Brainwash
You need to be independent.
I honestly couldn't believe this when I first suspescted it. Communist brainwash. I can't believe such people still exist, but then again maybe I'm too idealistic and trust that most people by now accept homosexuality for example (unrelated issue).
I'm not talking about people being brainwashed into blindly believeing and following (communistic/socialistic) ideas. There will always be such people for any idea, that I find normal, if disturbing.
What scared me, what I still find difficult to believe are people without... how should I can it?... people without anything human about them, people with no... self. I'm not talking about character (sadly, as it would have been an improvement) since that was obviously developed during an earlier stage of life, which was not so badly influenced by politics, religion (or the lack thereof) and other broad social factors.
Character is developed ever since a person can speak and act on his/her own. My subject indeed has character, but I also have a theory (that just cleared up) for that. Communism/Socialism is all about being an ideal society, which in general excludes differences between people and, therefore, personal character. After a certain age going to school (not necessarily after graduating, though) getting cookies or whatever children find excessively important at some point or another play a smaller role in a person's life compared to more national or global factors as wars, politics, surviving (to put it basically). Even if a child pre- or in early puberty might not fully understand these factors, they still influence it. Therefore, character development in a child living in a communist/socialist country is suppressed, roughly estimated, before puberty. My subject has an extremely selfish character, is ready to pout, ramble about herself, complain even if no one's listening plus a number of other (quite annoying) traits. Does that not sound a little... childish to you? Consider that the subject I'm talking of is past-middle-aged! It does make sense to have a such an infantile behaviour if that is all you got to 'build.' But it is not my subject's character that got me to write this...
As I mentioned (and I could be completely wrong here, but this is my personal opinion), communism/socialism suppress the, well, person in a person. My subject shows absolutely NO individuality and even fear of such! Since she is retired (as implied above), she basically has to stay home all day. She asks me what to do. She expects me, in a way, to tell her what to do with her time with herself... to order her! For pretty much the first time today, I went in depth explaining that she should be self-sufficient, she should find her own interests and explore them, use her time to her advantage and find how best to spend it. I told her she has to be independent and her response amazed me. Several times she answered me either in a desperate way, trying to tell me she can't do anything, expecting me to give her an idea, to tell her what to do. A couple of other times she was mad at me, seemingly or as far as I understood, for even suggesting something like that. In the end after giving her options and ideas to my best ability, she started crying (as happens often, which is not all that surprising considering the above paragraph) and explaining she can't go on like that, she has to do something (insert me repeating all of the above, how she can do everything she wants to and her ignoring me) and she can't do anything. She said she wanted to die and when I told her that's the easy way out, when I said that was cowardly she laughed and told me not to say it again. Of course, most suicidal people would answer me that, but meh...
She still persists there is no 'use' to an existence like hers, she wants to die, there is no point in not doing anything (which is only her fault)... I don't know... It's not all that annoying as it is... scary. I am mortified to find out there are still people whose only purpose in life is to serve.
Promise I'll never be like that?
08.22.06 (6:10 pm) [
edit]
posted by:
lindy (
reply)
post date:
09.02.06 (7:00 am)
Based on your profile, I'd say commentary is the last thing that interests you here, but I've never been one to follow along with the rest of the herd. I take it you are some kind of licensed therapist. This session is indeed an eye opener. I watched a documentary on China a little while ago and, naturally, Communism was discussed at length. It could well be that Communism in its purist form, not tainted by poor execution could lead to a balance between a feeling of 'self' and group worth, but I do tend to agree that as it is practiced today, it robs the human spirit of feeling unique. Then again, doesn't Buddhism? Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post and am under the distinct impression that I've stepped into the mad scribblings of a brilliant mind. Cheers.
posted by:
crescent (
reply)
post date:
09.02.06 (8:27 am)
Reply to: lindy
Heh, as a matter of fact you are the reason for writing a new profile as much as putting 3 words can be called writing ;)
But above all I want to thatnk you for the compliment... It means a lot to me! I'm not referring to "the mad scribblings of a brilliant mind" although that would have made smile ear-to-ear on its own. My mouth gaped open and I decided it better to do something until it closes so my answer would be coherent...
"I take it you are some kind of licensed therapist."
As a matter of fact I'd love to be one and plan to become. I've always thought I had somewhat of a given knack for it and some extra knowledge would really give me the right push, but... Wow, I'm still so flattered. I'm currently in high school, age-- well let's just say below 18 :)
Thanks again for the flattery :)
As to communism? I have absolutely no personal experience as you might guess and the one I'm referring to is a very old case. If I'm not mistaken communism was finally and completely abolished in my country the very year I was born. Still I had the chance to think on it and have a person that (because of certain curcumstances) is now as she had been at the time (the changes she might have undergone under democracy since are mostly wiped, I believe).
While it is painful for me to think of someone as not having an own self, an identity, this was even scarier. While Buddhism might advise altruism (is that what you were referring to? If not - please clarify), but that means helping others and not being selfish. I believe (though I might be wrong here, I don't know all that much about Buddhism) that the religion actualyl supports personality as in having a unique one and being special. Just... "don't take advantage of it" or "everyone is special" type of behaviour...
What is worse in this case is not that the person has no desires of her own, no -interests- even, she has been taught as a worker. You have to work. All the time. Rest is a luxury. (Though, if she is given any work, she'll probably complain, but that is because of the childishness) When I think of elections, voting and Mtv awards if you will, I see the mass making a choice. I see the popular candidate. I always thought ('hoped' is probably a better word) that this 'mass' of peopel that votes that way is nto a mass. I hope every one of them is a person and they just happent o agree on that. The subject looks exactly as part of a 'mass', just a person in a big, big group, unimportant on her own.
Are the people who vote for 50cent or whomever's popular now the same? I hope not, though I have seen no proof to that...
posted by:
lindy (
reply)
post date:
09.02.06 (2:27 pm)
Oh, man. To hear that you aren't yet 18 is truly amazing. I read your post to my husband, along with my comment and your response and we both sat here with our mouths open. I guess all three of us are trying to catch a few flies today. ;)
I fear you won't find a large readership here because, frankly, you are too intelligent for the average person in this community (and yes, it has led to a few flaming instances as my pride occassionally gets the better of me). I'm not trying to be condescending. I'm sure you see what the average intelligence and maturity levels are in your peers. Don't take it as an insult, but rather as a relief that your manner of expression probably chases some people away.
You do indeed have a knack for seeing people, understanding their behavior and maybe even getting them to see it for themselves. I recognize your intuition, as I have something similar in me, and have been told I'd make an excellent therapist too, though I have not pursued a formal education to solidify it. I do hope it stays in your plans, as I believe you would be an asset to the field.
You touch on some very interesting societal questions. Are the people who vote for 50cent all the same? Would you be upset to hear my opinion as affirmative? There is a heavy amount of social programming happening at seemingly innocent levels. The programming is motivated by profit/financial gain and tends to happen through television, movies, general advertising and internet interaction. But I'll not head down that path, as it is tough to stomach, given that most people's lives have become engrained and vice versa, and they tend not to want to face it, as it would mean far more work to achieve fulfilment.
Saturated advertising of a particular musical artist = brain washing. It's quite a similar thing to what you might describe as Communism. Millions of dollars are spent every year making sure we turn our attention toward a particular person who is backed by a major corporation with an arsenal of funding. Freedom of the press is only there for those who can afford it. Freedom of the press = advertising/brain washing.
With television so pervasive in our lives, what ever message is programmed into it is programmed into us. Makes it all the more necessary to find out the who and why of programming, otherwise, we're all sheep indeed and not a whole lot better than the woman you are describing.
By the way, if this subject interests you at all, you might want to head over to Devon.tblog. com and take a look at Devon's short video about television. You might like it. (by the way, this advertisement is brought to you without any corporate funding, but with a definite biased slant, as Devon happens to be my husband, so.. I dig his work).
Our Capitalist 'masses' are programmed just as much as followers of communism, but in different ways and for different end results. There are actually instances of seemingly more successful socialist societies, take for instance Canada and the Netherlands. If you look into their forms of government, you may see that programs exist for the greater, while still allowing for the individual. Even in places like China, where Communism runs deep and execution is flawed, there are still instances of self being not only allowed, but even promoted. For example, there is a push to supply fresh hypodermic needles (even for drug users) with no questions asked, but again, there is plenty of evidence that Communism as it is being practiced in China is failing the community and the individual. As for the comparison to Buddhism.. it's tough to explain, but Buddhism being more of a school of thought as opposed to a religion has a few tenets that would lead one to believe that self is merely an integral part of everything else.. the earth, trees, rain, other people.. I know it sounds vague, but Buddhism teaches to leave self and selfishness behind and to accept that we are part of a continuing cycle, that one day, we will be called back into the ground and another will be born, just as the now-cliche' Autumn leaves die and descend from their branches, becoming once again part of the earth, only to become the soil that fertilizes new growth, and on and on it goes.
Basically, your aforementioned subject is merely much more visible for the social programming that exists in her. Spotting it in ourselves and the people around us is tough because it very much goes against the grain. I think I'm repeating myself. Hope I don't come off sounding like the nut case that I am. ;)
posted by:
crescent (
reply)
post date:
09.02.06 (3:38 pm)
Thanks again for the lovely compliment :) (And excuse my typos -_-; dyslexic)
I have long since given up on finding readership and rarely do write anything sensible (skim through the page, I think you'll know what I mean ;) but I very much appreciate you commentary here and believe you have a good point :)
Since it's one and a half am here and the fact the comments turned out larger than the blog post itself is starting to scare me, I have to say just thanks for now, although it seems we have agreed on the subject. (Though I might think differently tomorrow ;)
Oh, just a note? The 'subject' is a relative of mine... Since you said we can't see this in the people close to us, I mean, not that she's all that close...
And no, I'm not offended when you speak (truthfully) about my peers... I know them, after all ;)
I'll make sure to check Devon's website... tomorrow :)
Good night :)
