Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The human spirit's 'war of attrition'


One would wonder how long it takes for a singular man to lose faith in humanity, and the poor sample products it produces on a more-than-frequent basis. Since the dawn of the Internet, an invention that was meant to bring us closer together, we have shifted so far from community, principled living and self-awareness that permeated the early days of this nation.

Distracted by design, we fall prey to the consistent barrage of technology, reality television and sycophantic celebrity hero worship. A majority of those in this time would much rather live vicariously, nay, follow along the paths of others instead of their own. If you’re walking into the future on a path, you must realize that you are no longer following your own.

Your path should only be visible in the rear view mirror and, in turn, nonexistent up front as you wade through the foliage of life.

We blaze our own trails, we kick our own dust and we follow our own whims away from the dark, conformist reality many exist within today.  Instead of seeking personal growth through asking the toughest of questions of one’s self and those who come into their sphere of influence, many simply bury their heads in the cold sand while they wait out logic until it no longer remains.

It’s a war of attrition when it comes to the human spirit. I love the wonderful miracles we, as humans, are capable of but, in turn, we are capable of such jaw-dropping brutality and selfishness. We brood, we envy, we cheat and we lie; all in the name of wealth and notoriety. Cashing in, running out with wants, not needs. Pampered, or soft, or both, we have forgotten our true sense as humans, spiraling deeper into a world of bullish ignorance where those who scream loudest gain most traction, and those with the newest ideas are outcast as “different.”

One can only give themselves over to this culture so many times before it imprints on the tablet of their heart, eating away at them like some vicious parasite. It envelops their common sense, and strangles away its ability to absorb nutrients, which is full of truth.

In a culture that would prefer filling its heart with food for sheep, and not a lion, we merely become like the uncultured Big Mac lover, who’d rather eat at McDonald’s than a five-star restaurant despite an open invitation to the table. Constantly shoving processed knowledge through the corrupt mainstream media, which pushes its agenda for ad revenue by altering the perception of those who have no inclination to even check the ingredients.

It’s hard to maintain a respect for our society and the bastard children it has spawned. For every Good Samaritan, there’s a swindler in the bushes ready to pick your pocket. A helping hand is not accommodating when paired with a blade suddenly extended from its twin. So, I ask how long it might take for one to lose faith in the society we live, and I still cannot find the answer.
Whether in solitude or amidst the frenzied scramble from the core of the rat race, I can’t help but hope that there will come a new renaissance of logical thinking. Ethnocentricity, on a social and political scale, is tearing us apart, brick by brick, in an incremental rhythm that constantly works in the shadows and in silence.

But I refuse to give up my fantasy of a world without distraction, where men and women seek to understand their purpose, not their net worth as measured in a stock portfolio…