See me, do you?

You get scared so bad you jump into the guy standing behind you. You did not mean to, of course, but you simply reacted without thinking, so naturally you should not be to blame if he got hurt. Or should you?

Actions can seem controlled by outer forces, alien to ones consciousness. Maybe our subconsciousness is behind it all? Does this mean that blackouts are periods of time when our true self take control, when we act in accord with our true nature; our subconsciousness?

If regarding our consciousness as what makes us human; that which grants us the ability to think, we would have to deem a state of absentmindedness, or a black out if you will, equivalent of a state of feralness, where we're reduced to act on the behest of simple instincts; like an animal.

Such an act, one without reason, is an act of purity; it is neither good nor evil. Nevertheless, we instantly deem those who act rampant and savagely evil and those who contribute to charity good, independent of whatever their intentions were. An act of said nature will most always fall in the aforementioned category in the eyes of the beholders, regardless of the circumstances, because we, the beholders, simplify the world we perceive, making it easier to process. What difference is it to us if the man who ripped that purse from the fleeing old lady and ran off was really getting his wife's purse back from the inconspicuous bag-snatcher? We see a man grabbing hold of a purse held by an old lady, hence he is a criminal.

Shallowness is the price we pay for maintaining a world with such a level of complexity as the one we live in. It is simply too much for our mind to handle, so we place what we see in boxes, and we deal with it accordingly. But when we are challenged on this matter, when the picture we put in a box doesn't fit, when it suddenly dawns on us that our preconceived idea was faulty, we wake up.

Being aware of the shallowness of others, one can quite easily create a simple disguise for oneself, something to hide behind, something to keep others from getting at the real you. This that you show, is not who you are, but who you portray yourself as. It takes a lot of guts to live in the now, and act on the behest of one's inner desires at all times, for one will always be prone to the pointy finger of others, and they will point straight at your very self. Personally I have yet to truly know another as I know myself, and I have yet to let another know me as I do. I can't imagine how wonderful it might be to have such a relationship with someone, where nothing is hidden behind disguising gestures and social norms. I find it being one of my dreams for this life of mine, to be able to trust someone with my entire self, even the darker sides usually hidden inside layers of politeness.

Thanks to Luke Chueh for his wonderful and inspirational artwork