Reading Philosophy

There exists billions of zombies in today's society. Day in and day out, they do the same things. They wake up at the same time, brush their teeth in the same way, eat the same breakfast, take the same method of transport to work, do the same things at work...

Why do they do it? I believe it is because they hope for something better *some* day. It is their hopes that things will improve if they continue doing that which they have been told all their lives will make things better. It is truly sad. Such people are broken of spirit and have weak minds. They've lost their free will. Instead they do what they have been so well-trained to do, like a dog committing the right combination of tricks to get a doggy treat.

I've found that in almost anything that, at the moment, always seems arduous, tiresome, unrewarding at the time contains a hidden treasure of experience.

Going against the flow of what is routine, normal, and typical will give you a library of experience which will give you a new insight on life. It teaches you what you can accomplish, and in most cases, you'd fine that if you are willing to go against the flow, you are already superior in many ways to the zombies which live amongst us. You become confident in what you do, that, if things go wrong, you can overcome the obstacles as you have done so before.

You know when you have challenged yourself enough, because you won't want to stop. To have experienced new things, you know you could never be happy going back to the routine you were once in. And only living this life, will you be truly alive. Only living this life, will you be able to say you have no regrets when you are a grandfather.

I challenge myself everyday. I feel sorry for those who see things only in the light of "the way it is supposed to be," for no better reason can be explained well enough for them to see it that way. I feel sorry for those who live day in and day out doing the same things. I challenge their routine to do something different, and it is met with negativity that can never be overcome.

I challenge each and every one of you to do the same. Until you see the world in the glorious colors that it has been created in, you must struggle to overcome conformity and learn to see with your own eyes.

If the world should blow itself up,the last audible voice would be an expert saying it can't be done

I do completely agree with what you have said but I think you have to remember that some people have seen the other path. Then chosen not to take it.

Despite the amazing things they may see swimming up stream, some are very content being that way. It makes me think of the Matrix movie and that I'm sure one day they would of found people who would be happy to stay in it, rather than brave the new world and face change. Some people just hate/ fear change, and the 9-5 zombie situation, is comforting.

I am certainly not a zombie although I feel I am trapped a little. Whenever I feel that my 9-5 is dragging me down and killing my soul, I ring reception and ask to get put through to my extension number. They tell me that line is busy and I say that's fine, I'll hold. It's not anarchy, it's not messing with the system, it's my little rebellion everyday and it keeps me going.

It doesn't make sense that with billions of people gracing the earths surface that we all conform, where is all the individuality gone? People don't initiate steps to achieve their aspirations so life passes them by. Day after day. After day.

I don't think society could function without conformity though. There's just too many of us now to support wild, mind-blowingly awesome lifestyles and attitudes. It's easier [and cheaper] to keep a social minority of raw creative people on the payroll.

But still, if we all keep at it who knows what could happen, we're all doomed one way or another in life, so give it a go.

>lotus

the end is the beginning.

This post was edited by lotus on Dec 09, 2006.

I agree totally what you say, Hawkeye. Society today is monotonous, repetitive, mindless and conformist. I admire what you say, if you speak truthfully, about pushing yourself and your individuality. The society we live in, it's depressing - but only for those who struggle, and those who do not feel like they fit in (like me!).

I agree what you say, about people believing that things will always imrove in the future, and being 'scared' of change.

I believe alot of the supression of individuality comes from the formaiton of long-term relationships, and families/children. If we have people in our lives that we love, we feel a responsibility to look after them, and protect them. Protection and wild adventures don't exactly go hand in hand.

Not meaning to sound patronising or sexist towards women, but when your instinctual priority is the safety of your children, then challenging the repetitiveness of looking after them isn't going to be top of your list.

I believe alot of social conformity stems from school. To a young child, fitting in and being liked is extremely important at. Once you get into that mindset (as I realise now I did), it becomes hard to stand out, to say what you think, to not care what other people think of you. Because you want to have lots of mindless freinds, or so the cool kids wont laugh at you. So you conform. And you are trapped. Once you supress your personality to fit in, it's very hard to go back. Looking back now, I wish I was confident enough to be one of the 'wierd' kids in school, and to supress my personality for no-one.

...you'd fine that if you are willing to go against the flow, you are already superior in many ways to the zombies which live amongst us

I do not feel than anyone who has realised the pointless monotony of the rest of society/people, should look down on it/them. Many people just don't realise; maybe because they enjoy it anyway, maybe because they have just never really thought about why they are unfulfilled or unhappy.

My older sister has taken such an attitude to the extreme. She has an interesting, wild, and completely uninhibited life. I completely admire, and perhaps envy, her for it. But she looks down on other people who are not like her. She actively resents anyone who does not actively help prevent climate change, or has right - wing political views (she's anarchist), or indeed people of the christian faith!! She has become self righteous and arrogant of her own ways, and condescending and resentful of anyone against her. She says it is 'the only way she can cope' with the world. And I really, really don't like to see her think that way. We must not look down on the monotonous majority - I don't believe most of them they know any better.

Please, let's not argue. You love your wife; I love your wife. You see, we're on the same level here

I was never suggesting to look down to them. They are our world. Even a lowly garbage man serves his purpose in society, which someone must fill.

Though, I only meant to say that such a garbage man would probably never amount to anything more, and more importantly, a garbage man probably would never want to amount to anything more. That is the sad thing. It's one thing to live the life you lead, and it's quite another to make your dreams match the hellish day you life everyday in order to make yourself happy.

To set your goals higher is to never be content with yourself. Most people can't live like this, in fact. That's probably why they try to make themselves believe that the life they lead is the one they've always wanted, and that all they have to do is 'get that promotion' and things will be perfect. However, of course while that would make us happier, the same gray days will begin to loom over in the distance once life becomes routine again. So to set your goals higher means to see life in color, and to live to obtain it.

Your sister seems to be exactly this type. I admire her as well.

If the world should blow itself up,the last audible voice would be an expert saying it can't be done

and more importantly, a garbage man probably would never want to amount to anything more. That is the sad thing.

What's wrong with this if he's happy?

Consider yourself hugged.

Because, taking family, friends, and everything else out of the equation, if his job as a garbage man is grueling, unrewarding, routine, I can't possibly accept that a man can be truly happy doing so unless he has somehow deluded himself into thinking so so that he can live with himself in the morning.

If he likes physical work, perhaps his ideal job would be more like a carpenter where he sees the fruits of his labor, for example. Lets be honest with ourselves. Nobody grows up wanting to be a garbageman.

If the world should blow itself up,the last audible voice would be an expert saying it can't be done

This post was edited by Hawkeye on Jan 26, 2007.

I strongly suggest you watch an Australian film called Kenny. it's about a toilet cleaner essentially, who loves his job. it's a fantastic film, really enlightening and hilarious.

Look at me! I'm a prostitute robot from the future!

Nobody grows up wanting to be a garbageman.

Nope, we all want to be pilots, or locomotive drivers, or nurses, or princesses. (I wanted to be an inventor)

Let's assume that nobody can ever be 100.0000% happy with every aspect of their lives, because let's face it, not even Bill Gates can buy destiny or chance, or even something as simple as sunny weather on his daughter's birthday.

But say the garbage man is content with his life: he's got a wonderful wife and kids and they live in a nice little house or apartment. His job is not so prestigious, but he doesn't have deadlines to meet or a boss breathing down his neck, and he likes working out in the fresh air. In short, he's a really simple man with a simple life.
Would his life be any less worth living than that of a successful stock broker with a 40-room mansion and a Bentley who cannot enjoy what he owns because he still wants more?

Consider yourself hugged.

Would his life be any less worth living than that of a successful stock broker with a 40-room mansion and a Bentley who cannot enjoy what he owns because he still wants more?

You're assuming a successful stock broker with a 40-room mansion and a Bently would want more. If that is what he's always wanted to achieve, then he would look no further. At that point onwards, he'd never work a day in his life.

The difference between him and a simple garbageman with a wonderful family is that perhaps both could be happy, but one of them doesn't have the life he would have wanted (at least job-wise).

I'm assuming of course that the garbageman wouldn't want to be a garbageman. If it were the odd case that he would, then I would not encourage him to change his life in any way. Though, I sincerely doubt there are many people that if given the opportunity to take any job in the world, they'd pick a garbageman.

(And by the way, I can see the appeal to invent. I imagine it is the same feeling I get when I create a program that nobody has thought of before.)

If the world should blow itself up,the last audible voice would be an expert saying it can't be done