I have decided to stop fighting the fact that I am a misanthrope.
Even from a young age, I always tended to prefer the "antagonist" or "flawed heroes" in stories. I found the goody-goody types annoying, and if they weren't just out-and-out evil for no reason, I quickly identified with these "darker" characters because they were the only honest ones-- the only ones to point out the hypocrisy of the so-called pretty-boy heroes or Pollyanna princesses in distress. When I was 11 or 12, one of my favorite characters was Daria, from the MTV show by the same name. I appreciated and identified with her cynicism, because it was honest. And Dr. House from House, is pretty much my definition of awesome.
I think initially, I was at one point genuinely personable and naive and willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. But then I started interacting with them. I think the tragic events of the last day in Colorado, just proves my point. I might be called maladjusted or mean or imbalanced because of this, but is a world in which I cannot even go to the theaters without fearing that my "fellow man" might shoot me, a world that I really want to "adjust" or conform to? Is that one that I really want to accept? These bouts of violence are obviously extreme, and not everyone is crazy. But even in the everyday: people gossip, people judge, people try to use whatever influence they have over you-- be it a relationship, monetary, numbers-- to get you to do and think as they do. And if that doesn't work, often they resort to out-and-out force. Whether it is two guys beating the crap out of each other, or the passive-agressive "office politics," it just doesn't seem that species homo sapien sapiens is a very agreeable species. Today at work, we listened to a whole talk where the guy giving it explains how it is a very common practice in Russia for business people-- or really anyone who has a little money-- to bribe the government to drum up a sham criminal prosecution against someone with whom they have a dispute. Nice.
Also telling is the number of highly-educated, influential and profound thinkers over the years who were self-avowed misanthropes, or at least displayed misanthropic tendencies. Jonathan Swift. Sartre. Kurt Vonnegut. Mark Twain. Heiddeger. Oscar Wilde. Jane Austen. Hell, even Albert Einstein famously said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity. And I am not sure about the universe." Considering the intellectual prowess of that list, I think that is at least strong circumstantial evidence that I am not wrong in coming to this conclusion about people generally.
A poignant example of what I am talking about, both in its substance and in the context I found it in-- namely, abandoned on the street being stepped on in the rain-- is this sign I saw when I was walking home. It is rather telling.
But rather then rant and vent, I am posting videos for you all that are much more entertaining than listening to me whine. They express my frustration in a way I never could, because it is no longer socially-acceptable to tell people off, no matter how much they might deserve it. Courtesy of Youtube. I unfortunately cannot claim credit for their creation; whoever did compile this, is awesome. Enjoy!
Incidentally, I deleted my Facebook account. Technically it is only de-activated, but so long as I don't sign on to it for 14 days, it will be permanently deleted. As you may have gathered, I am not shy about sharing my opinion, regardless of what people think, and did so frequently on my Facebook. I got tired, however, of constantly defending myself from peoples' mindless drivel, in replies to things I posted, on my own wall. So, I shut it down. This probably won't help my readership on this blog, considering that much of the traffic comes from the link that was on my Facebook page. Oh well.
And finally, since I like quotes so much, I think I will end with a few from famous people, relevant to tonight's topic:
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” ― Marilyn Monroe
“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.” ― Ernest Hemingway
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
“Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.” ― Bernard M. Baruch
“I wrote the story myself. It's about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it.” ― Mae West
And finally, another gem from the incomparable Marilyn Monroe:
“When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them.” ― Marilyn Monroe
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