Loading ...I had a short text message exchange that I thought was particularly enlightening. It’s about one of humanity’s most damaging emotional defenses.
CB: It doesn’t bug me that ppl are stupid, because I really don’t think that ppl are. It bugs me that ppl PLAY stupid to avoid thinking about things that make them uncomfortable. It’s fucking lame. The truth is never complicated. It’s the self-serving BS that ppl invent that mucks things up.
WL:You’re absolutely right. It’s like they’re watching a magic show they know the tricks to, and still acting impressed. Everyone lying to each other.
CB:Nice. And if they didn’t know how it worked, there’d be nothing to be upset about. It’s just the deceit.
WL: Righto
I won’t discuss what triggered it because that’s not really important. As always, I want this to be a blog about ideas, not a blog about me.
Here’s an idea: let’s cut out the bullshit.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Ryan // Aug 12, 2008 at 8:15 am
Daniel,
I think I know you well enough to realize the irony in this post. We can’t see clearly enough to pluck the speck out of our brother’s eye when we’ve a plank in our own.
What I mean to say is, be concerned with the falsities you propogate, with the untruth in your own soul, and then when you’ve purified yourself, so to speak, you’ll see the truth clearly enough to accuse others of “self-serving BS.” As cliché as it is, “be the change you want to see.”
I thoroughly respect your intellect and heart, Daniel, but I think you “strain the gnat and swallow the camel.” As it is, “everyone is lying to each other” sounds more like an immature generalization than the pure platitudes I know you’re capable of. You’ve seen the truth, you’ve been in its presence. I say this because I know you appreciate honesty: I think you only lie to yourself, friend.
2 Daniel M // Aug 12, 2008 at 8:49 am
Just to be totally clear, I never meant to say that “everyone” was lying to each other. I’m just saying that I’m tired of people pretending to be stupid so that they can continue lying.
I’d imagine that this is a psychological defense everyone uses at least once in their life, but I am in no way saying everyone is currently using it, or that everyone uses it to an equal extent. That would just be silly.
I don’t know. I’ll send you a message on facebook about the rest of what you wrote. I’m all for you calling me out.
3 Lizz Jolly // Aug 17, 2008 at 12:25 pm
The whole idea of people avoiding thinking about things because it makes them uncomfortable reminds me of “Fahrenheit 451.” Just look how that turned out :).
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