that around 80% of people have noticed double standards but then again, who knows if I’m remembering right. It’s one of those things that just, like, exist quietly. You try to point them out, and they’re like slippery fish. Like, you think you're making sense of it, and then boom, it’s gone.
Scrolling through Instagram feels like I’m swimming in these standards. A guy posts a shirtless pic, and it’s ‘fitness goals,’ but a girl does the same, and suddenly it’s ‘attention-seeking.’ At least, I think that’s what happens; though honestly, my thumb moves so fast, sometimes I’m not sure what I’m even looking at. Is it just the algorithm messing with my brain? Do algorithms have biases or do they just learn ours? Ugh, I don’t really know if deleting the app is the solution – I’ve tried, like, a bunch of times, but it’s a cycle. Maybe it's the dopamine hit or whatever that keeps me coming back.
Oh, and speaking of working out, why is it that if I skip a workout, I feel lazy, but when I make it to the gym, I'm labeled as ‘obsessed’? Like, I can't win either way. Maybe it’s societal pressure or maybe just self-imposed expectations. Maybe I once read about this phenomenon in some pop psychology book years ago - or maybe it’s all a jumbled memory now. My brain's a messy filing cabinet of half-remembered facts at this point.
Does any of this lead to something specific or help in understanding why society is the way it is? Probably not. It's not like I have an answer tied up neatly with a bow, and honestly, I wonder if anyone does. I guess I just live in this space, questioning and second-guessing, like the rest of us. I guess double standards reflect more about us than we care to admit. Maybe we only see ’em because we’re looking for ’em. Or maybe not.
Then again, I might just be overthinking it, as usual. Maybe I should just go for that workout now. Or not.