A person sits in a curious position in the current era. We know that the end of civilization is upon us, or at least that is what we are told. Environmental collapse, social implosion, and runaway terrorism are the bedfellows of modernity. In fact, there are two militants hiding under my desk as we speak. All of this is, of course, pure and utter nonsense. Not that the world is not in dire straits: it is! We have arrived at the “biosphere emergency room.”
The simplicity of life
The other day, I bought a new vacuum cleaner. The box was inordinately large for such a small item. Trying to do my duty as a good citizen of the earth, I asked if I could leave the packaging behind. “No,” I was quickly admonished. “What if you have to bring it back: what about the warranty?” There are logical flaws in this line of thinking. Firstly, I don’t want this much cardboard to clutter up my personal recycling system. Secondly, do they not make a product that is good enough to withstand failure? Should their product, it is only a vacuum after all, not be of such quality that it can withstand collapse for a year?
The alienation of having a job
The other day, I watched a group of disheveled and obviously disgruntled construction workers performing their perfunctory tasks: their efforts were without ambition or, could one say, love. Should not our endeavors be stimulating and enjoyable? The answer from the vast herds of humanity is, “no!” This led me to reflect on the idea of work. What is a job and what does it entail? A job, essentially, is a contract between two individuals; a business may be one of these entities: in the United States, for example, a company is considered a person. (1) This, unfortunately, is a relationship that many people do not want, once they realize the truth.
Sadness as energy
If all happiness lies within, then all sadness must reside there, as well. We live in a society, however, that never wants to discuss melancholia and, in fact, tries to bury it like a dirty little secret. The superlative is always lauded – the fastest, the biggest, the most beautiful – but seldom do we hear – the slowest, the smallest or the ugliest. It would follow that one cannot exist without the other, as we have spoken of before. You need comparisons to give everything context, life and death being the most telling. Why are feelings of isolation and despondency quickly vanquished and sent to the “happy farm” of stimulation — drugs, alcohol and “rock and roll” — so these feeling cannot be truly experienced? In this fictitious world, everything is always sunny and filled with joy. There are no crises; there is no pain. This is just not reality, is it?
The joy of discovery
It is not hard to know the difference between the seeker and non-seeker in life, is it – those who acquiesce to a dutiful role and those who yearn for excitement and adventure? The latter are the ones who receive all the glory and fame, and the former are faceless and forgotten by history. Both groups, however, have their moments of pain, their moments of solitude. (1)