Reality TV is voyeurism. You are granted the opportunity to watch the intimate goings on of a group of people, persons. Why do we have a fascination with others’ lives? Is it because we need to compare ourselves to someone else in order to gain some perspective on our own world situation, or is it because we feel entitled to have an opinion about how other people run their days? How others run their days is not our business unless their actions clash with our own strategy. If there is a clash of interests, you will find yourself standing your ground and fighting your corner. It is just the way we work when we believe strongly in something. If there is a conflict of interests, you may find yourself giving ground – either ideological or actual – in order to keep the peace. It depends on what kind of person you are. Do you know who you are? Do you know whether you are a pacifist, a fascist, a humanitarian or a non-entity? If you are a non-entity in your own life, that is a problem.
Watching others is interesting. As a sentient human being you cannot remain unaffected by the sight of someone who is emotionally overwrought. Whether it is grief, or pain – or victory – it will tell upon your nerves the same. You will respond to what you see. If you do not respond, you are probably psychotic. If you are programmed to feel nothing for other people then you need to re-programme yourself. Notice what is happening in the lives around you. You are a part of many realities, you share common ground with many different people. Realise that we are all fighting battles, facing demons, finding angels. We are all at the mercy of our feelings. Emotions are meant to be controlled, not ignored. If you have no interest in other people and their emotions then you are not going to be able to help make this world a better place. There are too many hurt people milling around, there is still too much disillusionment. That is the problem with living an illusion in the first place. However. We all become disillusioned at one time or another in our lives. There are always going to be those things that do not measure up to our expectations. If you tell me you have no expectations (so that you never face disappointment) I will tell you that you are doing your future a disservice. It is not advisable to do your own future a disservice. You need to have expectations. You are entitled to have expectations. That is what keeps this world going around.
I think we should all expect a peaceful world. That is the least we can do for ourselves. I think freedom should be a right. It is clear that you can find freedom, no matter what your constraints, but this is not something you can learn in one day. You need to spend your life making yourself truly free. That is the goal of every beginning. Each time you return, you free yourself from further chains. Our existence is not a punishment, I am so tired of people believing that. Religion put that idiotic idea into man’s head. Religion has a lot to answer for. Of all institutions it is the least-equipped to explain itself to this planet and I question the value of any set of rules that does not care to justify itself in today’s terms. Religion is control. That is all it is. It keeps people in line – which is no bad thing – but it divides. Like borders divide. If none of the religions can even agree about what God actually is, then how must we follow their say-so? They do not know who – or what – they are talking about.
C.J. Birch
C.J. Birch 