The Illusion Of Authority

Thousands of years of mankind being under the threat of collectivized violence has lead us to a nonexistent concept called "authority". It has gotten to the point where we not only accept this concept of "authority" but we have learned to love it, to praise it, to respect it.

I ask this question: By what standard does one human being own another human being?

Think of how absurd this is... A group of people who decided to call them selves the government control a certain geographical area with violence and they decide the they own you.

They do not simply claim can tell you what to do or they will kill you. No they claim that you should do what they say. That you are obligated. At least the thief doesn't pretend like you have some kind of obligation to give him your money.

Authority is an illusion. There is just some people who have all the guns. We are individuals and no one owns you. Not your parents, not your government, not anyone. You are not born indebted to anyone. They just want you to believe that, because then you are easier to control, to mold.

So as you can see... freedom is really a choice. These people own you because you let them. Not physically, but psychologically. We let them own us. Every time we vote we are getting on our knees and begging for freedoms that were never theirs to take. Every time we put our hand over our heart to the flag we are telling them they own us. Guilt ridden and full of fear... we are all so sick.

Let it go my friends... let all the bullshit go.

Culture Is Slavery

Having a certain understanding of social norms and common medians of communication can be a useful tool, but they are nothing more then that. There is nothing holy in culture, and I am very confused as to why people have and do treat it as if there is and were. Why is that I should be so respectful of a certain set of social norms? Why should I try and understand and have a reverence for culture?

As soon as social norms become anything more then a useful tool is the moment culture becomes slavery.

I wear pants to have a more positive social experience, I speak English so I can communicate with others, I do not wear pants because its what people "should" do. I do not speak English because its the best language and I take pride in my culture. There is nothing wrong with being outside social norms, and there is nothing wrong with conforming with them. The morality of the actions is in the action alone. Conformity vs non-conformity has nothing do with the equation.

If we embrace culture for the sake of culture is will always end at the expense of the individual. The fact that girls at the age of 12 in Africa are sexual mutilated is not "just their culture" its not "just how things are" its not "just how they do things around there" it is an evil act. It is a collective mass deciding that it is their right to put their will on an individual human being.

I ask anyone and everyone right now. Why? By what standard? That by what people think and feel you can determine right and wrong? That just because lots of people in one geographical area think something is ok, then it becomes ok?

Culture is something we overcome! Not embrace! Question any group of people that think they own you! Because no one owns you, no matter how many people there are, no matter how many guns they have, no one owns you. Always remember that.

Truth vs Belonging

Many people (including myself at one time) are very skeptical and cynical when it comes to philosophy.  Part of this is very legitimate considering that the worlds intellectuals have let us down over and over again.  But not all philosophy can be clumped together and called nonsense or be rejected.  No, I believe there is something more to this mass rejection of philosophy then people being let down in the past.  Rather I believe most of us avoid philosophy because we don't want to look in the mirror and honestly ask ourselves  the vital questions of life. Instead we usually turn to religions, self help books, bible camps, and new age nonsense that never truly improve our lives but rather give us a sense of purpose and belonging. It is exactly this sense of "belonging" that holds us back.  This fear of being alone.  Because then we are loyal to a group, and a false sense of purpose rather then truth its self.

The only way to truly improve your life is to try to understand truth and what your relationship with it is.  This is the point of philosophy (even if many have forgotten). To do this requires a great deal of honesty.  But not so much the honesty that you learn about in Sunday school about not lying to your parents but rather a self honestly.  To honestly look in the mirror and ask yourself "do I believe what I do because its true? or because I want to". It is very possible that this is the most important question you can ever ask your self.

Self honesty is a difficult thing to do... but why? Like I said before it is the sense of belonging that holds us back.  A loyalty to the group is always at the expense to loyalty to truth. If you are patriotic then you can't question America, if you are part of a religion you can't question that religion, its always the same, they offer you a sense of false purpose and belonging in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.

And here is where we be to heart of what Individualism is. Being and individual isn't how you dress, "sticking it to man", or going to punk rock shows.  Being and individual is setting everything aside and truly looking at the world as a single human being.  No Gods, no governments, no cultures.  Just you and the universe. This is not a physical state where you are a hermit who lives in cave, but a psychological one.  And it is an on going endeavor between truth and belonging.

I believe that this is what it truly takes to improve your life. Its a fairly lonely path but you relationships with people will mean so much more because you will have let go of those that put you in the position of "either you pick me or truth and happiness, you can't have both".  It is with those people that you are truly alone.