The beginning of spring brings to
My thoughts take me to earlier in the day, when the idea occurred to me, “we may be born free, but the moment in which we enter this world, we are immediately inducted into a society that tacitly places restrictions and regulations on that apparent freedom”. For the vast majority of those born, after schooling or perhaps even during, in some way or another, we become enslaved to a job to which we dedicate half of our waking life to. If you are lucky, you would work in something you enjoy, or as Confucius said more than a thousand years ago, “Turn your passion into your work and you won’t work a day in your life.” The unlucky ones, which is to say the majority, may share the sensation that a life full of potential meant for greater things will be wasted and thrown away at a counter counting money, in a cubicle mouse-clicking away or worse, stuck to a chair for 12-hrs a day keeping watch on the 10 houses that fill the street.
The agonizing idleness that is consequent of certain jobs becomes utterly demoralizing, even dehumanizing when one begins to ponder existentially regarding such circumstances in life. According to Karl Marx, the capitalist system turns money into a ruler against which the value of human beings is measured; money has the ability to turn a vile, hideous, brutish person into a desirable and attractive one. The power which we concede to money allows it to instantly transform a person: not profoundly or genuinely, but rather, with deceit and manipulation, achieved with advertising, social conditioning and other brain-washing mass reaching devices.
We may philosophize, ascertain or even deny altogether any reasons for being, for existence, but one thing is irrefutable: human potential is being wasted everyday at jobs that involve monotonous tasks turning us into machines, ignoring the thinking, conscious beings we really are. Work that does not require intellect, exploration, discovery, innovation, or creativity suffocates the pondering brain and emotive soul; it stifles our human potential to create and discover and desensitizes a naturally feeling being, dehumanizing human beings. As productive members of society, each individual should have the right to work that fulfills a need benefiting society at large, not just the individual nor a handful; we should have the right to work that is fulfilling spiritually, that allows for expression and creativity or the alleviation of human suffering.
The struggle against the immensely seductive powers of money and materialism is a constant one, as each day more publicity, subliminal advertising and corporate sponsored “news” is thrown our way.
3 comentarios:
leah, i agree on the individual level this cynical view. however, on the larger level, i do think that as little ants, we are progressing toward a greater society as long as we keep our values in check, are conscious of our global and environmental effects and strive to minimize our harm. it may be hard to see the bigger picture. but if we think back to the old days, how did people survive? they were involved in the most mundane task of keeping alive by hunting, foraging for food, keeping warm, etc. that task sounds essential to the individual human, but to society at large, this stage preceding civilization did not allow for the abundance of other things to grow. nowadays, we still do mundane things - the only difference is we do it for a common currency which allows us to more indirectly barter our labor for a wider variety of goods, from porn to fruit snacks ;) if you feel like you want to do something with your life that feels less mundane, that feels more quintessential to capturing the spirit of how you envision a happy life, then why not go for it? although, you've already made one step... right? by moving away to peru! :P am i wrong? write back.
hope u're not annoyed that i called your view cynical. but it is! granted, i do feel very fortunate to be where i am right now, you know what i mean.
leah, what are those things itching inside of you to get out? they are voices that need form... perhaps you can react to them in your artmaking or creative writing.
how is peru? for you.
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