Perception Vs Reality

Reality Softeners

It was a lot easier in the past to label cool looking people socialising with their buddies while wearing sunglasses indoors, as being pretentious. That was until I reaped the unintended benefits of forgetting to charge my bluetooth earphones before leaving the house, and then finding that they acted as exquisite reality softeners; a device for when the intensity of real life needs the bite taken out of it.

Glasses that not only allow us to see, but allow us to see less. Earphones used in order to allow us to hear less. Many people these days use their mobile phones in order to not have to talk to others, and will pretend there is someone on the other end of the line to reduce the anxiety caused by having to wait alone in public for a friend to arrive. I've had many great conversations with myself over the years as the actual friend I'd be waiting for took forever to get there, and my phantom phone friend would find themselves obliged to probe deeper and deeper into the minutiae of gibberish I'd be spouting at them.

It got me thinking about the class of technologies which return once again to their former evolution when they are without power. Like escalators robbed of electricity, that suddenly find their hypnotic majesty has been taken away from them without warning, and have been forced to return to their former lives as excessively ornate stairs. This must be a crushing fall from grace for something which knows it is capable of so much more.

What the Garden of Eden story means to me now

I used to take it as a lesson in why you shouldn't disobey God because he will fuck your shit up for eternity if you do, but now I see it being about temptation (vice), and how resisting real temptation i.e. something you know is morally not good for you but gives you pleasure (made even more intense if you know you can get away with it), resisting the urge and impulse to gorge ourselves on that kind of seduction will keep us in a place of godliness i.e acting in perfect harmony with oneself. But with humans being humans, I'm tempted to claim that Adam felt life in the Garden of Eden was boring as fuck and fancied something different for his mind to get stuck into instead of lying around all day, being satisfied in every way. Adam was the first human to live a fully automated, luxurious lifestyle, who wanted for nothing and had an Alexa called God. Adam was an unwitting Neo who accidentally created the Real through his curiosity.

But anyway, I think that most people can begin the ascension to godliness through the resistance of their vices because the act of being able to say no to something your body is screaming yes for is a demonstration of supreme self-control, self-determination, it's morally nutritious etc, and these building blocks lead to heightened confidence, greater awareness of how one can realise one's potential...

Maybe that sounds like a no-brainer of a decision to make but I think most people are like anti-Icaruses, in that they become scared when they find themselves flying so high. They get vertigo. They're reluctant to soar above others for fear of making themselves targets, or they are afraid of being overwhelmed by the feelings of joy and exhilaration that resonate them from experiencing such a magnificent view. 

Cigarettes Should Be Made Illegal

I live in the UK, and over here drugs like heroin and meth are illegal. They not only lead to behaviours that can put others at risk (consider the bus driver taking a big hit of heroin before his morning shift), they also ravage the body resources, depleting nutrients, and over time often leaving it unrecognisable. In addition to this their highly addictive nature helps proliferate their continued use.

In these superficial times, more and more people feel the pressures to not only look good, but to project an image of health and well-being, a sense that there are doing well in life. I'd even go as far as to say that even the form this projection takes has been codified to some extent, which has led to many people projecting themselves is very similar ways.

Constantly having to exist in this environment is depressing for some and they may turn to drugs to temporarily alleviate them of this reality. Drugs that can do the holy trilogy 1. Place us in an alternative pleasant reality 2. Ravage our looks and body 3. Are highly addictive and leave users in a terrible place when they finally return. It's like going to the Bahamas for 2 weeks and coming back to find that your teeth are mysteriously missing, but while you're in the Bahamas, you don't realise it and don't even need teeth in order to have a good time there. Which is why many people taking these holy trilogy drugs will simply stay on vacation for as long as possible.

Addiction isn't inherently bad in itself. I could be addicted to helping people less fortunate than me, or to the feeling of succeeding in business.  But to be addicted to cigarettes (not nicotine), is a lose-lose-lose.

I make the distinction between nicotine and cigarettes because I feel that with the advent of vaping systems, issues such as stained teeth, increased risk of gum disease and aged leathery skin have largely been minimised, factors which play a crucial role in how one feels about one's appearance. Vapers get precisely what they want, without the bulk of the carcinogenic substances and damaging ingredients that steadily turn us into a population of Yodas.

The increasing worries of personal appearance in today's avatar age greatly impact upon our mental health. Looking good can feed into feeling good which then can feed into how we project ourselves, and so on. Cigarettes are anathema to this positive cycle. Some people may say state or even fight for the freedom to smoke cigarettes because we should all have the ability to choose our own destiny. If cigarettes were running for president I just don't see how anyone could bring themselves to vote for the fate it would promise the electorate.

"I solemnly promise to ruin your health. Increase your chances of cancer. Make you self-conscious about your teeth. Leave you smelling bad. Thin your hair. Decrease the circulation into your legs. Make you look gaunt and old. And  I swear that from this day forth, you will want to stick with me through it all"

For me, endorsing cigarettes is like giving the thumbs up to erosion of the body and health, and not even being given a happy place to go to while you're doing it.