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Because the real Opiate of the Asses goes by the name "Ego" now. Fuck you.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Power of the Individual

When I call myself a socialist, some people immediately think of Orwell's 1984 or Huxley's Brave New World. They label me as a conformist, a slave, an opponent to individualism, another "brainwashed sheep" following icons in the media. 

They couldn't be more wrong. 

Let me tell you about how I view myself.
I see myself as a man with kindness in his eye and a fire in his heart. I believe that progress and an ultimate goal of utopia can be achieved through camaraderie and cooperation, compassion and strength. I see myself as a Catcher in the Rye, doing what I can when I can to help someone become a better person, to get them on their feet and give them another chance to do good. I believe in the power of a clean slate, a fresh start, unburdened and unfettered. I believe there is a universal set of morals worth fighting for. A set of ideals worth dying for. A set of humanistic laws worth suffering and battling to the bitter end for. I believe every individual deserves the chance to become what they want to be, to contribute to society at their full potential and make some good in this world. I believe fame should be based on skill and morality instead of money and power. When judging a person, I ignore wealth, power, race, gender, beauty, and look at only a person's morality.

I believe that love is simply the exchange of chemicals in the human brain. I believe that love is one of the most powerful forces in the world. I believe that our minds react in positive ways to certain stimuli, visual or auditory. I believe that art and beauty are more than just words and concepts, they are ideals and absolute truths to fight and die for. I believe religion is a concept created by man to deal with the terrifying prospect of death and to keep order, and that it has been twisted and corrupted over the years by people using it for their own agendas. I believe religion provides comfort to those who need it, and provides functioning members to society, and that it provides those members with a tangible connection with the world around them. I believe we are insignificant creatures on an insignificant hunk of rock, mere specks of dust in the universe as a whole. I believe the world we are on is beautiful and breathtaking in all its chaos and bleakness, and that every human life is worth saving. 

Sometimes I sit and reflect, realizing and marveling at the fact that we are the universe observing itself. Sometimes I sit and wonder if consciousness itself is immortal, if I will live forever or if there is some existence beyond our meager lives. Sometimes I sit and wonder how it all came to this, whether there are parallel universes and whether the nature of infinity is the sole reason for our existence. Sometimes I sit and wonder whether this is real life, what it all means, if there is anything beyond our universe. Sometimes I look around and wonder:

how?

I realize that eventually we all need to come back to reality. We all need to get on with our lives because we are, after all, trapped in a system we did not ask to be in, we must obey the laws of the country we reside in if we want our lives to continue on the course of our aspirations and goals.

But I believe most of all that everyone has power as an individual, that everyone has choices and ideals, and that I am not the only one with kindness in his eyes, and a fire in his heart.

3 comments:

  1. It's funny because I keep one of Huxley's quotes in my note pad.

    "As political and economic freedom deminishes, sexual freedom tends compensatingly to increase. And the dictator (unless he needs canon fodder and families with which to colonize empty or conquered territories) will do well to encourage that freedom. In conjunction with the freedom to daydream under the influence of dope and movies and the radio, it will help to reconcile his subjects to the servitude which is their fate."

    Which to a degree makes too much sense, if a perfect Marxist society that believes religion is just an Opiate you'd have to realize something else would have to step up to further fill the void of reality. And that imo would be a loosening of personal morals onto the society through entertainment purposes (Unless you could give me a more reasonable outlet).
    It's interesting you say fame should be based on skill and morals, would you personally consider yourself following a type of meritocratic view? I myself used to think of Socialism, and even the social aspect of a Meritocracy, but eventually saw way too many flaws and didn't come to terms with myself in believing that my morals should be forced onto others, even if I believe it to be good. In essence I believe it to come down to what level of respect you have for people with different views and an idea of personal boundaries. If you wouldn't mind telling everyone in the country what to do, then sure left/extreme left views are for you, but that's not the boat I'm on.

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  2. On Meritocracy: I simply disagree with the way the media idolizes pop icons like the Kardashians or Justin Beiber, who (arguably) have a lot less talent and worth than people like Zach De La Rocha, Maynard James Keenan, Bill Gates, people who have far more respect and understanding of our world, whether through the understanding of (respectively) individual rights, their own skill and opinions of fame, and the effect their wealth has on the world. It bothers me how people like Nicki Minaj or Lil Wayne are held up as role models, when there are far better people to look up to, people who deserve the recognition far more.

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  3. Yeah, it's unfortunately a problem that's never really easily solved. I also feel a little angst towards it myself at times also.

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