It’s funny how people behave and look at things, and then choose to interpret them. I commented only yesterday to a person I’ve never met before about the medium of internet communication and how, because I rarely use smiley icons, it is left up to the reader to establish how I am meaning things when reading that which I post. More often than not, the result is, the outcome reflects the readers state of mind, rather than that of myself. If people choose to see aggression then that is because they are predisposed to finding it, or if the seek condescension then they are in a state of mind whereby they expect it. As anyone who actually knows me knows, these two traits are not something I am generally wishing to portray (unless of course I have used the word “dearie” to a woman), then what this requires is self examination by the reader as to why they have been seeking such things.
For example…to look for hostility and find it where it is in fact not present, would suggest to me a need for the reader to vindicate something, because then a negative reaction/contradiction is perceived as an opportunity to attempt to reinforce an existing opinion differing to the one opined in the text. To see condescension might suggest that, confidence in ones own (possibly acknowledged as tenuous) beliefs are being tested because evidence suggests that maybe those beliefs were based more on conjecture/feelings rather than actuality, and that, when looking at something written in a style that portrays a differing thought bluntly and plainly, makes those beliefs seem silly. And.. lets face it, no one likes to be thought of as silly.
So… with transference rife, I wander across to a subject mentioned a couple of days ago in a differing chat. My atheism is reasonably well documented here, there, and pretty much everywhere. Someone however, questioned quite how can I survive like that, believing that we really and truly do not have a point in being here on this earth, save for to reproduce. What is life without meaning, was the basic underlying course of the conversation, and it was very obvious that, my life views were seen as negative. We don’t have a purpose, therefore we are pointless. Again it’s about validation of our existence, and again this is something which amuses and bothers me at the same time, although I suppose that leaves me open to raised eyebrows!
However… in my world view, it’s like this. We are purely biological animals, the same as any other life form in existence, be it cat, fish, virus or elephant, who’s whole and sole purpose in life is to reach maturity and breed, in order to carry on our own DNA, and to aid in the continuation of the species. To attempt to claim there is more to it than that, to me, is fantastically stupid. So, our purpose, is just that! And that’s it!
But… we are humans. We are rational, we have intellect and analytical skills, we have developed societies and ways of life which far far surpass the actual requirements of our species to do that which it is designed to do. All of our achievements, are above and beyond our need as a species. My ability to sit here and type, form coherent (ish) sentences, and have them published like this is testament to mans continuing excellence in certain areas of life. These to me are the things that we should be celebrating! Creativity and the ability to give pleasure to another because of that creativity, and to exult in these manifestations of our own uniqueness!
It would be, and in point of fact, still is in certain areas of the world, far too easy to just follow our biological dictate and be born, hit puberty, breed, then having fulfilled our purpose, die. The average life expectancy of certain countries is crazy! Swaziland = 32, Angola = 38, Zambia = 39 and many more in Africa (it’s that place again… ) under 50 years old! This is due to a combination of things, but the underlying factor is that, as they are not as affluent and technologically advanced as western societies, they do not have the ability to increase their basic human life cycle. We, however, and I use that we assuming most of my readers will be from places other than 3rd World Countries, do live longer. So… for every part of our life which we have which is actually over and above that which we were designed to to, I say celebrate it, enjoy it, and relish it.
At the end of the day you weren’t put here to have fun! You were put here to breed by a biological chain of events far and away beyond your own control, and so, every experience you have other than that is a gift, given to you by a mixture of chance (birthplace/ family status/affluence ), and by your own ability to make the best of what is a doomed existence from the day some white coated bastard slapped your arse in a hospital! To let anyone take that away from you, to allow them to manipulate you through fear, brainwashing and mental conditioning, is betraying yourself and the creation which you have become.
Live life and enjoy it because you can! I fear that lacks some of my usual ambiguity, and is hugely difficult to in any way convey negativity, but then I am using a word processor to publish this, so I guess spelling things out and making sure there are no perceptible errors goes with the territory!
Alistair Wiseman's marvellous worldly wafflings! 