The Lies of the Big Screen

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
― Aristotle

I always remind myself of this quote whenever I struggle with accepting an idea into my head. Should I believe this shit? It is quite hard especially when our environment molded us to believe certain things about ourselves and others. Repeated lies can become the truth. But we have the choice to believe or question things. We have the choice to accept an idea as true to ourselves.

There is this famous actress who is known as 'this actress' instead of 'actress'. There is nothing she can do if people like to label her that way. She finally resigned to this quote - ignore the ignorant.

But aren't we all ignorant? The truth is we are all ignorant of each other. We can never really fully understand each other. We cannot extract each other's thoughts. We only have these little ideas about other people that have been fed to us since the beginning. Why do we have to care about knowing others if there's the big screen that would dictate how we should see them?

Who controls the big screen controls who would be the hero and the villain in this world. It is funny that if you try to watch the movies of other countries, you would see the white people as the villains. The ones who burn the villages, rape the girls and steal the treasures. If you watch the Hollywood movies, you would see the typical portrayal of other people. Latinos' smuggling drugs, black people committing crimes and Asian people managing the stores. I will just aggressively roll my eyes with the predictability of all these movies. Just because I let myself be entertained does not mean I should accept these ideas being injected into my head. Otherwise, I would no longer trust people, everyone's a villain after all.

We can choose not to patronize the media but that would be very hard especially if these ideas are being shoved down our throats. It seems that the big screen controls who are the top dogs and inferior beings in this world. This is how the environment shapes us. It is the whole conditioning of the society. Don't wonder anymore why there are some people who have this natural optimistic tendency, those who are predestined to success. Don't wonder why there are some people who have every reason to be angry and insecure, those who suffered injustice. Just as the big screen taught us how to feel good, it also taught others how to feel bad. But let's just thank other people for feeling bad so we can feel better about ourselves.

What do we really know about being other people? And what do other people know about being us? We have no idea that is why it is hard for us to see through people. Unknowingly, we base our perceptions on what the big screen tells us. Let's face it - boxing people into these ideas is our comfort zone. And we all know that it is hard to get out of the comfort zone. Treating everyone as individuals is the hardest part. Generalization is easier because it takes a lot of energy to differentiate each other. Anyway, the big screen already tells us everything we need to know about other people, why bother?

The big screen taught us about our lives and the lives of other people. It tells us what is normal or what is standard in this life. It taught us what is happiness, success, and beauty. Have a deep check who are the heroes in the international movies? Now, whenever there's someone different walking down the street there's this red warning or trigger alert in our brains. This person is a villain based on the movies. We travel to other countries and demand what is normal based on the big screen. Because we are the heroes. But have we really come down to this level of ignorance?

In the real world, the movie is not all about us. Why does everything have to be about us? Why does it offend us when someone does not think highly of us? The big screen taught us this self-entitlement because we are not used to being the villains. So when someone exposes the uncomfortable truth, we get defensive. We defend this idea about ourselves. Acknowledge that there are other movies and we are not the heroes in there. To claim that we don't need to watch other movies is just part of that 'feeling special' attitude. To demand that we should be the heroes in other movies is just part of that rock-star complex. To claim that we no longer need to travel and learn other languages are also part of that sense of entitlement. Whether we like it or not, people see us differently. We might not like how they see us but that is just beyond our control. The truth is, there are so many things we really don't know that are hidden from us. There are so many things we need to learn. But it is easier to succumb to the comfort of ignorance these days. It is easier not to talk about uncomfortable topics. It is easier not to learn new things.

I remember when I broke down and cried, I got so tired of traveling at some point. Adventures can be painful. I was talking to my friend through messenger as I tried to look for someone who could comfort me and understand my pain. He said: either you go home or accept that everyone is bad. But that is not what I have been taught - there are good people in this world. He asked me, would it make you feel better if you just lower your expectations and not be surprised anymore if people are bad? You cannot change things. Now just treat it as a bonus if you meet someone 'different'.

Their ignorance is not our fault. Our ignorance is not their fault. I always think this way whenever people don't go with how I desire them to be. How I desire them to be is just an illusion. The big screen is just an illusion. Rather than the 'feel good' lies, give me the painful truth. Acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.

Unlearn, learn, repeat.

Can we still sit back, relax and enjoy the movie? Yes, we can, but it is up to us to bulletproof our ideas. It is up to us to not get the lies into our heads. But it might take a lot of painful adventures before we get there.

The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.
― Voltaire