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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
It is always a riot, often in more ways than one, to acknowledge the multitude of wide-eyed convictions and uneducated judgments people have cultivated and convinced themselves of all through the negligible history of human thought. There are positively far too many of them to discuss in the limited space which I am allowed, but it should come as no surprise to anyone possessing two or three of their primary senses that the macrocosm of general human persuasion has been at least questionable.
And before I go too far, I will readily and graciously submit to the obvious fact that my own beliefs, of which there are few, are indeed grounded in no higher form of reason than most, so please forego any ad hominem criticism as I have enough gibberish to sort through without feeling obliged to explain myself to strangers.
One might argue upon reading my column that if a person does not believe in something that they stand for nothing. A whiny and overused statement at best, obviously meant to imply that a person who does not subscribe to some opinion or belief is an inconsequential being and unfit for the demands of human life. It does not, however, imply that welcoming false and baseless claims into one’s mind as natural fact is worthy of anything but imprisonment.
Take as a simple and modern example the commonly accepted notion that George Bush is an idiot. In mere seconds we as rational human beings can reduce this claim, just as we should, to nothing more than excited myopia based upon our own merits as rational human beings alone. If we are to consider ourselves as such, then it is obvious that his capacity to invent words, enemies, national tragedies and powers he does not actually have has been so profound that it has relished in the pleasure of swindling and undermining the collective intellect of millions of people. If George Bush is dumb, then we are all far dumber.
Indeed, those considered to be incompetent tend also to be perceived as trustworthy and likeable creatures. Dogs belong in this category and so does George Bush, and that is why nobody has prosecuted him.
But never mind modern American politics. Bullshit and deceit have been around for far longer than the United States is concerned.
Since the moment when man discovered that he did not understand nor could he accurately describe the nature of his surroundings, he has been exploiting a sneaky device called religion to account for his lack of a priori knowledge. Which, based on its own merits, is not necessarily harmful.
He has, however, become so confident in his contrivances that he elects to sacrifice reason and thought and often proceeds to harm his fellow men should they find any cause to disagree with him on this account. And, indeed, there is no shortage of cause for which to disagree with religious people, but any conversation on the topic is made into an abomination of the human intellect after one makes the mistake of engaging a person who is religious. They are fundamentally unable to relate on any coherent basis of thought.
But do not get me wrong. Without systems of thought and simple beliefs, life on this planet as a human being would be dramatically different than it is today, which may or may not be a negative thing. It is people’s infallible willingness to accept bullshit into their lives as a means toward comfort and understanding which unfortunately provides the minority of rational thinking people enough grief to make note of it. This is especially true in a democracy where the majority, being largely unable to make competent decisions regarding matters of any importance, are habitually the ones who get to make those decisions, regardless of their capability or understanding.
People rarely make decisions without first consulting their personal beliefs, and, moreover, they rarely keep their personal beliefs to themselves. This type of erratic conduct and irresponsible thinking does not bode well for moderate people with a respect for rationality.
And thus, as the species grows, so does that treacherous majority of people who feel good about themselves for not questioning all of the convictions they have and judgments they make. These people are legion, and they are breeding frantically like rabbits in a tremendous cabbage patch.
But without a convincing testimony for why serious thought ought to be put into the stubborn and arrogant naivety of our species, and only rabbits to convince, we can only watch as birthrates climb and prisons overcrowd and food shortages arise and water restrictions abound. Panic will be an understatement for the general tone of man once his world becomes that which he has worked so recklessly to create.
That, however, is somewhat of a grim look into what this columnist’s opinion of the future of our species will probably hold. Nobody, in the spirit of consistency, is obligated to agree with me.
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