Friday, April 29, 2005
The War on the Individual
A few years ago it was Hillary Clinton proposing a war on the individual. Today it is Ted Kennedy proposing a war on the individual. Amazing to me is the lack of public outrage by individuals! What is it with these political figures, almost always from the Democratic Party, having a problem with individuality? Every human being on earth is, after all, an individual. Why would we want to give that up?
For some reason, it has become fashionable to be a part of a group or many groups and to shun the idea of soleness. I personally will never succumb to this kind of mindset. I am an individual and damn proud of it. I can form my own beliefs and decide on anything I choose through my own means without having to align myself with this or that group's way of thinking. Often I come to the same conclusions as a group may have but I will never give up my own uniqueness to any group for any reason.
I have had this attitude for all of my adult life and I can remember feeling these feelings during my formative teenage years as well. In fact, as a teenager, I often felt out of place or that perhaps I had something wrong with me because I shunned groups and preferred to be by myself or with someone who thought like me, a bit off the wall or weird. As I matured, I realized that I had it right from the get go, I must please myself first and foremost or I can be of no use to anyone. I developed self-reliance and became confident in my beliefs and my thought processes by constantly reviewing them against everything I read and heard. I became an individual in spite of what society seemed to want for me.
You see, I believe every one of us has the ability to think and decide and act for his/herself on any issue or circumstance that presents itself to us. We don't need any kind of litmus test to see if something conforms to our group's ideals, we each can develop our own ideals and we each can decide for ourselves if we so choose. Therein may lie the problem. If we so choose.
I think many people in this here United States have become incredibly lazy and in the process, incredibly stupid about many of the factors that we face in everyday life. Haven't the experts already formed an opinion about how Social Security will work and surely they know better than I do. I don't really have to think about this, I can just agree with those "in the know". After all, the experts are surely keeping everyone's best interests in mind and how could lowly ole me know any better than the experts? Pure laziness or stupidity!
There are no experts! I love this definition of an expert and I recite it to anyone who calls me an "expert" in computers. An "ex" is a has-been and a "spurt" is a drop of water under pressure. So don't call me an expert! How many times do you see experts disagree on a subject? Constantly, always. Look at any high-profile trial, like OJ or Scott Petersen. Each side will call their own special experts on a subject and they will disagree. There are many answers to a question and everyone can see it in a different light. It doesn't necessarily make one person right or wrong but only that there are differences in all of us. It is up to the individual to decide which way he/she believes. The world is not Storyville in black and white, it is Storyville in color. Many vibrant colors.
The War on the Individual crowd would have you believe that the group mentality thing is the only right way to look at the world. Join us and we will set you free. We will tell you how to believe and you will be better off for it. Bullshit! Think for yourself. Question authority. Question everything. Don't be a sheep, be a shepherd. Don't allow someone else to form your opinions for you. Form your own. Form your own basic belief system and stick with it. Do it slowly and with real thought and question yourself as well as everything and everyone you see and hear. Modify your beliefs if you find errors or discrepencies but don't allow some group or individual to do your thinking and deciding for you.
America is a wonderful place. It was built by individuals. It can remain a wonderful place through the courage and practices of individuals. Don't discourage out-of-the-box thinking, praise it. Relish the person who can think for him/herself. Be that person. Be an individual. Our country needs that.
OH
For some reason, it has become fashionable to be a part of a group or many groups and to shun the idea of soleness. I personally will never succumb to this kind of mindset. I am an individual and damn proud of it. I can form my own beliefs and decide on anything I choose through my own means without having to align myself with this or that group's way of thinking. Often I come to the same conclusions as a group may have but I will never give up my own uniqueness to any group for any reason.
I have had this attitude for all of my adult life and I can remember feeling these feelings during my formative teenage years as well. In fact, as a teenager, I often felt out of place or that perhaps I had something wrong with me because I shunned groups and preferred to be by myself or with someone who thought like me, a bit off the wall or weird. As I matured, I realized that I had it right from the get go, I must please myself first and foremost or I can be of no use to anyone. I developed self-reliance and became confident in my beliefs and my thought processes by constantly reviewing them against everything I read and heard. I became an individual in spite of what society seemed to want for me.
You see, I believe every one of us has the ability to think and decide and act for his/herself on any issue or circumstance that presents itself to us. We don't need any kind of litmus test to see if something conforms to our group's ideals, we each can develop our own ideals and we each can decide for ourselves if we so choose. Therein may lie the problem. If we so choose.
I think many people in this here United States have become incredibly lazy and in the process, incredibly stupid about many of the factors that we face in everyday life. Haven't the experts already formed an opinion about how Social Security will work and surely they know better than I do. I don't really have to think about this, I can just agree with those "in the know". After all, the experts are surely keeping everyone's best interests in mind and how could lowly ole me know any better than the experts? Pure laziness or stupidity!
There are no experts! I love this definition of an expert and I recite it to anyone who calls me an "expert" in computers. An "ex" is a has-been and a "spurt" is a drop of water under pressure. So don't call me an expert! How many times do you see experts disagree on a subject? Constantly, always. Look at any high-profile trial, like OJ or Scott Petersen. Each side will call their own special experts on a subject and they will disagree. There are many answers to a question and everyone can see it in a different light. It doesn't necessarily make one person right or wrong but only that there are differences in all of us. It is up to the individual to decide which way he/she believes. The world is not Storyville in black and white, it is Storyville in color. Many vibrant colors.
The War on the Individual crowd would have you believe that the group mentality thing is the only right way to look at the world. Join us and we will set you free. We will tell you how to believe and you will be better off for it. Bullshit! Think for yourself. Question authority. Question everything. Don't be a sheep, be a shepherd. Don't allow someone else to form your opinions for you. Form your own. Form your own basic belief system and stick with it. Do it slowly and with real thought and question yourself as well as everything and everyone you see and hear. Modify your beliefs if you find errors or discrepencies but don't allow some group or individual to do your thinking and deciding for you.
America is a wonderful place. It was built by individuals. It can remain a wonderful place through the courage and practices of individuals. Don't discourage out-of-the-box thinking, praise it. Relish the person who can think for him/herself. Be that person. Be an individual. Our country needs that.
OH
# posted by OH @ 8:14 AM 
