To be genuine is almost considered a threat to ourselves in our matrix society, in order to relate to it, we have to abide by whatever is defined by others, not to do so would make us not feel a part of it, not liked, and not accepted. Ironically, to act this way will forever prevent a true sense of belonging.
So, as individuals, we act (consciously or otherwise) in a schizophrenic-like way towards our surroundings. The small and large battles between the true self and the persona happen at a frantic pace, and more often than not, neither side truly walks away victorious.
It is not surprising that we are confused and incongruent at times. We empower freedom and free will, yet we also tend to believe in fate and divine intervention, and the designs of a superior entity. We value that “all men are created equal”, and yet have designed and are surrounded by social ladders to make them distinct, and are even motivated to stand out in a materialistic way from others. We grasp religion, but don’t like to take it too literally, rubbing away whatever is inconvenient, for we only want to believe the bits and pieces that serve us at the time, while upholding it as sacred, holy, transcendental.
By reacting to what is adequate, proper or gives us a larger chance of success, we become a shadow of ourselves, an illusion, an identity we would like to assume, and not by our own free will. As the gap widens, so does our inner conflict, but because we very rarely access it consciously, we feel that we have no choice but to BE the persona that we are not. And we try to become it, brushing our true selves aside as much as we can, and never even acknowledging that they are different.
We are no longer the dreamer, but the dream.
To take the time and look inside ourselves, even the attempt to understand more of anything that is “inner” and not “outer”, has become something for disdained minorities or just used for relaxation and entertainment. We erroneously confuse taking the time to access our inner selves as being idle, while we are happy to sit in front of a television with our minds empty, and our bodies kept active by equally empty sensorial stimuli. This may feed our persona, but it will never fulfil us.
In the desperate search to find meaning outside ourselves, and very consistently failing, we grasp things that are materialistic, certain. Life goals of today are often defined by buying a house or a sports car, and most people, when asked to describe themselves, start by stating what they do professionally.
These are all extensions of our personality, as to the eyes of others, they enhance and sometimes even replace it entirely. Our surroundings tell us everyday, that we can be cooler, more attractive, smarter, more successful, if we can display a sleek new cell phone, a shiny fashion accessory, or a brand new BWM which would serve the exact same practical purpose as our previous car, except it consumes more gas. The more exclusive, the better.
Self-esteem is then obtained by external validation and approval, no wonder we feel the need to pour the majority of our energy there.
Existence is also competitive by nature here and today, but for less natural reasons. There are no rich people without someone poorer, there is no fame without someone to adore and follow oneself.
Work and money are our shelters and safety nets. If we dedicate our time and energy to them, the compensation is relatively certain and static, and god forbid that our happiness and well being should depend on things that are not as controllable or predictable.
But could we adapt to this behaviour and just call it lifestyle? Could we contradict nature, biology, and our true selves and dive into our matrix, letting it envelop us and trust it to provide us with what we truly need as beings?
So, as individuals, we act (consciously or otherwise) in a schizophrenic-like way towards our surroundings. The small and large battles between the true self and the persona happen at a frantic pace, and more often than not, neither side truly walks away victorious.
It is not surprising that we are confused and incongruent at times. We empower freedom and free will, yet we also tend to believe in fate and divine intervention, and the designs of a superior entity. We value that “all men are created equal”, and yet have designed and are surrounded by social ladders to make them distinct, and are even motivated to stand out in a materialistic way from others. We grasp religion, but don’t like to take it too literally, rubbing away whatever is inconvenient, for we only want to believe the bits and pieces that serve us at the time, while upholding it as sacred, holy, transcendental.
By reacting to what is adequate, proper or gives us a larger chance of success, we become a shadow of ourselves, an illusion, an identity we would like to assume, and not by our own free will. As the gap widens, so does our inner conflict, but because we very rarely access it consciously, we feel that we have no choice but to BE the persona that we are not. And we try to become it, brushing our true selves aside as much as we can, and never even acknowledging that they are different.
We are no longer the dreamer, but the dream.
To take the time and look inside ourselves, even the attempt to understand more of anything that is “inner” and not “outer”, has become something for disdained minorities or just used for relaxation and entertainment. We erroneously confuse taking the time to access our inner selves as being idle, while we are happy to sit in front of a television with our minds empty, and our bodies kept active by equally empty sensorial stimuli. This may feed our persona, but it will never fulfil us.
In the desperate search to find meaning outside ourselves, and very consistently failing, we grasp things that are materialistic, certain. Life goals of today are often defined by buying a house or a sports car, and most people, when asked to describe themselves, start by stating what they do professionally.
These are all extensions of our personality, as to the eyes of others, they enhance and sometimes even replace it entirely. Our surroundings tell us everyday, that we can be cooler, more attractive, smarter, more successful, if we can display a sleek new cell phone, a shiny fashion accessory, or a brand new BWM which would serve the exact same practical purpose as our previous car, except it consumes more gas. The more exclusive, the better.
Self-esteem is then obtained by external validation and approval, no wonder we feel the need to pour the majority of our energy there.
Existence is also competitive by nature here and today, but for less natural reasons. There are no rich people without someone poorer, there is no fame without someone to adore and follow oneself.
Work and money are our shelters and safety nets. If we dedicate our time and energy to them, the compensation is relatively certain and static, and god forbid that our happiness and well being should depend on things that are not as controllable or predictable.
But could we adapt to this behaviour and just call it lifestyle? Could we contradict nature, biology, and our true selves and dive into our matrix, letting it envelop us and trust it to provide us with what we truly need as beings?
The big myth is this: contrary to the unconcious common belief, being in touch with your yourself and centered, being brutally honest and sincere thus ignoring the need for external approval or acceptance, often leads to instant trust and empathy from others.
After all we are, inside, not that different from one another.
1 comment:
Interesting ideas and point of view. Are you writing one where you talk about your take about how to deal with all those notions in daily life?
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