Photo Credit: Jewish Press

Last week the temperature in South Florida dipped into the 60s in the early morning and only climbed into the mid-70s as the day wore on. The weather was further exacerbated by a fairly strong ocean breeze.

I was out running errands in Surfside and was shocked to see the clothing on my fellow Floridians. Heavy coats, parkas with hoods, thick jackets, woolen scarves, and even knitted caps were prevalent on the streets and in the stores as people reeled from the “cold spell.” Meanwhile, our dear friends in Manhattan braved the cold with aplomb, although the fountain in Bryant Park had frozen solid and the thermometer registered at 12 degrees.

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It’s true that an individual’s reality is greatly influenced by perception. How you feel about things affects how you experience what is happening. Unfortunately, in today’s world it seems we have placed a very low bar on coping with any discomfort, either physical or emotional.

College students now demand special designated areas where controversial speech and/or “insensitivity” of any type are forbidden. Universities have acquiesced and set up “safe spaces” on campuses that are marked with signs and can be equipped with soothing music, comfy pillows, and blankets and cookies. Impressionable young people who are given this type of accommodation become accustomed to always being at ease. They dread ever being offended. They never learn to deal with the ups and downs of life.

The notion that we always need to be comfortable is a devastating handicap to functioning in a real and, at times, uncomfortable world. Sometimes we need to survive an icy wind, hurt feelings, or even an offense. The ability to survive an adverse situation is a basic and necessary skill.

Life is not to be lived in a tepid and protective bubble. We all need to shed our security blankets and face the cold facts of life.

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Shelley Benveniste is South Florida editor of The Jewish Press.