Our society
Author's note: Okay, this is just some random mutterings (see: gripes) about our society. It's very choppy and makes no sense at all in parts, but I think that it gets whatever point I had in mind across quite well...that is, if there was a point at all to this.
All figures of authority tell us to "dare to be different", to "embrace differences in our society". They are, in fact, hypocrites. The one who shouts loudest is not always the wisest. The ones that lecture most on discrimination are merely trying to prevent you from becoming like them.
It's human nature to shirk from anything not like the normal routine. They tell us that slavery was wrong, that our ancestors were merely being brutes-but they weren't. It was their society, their way of life to treat differences in a poor way. Even today there are classes in society: the rich, the middle class, the poor, the homeless. Do you ever see millionaires helping those who have nothing? Of course not. Greed is indeed a green-eyed monster, and it nests inside every one of us.
Greed, pride, discrimination. Pride? You may ask. Yes, pride. Is there a single child who, upon receiving a new toy, would not want to show it off to all of their friends and enemies, to stir jealousy in their small hearts? No. "I'm better than you are" seems to be the mantra of America nowadays.
Every snowflake is different. In the history of the world there has never been a snowflake identical to another. Science, mother Nature and God teamed up on this one to show us mere mortals that everything is different. Do we listen; do we look past the ends of our noses? Of course not! That would imply something resembling intellect and wisdom. Even the wisest philosopher treated his fellow man poorly once in awhile.
The media hypes celebrities and government figures to be nothing short of the Messiah, when, in fact, they are just like you and me. They make mistakes and are often harshly ridiculed for them. They are examples for parents to point out to their children, "Look, see there? That's what you want to be like when you grow up."
We are only human. We are, technically, the dominant species of this planet. We are technologically advanced and, at the same time, behind. We are behind technologically and we are behind in matters of the heart. If a species of animal or other life-form became dominant over us, would they really have much work to do? We are single minded. We kill off our own kind every day. We kill ourselves every day.
We are cocky and impudent. We don't remember that we are mere mortals, that our lives could be snuffed out anytime like the flame of a candle. We are always striving to improve ourselves, to make ourselves better than the rest. Yes, there's the other green-eyed monster...pride. Pride and jealousy go hand-in-hand. Jealousy is the left eye of the monster, pride the right.
In our fast-paced high-tech world we forget the little things. We forget to take our socks off on a warm summer day and run barefoot in the grass. We forget to walk along the beach in the early morning to witness the sunrise and watch the seagulls swooping and calling. We forget to appreciate our fellow man and all that we do for one another, almost unconsciously.
I don't claim to be any better than anyone else. I have my faults, I have many, and possibly my largest is hating myself for who I am. I hide myself behind lame jokes and sarcastic comments. I assure myself that I am ready to stride out into the world, to be my own person, but I am not. Maybe, like the child proud of a new toy, I want my parents to be proud of me. But this isn't about me and it certainly isn't about them. What is this about, anyway? Did this have a point?
No. It didn't. Oh well. I'll live.
Children want to save the world; adults pollute it before they can save it. The same government heads that are role models for the next generation refuse to send aid to impoverished countries, instead pouring millions into weapons that will not only destroy the "enemy" (our fellow man!) but our very selves. It's the same thing as the child with the toy, the whole "I'm better than you are" thing.
I read a book once where a character asked another what the armies were fighting over in some faraway place, to which the second character replied, "Oh, the same things little boys in sandboxes fight over: power, glory, and who gets control of the toys." That character was perfectly correct. Our five-star generals are merely brutes who will destroy a fellow man for a few hundred yards of territory. We are nothing more than animals, but instead of marking our territory with scent; we mark it with the spreading of our culture, which is pretty pathetic to begin with.
It's all human nature. Can we change? Not completely. However, if we take it little by little, there might just be some form of hope for this world of ours.
Author's note: Okay, this is just some random mutterings (see: gripes) about our society. It's very choppy and makes no sense at all in parts, but I think that it gets whatever point I had in mind across quite well...that is, if there was a point at all to this.
All figures of authority tell us to "dare to be different", to "embrace differences in our society". They are, in fact, hypocrites. The one who shouts loudest is not always the wisest. The ones that lecture most on discrimination are merely trying to prevent you from becoming like them.
It's human nature to shirk from anything not like the normal routine. They tell us that slavery was wrong, that our ancestors were merely being brutes-but they weren't. It was their society, their way of life to treat differences in a poor way. Even today there are classes in society: the rich, the middle class, the poor, the homeless. Do you ever see millionaires helping those who have nothing? Of course not. Greed is indeed a green-eyed monster, and it nests inside every one of us.
Greed, pride, discrimination. Pride? You may ask. Yes, pride. Is there a single child who, upon receiving a new toy, would not want to show it off to all of their friends and enemies, to stir jealousy in their small hearts? No. "I'm better than you are" seems to be the mantra of America nowadays.
Every snowflake is different. In the history of the world there has never been a snowflake identical to another. Science, mother Nature and God teamed up on this one to show us mere mortals that everything is different. Do we listen; do we look past the ends of our noses? Of course not! That would imply something resembling intellect and wisdom. Even the wisest philosopher treated his fellow man poorly once in awhile.
The media hypes celebrities and government figures to be nothing short of the Messiah, when, in fact, they are just like you and me. They make mistakes and are often harshly ridiculed for them. They are examples for parents to point out to their children, "Look, see there? That's what you want to be like when you grow up."
We are only human. We are, technically, the dominant species of this planet. We are technologically advanced and, at the same time, behind. We are behind technologically and we are behind in matters of the heart. If a species of animal or other life-form became dominant over us, would they really have much work to do? We are single minded. We kill off our own kind every day. We kill ourselves every day.
We are cocky and impudent. We don't remember that we are mere mortals, that our lives could be snuffed out anytime like the flame of a candle. We are always striving to improve ourselves, to make ourselves better than the rest. Yes, there's the other green-eyed monster...pride. Pride and jealousy go hand-in-hand. Jealousy is the left eye of the monster, pride the right.
In our fast-paced high-tech world we forget the little things. We forget to take our socks off on a warm summer day and run barefoot in the grass. We forget to walk along the beach in the early morning to witness the sunrise and watch the seagulls swooping and calling. We forget to appreciate our fellow man and all that we do for one another, almost unconsciously.
I don't claim to be any better than anyone else. I have my faults, I have many, and possibly my largest is hating myself for who I am. I hide myself behind lame jokes and sarcastic comments. I assure myself that I am ready to stride out into the world, to be my own person, but I am not. Maybe, like the child proud of a new toy, I want my parents to be proud of me. But this isn't about me and it certainly isn't about them. What is this about, anyway? Did this have a point?
No. It didn't. Oh well. I'll live.
Children want to save the world; adults pollute it before they can save it. The same government heads that are role models for the next generation refuse to send aid to impoverished countries, instead pouring millions into weapons that will not only destroy the "enemy" (our fellow man!) but our very selves. It's the same thing as the child with the toy, the whole "I'm better than you are" thing.
I read a book once where a character asked another what the armies were fighting over in some faraway place, to which the second character replied, "Oh, the same things little boys in sandboxes fight over: power, glory, and who gets control of the toys." That character was perfectly correct. Our five-star generals are merely brutes who will destroy a fellow man for a few hundred yards of territory. We are nothing more than animals, but instead of marking our territory with scent; we mark it with the spreading of our culture, which is pretty pathetic to begin with.
It's all human nature. Can we change? Not completely. However, if we take it little by little, there might just be some form of hope for this world of ours.