(no subject)
This is a post I found in my email from last year, around March time. I either never posted it or have since deleted it, but I was pleased with it when I read it again, so I thought I'd share. It was originally titled
"Sheep amidst the wolves"
(A reference to Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep amidst the wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves", and, if I'm honest, the Al Pacino/Keanu Reeves film 'Devil's Advocate'- never say I don't teach you anything). It's a little angsty, but there are still bits in it that I really like, and that I think still apply. Especially the quote at the end. For those who might be interested, enjoy...
Our culture is so hedonistic, so wrapped up in a cycle of consumerism fuelled by fear and pleasure fuelled by laziness, that we no longer want to take our medicine, or swallow the bitter pills of social reform that our society so desperately needs. And for the first time, in this popularity contest mockery of democracy we call a government, nobody’s going to make us, and as a result, we’re just going to get sicker. We have the longest life spans, greatest personal wealth, health and material possessions of all time, and has it made us any happier? No. Unwanted pregnancy, rape, murder, suicide and depression are all at their highest ever. We are the first generation to be comparatively poorer than our parents. Birthed by a century of unrivalled bloodshed, sex and destruction, into a ‘future’ that has led us to expect great things, and will deliver none. We will never be famous, never be well paid or even well liked, compared to the millionaires we see on TV and hear on the radio. The most frightening talent any of them possesses is an aptitude for pretending that they are like us, or understand us, and making us believe it. They do not deserve our love or loyalty. We are an entire generation brainwashed into expecting to get everything for nothing, and that we deserve it. A man can be content only within the realm of his experiences. To live in squalor, and never know better, a man can be happy. To live in poverty, and glimpse wealth, a man can never be truly at peace. We see wealth, and beauty, and popularity a million times a day, on 200 channels- how can a poor, ugly, unpopular man ever be content again after that? How can he ever look at his wife, his job, his life again and not want more? Not expect more? Vicarious media experience has led me through hundreds of lives, thousands of situations, millions of choices. I know the difference between right and wrong, and I know what decision to take in almost any situation, but I never get the chance, and I probably never will. These amazing situations never happen to us normal people- that’s why they’re called ‘extraordinary’. We are the best equipped adventurers, in search of an adventure. You want to know why so many young men are throwing themselves off buildings, or putting a gun to their own heads? Because they’re fucking bored. They’ve seen too much, they think there’s nothing left to experience. There are no thrills left for us. I have seen every amazing or disgusting thing imaginable. There are no more barriers left to cross. I’ve seen nudity, sexual intercourse, perversion, violence, torture, misery, beauty, murder, other worlds, other countries, microscopic molecules, nature, love, hate, highs, lows, lies, honesty and tragedy. And it has all happened to other people. Curiosity killed the cat, and it’s killing us too. Letting us be ‘anything we want to be’ has condemned us. In a world with no limits, you have to set your own, and they’re never going to be right.People don’t like having to think for themselves. If you can’t boil it down to a one-pun tabloid phrase, it’s too complicated for them to care. We like things simple- good/bad, love/hate, right/wrong. Shades of grey force us to think for ourselves too much. We are all lazy and stupid and have brought this upon ourselves with our apathy, ignorance and arrogance. Necessity is the mother of all invention, but we don’t need anything any more. Only the stupid or ignorant can ever be truly happy. Intelligence is far more of a curse, than a gift. Kids might be getting smarter, but it just means more of them will go to waste. The vast majority will end up doing mediocre jobs, for mediocre pay, and will live crappy fucking mediocre lives. The sooner you abandon all hopes of fulfilling your dreams, the happier you’ll be with the average shitstain of a life you end up with. Nobody these days has any dreams left anyway. What do you want to do? Who do you want to be? If you’ve got a vague idea at best, you’re doing better than the majority these days. Shitty things will always happen to good people and bad people alike, and there’s absolutely fuck all you or I can ever do to change that. And I think that might be the most depressing thing I have ever heard. I’m not saying religion is the answer, in fact I’m pretty sure it’s not, but people were a damn sight nicer to each other when they were scared shitless of some divine retribution. Some said the world was going to end at the turn of the last millennium, and most people said they were crazy. I think they were right- it did. If they track the downfall of the human race, I bet they’ll end up right here, or around here. The thing took millennia to evolve, it’s not just going to blink out of existence in an instant, but make no mistake- as a species, the writings on the wall for humanity- we’re officially fucked. Man has forever been a creature unable to turn back, running headlong down the corridor towards oblivion at breakneck speeds. We really do have nowhere left to go except extinction, and we sure are trying to get there as fast as we can. Right now, I am of the opinion that there is nothing of value left in this world, and the hope for a better tomorrow is a naïve and foolish illusion. These are the thoughts I live with. Somebody please prove me wrong. This will be my last entry on Livejournal. It has been fun, at times, but its main objective has not been fulfilled. Goodbye
”Mankind’s greatest boon, and also his greatest curse, is that he can get used to just about anything”
"Sheep amidst the wolves"
(A reference to Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep amidst the wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves", and, if I'm honest, the Al Pacino/Keanu Reeves film 'Devil's Advocate'- never say I don't teach you anything). It's a little angsty, but there are still bits in it that I really like, and that I think still apply. Especially the quote at the end. For those who might be interested, enjoy...
Our culture is so hedonistic, so wrapped up in a cycle of consumerism fuelled by fear and pleasure fuelled by laziness, that we no longer want to take our medicine, or swallow the bitter pills of social reform that our society so desperately needs. And for the first time, in this popularity contest mockery of democracy we call a government, nobody’s going to make us, and as a result, we’re just going to get sicker. We have the longest life spans, greatest personal wealth, health and material possessions of all time, and has it made us any happier? No. Unwanted pregnancy, rape, murder, suicide and depression are all at their highest ever. We are the first generation to be comparatively poorer than our parents. Birthed by a century of unrivalled bloodshed, sex and destruction, into a ‘future’ that has led us to expect great things, and will deliver none. We will never be famous, never be well paid or even well liked, compared to the millionaires we see on TV and hear on the radio. The most frightening talent any of them possesses is an aptitude for pretending that they are like us, or understand us, and making us believe it. They do not deserve our love or loyalty. We are an entire generation brainwashed into expecting to get everything for nothing, and that we deserve it. A man can be content only within the realm of his experiences. To live in squalor, and never know better, a man can be happy. To live in poverty, and glimpse wealth, a man can never be truly at peace. We see wealth, and beauty, and popularity a million times a day, on 200 channels- how can a poor, ugly, unpopular man ever be content again after that? How can he ever look at his wife, his job, his life again and not want more? Not expect more? Vicarious media experience has led me through hundreds of lives, thousands of situations, millions of choices. I know the difference between right and wrong, and I know what decision to take in almost any situation, but I never get the chance, and I probably never will. These amazing situations never happen to us normal people- that’s why they’re called ‘extraordinary’. We are the best equipped adventurers, in search of an adventure. You want to know why so many young men are throwing themselves off buildings, or putting a gun to their own heads? Because they’re fucking bored. They’ve seen too much, they think there’s nothing left to experience. There are no thrills left for us. I have seen every amazing or disgusting thing imaginable. There are no more barriers left to cross. I’ve seen nudity, sexual intercourse, perversion, violence, torture, misery, beauty, murder, other worlds, other countries, microscopic molecules, nature, love, hate, highs, lows, lies, honesty and tragedy. And it has all happened to other people. Curiosity killed the cat, and it’s killing us too. Letting us be ‘anything we want to be’ has condemned us. In a world with no limits, you have to set your own, and they’re never going to be right.People don’t like having to think for themselves. If you can’t boil it down to a one-pun tabloid phrase, it’s too complicated for them to care. We like things simple- good/bad, love/hate, right/wrong. Shades of grey force us to think for ourselves too much. We are all lazy and stupid and have brought this upon ourselves with our apathy, ignorance and arrogance. Necessity is the mother of all invention, but we don’t need anything any more. Only the stupid or ignorant can ever be truly happy. Intelligence is far more of a curse, than a gift. Kids might be getting smarter, but it just means more of them will go to waste. The vast majority will end up doing mediocre jobs, for mediocre pay, and will live crappy fucking mediocre lives. The sooner you abandon all hopes of fulfilling your dreams, the happier you’ll be with the average shitstain of a life you end up with. Nobody these days has any dreams left anyway. What do you want to do? Who do you want to be? If you’ve got a vague idea at best, you’re doing better than the majority these days. Shitty things will always happen to good people and bad people alike, and there’s absolutely fuck all you or I can ever do to change that. And I think that might be the most depressing thing I have ever heard. I’m not saying religion is the answer, in fact I’m pretty sure it’s not, but people were a damn sight nicer to each other when they were scared shitless of some divine retribution. Some said the world was going to end at the turn of the last millennium, and most people said they were crazy. I think they were right- it did. If they track the downfall of the human race, I bet they’ll end up right here, or around here. The thing took millennia to evolve, it’s not just going to blink out of existence in an instant, but make no mistake- as a species, the writings on the wall for humanity- we’re officially fucked. Man has forever been a creature unable to turn back, running headlong down the corridor towards oblivion at breakneck speeds. We really do have nowhere left to go except extinction, and we sure are trying to get there as fast as we can. Right now, I am of the opinion that there is nothing of value left in this world, and the hope for a better tomorrow is a naïve and foolish illusion. These are the thoughts I live with. Somebody please prove me wrong. This will be my last entry on Livejournal. It has been fun, at times, but its main objective has not been fulfilled. Goodbye
”Mankind’s greatest boon, and also his greatest curse, is that he can get used to just about anything”