Our Dogma of Unity

In our modern era we define ourselves through our consumption more than what anything else. We see ourselves through what we do and what we have rather than what is underneath. We improve our bodies as another external expression of what we are, similar to the way we dress in specific outfits to showcase our belonging to certain subcultures and ingroups. We are blind without the mirror that is socialisation. Based on the reaction and perception of others, we find meaning and identity in our actions and belongings. We're becoming more and more obsessed with finding out who we are, and spend more time than ever looking anywhere but within. We are moving away from our preconceptions of what it means to be human, what it means to be a man, a woman, what boundaries exist regarding sexuality and social constructs. No longer can you say that being human means to have a set of limbs and organs without excluding those with prosthetics and artificial implants. One would not dare say a man with a pacemaker is less of a human, and one would not say a man who loses an arm is less of a man for it. We see these notions as barbaric and simple, we know better now, we are educated after all. And still we argue over matters of similarity. Upon birth we are classified as boy or girl, and our lives are already set on a path we are expected to follow. Sure, our society offers a wider birth nowadays, but we are still expected to conform, and consequently we judge those who fail to adhere to our societal rules. When a girl wants to play with cars instead of dolls, and prefers her hair cut short and practical, we are perplexed. Does she not know that she is a woman? Why doesn't she get it? Even if we allow some leniency we expect her to come around at some point and settle into her proper role. Hypocrites as we are, we allow ourselves to explore the magnitude of experiences life has to offer, in search for our identity, but only within what we regard as normal. We celebrate diversity and encourage curiosity, but we still have our walls, and no matter how vast and inclusive our conceptualisation of existence is, we still feel threatened once these walls are challenged.

In our feeble defence we often argue that change is unnatural, that it is inhuman. It is one of the oldest and most widely applicable argument in human history, for it is perfectly vague and nonsensical while still explicitly addressing the feeling of unease we encounter when our view on life is challenged. It is an argument and an emotion we curiously find in most cultures, and it is perhaps one of the few things that unifies us all. You could say it is at the root of all conflict, as overcoming any argument requires one daring to admit the possibility of seeing things differently. But as we still perceive arguments as conflicts where one must lose, we strive to be the victor, and cling to this ancient argument, and in masses we enforce it's valiance. We allow ourselves to become stagnant fools, condemning others for their way of life because we feel acknowledging it will undermine our own understanding of existence. We believe our way of life is righteous because we followed a path we were presented with, a path society encouraged, one where meaningfulness and prosperity was promised. But what is life as we know it if not a slap in the face of our ancestors? We claim we are still human, we claim our way of life is natural, but I doubt our ancestors would deem it natural to sit inside, staring at a screen all day, only to go for an hour long run in a manufactured park in the middle of a concrete jungle, before slouching on a sofa for a few hours while again staring at a glowing screen.

What separates mankind from all other beings is how we have taken control of our own evolution. We are the masters of our existence, subject to nothing but our own fears and limitations. As a society we develop more quickly than ever, and we have the power to direct this change wherever we want. The problem is, we don't want change. We want to master what is, not subject ourselves to what could be. The past is definite, it is understandable, and through understanding it we can master our present, but the future, the future is uncertain, it is daunting. We fear change because we don't know how to control it. Quite simply, we fear freedom, for freedom cannot be chained. In defining our understanding of the world, we are also excluding and condemning those who are different, those who do not fit our definition. Humanity celebrates unity, but as of today, only through conformity. If history has taught us anything, it is that humanity and diversity go hand in hand, and that the further we develop, the more diverse we get. Pretending otherwise is nothing but selfish and detrimental to our fellowship. We need to come to terms with this fear of ours, no matter how deep it is. We need to accept that the truth about life, the universe and everything, is absolute and that we have yet to fully see it. What we have are opinions, fragments of understanding. Some fragments are held by most, some by but a few. Instead of condemning those few who hold their own fragments of truth, we need to shed light on their understanding and devote ourselves to accepting their way of life, their truth, and make it our own. As a society we owe it to ourselves to accept a wider understanding of the world, specifically of matters concerning our immediate existence, like what does really manhood and womanhood entail? Can a man love a man? Can a woman love more than one man? Is marriage the only path? Can you have a second family? Can friends hold hands? Can sex be frivolous? Only by truly celebrating and accepting diversity, will we all, as one people, rejoice.

Story of my life

I love stories. To me there is no greater indulgence than to allow myself the delightment of imagining what is. In our existence we consciously and subconsciously traverse a life of opportunities, making our way through various decisions and experiences. Whether or not we develop an understanding of the forces that influence and unite us as individuals in a society, we are nonetheless subject to their effects. On a daily basis I'd find myself wondering just how someone I meet might've ended up as the person they appear to be. Based on what I see and hear, I try to imagine their story, where they came from, what beliefs they must hold to have driven them to where they are. I might ask questions that seem random, but that to me would yield a necessary piece for further figuring out how the story goes. If I see you socialising in a very engaging and friendly manner, I might ask what your family gatherings are like, how you celebrate birthdays and have family dinners. I'd imagine your story is one started in a very including and encouraging home, where the words of the young are just as important and valued as an adult's. If my story proves false, I'd simply revise and try to tell another story that might fit.

The beauty of stories is found in their endless opportunities. Strictly speaking, the number of true stories I will learn from all the people I meet is minuscule, and so I have figured that I would rather imagine their stories as interesting ones, than accept the likelihood of it being the sad expectability stereotypes would have them be. Although stereotypes sometimes seem like a busy mind's best friend, they will by default abandon the enormous pool of amazement that is opportunities. For that reason especially, I adore those willing and capable of awing me with the creation of a story so unanticipated and delightfully intricate as to make me smile. And for this reason I often find myself lost in a realm of words, ideas and fantasy. A realm of fiction.

To me, a well written story is one I find transferrable. I find a thrill in observing a predicament presented in a unique social climate involving elaborate and nuanced characters, where their specific lives has led them to hold certain beliefs that are equally understandable, yet opposites. A story of conflict always has two sides, and I have always found myself equally interested in both, no matter the parties. I might agree with one over the other, but my mind still engages in imagining the reasons one might support the opposing side. This is especially interesting because most conflicts base themselves on a lack of understanding. Anger is very much a product of confusion. When someone or something doesn't make sense, we often choose to oppose or fight it, when instead we could simply make sense of it. I am not a very angry person, for when confused, I imagine a story. In seeking the validity of my story, I often stumble across knowledge that either enriches or challenges it, either way relieving some of my confusion. In reading fiction novels, I not only entertain my quirky interests, but also invest in my pool of stories. I learn to imagine unorthodox connections, be they social, political, natural or physical. Novels are like a meta-academy for mental preparation serving to make sense of the actual world.

It shouldn't surprise you that my closest friends are likeminded individuals. I feel a natural attraction to characters who express a fondness for stories. In my inner circle I have not a simple bunch of fantasy reading outcasts, but a close group of storytelling imaginationalists. My life is enriched by their thoughts and ideas, for they pertain to it directly. As their imagined stories are explained, so are they interweaved in my understanding of the world. Together we simply try to make sense of it all.

If I could change one thing in this world, I would have people imagine more stories.

"Just be yourself" they say

What does it mean to be yourself? People always say "Be yourself" when you wonder how to act in certain circumstances. Do I have a predetermined way of being that defines me as a person, a way of being I should follow without fault, lest I risk losing myself? Is there a given pattern for me to follow? One that you all know to be me? If it is so clear to you how I should act, why can't you tell me, rather than going on saying "Be yourself" without elaborating, ever.

Superman In Superman Red Son - Best Comic Ever

You could still be you, yet way different

My guess is you've just as little an idea as me as to how I should act, and so you simply tell me to wing it, disguising it all with a common saying that hints at the fact that my natural way of being should be good enough. The problem is, when I'm with you and everyone else that I know, or any other character that I've learned to know, such as "storeowner", "police officer" or "colleague", I know how to act, or rather, I know how I enjoy acting. I know what responses I'll get in general when I act certain ways. This is the me you all know, because this is the me I know. But you wouldn't know me as the same character that "police officer" knows, and I'll be a different character still to a colleague. I wouldn't think twice about my actions in any of the circumstances, because I'd be acting as the me I know. The difference lies in you, who you are. I project the me that I want you to see, and I hide the rest. This is natural to some extent, and perhaps manipulation once used intentionally, but to me, it is as if I'm telling you the particular part of the truth I believe you would like to hear. The rest of it, especially the parts I believe you to dislike, those I leave unannounced.

Cloud Strife And Zack Fair In Final Fantasy - Best Game Ever

You tell the truths others want to hear, both for your and their sake

The thing is, our personalities are way too complex and broad-spanned to reveal all at once, hence the saying "learning to know one another". We start with the easy stuff, the safe stuff, and then we might pop some of the passionate stuff, unless we think doing so will trigger negative emotions outweighing our positive ones. Normally you wouldn't tell someone you hate football right after they've told you how excited they are to see the match that night, unless you really hate football and really feel it would be degrading of you not to reveal such a distaste. We play it safe and we play it smart, learning to know each other, bit by bit. It takes years to reveal all the bits, and it takes a great deal of interest from the other part to pick them all up and remember where to place them. Nearly nobody will ever reach that level with me, and only a handful of people will ever care enough to figure me out as completely as I have myself. And so, knowing that most people will only remember a certain few big things about me, and make a web of information that's just big enough to remember how to act around me, I focus on the sides of me that will make sure people treat me the way I want to be treated. You might not get to know all of me, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm still being myself, and it is me you're getting to know, the way I see it fit.

Tyler Durden And Himself In Fight Club - Best Movie Ever

Changing personalities like a boss

However, a problem occurs when pressed with a situation where either the character you are playing is unknown to you, or the character you are meeting is. For instance, your first visit to your first girlfriend's house, how to balance your roles as boyfriend and potential son-in-law while avoiding the role of imposer. You probably know the role of boyfriend rather well by now, even how to handle it with friends about. But you've never been a potential son-in-law, and you've never had to juggle that and your boyfriend role while feeling pressure of acting overly imposing. So, how to behave? At this moment, it seems quite stupid telling me to be myself, doesn't it? It's like answering "What should we eat?" with "Food.". That wouldn't really be helpful at all, would it? Rather than telling me to wing it, tell me of your own experience, given that you have any, or at least try to imagine the most likely possibilities with me. Lets figure out the proper play, together. Then you'd be actually helping me out.

And if we don't figure it out, I'll have to live and learn I guess, but at least you've tried to help me out, and I'd appreciate that.

How we enable ourselves

Hubble telescope - Deep Space

We learn to observe more and more of the world we inhabit, learn to overcome obstacles and to continuously improve our mental and physical capabilities. We reach a threshold where we reveal a way to drastically change our nature, and so we have enabled ourselves as the moderator of our own evolution. We set the course and the pace. If we will it, we can become superhuman, ie. we will be superior compared to today's standard of being human. Technology will allow us to embrace our potential, it will enable us. It will be unlike anything we have ever seen, because we have nowhere in nature to observe this phenomenon. This is because we are the only ones able to explore it. We are the race destined to exceed our observed potential. We reach beyond our capabilities, we always have.

When we let ourselves, life as we live it will become the old ways, like back in the old days. We have changed our daily routine more in the past hundred years than the rest of time combined. The pace of change will not abate, it will increase. We will reveal new abilities within ourselves, that will allow us to reveal new technologies and advances that will further enable new abilities and opportunities. This is the nature of our evolution. It is no longer something that controls the changes within us, evolution is now what we ourselves decide to improve. Never before have we been able to interfere with our biology, and never before have we been able to improve our biology by introducing technology and creating symbiosis between man and machine. We are on a threshold. Past it we will find a new race, one that is enlightened in the ways of science and technology, one that is capable in ways we today are unable to imagine.

Once we have reached the edges of our potential as a race, a new door will open up. We will be able to broadcast the fact that we are ready for more. That we are capable of handling anything. Only then will the rest of the universe reveal it's presence. We will not discover them, they will open their doors and invite us in, for we will finally be ready. They will have been watching us for a long time, waiting for us to be ready, just as they are waiting for several other races to close the evolutionary gap. There can be no such gap when we introduce ourselves, because that will lead to one or the other's struggle to close said gap, without the given race being ready for such a change. Evolution might be in our own hands, but a part of the process is our own ability to hold back and let ourselves become ready for it, before we embrace it. Change can come fast, but not over night. This is why they are waiting. Waiting for us to level the playing field.

Maybe there's an intergalactic betting system on which race will reach their potential first. I wonder if we're winning. Maybe getting there first shouldn't be the goal. Someone once said life isn't a destination, it's a journey. Maybe they're having bets on how interesting our journey will be. I'd like us to win that one.

Open minded

James Jean - Hive

Being open minded is not innate in me, it is something I have to work on and force out. It is rather natural to behave, act and think in a similar fashion every day, as I have general models to follow in almost any context, and because I'm both familiar with the execution of these models as well as their repercussions. Autopilot is mostly engaged, and I find that trailing along blindly generally leaves me content and filled with a common handful of experiences. But then there is this other ability that is innate; curiosity. Curiosity is one of my most rewarding traits, as it gives me the courage to master challenges, to best my fears and to overcome obstacles. Curiosity has taught me to think positively, as it has time and again proven that there are multiple ways one can go, several right answers to any riddle and a way out of almost any situation. You don't even have to know where to look, you simply have to remember that you can look for an alternative, and it will often present itself.

Curiosity lets me break out of habits and out of my own way of being. Without it, I wouldn't have tried new food, finding flavors I never knew I'd love. I wouldn't have checked out new music, finding genres I never knew could make me dance the way they do. I wouldn't have experimented with a behavioral variety towards new people, finding out how I best enjoy myself and in what company and context I feel serenity, exhilaration, annoyance, carelessness or excitement. Being curious is to me all about discovering new sides to myself and daring to embrace them, if only for a second, to know how it feels and to understand the possibility of this being a natural part of me. Truthfully, you can only have a hunch about whether or not you'll like something until you actually try it. Only then will you know if it is for you or not, and so you don't really have a choice in the matter, other than to go for it and hope for the best. Worst thing that can happen is that you have a bad experience, but even then I find it to be worth it as I can be honest in saying I know that this in particular is not for me, at least not in this given context.

Where it gets complicated is when there are other emotions in the equation, other than the fear of simply not liking the experience at hand. Getting stung on a personal level is probably the biggest qualm for most of us, and I find this to be the toughest bubble to burst with curiosity alone. Exposing a desire to befriend someone or to reveal certain emotions towards a person can be daunting at best, as it is required that the feelings are mutual for them to prosper. This is by far the most exciting form of curiosity; that which is focused on an individual. Simply because nothing ever gets more complex and interesting than the entirety of a person, and you get to discover whether this certain kind of person is a good fit for you, and maybe even understand why or why not. The problem with such curiosity is the fear of losing the opportunity to discover what this person is all about, as an aggressive or even a passive approach could turn people away. How you should go about to sate your curiosity will have to differ based on any number of factors, ranging from your given relationship, your genders, your common network and naturally, both your personalities. And then things get really complicated, seeing as you know very little about each other in the first place, so you have to figure out your possible paths and at the same time decide upon one. Social interaction has never been so challenging as when you've got something to lose.

Compared to any other form of curiosity, the situation changes instantly once another person is added to the equation. I cannot simply decide to discover what this potential relationship will hold for me, without considering the ramifications of my actions on this person's life. And what when this person is linked to me in more ways than one? The network of people connected to the situation is often complex, and so you have more factors weighing in. What if my curiosity leads to the discomfort of others than the two of us? My relationship to a person is always somewhat made up of the network of people surrounding us and our individual relationships to each part of the network. The best example of this that I can think of is probably the most common one as well: your friend's girlfriend or boyfriend is always going to be off limits. You cannot simply let your curiosity dictate your actions, because you should respect the connection both of you have to your friend. Sometimes, however, people do find each other despite these obstacles, but then they often do that at the price of losing something. In this instance, it could lead to the loss of said friend, unless he is a character somewhat out of the ordinary. The point is, the more people that are involved and the more complex their relationships are, the more I got to consider, once I'm feeling curious.

I feel that fear of being inconsiderate is one of the few legitimate reasons for denying one's curiosity, seeing as fear of rejection, failure or injury is personal and most often something you can learn to control. Focusing on letting go of my personal qualms is a good start at least, and working on it I've found that people respond with a different energy once I focus on being open minded. Good energy has surrounded me for several weeks now, and I'm starting to think that we respond with this energy automatically when met with an energy of genuine and unrestrained interest and curiosity. Curiosity will eventually bring out every part of you, thus also the best ones, and it seems it also gives you an aura that brings out the best of everyone around you. Your ability to embrace your possibilities is at least an encouragement for those around you to do the same, or at least to embrace their own curiosity.

If they dare to force it out, I believe their personality will bloom, and that they will find tranquility. My mind is as open as ever, and I'm at least feeling quite tranquil these days.
But maybe that's just me.

Warmth

Inside this head of mine, I tend to reconfigure my view on life every now and again. I mostly do this for a limited time, enabling me to understand that which I'd otherwise be blind to see. Or simply to enhance my own ability to comprehend that which I feel. Finding new ways to explain ideas is helpful in truly understanding them, and I find that a lot of answers can be found by delving within oneself, as well as a lot of questions. Lately I've been finding several questions without apparent answers. I've been wondering where to look, where to direct my intentions, how to act and what to want. Who I want to be and how I want to get there. That would pretty much be the gist of it. And so, finding only questions and none of the related answers, I add a filter, hoping it will reveal the answer I am looking for.

Try to see life as nothing but colors, shades and nuances. Every emotion, every action and everything else can be given a color, a shade, a nuance. Seeing life this way helps you define what is what, how things affects you, how people affect you, what's important to you and what's hurtful. In order to fully appreciate the benefits of seeing the world through such a filter, you must first understand your relationship to colors. Another filter might work better for you, but I myself find colors to be fitting, as I have a conscious relationship to their effects on me, and also because colors, shades and nuances can be related to several deeper meanings. Even so, colors are a lot simpler to interpret and understand than the complete complexities of life.

Tinman's Lament - Dan May

Colors are for me divided between two poles; one warm, one cold. The cold side of the spectre gives you safety in lack of exposure, tranquility in lack of exaltation and serenity in lack of disappointment. The way I see it, living a life filled with cold colors will leave you content, yet unconsciously exasperated. I want warmth, and here's why:

Warm colors give me joy.

Orange is the color of happiness. It's the color of carelessness, fun and foolishness. It is perhaps my favorite color of all, being carefree in it's entirety. Orange is never serious, it is a late night laughing at dark humor carelessly enjoyed in the company of one's closest friends, it is my euphoria. Orange is smiling for the sake of smiling, laughing without constriction and hugging for the sake of holding someone close, not caring what onlookers might think. Orange is what I want everything I feel to be based upon, how I picture my Utopia unfurled.

She Entwined - Audrey Kawasaki

Red is the deepening of Orange. It is intensity, it is lust, it is passion and it is love. Red is not careless, but neither is it careful. Red is rather reckless and hopeless, driving me to excitement and exaltation both, although forever risking the staggering drop into the deep Blue. Red brings me to the very brink of life, overwhelming all other colors. It is by far the least stable of the colors, but also the most rewarding. When I sense Red in others, it warms me to the core, spreading joy and serenity throughout my bones. I think we desperately need to improve our ability to feel and project Red in our lives here in Norway. We're a cold people, not because we lack big hearts, but because they are walled up inside layers of purple and blue; colors that limits us to jealousy, disdain and discomfort. And I don't take kindly to folks who don't take kindly around here.

Chance Meeting Forest Monsters - Andy Kehoe

Earthly colors give me purpose.

They are the deepest of the warm, the ones close to nature. Brown and Burgundy fill me with commitment of different sorts. Brown fills me with homebound affection, reminding me of my roots and that I have a caring family. Brown is my commitment to give others this feeling of safety I myself embrace. Brown is calm and trustworthy, a feeling of companionship and an invitation to familiar bonds beyond hello. Brown is the wellbeing I feel when caring for a friend or a colleague.

Burgundy is an adaptation of Red, one that holds a lot of Brown. Burgundy is safety and compassion in one. Not often do I feel the force of Burgundy protrude, but when I do, it is as overwhelming as the strongest desires I've ever felt. Burgundy can break out tears and fills me with a profound sense of living. Truly acknowledging and accepting someone outside your family takes a lot of trust. It is simply hard to fully open up to someone, and I believe most of us rarely do. Burgundy is the feeling of acceptance. Burgundy is Red without the antagonizing Blue; the intensity and love without fear of rejection or judgement. Burgundy is accepting the fact that I love a friend like my brother, and the realization that I'm not ashamed of admitting it. I guess Burgundy is my favorite color.

I strongly desire a life filled with warmth. The question is how to get out of the cold.

Back in the days we...

Seriously, gamers need to realized they've grown the fuck up.

How often do you see people judging new games arguing that it isn't like the original, which they played for years and never stopped loving? How often is a sequel compared to the original in a fair way? Had the original and the sequel been released at the same time, the sequel would undoubtedly have been superior considering graphics and technology, but lets say we focus on the feel of the game and the visual appearance it projects, rather than the mechanics and how realistic it looks. And lets say you're 15. Yep, that's right, you probably were 15 back in the days of the original game, and you probably didn't have much else going on in your life, so it was pretty much your sole purpose back then. Did you consider that when you dropped bombs on the sequel ten years later? Don't think you did, no.

The thing is, the game isn't worse than the original because you're unable to devote your entire life to it today, it's rather you that today are unable to devote your entire life to a game, because you're ten years older. Life has changed you, made you aware of what you like and what you spend time on. You have standards based on your past experiences, and you expect new entries in your life to at least live up to said standards, and preferably surpass them. The ability to keep you enticed for weeks or years is not even remotely relevant for new games, because it's quite simply impossible. The new games aren't worse than the originals, they're actually loads better in most cases. Perfection is the new standard. Perfect gameplay, perfect visual appearance, perfect characters and perfect storyline. Not always successfully perfect, but the aspiration is at least present during development.

If you find something, anything, at the age of 20 or older, that continually impresses you and keeps you entertained and delighted for several hours, or even days or weeks, you should be in awe. You should seriously be in freakin' awe of this product that continues to meet your expectations and further on surpasses them. This is a simple product that is shifting your standards to a new best and making it harder for following entries to even please you, so enjoy it while you can and give the creators due respect. You simply cannot rate a game down, saying that it was superb for two weeks, and then lost you. The game was superb for two weeks. End of story. You loved it. For two entire weeks! Maybe you didn't end up playing it for years and years, but several might, and some definitely will. You've just grown up, and so you have to face the fact that you're gonna have to buy a new game every other week if you want to keep on being amazed. Besides, it's not like any of the old favorites kept on amazing you throughout the years. It was simply you who didn't expect, nor required it to. You were content with what you had. Then you desired more. And now, more still. And a top quality new release only has about two weeks full of amazement. After that, only the content will keep at it for years.

We don't like being content, we like being amazed. But it's about time we realize we can't be forever amazed by one single phenomenon or product. Be grateful of what you can get and give due recognition and respect.

10/10 for being amazing. And that's that.