Saturday, June 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Fools Are We!
The number one definition of fool in Webster's New World Dictionary reads: a person with little or no judgment, common sense or wisdom. This definition sums up the human race as a whole, or should I say a- hole.
I know I can get pessimistic and shout upon my soap box about the dismal state of world affair, but I don't take myself so seriously as to think I'm not a fool and I have been fooled and I have acted foolishly. I am a fool. We are all fools, yet when most of us are faced with this reality we become defensive, angry and scared.
Maybe what we're really angry and scared about is Webster's New World Dictionary's number three definition of fool: a victim of a joke or trick; duped. Let's face it, all those fools which fall under the number one definition have fooled those of us that fall under the number three definition. They claim to have everything under control. And they do...if you believe it! Religions, governments, corporations and all our esteemed institutions have duped us all.
The truth is that we've all been played by the cosmic joke. The punchline reads: humans are not important, they are dust specs upon dust specs, they have no control over the universe nor their fate, they lack comprehension of their plight and try to find meaning in a situation which they lack the ability to understand. We should be humbled by this but we're not. We struggle to find meaning that defines our lives. We invent religion with stories of gods, magic, heaven and hell...everlasting life. We imagine there's a universal struggle between "good" and "evil". We create governments and laws to control the masses, to exploit "have nots" (those without power, money or voice) so the "haves" continue to have.
What happens when one realizes she's been fooled? How would you feel? Which fool are you? Are you going to keep killing in the name of your country or god? Are you going to keep telling yourself that your more important then the people who paint there faces differently than yours. Are you going to let money define who you are?
We as one human race, one consciousness can define who we are. Individuals can do horrible things and fool the masses, and the masses can do wonderful things and fool the individual. If I deny the rights of another I deny the same right to myself, but if a society denies the right of an individual it denies the right of all...in other words society screws itself.
We are an interesting species that has the ability to be self aware and to contemplate our place in the universe and as a individual this is a fun and exciting exercise in futility, but as a individual begins to define the place in the universe for all species, she becomes God. This is the ultimate blasphemy. I don't claim or disclaim the existence of God...I just don't know and neither do you. Don't pretend through "faith" that you do. Again, that is blasphemy. Religion shapes God into a finite being that serves the religion and the followers. Sounds like vanity.
We are all in this together and we can continue to act foolishly and continue to poison our water, air and food. Together we can destroy life while thinking of ourselves as important or we can think of ourselves as the fools that we are. We just need to agree upon what definition of fool we are.
There is another definition of fool in Webster's New World Dictionary that reads: [SLANG] a person especially devoted to or skilled in some activity [a dancing fool]. As you can see the definition is slang, but enough people got together and started using fool in the positive and now it's part of our vernacular.
Maybe I'm just a fool for thinking I can make a difference and it's all in vain. One image comes into my mind as I've preached to you. It is the image of Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings hanging on the edge of a fiery pit before falling in and after saving the lives of a dwarf, an elf, some humans and hobbits, he says, "Run...you fools!" and then he falls. And run we should for time is short. By the way, The Lord of the Rings has a happy ending.
I know I can get pessimistic and shout upon my soap box about the dismal state of world affair, but I don't take myself so seriously as to think I'm not a fool and I have been fooled and I have acted foolishly. I am a fool. We are all fools, yet when most of us are faced with this reality we become defensive, angry and scared.
Maybe what we're really angry and scared about is Webster's New World Dictionary's number three definition of fool: a victim of a joke or trick; duped. Let's face it, all those fools which fall under the number one definition have fooled those of us that fall under the number three definition. They claim to have everything under control. And they do...if you believe it! Religions, governments, corporations and all our esteemed institutions have duped us all.
The truth is that we've all been played by the cosmic joke. The punchline reads: humans are not important, they are dust specs upon dust specs, they have no control over the universe nor their fate, they lack comprehension of their plight and try to find meaning in a situation which they lack the ability to understand. We should be humbled by this but we're not. We struggle to find meaning that defines our lives. We invent religion with stories of gods, magic, heaven and hell...everlasting life. We imagine there's a universal struggle between "good" and "evil". We create governments and laws to control the masses, to exploit "have nots" (those without power, money or voice) so the "haves" continue to have.
What happens when one realizes she's been fooled? How would you feel? Which fool are you? Are you going to keep killing in the name of your country or god? Are you going to keep telling yourself that your more important then the people who paint there faces differently than yours. Are you going to let money define who you are?
We as one human race, one consciousness can define who we are. Individuals can do horrible things and fool the masses, and the masses can do wonderful things and fool the individual. If I deny the rights of another I deny the same right to myself, but if a society denies the right of an individual it denies the right of all...in other words society screws itself.
We are an interesting species that has the ability to be self aware and to contemplate our place in the universe and as a individual this is a fun and exciting exercise in futility, but as a individual begins to define the place in the universe for all species, she becomes God. This is the ultimate blasphemy. I don't claim or disclaim the existence of God...I just don't know and neither do you. Don't pretend through "faith" that you do. Again, that is blasphemy. Religion shapes God into a finite being that serves the religion and the followers. Sounds like vanity.
We are all in this together and we can continue to act foolishly and continue to poison our water, air and food. Together we can destroy life while thinking of ourselves as important or we can think of ourselves as the fools that we are. We just need to agree upon what definition of fool we are.
There is another definition of fool in Webster's New World Dictionary that reads: [SLANG] a person especially devoted to or skilled in some activity [a dancing fool]. As you can see the definition is slang, but enough people got together and started using fool in the positive and now it's part of our vernacular.
Maybe I'm just a fool for thinking I can make a difference and it's all in vain. One image comes into my mind as I've preached to you. It is the image of Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings hanging on the edge of a fiery pit before falling in and after saving the lives of a dwarf, an elf, some humans and hobbits, he says, "Run...you fools!" and then he falls. And run we should for time is short. By the way, The Lord of the Rings has a happy ending.
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