8/6/18 - “Shattered Illusions" I talk a lot about ideology and the ego, and I’d like to demonstrate the reason (And, I do in these “thoughts”, over and over) with a simple provocation. With most people, if you say the wrong (Or, “right”) thing, they may react with strong emotions. I never say anything with malicious intent, but because of the nature of a typical person’s ego, it is often taken that way. If I tell you, for example, that “Your car is not a toy. It should be regarded as a means of transportation, and it is an irresponsible mentality to treat it in any other way,” a lot of people may become incited to some form of hostility, needing to proudly defend this assault on the integrity of their hobby. What business is it of mine that they love their toy-cars? Well, I’d leave it alone, if it were not for the fact that treating your vehicle this way puts other people in harm’s way, and encourages young drivers to emulate the racing that they did in their video games. I know I did, and I could have killed myself or someone else. I remember that I was proud of driving too fast, it made me feel cool. I also thought it was safe, until I spun out on the freeway at 85 Mph, (On a bridge, in the rain) due to hydroplane. Those long puddles can strike suddenly. It was a clean 540° spin, and I didn’t touch a thing, but it could have been “the end”. Point being, that there is a strong association between the ego and dangerous sports. We do it because it makes us proud. Since my teenage years, I’ve found much safer outlets for my pride, and now I never do anything unnecessarily dangerous. Think of how societally endorsed it is to behave this way, with such a huge following for Nascar, and all the other “extreme” sports. Should people really even be ALLOWED to risk their own lives, and encourage others to behave like them in their “Star-performances”? “I wish I could do that, too!”… “You’re not tough enough, Billy!”… “I’ll show you! One day, I’ll fly through the air on my motorcyle like Superman!”. Don’t think that I’m trying to take something precious from you. I’m trying to save your ass. What I want to show you is that peer- pressure, and pride in trivial, physical feats, are not worth risking your life over. The reason that you do, is entirely based in the ego. You believe in the importance of showing off your incredible abilities. I won’t laugh at it, but I won’t clap for you either. I don’t want people doing back-flips on their dirt-bikes. If you die, that’s it, and you don’t know what you might have experienced or learned if you had lived on. You may not realized the potential that your life holds for a higher experience than you are currently having. Doing it for the money? That’s the fuckin’ crime, kid. People who don’t care about your well being are selling entertainment to hysterical mobs, and you get paid just enough to entice you to do it. Do you really want to be a circus act for a living? The circus makes me think of clowns, and, I’m afraid, everyone is secretly laughing at the lunatic who just risked everything to please them, as they guzzle beer and engage in petty dramas with their friends and families. So, if something I say irks you, instead of going on the offensive, and failing to reflect upon the source of your emotion, consider that your ego is sickly attached to something dangerous. Your consciousness is reacting to an attack on its food, and it wants to go back to dreamily consuming some rotten fetish. As it eats, it never considers what is in your best interest, and it lends you more pride in correlation to how dangerous the habit is. The crazier, the more sensational your “professional” interest is, the better. "Who can possibly ignore me when I’m this exciting??? No one will ever forget about ME, yes sir! I’m going down in history for my accomplishments!…" So, you might see now, that this can apply to a lot of things - The army, extreme sports, Hollywood careers, risky business at the “top of the game”, or even through typical bad behavior in the social drama scene. Your ludicrous lifestyle is your ego’s fuel, but it need not be! I make REAL accomplishments everyday using my mind, and they are completely safe and satisfying. I find myself to be much more interesting than any circus-act, and I never need to stimulate myself with any false sense of pride. Develop a real ego. It shouldn't rely on money, drama, or any sort of physical risk. |