From: nexus@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Abstractor)
Newsgroups: alt.angst
Subject: Re: tiredness.
Date: 4 Oct 1992 14:43:29 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

llama@pooh.cc.utexas.edu (sine nomine) puts her wisdom in writing:

>Rex Farmer (rfarmer@nyx.cs.du.edu) wrote:

>: I just despair at the innumerable giant problems we're faced with: cultural
>: bankruptcy, population explosion (to put news reports of deaths in
>: perspective, I always remember that there are 250,000 new people EVERY DAY),
>: envirodisaster, educational collapse, ...

Problems? They keep the world going. To put them as "problems" in a way
is also a reflection of "Qui bono". Just politics. Probably the way to
worry (angst) about them is to see how your own life is intertwined in
them and make your own judgement as whether you see them in the way
media want you to believe or in a different prospective.

>to me, this has always felt like "visualize world peace" syndrome. i
>mean, it's a worthy effort, sure, but it gets real easy to get
>preoccupied with and discouraged about world peace, conveniently
>allowing you to ignore the unpeaceful things in your life.

No need to get preoccupied. Just dream your little dream and wait
till the system approaches equilibrium (which is so convenient from
time to time). Then crawl out of your shell and say with a deep voice
of a prophet: "Isn't that the state of things that I TOLD you we gonna
end up with?" And there will be "peace" in your mind and satisfaction;
in the meantime some men(they should die anyway, right) in some far
country will be mentally or physically distorted, crippled or just
killed for the sake of some dubious "peace" for other people.
Hell, they were just not born in the right place. Why bother? Let it
be "peace". *here comes a smiley*

                    [...] >         perhaps we're reaching the
>crescendo; who knows? for the most part, i don't have the energy to
>worry about the state of the educational system or the population
>explosion; these things don't impact me personally.

Yes. And why should they? Let the world die anyway. A very convenient
theory. But mind (intelligence) is a very plastic system with a great
potential for survival. The energy comes in the interaction; whoever
closes themselves for the world, they lose not only the energy; they
lose themselves as an OPTION for this world. And yes, why worry about
the educational system? Ignorance is not an excuse; let them boil in
the juices of their own profanity so the progress can be substituted
with technological protesing and proclamations of "family values"
NOT!


BTW, "crescendo" theories have been in this world since its very
existence. Same thing with religions. Apocalyptic visions were accepted
as eternal wisdom. However the world is still alive and going on.
Mind in abstractions, in symbols, in art is still there.
Esoterically enough, that makes living (and angsting) worth it. But it's
very convenient to say "Things are reaching crescendo. Why try to change
them anyway". Sorry, that's not my type of angst. The more pitiful thing
is that you can't do enough to change things. And if people close
themselves to you because of their personal comfort you do even less. No
interaction is possible. That's why I feel like quoting one of my
favorite poets "I feel a pitty but to Christ".

>the things that get me down aren't global, really. they're things like
>being awake at 3 am and playing solitaire and wondering how long it
>would take them to figure out you were missing if you keeled over dead
>*right now*. or trying to figure out if it even matters if there's a
>god and wondering how in the hell it justifies itself if there is. or
>feeling like you're floating in a soup of depression and there's no
>way to ever climb out; the best you can hope for is to keep your head
>above it for a while sometimes. or wondering if you're the only person
>on your block (floor, street, in your organization, at work) who
>thinks about stuff like this, who thinks that most people are
>deliberately ignorant and sheeplike and boring. and wondering if you'd
>be happier as a sheep. i could go on forever.

It's so satisfying and sweetish-pain-enjoyable to feel sorry about your-
self that way. Ther's nothing I would like to say about it. I've had it
lots of times and I know that I'll be not happier as a sheep.
And there's no point to blame the world for such states of mind.
Deliberately or not ignorance is just a function of the global state of
things. Fortunately, Mediocrity can't have all mind; there's still some
left for a change.

>if i ever figure out who i am and what i want from life, and what the
>whole damned thing is sposed to be about anyway, i'll start worrying
>about thee rest of the world. in the meantime all i can do it try to
>alleviate directly whatever evils i can.

Yes. You for yourself, god for the rest. How wise! (and traditional,
I would add "american" in a way).

>this isn't meant as a flame, btw. just a different perspective. i
>think global angst is just as valid as personal.

They are interconnected, I would say. Except that people don't realize
that most of the time. Feel free to flame me.


>--
>sine | deb
>"marley was a rasta, moses was a jew, jesus was an outlaw, just like
>me and you. let love be our religion 'til this life is through. the
>next best thing to heaven is a sinful life with you." timbuk 3


the NEXUS
---
  <<< I heard from neighbouring angels that Death has knocked on my
door yesterday. Today I left open and we had a nice chat. I think
I like hell better. <<<
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