Where have all the individuals gone?
The phrase, "you have nothing to lose but your chains" is one that I enjoy. It is attributed to Karl Marx. I've come to enjoy it due to communist memes. Out of context, the phrase, however, is absurd.
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They're never your chains. They're the shackles of society. They're the shackles of expectation. They're the social construct and order that assist individuals into a banal state - another brick in the wall, as Pink Floyd would say.
As I get older, and become more critical of the world around me; there's an increasing level of absurdity that I witness every single day. This ranges from stupidly verbose arguments around really obscure, obtuse, or generally insignificant things like the gender represented by a light that indicates it is safe to cross the road.
What I seem to be missing in my casual observations of the world is the avant garde. Those who challenge the societal norm. Those that now do tend to do so with legitimately terrible, outmoded, or outdated ideas, instead of bringing something truly revolutionary to the fore.
No longer does there seem to be abstract, novel, and genuinely good new ideas. There only seems to be dull; boring, or banal things that only just flirt with the boundaries of society, instead of stomping all over those lines until they're incomprehensible piles of muddy footprints.
It isn't just the media, it isn't just fashion, it isn't just art. It is people. There's less and less of that excellently unique individual on the street who has an obvious sense of self. Instead it seems to be about belonging - whether it be to one group or the other; or to multiple groups at once.
People get categorised into groups, by demographic, style, or some other abstract mean - the joys of big data and market research at play. Individuality (and customisation, to some extent) is destroyed by mass production and consumerism.
If I walk down the street, I see people, but I don't see the individuals. This is a little bit like not seeing the forest from the trees - but I can't see the people from the crowd at the moment, and I don't think that's due to change any time soon.
Or, am I just looking in the wrong places?
I had this thought while I watched cars go past on the bus one morning. Every car was the same. Some form of sedan or coupé or 4WD, all in the same dull tones, with the same aerodynamic shapes. And it got me wondering: why isn't anyone driving older, boxier cars? Little 70s Beetles or Minis? Everything in the car industry has been designed for perfection over variation, and the end result is that every car looks the same as the other, because this shape is perfect for maximising efficiency and minimising air resistance. It's all so boring.
Every person walking past is wearing the same suits, the same blouses, the same blouses, the same blue jeans. It's worse for men, because women are used to being able to wear brighter colours than guys.
I like to step back and think ‘why am I doing what I do’ and ‘why are they doing what they are doing.’ I guess one of the reasons we now homeschool! We might not do it long term (we don’t know yet) but just stopping to consider why we would send our kids to school, is healthy! Is it just because ‘that’s what you do’ or is it because that is what will actually be the best thing for them, their whole beings, their education etc. Just one example. We discuss this a lot...the root of why people do what they do. And also how we don’t want to just fit in to a neat box because we never thought not to...
There was something that Sharn read to me earlier today, which was along the lines of opinion being merely thought vocalised.
The real magic happens when people challenge what is "normal".
"There are not facts, only intepretations." - Nietzsche
Yesss love it!
When you get a chance, I found these videos illuminating.
It's not societal expectation, it's the rules. You can't scratch your arse without violating 8 laws, 12 statutes and an ordinance. Between UN resolutions, the Federal Govt, State Govt and Local council, even sitting in your own backyard you're under 4 thick layers of legislation.
Why does nobody do anything novel? Why do we not invest in anything incredible?
We don't have permission.
Permission is the very thing that freezes so many from reaching out from beyond the confines of their own box.
That's exactly how I feel. But If I was to sound off my opinion it'd end up sounding like an angry rap song. Great writing here!
And, walking down the street is definitely looking in the wrong places :D Everybody on the street got their function, programmed on their way to wherever, to do whatever - so it'll always look like a herd marching to nowhere. I don't know man. It's never black and white, there's still hope somewhere out there :D But like I said, I feel exactly how you described here.
LONG LIVE THE IMMORTAL IDEA AND INDIVIDUALISM!
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