“Both formerly and now, it is only suffering that I describe and the cessation of suffering.” – Buddha
Buddha is perhaps one of the most influential figures in philosophy ever. Buddhism is one of the largest religions in the world; there are millions of practicing Buddhists all over the globe.
And… I’m not one of them.
Yup lol, no I’m not but I am utterly fascinated by his philosophy.
So, before I share my opinions on the topic of Buddhism, I fist have to prove myself that I at least have a proper idea of what I am talking about.
What makes me qualified to give my opinions on this issue?
I have been interested in Buddhism for a while.
I have read the sacred religious text of Buddhists, “The Dhammapada”
These are just my opinions lol.
THE CESSATION OF SUFFERING
If you decide to go through some of Buddha’s teaching, there is a theme that keeps repeating itself throughout, that is: the cessation of suffering. This concept of freeing oneself from the chains of misery is the central theme of all of Buddha’s teachings.
But as I learnt more about it. I wondered.
“Is just freeing oneself from suffering enough?”
Or in other words, would someone be “Happy” if he was merely free of suffering? I mean for me, being free from suffering and actually enjoying life are two very different things. Sure, I might be “free from suffering” but that doesn’t mean I would live my life bunny hopping with joy.
I felt like, joy was the ultimate goal instead of just mere ending of suffering.
Yet, Buddha insists that it the “Freedom from suffering” that is the ultimate goal of human life. And that did not sit well with me for a long time.
But I think I know why lol.
l/b
So, I think that the reason why Buddha insisted that the end of suffering is more important than the pursuit of joy in life is because: it is a safer route to happiness. In other words, if one were to peruse joy instead of just trying to end suffering, that person is bound to be caught in materialistic desires and fail his quest for eternal happiness altogether. To be “joyful” is to have something more than just the absence of pain. It, by definition, requires pleasure. However, if one just tired to cease suffering from his life instead of looking for ways to make it more pleasurable thenthere are less chances for that person to get distracted from his quest for happiness, making it more likely that he will follow through on his ultimate goal.
Hence, Buddha’s message stems from a deep understanding of human nature that people, by nature, are easily tempted by materialistic distractions. Hence, for the highest chance for one to find inner peace, it is wisest to simply aim for the end of suffering instead of wanting joy in life.
Previously I used to run along side the river every morning but I realized it hurt my joints. So, I decided to walk instead.
Now I walk in the evenings (and sometimes mornings). It feels great!
Village
So, as I was walking today, I came across a really cool place. It was like a village, with rows and rows of fields and a few shabby looking houses. And since it is spring time, there were lines of flowers all along the path I was walking. It was beautiful.
Now that the scene had sparked my curiosity, I took a deeper look at it. The fields were half full and half empty; some of the land was barren and the other half was full of rice (I presume). There were these old ladies working on the field, ploughing the land with their tiny tools. And then I shifted my attention to the houses. To be honest, calling them houses would be an over statement. They were like roughly put together shelters (kinda like a toy house a child plays with) with roofs made up of thin metal, and walls plastered with god knows what. There were bicycle tires on the roof alongside a few pumpkins. There were chicken running everywhere around the houses, and a few suspicious eyes were directly looking at me, thinking “Who is this funny looking dude, looking at us so intensely?”
The kids.
Ah yes, the kids. The suspicious eyes belonged to a group of few kids. All shabby looking just like the houses they live in. The smaller ones even had nasty stuff dripping from their noses. They wore the simplest of clothes (most of it kinda dirty), and to be honest, I thought they were kinda dumb by the way they looked.
Anyways, I had somewhere to go, so I left the shabby looking kids and their shabby looking houses, with their (possibly) shabby looking business (maybe they were going to paly with the chickens, who knows?) And I continued my walk.
But as I was leaving the beautiful village behind, I felt something.
I felt that even though the village was (as you already know) shabby looking, it still felt like a good place to live in. I thought, it would be so cool to live in one of those shabby looking houses, with those kids, playing with chicken all day long.
A simple life.
WHY?
One might ask, considering my description of the village that one would ever want to live in such a place.
Here is WHY.
Yes, it is true that the place was very shabby looking indeed, with tin houses and dirty kids with suspicious eyes. With bicycle tires on the roof and chicken running around, it was definitely not the most ideal place to live in. True.
But, along side my less than alluring description of the place, my description also had never ending rows of rice fields, beautiful flowers and hard-working old ladies in it. It had fresh air, no annoying cars honking around, clean water and good food in it too. You just had to look deeper.
And most importantly, it had what I call:
A SIMPLE LIFE
Yes, the simple life. The people in those shabby looking houses, lived off the land. Their lives are far simpler than mine. Now, granted that my life is far easier than theirs (I don’t have to spend my days working the fields, nor do I have to go outside my house to take a shit). But I think a simple life wins over an easy life.
I can tell you from my personal experience, an easy life is not necessarily a happy life.
The old ladies were working the fields with a sense of calm on their faces. They were (possibly) talking about their husbands, or their kids, or maybe their chickens (who knows?) but they were at least talking. They had a sense of direction in their lives. They knew what they had to do that day: they had to work the fields, because it’s where they get their food from. Simple, isn’t it?
They had a sense of community. They had a sense of direction.
Things… things I wish I had.
True, they don’t have attached bathrooms, or computers (but that also means, they don’t have to deal with the bullshit that comes with having attached bathrooms or computers). They don’t have to worry about your flush not working, or your next online meeting.
Life is simple. Life is good.
The children don’t have to think too much about what they want to become when they grow up (a question that used to keep me up at night lol), they already know. Their great-grandfather had worked the land, their grandfather had worked the land, their father is working the land, and so, just as a crow births a crow, they will also work the same land. There is nothing to think about. It’s all there. No restless nights, no big questions to answer, no terrifying life decisions to make, it all SIMPLE in their lives.
Ah! How peaceful.
They are born with an identity, while I have to work so hard, every single day to make one for myself.
It’s too much work lol.
CONCLUSION
So, there you have it, a simple life is a good life. Hence, we might consider living with a little less, and actually living a little more.
But first, who wants to watch the latest season of Game of Thrones?
The sound doctor might ring a familiar bell to your ears, “Money, Respect and a Chance to change people’s lives”. Yes, the typical things people associate with this profession. Sounds all very enticing, doesn’t it? I mean who doesn’t want to be rich and change the world. I know I would, so…
DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A DOCTOR?
The answer is probably yes.
Look around you, it seems like just every other person you meet wants to become a doctor, or want their children (or a relative) to take on the white coat. It’s like a craze in our south Asian society. The parents are obsessed with this profession and so are many young people because they are made to believe the excessively glorious picture of smiling faces treating old people in newspapers and the internet.
I realized this truth when I first joined the coaching classes for medical entrance examinations. To be honest, I was shocked at the sheer number of people at my coaching center, all trying to do the same thing as I was hoping to accomplish. I mean, HOLY SHIT dude! The whole place was squirming with people! I was in awe; I couldn’t believe so many people wanted to study medicine. And with that feeling of awe, came a creeping feeling of hopelessness; “I mean, how can I compete with thousands of people and get into a medical school? I am definitely not that smart”. My chances looked very slim, and my heart sank into the depths of hopelessness.
But I mean I get it.
I get it.
Becoming a doctor is often seen as a viable way of economic mobility for most families in our part of the world. The popular train of thought goes like this, “Once my son/daughter becomes a doctor and they will earn enough money to bring the family out of poverty”. In “poor” countries like Nepal, India and Bangladesh, it is only natural for people to associate the medical profession with prosperity. (Heck, even in “developed” countries like USA and UK too, people see getting into medical school as a big achievement.) In a society with increasing levels of economic inequality, where if you are born poor it is very likely that your children (and their children) will also live in soul crushing poverty with little to no ways of economic mobility, it is understandable for people to see the word “DOCTOR” as a way out of their poverty. Hence, every parent wants their children to become a doctor and bring money (and “respect”) to the family. The rich people want it, the poor people want it: everyone wants it.
But the question absolutely no one is asking is: “IS IT EVEN TRUE?”
Does being a doctor magically make all your dreams come true, as many people think it does?
But first, back to me.
So, did I get into a medical school?
Ah yes, I actually did (somehow, I don’t know how lol). And tell you what? I was VERY lucky indeed.
But I did manage get into a medical school and I am currently studying as a first-year medical student. And as I am going through the process of becoming a doctor, I am realizing some things. Some things, that I wish I had known a long time before.
Why you should NOT become a doctor?
So, the first reason why is simple: It’s really hard. Yes, it is. To become a good doctor, you have to study very hard. I mean, I thought medical school was kind of like high school, just a little more challenging. But as I study more, I have come to realize that it is really hard, much harder than I had expected. First, you need to study a LOT of things really fast. There are so many books that you are expected to study, and there is just so much stuff to understand and remember, it quickly becomes overwhelming. Second, there are a LOT of exams. There are spoken exams, written exam, card exams, term exams, professional exams and the list goes on. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to withstand this seemingly never-ending barrage of exams and do well on them. Hence, you are expected to study regularly and for long periods of time every single day. If you don’t, then…. medical school will be like a continuous nightmare for you lol.
Plus, I haven’t even mentioned the long working hours and night shifts of a young working doctor. It a challenging job not meant for everyone.
Hence, if you are not: a really smart and hardworking student who is willing to put in long hours of study every single day, I strongly recommend you NOT to go into medical school. It’s going to be really difficult for you.
I am struggling to maintain my grades, TRUST me it’s not for everyone.
The second reason why you should reconsider your decision to become a doctor is: It’s not as glamorous as it seems. Yes, I said it. The whole idea of becoming a doctor and magically earning millions of dollars is just another rosy picture painted by contemporary media and the internet. IT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. First, as I have mentioned earlier, becoming a doctor is a long, difficult and an expensive endeavor in itself, and the fact that people automatically associate the word “Doctor” with money just boggles my mind. Yes, there are some very successful doctors who do earn millions and take trips to Bali with their families (as you might have imagined lol), but the truth is, it represents only a tiny fraction of doctors. In reality, most doctors earn a modest salary and live a middle-class life. Some even struggle to maintain a living pay. And considering how hard and stressful their work is, it is just enough to justify their paycheck.
Hence, the perception of the “rich and famous doctor” is just another idea exaggerated by the society. There are so many doctors produced every single year in the economy, “How is it possible for every single one of them to be rich and famous?”. It’s a simple and logical question, but alas! a question only a few people ask. The truth is, even after you become a doctor, you have to prove yourself to become a successful doctor (which is a whole another level of difficulty in itself). Hence, life as a doctor is hard and it’s even harder if you want to earn those “millions” as promised in TVs and the internet.
So, the question I ask you is this, “IS IT WORTH IT?”
Is it worth spending all that money, time and effort for a profession that isn’t as glamorous or financially attractive as you might have imagined?
The truth about medical profession is that, it’s hard and it seldom pays handsomely.
Hence, if you are like most people hoping for a life of relative comfort and ease (I myself like these things), the medical profession is not for you.
It is only suitable for a small fraction of the population who are willing to sacrifice their time, money and effort, and have a genuine desire to help people. If you are not one of these people (which, to be honest, most people are not), save yourself the trouble and seek a fulfilling career in another field.
Again, It’s REALLY HARD!
It is NOT for everyone, so please choose your life decisions wisely.
Why is waking up early in the morning so difficult?
Why did I get so angry then? Why did I say those horrible words?
Why didn’t I work hard enough? Why am I so lazy?
Why didn’t I do the right thing? Why did I give into my temptations?
Why do I feel so miserable? Why am I not happy?
Why don’t I have this or that in my life?
All these questions, these are question of mine. I ask these questions to myself every single day.
And I struggle to answer them.
And I believe all human beings struggle with the very same questions on a daily basis.
Previously I used to think that something was wrong with me. That, I was a defective human being, with so many flaws that I lost count of them a long time ago. I used to shame myself to death for my shortcomings. I used to be miserable.
I still am, miserable.
But a little less.
However, as I read more books, about many topics far and wide, I have come to realize that the struggles that I experience in my daily life are nothing new. These are not unique to me.
They are in fact, an integral part of the human condition.
Doing the right thing at the right time- Dharma, is an old concept in Hinduism and Buddhism. It can mean a lot of things to a lot of people but for me, it simply means: doing what one is supposed to do.
It means, doing the right thing. Doing the things that you ideally should be doing.
Something as simple as, “Brushing your teeth daily” is a part of Dharma.
Moreover, it depends on who you are.
If you were a king in the ancient times, your Dharma was to rule the kingdom (even when you didn’t feel like it).
If you were a carpenter, your dharma was to build furniture regardless of circumstances.
And, if you were a student, your dharma was to study with diligence without fail.
And so on.
And the truth is: People have been struggling to do the right thing : Dharma, since the ancient time. From the ancient Kings, to the wise old monks over the centuries, all of them have time and again struggled and failed to do the right things. It is well documented in historical books and stories.
Even the great warrior Arjuna had to seek the guidance of Krishna when he was faced with his own relatives in the battle field. And Krishna had told Arjuna to perform his Dharma and not back out of the war even if it meant killing his own relatives. Hence, even the great warrior Arjuna was weak at times of great adversity, so who am I to expect myself to be perfect in doing all the things that I should be doing lol.
Whether you believe in these stories is a matter of personal opinion, I personally find them amusing and worthwhile reading.
Hence, I am not unique in my inability to do the things I was suppose to do, people have been struggling with the same thing since the beginning of time.
Moreover, what is right and what is wrong?
If one’s dharma is doing the right thing, one must first determine what the right thing is.
As far as I know and have read, the question of right and wrong is determined more or less by the morals established in the society.
Morals like:
Don’t kill other people
Don’t lie to others
Help the elderly
Take care of your parents
Don’t fuck your neighbor’s wife
Don’t rob a bank
Do your job diligently
You get the idea. These are the basic principles that everyone understands from a young age. And doing all of these will make you a “Good” person. However, if you don’t do any of these things deemed desirable by the society, you will first be looked down upon by the society (or the government: aka put to jail) and secondly, you will guilt yourself to death because whether you like it or not, you uphold the same morals as the society you live in (deep inside your conscience).
But why should one follow these morals set forth by the “society”?
Why should I not kill another person?
Why can’t I fuck my neighbor’s wife?
Why should I do my job diligently?
Well, it’s a valid question indeed. I mean, nobody would want to follow orders given by a faceless voice called the SOCIETY without questioning any of it. I mean, we are human beings, we need reasons to do stuff. It is stupid to assume that someone will give us a list of rules and we will follow them without any thought or reason, we are NOT robots!
So again, “Why should I not kill the person sitting next to me on the bus?”
The reason that society tells you is: BECAUSE IF YOU DO, WE WILL PUNISH YOU.
Hence, the world has been running on fear. Most people don’t kill people because of the fear of imprisonment. Most people don’t fuck their neighbor’s wife because of the fear of social scrutiny.
The world is running on fear.
Most people don’t kill others because they fear the law.
Most*
But some still do isn’t it? Why?
Because you can’t control people with just fear.
If fear was the answer to all the world’s problem, then why is there still corruption, rape, violence, robbery, drug smuggling in the world. All of these things are considered illegal and have harsh punishment associated with them but people still find a way to do it.
Fear doesn’t work.
And that’s why there are things that suck in the world.
That’s why there is pain and misery.
And that’s where the ancient concept of Dharma comes in.
See, what the concept of Dharma says is that, you ought to do the morally right things and fulfill your duties, not because you are expected to do so by some nameless voice called “SOCIETY” or the “government” but because it is simply the right thing to do.
This is especially the case in Buddhism which looks at rightful conduct as a way of achieving happiness on a personal level rather than doing things for the fear of persecution.
The concept of Dharma highlights the fact that, one should do the “rightful” things for the sake of one’s own wellbeing. It says, if one does the “wrong” things such as:
Kill other people
Sleep with your neighbor’s wife
Drink excessively
Lie to his loved ones
Cheat in business
That person will be miserable because of him own actions. He will bear of the fruits of his “evil” deeds in time. It is simply a matter of cause and effect.
Hence, according to Dharma, even if no one actually finds out and punishes you for your wrong deeds, you will still be miserable intrinsically. For instance, the thought of the dead person’s family members crying will not let you sleep and it will drive you crazy.
It puts emphasis on one’s own life experience rather than imposing a rule like an angry authority’s figure like the government in modern societies today.
Hence, in this model, there is no SOCIETY or GOVERNMENT imposing fear onto people to force them to do the rightful conduct, but it puts more emphasis on self-control and practical benefits for oneself.
Hence, I really like this idea of doing the “right” thing because it will make you happy, instead of doing it for the fear of judgement of the society and authority.
So, do the right things because it will lead to lasting happiness.
Yes, you heard it right. And yes, I am talking to you.
YOU ARE A DUMB MOTHERFUCKER.
Now hold your horses! Before you get offended and start complaining about my apparent lack of manners, just hear me out.
The thing is, all of what you read above; I tell this to myself all the time. So, I’m not a hypocrite who is demeaning everyone around me saying they are dumb lol, in fact, I think that I am the most stupid person on the whole goddamn planet.
Now, this might not be a unique experience, I understand that many people have self esteem issues and they tell the same narrative to themselves. But again, I think my case is different since I don’t think being stupid is a bad thing (unlike people who have self-worth issues). I look at it as a matter-of-fact thing. I am not sad that I’m stupid. It is what it is.
But why do you think you are dumb in the first place lol?
Ah, that a great question!
Well, the thing is, all my life I used to think I was smart. I used to think I was special and that I was different from everyone else (in a good way). While some of it is true (I mean there is no other person like me in the world), most of what I said a moment ago is just wrong lol.
No, in reality, I am not special. I am not that smart. I am not that different.
I am just your average guy who thinks that he is all of the things above. But in reality, he is, as I said average (or possibly even dumb).
The point is, I used to have this false sense of my own image that I used to carry around in my head. I used to think that I was so smart, that I knew better than everyone else, and that I deserved special treatment in life. It was, I guess my naiveness or my inflated ego that led me to believe these conceptions about myself, but either way, I did believe that I was the chosen one lol.
But as I experience more of this thing we call: LIFE, I have slowly come to realize that I am NOT so different after all. As I meet more people, do more things and learn new stuff in life, I have come to realize that there are people who are way smarter than me and who also happen to be a lot more modest than my (not so humble) self. As I grow older, I feel like I’m an imposter in this game of life.
I’m a charlatan who is tricking himself into believe things that are not true.
I feel fake.
See, as I reflect on my past actions and my present self, I have realized that most of my life I have been lying to myself. We all are masterful liars. And we lie better to ourselves than to others. I tricked myself into believing that I was better than others. Why? Because it makes me feel good about myself and that way, I can have a moral high ground and judge other people who are going about their lives.
As buddha once pointed, I am a fool who thinks he knows everything.
And what’s more, I have this high-class image of myself in my head that doesn’t allow me to do certain things. I mean, I being form a middle-class family, certainly consider doing manual labor such as pulling a rickshaw as a “low life” job. I look down on those who are cleaning toilets for a living because I think I am better than them. And that I would NEVER do such demeaning job like those people.
Why?
Because my parents happen to be rich, and I happen to get an education in a private college. I think my pace is amongst the stars lol.
I think I DESERVE good things in life.
But as I have failed many a times in life (a list of those would be too long for this article), I have, time and again been showed my rightful place by the greatest teacher called, LIFE. I thought I deserved things in life, like a Harvard education and a beautiful home overlooking the oceans, but SURPRISE motherfucker! I didn’t really get any of those just because I deserved them lol. In fact, I didn’t get any of that, period.
The truth is: YOU DON’T DESERVE SHIT IN LIFE. No, you get what you work for. It doesn’t matter where you are born or who you think you are, in life you only get what you truly work for.
Hence, in a way, me and the guy who is cleaning people’s shit for a living are the same. He doesn’t deserve anything in life, and neither do I. Him and I are separated by a thin line, which is my parent’s wealth and nothing more. He just happens to come out of a poor pussy, while I happen to come out of a rich one. That’s literally it. Hence, I could easily be in his place and he could easily be in mine.
I am not made out of gold and silver; I’m made out of the same stuff the “toilet guy” is made out of: It’s all flesh and bones lol. So, it’s fucking stupid of me thinking of myself as “better” or “superior” than him. And it’s also stupid of him to think that he is “lower” than me.
Hence, when you realize this simple truth, the whole concept of comparing and judging people goes out of the fucking window.
So as a conclusion of my mindless rant lol, these are things I think you should take home with you:
We all lie to ourselves. We are not as good as we think we are.
There are people who are way smarter, better looking and modest than us. So, stay humble you little bitch!
You don’t deserve shit in life. So, stop judging yourself and others.
Reservoir dogs is the first move by the ever so electrifying film maker Quintin Tarantino. Having watched (and loved) many of him films up until this point, be it the recent Once upon a time in Hollywood or the infamous Pulp fiction, it was really exciting to watch his very first body of work on a personal level. This movie was particularly interesting for me because I considered it a chance to try and understand his growth as a filmmaker, as he has gone on to creative many more critically acclaimed films from this point onwards in his career.
Since the expectations were so high from the start, the movie really had to deliver to make me happy (not a good mindset if are going into a movie hoping to enjoy it).
And truth be told: it didn’t really blow me away as I was expecting it to do so (which kind of made me feel bad but again, I did this to myself lol.)
Now don’t get me wrong, the movie was good more or less, but it simply lacked a lot of things that I have come to expect from his works. For starters, the movie had a some iconic scenes and it was a fairly laid back film (typical Tarantino style), however it was not nearly as polished as his other movies such as Pulp fiction or Kill Bill. For example, It didn’t have the same vibe nor the impact on pop culture as Pulp fiction. It was fairly laid back but it was quite one dimensional. There were no interconnected stories to keep your attention, but a single story with the same characters playing within the same plot. Hence, the movie felt a bit bland because of it somewhat monotonous plot.
Also the ending was kind of unexpected and off putting. For example, in most of his movies, the endings are dramatic, show stopper chain of event which put a definite end to the film. In this movie however, the ending was, I feel way too stretched out. There was no definite action that let the audience know that the film had ended. The story, I feel did not finish on a high note, which was kind of a bummer for me.
And lastly, the characters in movie were somewhat ambiguous. I could not really understand their motives, and even if I thought I did, they acted in completely random ways. Now don’t get me wrong, randomness in characters is mostly a good thing, after all you wouldn’t want the audience to be able to guess your every move. But when the characters do the exactly opposite things to their personality on the screen or things that really make no sense to the average viewer, then it become bad. The whole movie had me confused regarding the purpose of the characters. It was real head scratcher for me at times, and that made my head hurt and my stomach upside down.
Now it wouldn’t be fair for me to say that the movie was “bad”. No, far from it, the movie was actually quite enjoyable. But it certainly lacked some of things that I have come to love about Tarantino films, which made it a disappointing watch for me personally. From the lack of an enthralling plot to weird character design, the movie was at best an average watch.
However, all in all, this movie did show this growth arc as a filmmaker in general. The movie was not as good as his later works but it did have the same Tarantino feel to it. Hence, its safe to say that he learnt a lot from this (somewhat roughly put together) movie which led him to make polished masterpieces that made him the man he is today. Hence, he really did grow as a writer and director from his earlier works, which is a good inspiration for people starting out to make something big in life.
You fall, you learn and you walk better the next time.
So, comic books are one of the oldest forms of entertainment by today’s standards. It mean, in the age of Youtube and Netflix, who on earth still reads comic books right? I surely must be some dork who still holds on to those cartoons printed on cheap paper. How boring of that guy.
Yeah, I used to think the same way. I had never tried reading comic books in my life, primarily because by the time I was born, comic books were already a dying breed. I grew up with the internet, hence I didn’t think I had the patience of going through some stupid printed cartoons. I mean, why would I go through the pain, if I could just watch the Avengers, right?
But one day, just once, just for the sake of trying I downloaded a comic book on my computer. And I gave it a shot. And guess what?
They are actually pretty fucking awesome.
I mean, sure they are not as flashy as superhero movies, but apart from that, they are better in every other aspect. Here are some reasons as to why:
Superhero films are made from comic books. All the stories and characters are from comic books. Comic books are the original piece of art.
There are fewer movies than comic books, hence, there is larger collection to choose from. They are cheaper to make.
Comic books engage your imagination. Movies are far more rigid in that sense. In comic books you can imagine the action happening your way.
Comic books convey ideas more effectively. Writing is a clearer medium to convey ideas because it doesn’t depend on so many aspects like lighting, acting, directing etc as in movies. Hence, it is clearer.
It has a more passionate community than films. Comic books have always been a niche thing. There aren’t millions of dollars in comic books industry like there is in Marvel’s Avenger franchise. Hence, there is less corporation and the art come out purer.
So, with that being said, I strongly suggest anyone who is bored out of their minds to try out comic books.
However, the thing I wanted to highlight in this article is the fact that, despite the popular notion that comic books are merely printed cartoons for children to enjoy, I found a lot of really thought-provoking ideas in comic books.
For example, in the book Superman: Red Son, the comic explores the idea, “What would happen if Superman was born in communist Russia, instead of USA?” Seems like a strange premise for a story? Exactly, especially because Superman has always been portrayed as a symbol for American nationalism. It begs the question if Superman would be the same (symbol of justice and righteousness) if he was born and raised a communist?
It questions the whole concept of the Cold War between USSR and USA. It highlights the fact that people are the same all over the world. Everyone is essentially the same, all people want is to live happily, whether you are born in Metropolis or in Moscow. It puts forward the idea that ideological differences do not make people evil or your enemy. That we should stop making enemies of one another on mere ideological basis, and have a more humane outlook at life. Not something you would expect from a comic book, is it?
And yes, Superman remains a good, righteous hero despite being born in Moscow lol.
Or take Batman: The Killing Joke for example. In this classic comic, the author explores the idea of what makes people “bad” in the eyes of the society. Despite its vibrant nature of a graphic novel, it manages to explore the age-old question of relative morality, “Are there things that are inherently good or bad?”
In the comic, the author tries to justify the Joker’s horrific deeds. He tries to answer some deep questions by telling the Joker’s origin story: how a struggling comic became a dangerous madman. The idea presented in the book is that, the Joker is not a “bad” person, as much as the society thinks he is. Instead, he presents a more compassionate perspective on the psychotic madman. The author (or the Joker) argues that his madness was simply a response to all the horrific things that had happened in his life, and that he did not choose to do those unspeakable crimes.
The Joker is just a man beneath the makeup. He never wanted to become a criminal. Instead, he like most sane men wanted to live a honest happy life. But, due to the constant poverty and struggle, the society slowly pushed him to the edge of his sanity. And all it took was, as he says, “One bad day” to turn him into The Joker. Hence, he argues with Batman (the punisher of the guilty and the protector of innocent) that the real culprit behind his crimes is the heartless society who pushed him into madness, not himself. That anybody could become The Joker, that Batman himself could become The Joker (and loose his sanity) if he experienced the misfortunes that he experienced. Hence, it’s not fair for Batman to punish The Joker.
What would Batman do? Would he question the very society he was trying to protect and help the Joker? Or would he give into the anger and finally kill the Joker for all the things he had done?
Big question indeed.
Hence, yeah. Comic books ask some very thought-provoking questions, if you look for them.
So yeah, do try some comic books in your spare time.
Who knows? You might just end up loving them as I did ; )
Jesus Christ! How dare you condone such sinful act? I’ll make sure God will punish you to the depths of hell for such horrendous thoughts!
*A brief moment of visible contemplation and regret on my worn-out face
Soooooo….
Since I am already doomed to an eternity of suffering, I might as well get my point across lol. I mean, what’s there to lose right?
So yeah, I said it. I want to make prostitution perfectly legal and acceptable in our society.
A strange thing to say, some might think.
But, WHY?
Ah! As with all good things, it all begins with CAPITALISM.
Capitalism? Like the economic model of running a country?
Wait, what?
What does Capitalism have to do with fucking a hooker?
In short, everything.
But first, a little bit of history.
THE HISTORY OF PROSTITUITON.
See, prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the history of mankind (might possibly be the oldest). It is as old as human civilization itself. The act of selling sex for money is so primitive that it has been well documented in nearly every major civilization, from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe. And possibly even before civilization! I can totally imagine our hairy ancestors fucking for some dried meat lol.
It has been with us for literally thousands of years.
But that’s not even the most interesting thing about it.
What’s crazy is the fact that this age-old profession is still thriving in today’s era of internet and fast food.
I mean, think about it. Most of the professions from like 15th – 16th century have died away with changing times. I mean, I can’t remember going to a blacksmith to make me a sword anytime recently lol. Or say, as recently as going to the postman to get my mail. These things have become irrelevant as technology has advanced.
BUT NOT PROSTITUTION.
This age-old profession, which literally started thousands of years ago, is still relevant in today’s world as it was at any given point in history. And what’s more? It’s thriving!
Every country has brothels. That’s a fact, don’t even argue with me on this lol. From the plains of California to the dazzling lights of Tokyo, thousands of people (especially women) earn their money doing sex work every single day. For many, sex work is their only source of income. Prostitution is, and always has been a cornerstone of society. The only difference being it’s perception at different times in history.
For instance, in ancient Rome, sex was considered holy. They used to worship gods of lust. The Romans were big on pleasure. They might have been the most “Party going” civilization ever, literally. The Roman aristocrats had these massive sex parties (Orgys, for the lack of a better term lol), with all the food and music you could possibly imagine. Consequently, prostitution was normal in Roman society. Brothels were considered places of public service, similar to what one would consider parks. And the women who did the sex work were called “Whores” but it wasn’t used as a derogative term. The word “Whore” was used just as one would use the word “Doctor” these days, it simply meant a profession. Ah those were the good times lol.
But then came the dark ages, when the church rose to power and Christianity became the dominant religion. The church (which was so powerful back then that it acted as a secondary government), severely demonized sex, and forbade all forms of sex work in the society. It went so far as to regard celibacy desirable (in the eyes of God of course). Hence, began the notion of prostitution being “bad” for the society.
Thus, the popular notion that prostitution is a “bad” thing is merely a human construct. The perception of prostitution (and sex in general) has varied wildly over the centuries. Hence, it is not inherently good or bad as people think it is lol. It’s just sex for money, an act. For the Romans, it was the best thing ever, and for the church, it was the most horrible sin.
The dark ages are over (thankfully lol) but the notion of prostitution being “morally degrading” has stuck with us, even in 21st century (which I think is a shame).
These days…
Prostitution is as prevalent as McDonalds, even though you can’t necessarily see it on the surface. It is so widespread, yet you can hardly find it anywhere. The thing is, it is also masterfully hidden. Why? Only because it is regarded as “illegal” by the society. And the reasons for it being illegal come from, as mentioned earlier, centuries-old notions of sex set by the catholic church in the dark ages (which makes absolutely no fucking sense). I mean, come on! people in the 12th century didn’t use toothpaste, so with that logic I would assume you too don’t brush your teeth (yuck!). Hence, I think it’s high time to ditch these old ass ideas and think about prostitution logically.
It’s time to make it legal and acceptable.
CAPITALISM
Ah, now comes the juicy part!
So, imagine all of what I said was irrelevant. The whole history of prostitution, the catholic church and the rest of it. Imagine I never enlightened you with all this knowledge.
Then what? You would consider all my point are now rendered useless?
NOPE lol.
It would still make sense to legalize prostitution. This time, from an economic perspective.
So, you and I live in a capitalistic society. In fact, we all live in a capitalistic society. Every day, we take part in capitalist activities; we exchange money, buy commodities, and of course consume so much stuff. The fact that you are able to read this article is all thanks to capitalism.
We proudly call ourselves capitalists, and rightfully so. Afterall, capitalism has solved so many of our age-old problems, it has given us so much stuff to enjoy and drastically improved our standards of living. Hence, in essence, we don’t pray to Jesus or Allah, we pray to the “capitalist gods” by the likes of big corporations such as Apple and Nike. It puts food on our table, gives us shelter and keeps us warm and clean. As they saying goes, “Money is the real god” (or maybe I might have made it up lol), we love and respect capitalism like nothing else.
And what’s the motto of capitalism?
“If you have something people want, sell it to people and become rich doing it”.
For example, people want help with their legal issues, hence lawyers provide them with their service in exchange for money. The same with factory workers, computer programmers, taxi drivers, and so on.
But what about prostitution?
Ah, for that you will go to prison and will be shamed for the rest of your life by the society. Like WTF? If you are serious about capitalism then, keep the same energy across the board! Don’t treat prostitution any differently lol. It should (according to the principles of capitalism) be treated like any other job.
And guess what? It is just another job!
Sex work is also work. It’s not that being a prostitute is easy (not everyone can do it for a reason lol). And I would assume not everyone is good at sex lol. Plus, you have to win the genetic lottery to become a successful prostitute, or at least I would assume you would. Prostitutes also would have to come to work on time (I mean, a horny old man can only wait too long lol), and meet expectations and be competitive. Sounds like a job, it sure does to me.
Also, people want prostitution! The simple fact that prostitution is still thriving despite it being illegal and socially unjustifiable for hundreds of years means that people just really want to fuck lol (not even the catholic church could stop it). People (men especially it seems) have and will always want easy sex, that’s just human nature. Hence, there is a never-ending demand for prostitution in the world. And what does capitalism do with demands? Yup, you guessed it right, it tries to fulfill it. And there is one thing that I strongly believe in and that is: You can’t stop people from having what they want. Hence, it only makes sense of make prostitution a legal business.
And in a true capitalist world, the society would encourage people to make the best use of their skills and talent to make the most money possible. Hence, if we really love capitalism (which we all do), prostitution should be encouraged as a viable career option! I mean, if there is an aspiring woman who is good looking and is interested in sex work, there should be no reason as to why she shouldn’t do prostitution. She had the necessary skills and talent for the job, hence she used it to gain financial mobility in life. In a capitalist world, people would actually celebrate her life choices.
Also, sex work is one of the few fields where women actually are in power. I mean, in all other aspects of society there always has been a problem of systemic patriarchy. But in sex work, it is the women who are the majority. It is one of the few fields where women get paid more than men. Hence, it would be a great example of women empowerment if we were to legalize prostitution (and similar sex work) in a regulated fashion.
Furthermore, to those who claim that legalizing prostitution would be detrimental to the moral fabric of the society, I would point out the previous argument: it’s an old idea first put forward by the catholic church in the dark ages so just ditch the damn thing for god’s sake (you see what I did there? ; ) Prostitution had been practiced in almost all of the great civilizations of the world (did people die because of it back then? I don’t think so lol). Hence the whole concept of “morally degrading” is a matter of personal opinions dictated by perceptions of it at different times in history. So, making laws on “feelings” is not the best way to go about running a country, is it?
Furthermore, if we were to take the concept of being, “morally wrong” seriously, then we would have to then ban everything even mildly “bad” in eyes of religion. We need to ban gambling, porn, meat, alcohol, and even cigarettes lol. Has that happened yet? Nope lol. Hence, until then swallow that argument and keep it in your tummies lol.
I haven’t even mentioned the reduction in sex-related crimes and boost in the economy if we were to legalize prostitution in the society.
Hence, all in all, it seems to me that it is only logical to legalize prostitution in 21st century. It would do a great deal of good in the society, empower women, and give opportunities to people who previously didn’t have any hope of financial mobility in life.
So, I said it once, and I will say it again: LEGALIZE PROSTITUITON!
Something so controversial that it’s bound to catch your eye. But to dodge the sin of click baiting my readers (if they even exist lol), I have to make good on the title I claim. Hence, the article.
Capitalism.
Huh? Capitalism? What does it have to do with snorting crack?
In short, everything.
Now I am no genius (if it wasn’t obvious by the way I write) but I do have a vague idea about what capitalism means… I think. So, for me, capitalism basically means if you have something people want, you can sell those people what they want and become VERY rich doing it.
So, if you have a bunch of toilet paper, and people really want to wipe their asses. You can sell that paper and make a bunch of paper doing it (you see what I did there? ; )
That is capitalism at its core.
And it’s an amazing thing! I mean, it’s how most of the world works. It governs every little detail of our lives; for instance, what toothpaste you use. Seriously, is it Pepsodent?
Form toothpaste to your health insurance, everything runs on a capitalistic system. People want health insurance? A bunch of companies compete to provide you with it. People want computers? A group of very smart people build one for you. You want some ice-cream? There are endless options to choose from. Heck these days you don’t even have to go outside your house to get stuff, stuff comes to your door.
It’s all about what people want and how we can sell it to them.
But what if I want some cocaine?
Ah… for that you go to jail. I mean WTF? If we are to call ourselves a true capitalistic society where people’s needs and wants are fulfilled (and presumably they are happy) then we have to look at every product through the same lens, don’t we? It’s like we are discriminating against a product in favor of something else. That’s not capitalism! That’s bullshit. In a true capitalist world, Cocaine would be sold in supermarkets like Snickers.
If people want cocaine, they should have the choice to have it.
If we really think about it, a lot of people do want to do coke. I mean, it’s not the act of doing coke that really matters but the reasons for doing it. People want to get that buzz. People want to alter their state of minds. People want to get fucked up once in a while. That’s human nature, for some weird fucking reason.
Take alcohol for example. It’s like coke. It gives you a buzz, and completely alters your state of mind. And people fucking love it! No matter how hard the government tries to control it, people have, and forever will go crazy over alcohol. They can’t seem to get enough of this stuff. Consequently, despite the seemingly never-ending bad publicity, alcohol producers have never gone out of business. Ain’t that crazy? If you look at it from a capitalistic perspective, alcohol makers are the best of the best! Every business from private hospitals to shoe manufacturers should try to be like them. They are the true role models!
And if we legalize cocaine, it would do even better than alcohol. It would probably be the most profitable business in the history of business lol. It would sell like hot cakes; people would go crazy over it. Again, form a capitalistic perspective, think about how much would it add to the economy, how many people would get good paying jobs selling crack, and most importantly, how many people would get what they WANT. Surely the capitalistic gods would be happy about it.
But NOPE! Our dumb society still thinks it’s an evil drug. People say that it corrupts and ruins lives. But wait a fucking second, doesn’t alcohol do the same? Same with cigarettes, it gives you cancer lol. So is the case with videogames, I can easily waste my whole life doing nothing but playing some dumb game (believe me, I’ve tried it). Heck, chocolate cakes and Pepsi can easily kill you with diabetes. People literally throw their lives away in casinos. But these are not illegal, are they?
So, why is cocaine (or any other drug) the voodoo doll in all of this?
The drug on war is just stupid. It didn’t work, and it never will because you can’t stop people from doing what they truly want.
Form alcohol to video games, the society relies on the individual’s conscience to make the right decision. The government is like “Hey, if you are above 18 and happen to try alcohol once at that party, and 5 years later you are now a homeless alcoholic with chronic liver disease, then too bad! It’s on you”. The government literally doesn’t take any responsibly if you fuck up your life because of alcohol. Or video games. Or if you happen to die because of too much Pepsi lol. They say it’s your decision and you have to deal with the consequences.
And you know what? I am totally cool with it. At least they are keeping it real.
So, in my opinion, the same should be the case with cocaine. If people, VOLUNTARILY, decide to do coke then they should have the option to do it with no stigma attached to it, just as people play video games or casually drink alcohol at parties.
All this cookie cutter bullshit makes no sense. If you are really serious about capitalism and individual’s freedom, either let people do coke, or cut off everything (from gambling to video games). Don’t do this half ass thing where somethings are legal and some are not, for no logical reason.
Either way, keep it 100. Don’t be a bitch about it.
So, with that, excuse me, it’s time for my afternoon hit… snifffffffffff….. wooo! It’s a hell of a drug!
So, there is this age-old concept in Christianity called the “Seven Deadly Sins” which is very popular. I like reading about philosophical stuff, and religion is a big part of philosophy. Hence, I was looking for something like this on the internet the other day and, voila! I found this.
So, this is a list of seven sins that you ought not do in your life. It was first written by some Christian monk in a desert monastery many hundred years ago as he was contemplating about life. Originally, the list was not called deadly sins, it was called something more moderate like ‘the 7 temptations in life’. Like to be fair there were like 8 things on the list but we will make it 7 for the sake of the story lol.
Later in the 14th century or something, don’t quote me on this I’m just guessing, another catholic priest rewrote the list. He made some changes to the original list and simplified it. He then removed some stuff and named the new list, the now infamous, “The 7 deadly sins”.
So, that’s the history of list. Now let’s see what’s in the list itself and why do I feel it is so important.
The list.
So, the list goes as follows:
Lust
Envy
Pride
Gluttony
Sloth
Wrath
Greed
These are the sins in the list.
These are the 7 things that you are to avoid in life, if you want to be happy. Well… that’s how I look at it, but according to the catholic church the description is much more enticing. In Christian faith, if you are to commit any of these sins, you will be bound to suffer in hell and the devil will take possession of your body.
Hmm… quite a vivid description isn’t it lol. I don’t know about you but it sure is enough to scare the shit out of me. And that was the point of the list, at least according to the catholic church. It wanted to discourage people to do these obviously bad things, and make the society better or holier in their words. And it worked for a very, very long time. People followed this list for a long time, some still do. But I like my version better, though it is not as vivid or scary.
This list really resonated with me because when I look at my own life, the times that I have been the most miserable is the times when I have committed one of the listed sins.
For example, for a very long time I was jealous/envious of someone in my school. I really felt that the other person had everything that I did not, and it just could not comprehend nor accept that. So, I felt bad, really bad about myself. So much so that I started hating that person, although none of it was his fault! He was simply being himself, and I hated him for it. But the funny part was, with all the hate that I had for that person, the guy did not feel any pain from my hatred. IT WAS I WHO WAS SUFFERING. I felt miserable being envious of that person. I could not sleep at night because of all the bad thoughts I had. It was a horrible existence, it was Hell.
Hence, I did experience hell (though not in the literal sense) just as the religions say because of my sin of envy. It made me realize how naïve I was to be envious of the other person, instead of being grateful of what I already had.
The 7 deadly sins reigned true for me. They always had been.
Hence, I relate to this list from personal experience. I believe, as many people have believed for hundreds of years that if you are to avoid misery in life, you should refrain yourself from doing the things mentioned in the list.
On the other end, if you are to become happy in life (or be one with god, according to Christianity) you are to do the things that are opposite to the sins. The list being:
Chasity – depending on how you look at it lol.
Gratitude – being grateful for your blessings.
Modesty – Not bragging. Being humble.
Moderation – Not eating too much.
Hard work – Working. Not being lazy.
Patience – Not getting angry easily.
Kindness – Sharing your blessings.
Hence, if you agree with this philosophy or not, or what parts do you agree with depends entirely on you. I agree with most of it because I have experience this in my own life, although there are a few parts that I do not necessarily agree with. But it’s your life hence you choose what to believe in.
But I do think this list, and the philosophy behind it is helpful to a lot of people around the world, people like myself who struggle to find happiness in life.
Honestblogs 