Manifesto or Manifesto

“1 - In societies dominated by modern conditions of production, life is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived is now receded into a representation.”

Guy Debord, Society of the Spectacle

I am trying to understand one simple thing - it seems as if the most desirable mode of being nowadays is the one of an individual yet when I look around myself, what I notice is people very actively choosing to look exactly like the first person on their right (which tends to be a best friend).

And the question that I wish to pose is - Seriously?

The Society of the Spectacle here comes into the picture as a very significant work in explaining how todays society thinks-feels-acts.

I am pointing at the mode of passivity - consider this - one could basically sit in front of a computer and survive. Yes, one could make money online, one could spend that same money online even faster; the advertisement is right there, taking care that we know what's IN and what NOT; I will not go into that one can stream TV, shows, radio;

and people, we can DOWNLOAD.

So, why bother?

***

It is more and more common that this influences the laziness that is preventing one investigating the self.

I will make a line now starting with words from a friend of mine who noted well when she said that most of the children nowadays see only one image of the naked body - a Playboy naked body. Parents don't get naked in front of their children anymore. Children certainly don't get naked in front of each other.

This implies that it is not very weird after all that people get more and more shy with what their bodies look like because, let's face it, most of us do NOT look like Hugh Jackman.

I will take this notion of shyness a little further by saying that there is this potential that we all carry with us. Most of us never get to fulfill the full potential of our potential - why? - because we are “not sure” we can.

And when was the last time you took a risk?

Any kind of risk?

Yet alone a risk that could leave you embarrassed, standing alone in the middle of a room, looking stupid and sad and confused.

***

I would like to encourage - Quests for the Holy Grails!

And each morning you wake up and search for a Holy Grail that might be a different one that the one yesterday.

I am sure you will be left alone, embarrassed in the middle of a room, looking stupid and sad.

I am equally sure there will be a friend standing next to you, who will start laughing and buy you a beer.

And you will be hurt and wounded and happy and excited and inspired and depressed and an inch away from slicing your heart open and flying in the sky.

And you will feel so alive after every little victory and after every little defeat - because by both you will gain experience, you will meet another part of yourself,

you will take another little step for humanity but a HUGE step for yourself.

Find out who you are and sit on that horse and RIDE YOUR FUCKING LIFE INTO THE SUNSET!

***

That's all I wish to share today.

Gandi