Principia Discordia

Principia Discordia => Think for Yourself, Schmuck! => Horrorology => Topic started by: Doktor Howl on October 07, 2011, 05:11:37 PM

Title: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: Doktor Howl on October 07, 2011, 05:11:37 PM
Thing about human society is, it's all about messages.  Most of these messages aren't directly spoken, they are projected via non-verbal cues.  This occurs at the personal level, mostly intentional, sometimes not...And at the cultural level, which is almost always intentional.

For example, Jim gives off the impression that he's a rampaging pervert that would fuck a jar of peanut butter if it would wiggle a bit, while in truth he's utterly devoted to his wife.  Mike is a smart guy, who spends a lot of time trying to look tough, which is fairly common, but it is puzzling.  Why be tough when you can be smart?  But the reasons for this sort of behavior is another story, entirely.

Cultural examples might include the police.  When cops used to carry a pistol and a nightstick, the message was "If things get out of hand, someone is going to get badly hurt or worse.  Let's not let things get out of hand".  When they started carrying mace and tasers, the message changed to "If you piss me off, I'll make you hurt, because it's no skin off my ass."  When they started wearing military uniforms, as was seen in California this week, the message changed again to "If you step out of line, we will kill you."

The TSA has a message for you, too.  "You WILL put up with being treated like a convict, or you'll be hauled off, and your family will never see you again.  Shut up and get in fucking line.  Now."

And the TV?  I don't think I really need to go into the massive amount of societal conditioning that occurs every minute of every day on every channel.  If you haven't figured that out, you're beyond hope, and should probably stop reading this now and join the Moonies.

It's gotten to the point, in fact, where everything you see and hear around you is a message.  Every moment of every day, you are bombarded by messages, far beyond your ability to process those messages.  This causes stress that the primate brain is not equipped to handle, so most primates bang filters in place, usually by drinking or using other drugs, or by finding some form of belief system that tells them that all the messages they see are irrelevant at best, evil at worst.  

Pagans pretend that everything works by magic, and that the complexity of everyday life can be dealt with by performing silly rituals, etc.  Christians – some, anyway – do the exact same thing.  Other Christians believe that they should be the ones controlling the messages, and anyone who disagrees with their message should be stoned to death.  This, by the way, allows them to totally ignore any messages that they haven't already accepted.

People have been conditioned by these messages all their lives, so they frequently do things that are blatantly not in their best interest.  People are ALSO conditioned to accept the fact that every day, they will be subjected to an increased number of messages.

Is it any wonder that the primates are now so horribly confused that they've given up entirely?  Most societal problems are now viewed as unfixable, not because they are, but because nobody knows where to start.  

For an analogy, in maintenance, frequently things get so out of hand that the sheer volume of the tasks makes the situation look hopeless.  The trick, of course, is to pick an end and just start.  You soon find that the tasks are not unmanageable...The great thing is to not lose your nerve.

The same applies in daily life.  You can't shut out the messages, unless you're willing to be a drugged out zombie or a fanatic of some kind, but what you can do is prioritize those messages.  In the Church of the Subgenius, it is said, "Don't just eat that cheeseburger, eat the hell out of it.  Concentrate on the things you have to do, and the things you want to do, and let the rest of the messages roll past you.  

This is similar to the person who becomes a fanatic, of course, but there is one crucial difference:  You are choosing the messages to concentrate, not allowing one set of messages to choose you.

You live in a society that can be compared to skiing downhill on ice.  As long as you don't lose your nerve, you're fine.  Crouch low, go faster, but go down the part of the slope that YOU choose.  You're still going to go splat, but you'll have more fun until then.

Okay for now,
Dok
Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: Triple Zero on October 07, 2011, 05:17:19 PM
Ha! I especially liked the last paragraph, "You're still going to go splat, but you'll have more fun until then.".


Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: Doktor Howl on October 07, 2011, 05:20:44 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on October 07, 2011, 05:17:19 PM
Ha! I especially liked the last paragraph, "You're still going to go splat, but you'll have more fun until then.".




Everybody, sooner or later, goes splat.  The trick is to enjoy the period of time between now and then.
Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: LMNO on October 07, 2011, 05:29:00 PM
This is extremely good advice.  I enjoy how you move through the rant, and then offer hints.
Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: Doktor Howl on October 07, 2011, 05:33:55 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on October 07, 2011, 05:29:00 PM
This is extremely good advice.  I enjoy how you move through the rant, and then offer hints.

Thanks.  I've been bouncing this one around since the last one, and trying to figure out how to write it properly.  Then I just said fuck it and wrote it, laughing at my inability to follow my own advice in a reasonable amount of time.

OOK!
Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: Luna on October 07, 2011, 06:29:15 PM
Great stuff, Dok.
Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on March 12, 2013, 02:10:52 PM
Bump for use elsewhere.
Title: Re: Rebooted Time, part 2: Don't Blink
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on March 12, 2013, 02:56:54 PM
This is still one of my favorite reminders of what's really going on.