Is society's obsession with trivial matters a way to avoid facing bigger issues?

[dekoi]

I wrote the following in a couple of minutes while being in a sense, inspired by Pink Floyd's song "Cluster One". It does not really question -- but instead states some of the perils in our society. Sure, we tell each other the end will fix itself. But will it? Will our seemingly perpetual destruction of the world ever be mended back together into its original form? Everyday, we are bombarded by images of a certain “hell on Earth”. We see death; we see suffering; we see a population overcome by the media.

A teenager wakes up and stumbles to the television, opening the refrigerator to grab a meal he was told is a proper breakfast. He sits down on his trusty couch, and turns on the television. He is absorbed in the flawed and fragmented truth of the media. Yet he never bothers to break his everlasting trust with the television. The boy continues to watch a talk show hosted by a Jerry Springer resembling man for several more minutes; he learns about a transvestite and his/her apparent interest in sexually-related family affairs. He is filled with filthy curiosity. The channel is changed by the boy; the boy remains passive, as if he himself did not notice the channel changing. He sees death in some foreign country – and passively accepts it as a part of life. He sees hunger and famine in Africa – and accepts it as the fault of the families. The boy sluggishly stands up, and leaves his home. Abruptly, his idle face turns into a mellow smile. His distorted soul attempts to expose itself through his eyes – which remain secretly saddened and depressed. The boy’s deceitful smile never vanishes throughout the day. He meets others – like him – who have also put on this masquerade, yet everyone pretends not to notice a thing. Everyone remains ultimately apathetic to the fullest of their abilities; their souls struggle to reveal their true feelings. Society keeps developing; the economy grows; the media prospers. Apathy becomes the new craze. No one searches for an answer, as we are already pretending to have found it.

The universe is finally in bliss.

Would you agree then, that we do live a lie?

 

[cdhotfire]

i guess, one can say that, but one cannot go through life as they say "worrying about other peoples problems".

 

[dekoi]

i guess, one can say that, but one cannot go through life as they say "worrying about other peoples problems".

That's a foolish comment. If we do not worry about other people's problems, we do not worry about the macrocosm. Once the macrocosm is flawed, or is in danger, the microcosm suffers even more.

 

[TheDonk]

"The boy sluggishly stands up, and leaves his home. Abruptly, his idle face turns into a mellow smile. His distorted soul attempts to expose itself through his eyes – which remain secretly saddened and depressed. The boy’s deceitful smile never vanishes throughout the day." ~ dekoi

This happens all too much. It's hard not to tho, 'cause everyone else does it. It probably happens because everyone doesn't want to be with sad confused people because they want someone to fix their sad confusion. But those other people will only want to be with you if they think you will fix their sad confusion. I think this is partially subconscious. Also might have to do with schools and parents teaching kids to fake feelings to make others feel better. Like making kids say please, thank you, sorry, etc. instead of just saying it when they mean it most.

 

[abitofnothingleft]

"The boy sluggishly stands up, and leaves his home. Abruptly, his idle face turns into a mellow smile. His distorted soul attempts to expose itself through his eyes – which remain secretly saddened and depressed. The boy’s deceitful smile never vanishes throughout the day." ~ dekoi

This happens all too much. It's hard not to tho, 'cause everyone else does it. It probably happens because everyone doesn't want to be with sad confused people because they want someone to fix their sad confusion. But those other people will only want to be with you if they think you will fix their sad confusion. I think this is partially subconscious. Also might have to do with schools and parents teaching kids to fake feelings to make others feel better. Like making kids say please, thank you, sorry, etc. instead of just saying it when they mean it most.

thats really deep...i loved it...and i totally agree with you. people don't want to be with people who have their own problems because they need someone to give them attention themselves.

 

[cdhotfire]

dekoi, this comment means one can't just worry about that, it does not mean one should forget about them.

 

[dekoi]

Thank you for the replies.

cdhotfire: i suppose you are right. although i think we should still worry.

The idea behind this small paragraph was to emphasize the current state of life in especially the Western hemisphere. Everything just seems so fake. So staged -- as if we are the only ones who think we are living a real life.

Probably my favourite film of all time is The Truman Show -- which depicts a man who was raised literally inside a television reality show. The film demonstrates how the man soon realizes his own free will, and the awkward nature of others around him. He sees through their masks, and unveils their true nature.

Unfortunately, it took him more than 30 years to do it.

We too, are taking quite a while to see others in their true form.

 

[cdhotfire]

This kind of thinking led me to a theory, maybe we are really sleeping, and when we die, we actually wake up. Sometimes I feel like nothing is real and I am in some kind of dream, and maybe our lifes are just fiction of our minds. Its kind of confusing, but, maybe this life is all about what I am thinking, or you or someone else. Just a theory, though it spooks me.

 

[Brad Barron]

If you're saying that the media creates a false sense of reality, then you're correct. That's where the theory and intelligence of the Matrix series comes into play. The media uses products and such to keep people in order and milk them of their money when in the long run, things aren't as simplistic as thought.

 

[Rasine]

that is something i have noticed from my peers during my short time here. they do not realize the weight or importance of the world outside of themselves. they do not know or care to know the real problems of the world like the havoic in africa dealing with small arms...border disputes..that are due to illigitmate governments. they only see the humerious havoic of paris hilton or britany spears in the media.

this needs to be changed if we want to prosper within the human race.

i am one who attempts to make my peers think more than they would, to inspire them to expand in their own right.

i am not afriad to say that i hate pop culture and i would like to replace it with math, science, and diplomacy.

 

[abitofnothingleft]

that is something i have noticed from my peers during my short time here. they do not realize the weight or importance of the world outside of themselves. they do not know or care to know the real problems of the world like the havoic in africa dealing with small arms...border disputes..that are due to illigitmate governments. they only see the humerious havoic of paris hilton or britany spears in the media.

this needs to be changed if we want to prosper within the human race.

i am one who attempts to make my peers think more than they would, to inspire them to expand in their own right.

i am not afriad to say that i hate pop culture and i would like to replace it with math, science, and diplomacy.

thats good for you...i too see myself as someone like that, smeone who really couldn't give a rats ass about what britney spears is wearing to some award show...

the problem is that almost half the world does care about that outfit and that stupid spears. unfortunately its going to be next to impossible to make the entire world realize that there are bigger problems out there then whether her dress is too long or short.

 

[Entheos]

i have become comfortably numb

 

[Rasine]

well...yes it will be impossible to stray the entire population from such things, but there are many that we can inform. don't give up on them. God will work through you. inspire people. that is all you can do and once you did that, maybe someone will take your message to heart and in turn inspire someone else.

this is not a lost cause.

 

[scienceguy]

Dudes cut back on the matrix movies.

 

[dekoi]

Dudes cut back on the matrix movies.

There's an example of a victim for you.

 

[TheDonk]

"the problem is that almost half the world does care about that outfit and that stupid spears. unfortunately its going to be next to impossible to make the entire world realize that there are bigger problems out there then whether her dress is too long or short." ~ abitofnothingleft

I bet if you asked, almost everyone would say they don't care about that. Then if you ask them what they do care about they would say they don't know and then say something they know you will respond positively to. When it comes down to it, it's easier to care about these things because they're never downers. They never will make you sad or frustrated like more important things can.