My mind is riddled with thought. Lately I've been able to feel them as they pass through me - an anarchaic jumble of frustrations, lamentations, worries and anticipations. They say when the mind is still and free of thought the process of inner peace begins. Only then can I transcend the worldly conflicts that plague me. I calmly carry myself out and about, but I am in fact at conflict with myself.
I have responsibilities which cannot be ignored. Even a relaxing summer break stands in the way of self-discovery. My mind is surely not relaxed this summer, so I've compensated myself with physical relaxation. This will have to change, as I am in fact cheating myself - the compensation isn't enough. To get around the bills, the worries, the ladies, the stress, the jobs, I'll simply substitute deliberation for action. After much effort otherwise, I've realised that that's probably the best way to get my mind off of such things.
On a separate subject, or maybe partly on the same subject, I was thinking about money the other day. I wonder sometimes why money is so desired. I mean it seems obvious enough, money gets us stuff, and we want/need stuff - fair enough. But I think there's an untruthful perception of mankind out there regarding our money-loving ways.
We witness the corruption, greed and negative influence of money every day. Our politicians, our families, our schools, our worship houses, ourselves; we've all been exposed. It's no secret that money is the big evil force that drives our nations, while driving them apart, and yet we are quite apathetic to the misery money causes. We are well involved in the struggle between the rich and the poor, as well as the self-perpetuating need for mass consumerism, the degradation of our moral fibre, and the exploitation of those not-in-power. To all of this we seem to turn a blind eye. Capitalism reigns supreme and the persuit of money continues on. Why?
Are we all simply monsters of different proportions? Consumers and producers alike, each of us who do not dedicate ourselves to the abolition of this worldwide monetary system are all guilty of committing a crime against mankind! Our relative involvement in this system more or less describes the largeness of the crime we've committed. But no matter how powerful the words, and no matter how compelling the argument, those who decide to change their slavish ways and try to heal the world are few and far between. So we must be evil, the most of us. Our apprehension towards changing for the greater good must come from our natural evil instincts, right? Most who have given any thought on the matter would probably agree, at least to an extent, but I don't think so. I think by assuming mankind is evil, we're mistaking the cause for the symptom. We feel we are evil, because our apathy shows indications of evil, but what really causes our apathy?
Here's my take on it. It's late and I have dishes to wash, so I'll outline the jist of it. I think everybody has asked the following question; philosophy minors ask it quite often, philosophy majors likely ask it too often. What is the meaning of life? I think everyone has tried to answer it, philosophy minors have tried to answer it often, philosophy majors likely try to answer it too often. The fact is, we don't know, not for sure. We get an idea of what the answer should be through different means - faith, careers, family, achievements and the sort. One way or another, we give up on asking the question and we go out and simply live our lives. (Who says existentialism is a dead philosophy?)
When we decide to go out and live our lives, the most of us feel as though there are an infinite amount of things we can do with it. We hate limitations. We don't wish to be disabled (physically or mentally) we don't like careers that will go nowhere, we push for progress, we fight the clock, hate traffic and strive for security all because we hate limitations. As much as our days are numbered and our bodies are finite we love to feel as though our potential is endless. We yearn for endlessness, for infinity, and that's what money is, infinity.
Money doesn't just give us stuff, it gives us everything, from rocket ships to warm bread, and we want it all. Barter and trade slow down progress, and money creates the opportunity to act on limitless potential. Imagine constructing and flying a rocket to the moon under a barter system. Paying engineers in eggs and houses and sheep and women, instead of with the money, stock options and securities that they'll likely use to purchase them. (Yea, I slipped women in there on purpose, that's my joke against engineers for the day!) Whatever your worldly desires are, it can be achieved with money. Such things as lovvvvve, and friendship, and respect aren't really worldly. I mean, they exist in this world, but who can really say what love is, and where it exists? And I suppose respect can be purchased. All of those who enjoy the apprentice, don't argue otherwise.
Anyway, now I'm really tired, and I'm not getting marked on this essay. So really, all I'm saying is, we're not really just petty thieves, exploiting the poor so we can buy trinkets and fast food. We don't turn a blind eye towards those who suffer at the hands of the almighty dollar simply because we are evil. The real reason is, that money has embedded itself into the fundamental makeup of what it is to be human - a creature plagued with the desire to seek out the infinite and fully utilise its potential. How can you ask any creature, virtuous or not, to deny itself what it really means to be itself? You'll need quite the large motivating factor for that, not just white people holding skinny black children on World Vision, not just that.
"Cash Rules Everything Around Me,
C.R.E.A.M get da money,
Dolla Dolla Bill Y'all...."
O.D.B. of the Wu-Tang Clan
No comments:
Post a Comment