Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how little I really know. The only thing I believe to be absolutely true these days is that nobody understands what the fuck is going on.
I’m not talking about inflated topics like the meaning of life or what happens after death. It doesn’t concern me that I’ll never have a grasp of why I’m here. What’s really weird is that I can’t explain anything I do without using society as a measuring stick. None of my thoughts even belong to me. They’re just accumulated bits of collective information arranged in a way that makes them appear unique.
Maybe it’s a bit unclear what I’m trying to say. I think things will make sense (sort of) by the end of this short rant, so bear with me.
There’s a picture in my bedroom of my two dogs posing together. It’s a professional photograph, sort of like the ones you take with your immediate family every so often. The portraits where everyone has to wear the same outfit and look directly into the camera, while simultaneously angling their body to appear relaxed (everyone does this, right?).
My dogs look completely unaware of what they’re doing, where they are, or why they have to sit still. The thing they were probably most concerned about was getting a treat for being good. Now I have an image of a great dane and a pug with hollow, unenthusiastic expressions framed on my dresser.
This photo is perturbing to me. Two of the planet’s most absurdly goofy creatures appear frozen and lifeless. And most importantly, I can’t help but see my own life metaphorically when looking into my dogs’ developed eyes. I mean, all I’m really doing is waiting for my next biscuit.
Whether you’re a car mechanic, the president of the United States or an inmate, there’s no escaping the inherent truth that to be a part of society means letting society dictate your life. Sure, this isn’t such a bad thing. But it becomes dangerous when people assume that someone knows what they’re talking about.
This isn’t supposed to be on politics. I need to mention them briefly though since I’m already on the topic of people pretending to have answers. In the late 1940s, our fine state of Wisconsin elected one of the most infamous figures in American political history: Senator Joseph McCarthy. As I’m sure most of you know, McCarthy became notorious by accusing his peers of being communists. This led to lots of innocent people being blacklisted, and an unnecessary shitstorm of civil unrest.
The McCarthy era was mass hysteria at its finest. Hoards of people were thirsty for blood because a Senator made a few baseless claims. Today it’s pretty clear that McCarthy wasn’t speaking the truth. Regardless, people still align themselves with the ideals of high-profile politicians in an almost fanatic way, even though none of them have answers.
I see our natural gravitation toward indoctrination as a coping mechanism. It’s comforting to believe somebody understands the world. But nobody does. There are currently terrible crimes being committed all over the world, guised as the right thing to do. Individuals like Joe McCarthy will continue brainwashing people because there’s nothing stopping it.
Look, I don’t want everyone to feel bad for being gullible. That is just part of being human. The only thing to be ashamed of is the mindless perpetuation of ideas that have no base or merit. No matter how big or insignificant an issue is, there’s no reason to allow lies to grow.
I’m sure by now the thought, “Well why should anybody listen to you?” has crossed your mind. You don’t have to listen to me. I don’t actually know what I’m talking about. But I’m also not the only one.
But really, what is the meaning of life? We think Andy wants to know. Tell him at holsteen@wisc.edu.
