The bewildered always have questions ‘after the fact’. Such questions usually offer profound testimony to these folks’ ignorance and lack of forethought, as well as to their inattention to ‘time’. Regret is expressed for the consequences, but responsibility is rarely taken for the circumstances leading up to an event. Blame may be apportioned in some cases … but lessons are rarely learned. Life goes on … and so does denial.

Does anyone really know what time it is? Many speak of the ‘investments in time’ they make or of their skills of time management … as if time were a commodity. To these aims, clocks were invented to keep track of time. Time keeping instruments are even worn on wrists … analogous to dog collars. Clinically speaking, regardless of the number of nanoseconds there are in a moment, each minute is seen as either being “too early” or “too late”.

Our movements are synchronized to our own creations. Yes, we are slaves to time. We relinquished our ‘freedom’ to our perception of time long ago. What’s worse is that for all our attention to time, we still have no clue about it.

“What time is it?”, you ask. “You’re asking the wrong question”, I say.

Understanding our place in the universe requires us to stop, look and listen unconditionally. Yet, this is not easy because we are in fact conditioned not to. We are bred to keep moving, reacting and consuming. We are charged with sensibilities that dismiss theories of our relativity to others or even our planet which sustains us.

We cater to convenience and live in the here and now … or so we think. The problem is we don’t think; we simply assume. Thinking requires abstraction and objectivity. This is not one of our strengths as a species, especially since we are always ‘on the move’. A ‘don’t bother me with the details’ mentality requires no thought … which is fine because there are always institutions willing to tell you (or sell you) what to think.

Authority figures often admonish us to listen first and ask questions later. In fact, they simply act in a non-transparent manner to avoid having to say “don’t ask any questions”. Of course, this smacks of fascism … and so somehow this sentiment yields a different reaction: “shoot first and ask questions later“. A degree in radical behaviorism is not required to see that we have been taught to react pro-actively. Confused? Stay tuned.

The question: when there is a lack of ‘offense’, why is there is a need of ‘defense’? The paranoid would answer ‘just in case’. And so, we build weapons of destruction so that we my live in ‘security’. We prefabricate hypothetical threats to justify our investments in ‘defense mechanisms’. Why do we get so caught up in this type of personal and mass hysteria? Why do we start wars just to make peace?

The answer: we have been conditioned to because nothing sells products like ‘fear’ … especially fear of the unknown. The more people are kept confused and nervous, the easier it is to control them. Stress triggers fight or flight instincts … but chronic stress wears down one’s energy so ‘fight’ becomes less of an alternative. We are left only with the option to flee (in panic) … and how convenient it is that there is always an ‘escape path’ ready for us to follow. How conveniently we run like cows down the path to the slaughterhouse. In such a state, there is no escape.

We are told what to think since clear thinking requires observational skills. Stay dumb and have blind faith is the message. “Don’t look behind the curtain” warns the Wizard of Oz. Instead, we are given quests and mantras to follow: “Go forth and consume! Competition is healthy!” Some even see it as a matter of patriotism cum nationalism … “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength!”

We don’t know what to believe anymore. Idol worship is bad, but pop idols are good. The cry of “Make love, not war” is heard on the streets … but on TV it’s okay to show the gore of war and violence, but not a couple having sex. Some are health conscious to the point of anorexia. Others, erring towards the economical, plunk down $1.99 for an ‘all you can eat’ buffet special.

People don’t want to be sheep, but the system forces them to. Sometimes, people revolt … for a while … so the ‘powers that be’ ply them with material goodies and impossible dreams to shut them up so they will get back to work and stay busy keeping the system going. From media cannons, guilt and hypocrisy are fired. The ‘flock’ are told it’s wrong to crave possessions … by the very ones who sold them everything. Confusion breeds humility and the sheeple go back to work, only dreaming of and living for the weekends. Double tongued talk of the devil and “effort equals rewards” ideology keep most in line. Those with something to sell always give away these sorts of ‘mixed messages’ for free … hooks and bait for the fish. 

Wake up! Stop running. Stop glorifying ‘busy’. Take a moment to regain your composure and desensitize yourselves to the perceived threat. Breathe and listen. De-stress. There is no rush. There is no threat. What there is … is mainly a lot of marketing hype, just enough to make us confused ‘consumers’, as opposed to individuals.

When will we stop deprecating our humanity in the name of consumption? How can pitting our basic ‘survival of the fittest’ nature against each other considered to be ‘healthy competition’? Why do we continue to pollute the very natural resources (air, water, etc) we need to continue living on this planet?

Go ahead. It’s your turn to ask some ‘stupid questions’ …

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Suggested Listening:

“From Stockholm to Samothraki” by Plan 3 – Help support independent artists!