While at lunch today, we were discussing the different ways that different cultures eat. Every time I made mention of some action or habit that I use on a daily basis, someone would say, well in this culture, people eat like this. And in that culture, this is the norm. And when I explained something further, I would hear, well in this culture.... and so on this went. Then I got asked if the way I eat represents the U.S. way to eat, and my response was a quote from the movie, Stomp the Yard:
"I ain't reppin' nothing, just me." (DJ)
And the reason why this has any sort of significance to me today is because of a quote I stumbled on this morning:
"Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought...the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life." (Bertrand Russell)
We are programmed to be mentally, physically, emotionally, inferior as we grow up. Mostly warranted, but as we progress from diapers to boxers and sand boxes to sand parties, we are conditioned to more or less blindly accept those above us (figuratively and literally) as teachers, leaders, and people to 'look up to.' So what does this blind acceptance do to us?
Well it leads to a lack of creative, independent pursuit of autonomy. Autonomy, referring to the "capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision." (Wikipedia). And while autonomy is a key word in this idea, I believe creative might be more important. Simply forming an informed opinion might only lump you into a group with the other 49% of a minority. Just veering away from 'blind education' is only the beginning. I'm not saying that my way of eating was something inherently original or without precedence, but I took no advice or bias when I realized that eating small amounts of each dish at a meal interchangeably is not my preferred method. I'm more of an Independence Day alien war craft: Destroy something completely, move on the to the next biggest thing, and destroy the piss out of that too.
But the point is not to say that everything you do should be your own original brand. It's also not to say that your creative approach to something is the right way to do it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that some of my life theories or ideals that I've created on my own might not make the most sense. But at the end of the day, 'I'm reppin' me.' What I have built, what I believe in, who I trust, and any other decision that includes even the slightest bit of gray area, is me. Which is something that I can not only be proud of, but continue to grow and manipulate as I mature through life, keeping in mind that even the most surest of thoughts I've had might change in time.
And you'd be surprised how many 'areas of gray' you might find when you start turning over the rocks that line your path in life. Because, if I can end this with one more quote for you to ponder:
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." (Bertrand Russell)
Including those that we passively accepted at a young age.
"I ain't reppin' nothing, just me." (DJ)
And the reason why this has any sort of significance to me today is because of a quote I stumbled on this morning:
"Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought...the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life." (Bertrand Russell)
We are programmed to be mentally, physically, emotionally, inferior as we grow up. Mostly warranted, but as we progress from diapers to boxers and sand boxes to sand parties, we are conditioned to more or less blindly accept those above us (figuratively and literally) as teachers, leaders, and people to 'look up to.' So what does this blind acceptance do to us?
Well it leads to a lack of creative, independent pursuit of autonomy. Autonomy, referring to the "capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision." (Wikipedia). And while autonomy is a key word in this idea, I believe creative might be more important. Simply forming an informed opinion might only lump you into a group with the other 49% of a minority. Just veering away from 'blind education' is only the beginning. I'm not saying that my way of eating was something inherently original or without precedence, but I took no advice or bias when I realized that eating small amounts of each dish at a meal interchangeably is not my preferred method. I'm more of an Independence Day alien war craft: Destroy something completely, move on the to the next biggest thing, and destroy the piss out of that too.
But the point is not to say that everything you do should be your own original brand. It's also not to say that your creative approach to something is the right way to do it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that some of my life theories or ideals that I've created on my own might not make the most sense. But at the end of the day, 'I'm reppin' me.' What I have built, what I believe in, who I trust, and any other decision that includes even the slightest bit of gray area, is me. Which is something that I can not only be proud of, but continue to grow and manipulate as I mature through life, keeping in mind that even the most surest of thoughts I've had might change in time.
And you'd be surprised how many 'areas of gray' you might find when you start turning over the rocks that line your path in life. Because, if I can end this with one more quote for you to ponder:
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." (Bertrand Russell)
Including those that we passively accepted at a young age.
No comments:
Post a Comment