They Hate Stupid People, And I Hate That Attitude

Hello friends! I know most people write on their blogs to rant. While I can't deny that what is coming up in this blog is indeed a rant, I do wonder what is it about our culture that attracts us to whining and complaining? (I really don't know the answer here, but perhaps I'll probably explore it in another post.)

This short piece is titled: "They Hate Stupid People, And I Hate That Attitude."

Maybe I'm making a little too much of this, but I went on facebook and saw this group entitled "I Hate Stupid People." When I saw this, I felt pretty upset with the world.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "It's just a silly group on the Internet. It has nothing to do with the real world." While I do find some merit in that rebuttal, lets face it: the Internet is a mass communication tool at its finest and worst. Because it is a public forum in which anyone can voice their opinion, I would dare say and argue that it is reflective of mass human culture.

The whole reason why I'm upset with this is that I don't believe anyone truly is "stupid." I think a lot of people I meet are "misguided" and "foolish," but certainly not "stupid." I may have called people "stupid" before in the past, but at heart, I never really mean it. I am in no position of calling anyone that. This entire universe is a mystery to me, and there's no way one could ever truly say they understand any concept to its fullest.

To me, this is indicative of ego driven consciousness. Who can say they fully understand a person? I sometimes feel that when people look at me, they see: "joker," "a buffoon," and "this guy probably has no direction in life because he's not business-minded."

However, when I look at someone, I try to see them as a mystery of life; an ever-changing person with a billion masks. People have limitless potential. Why should we say otherwise when we all know there's a billion complex things about us is just too much to explain?

I don't want to give up on people. I have friends who have given up on people, and I sometimes feel tempted to ask, "What if I had given up on you? What if I just assumed you were one trick phony?"

It's all in perspective. When you worship a god, do you fear his power? Is he an authoritative figure? Does he sit on a throne, being ultra judgmental on everybody's actions? Or does he teach sharing, compassion, kindness?

Which do you want to imitate? (Okay, I'll admit the former is probably a lot more fun, but we're talking long term here!)

The truth is that nobody is ever really stupid. In many ways, the truth is that we're all fools. We sit on our thrones thinking "I've got the whole world figured out," when in reality, none of us could explain the purpose of life. Who gave us the right to ever divide people up into "intellectuals" and "idiots?"

At the end of the day, none of us really know anything. Science itself is a matter of speculation: it really is just labels to make things easier to communicate. There's a billions things out there that are just too hard to explain. I think the common example I've heard is the platypus: it's not quite a duck or a mammal.

A lot of the elderly will tell you, "It's all about world experience. Maturity is something that comes with age. Knowledge only comes when you're well seasoned."

And what does it say when the elderly wish to be young? They yearn to be the ones they consider "stupid."

And why would they think that? Because when all is said and done, life is much easier when you're not over-rationalizing everything. (Do you think I'm happy writing this blog?) The old saying goes, "Ignorance is bliss," and it's very true that the less you know, the happier you are. The children have the power of imagination: they see the sky and ocean as things to be marveled at, whereas the adults see it as just air and water.

Children are not dumb. Indeed, they are very wise. They can live happily until our culture brews their egotistical attitudes: "I'm smarter than you," "I've got a better smile," "I need this to make myself feel better about myself. . ." etc. etc.

Soon enough, they will feel the need to control everything. Naturally, to feel like you're the King-Shit-of-the-Mountain, you're "esteemed" mind requires labels to make it seem like you know mechanics behind everything. Instead of realizing you're perfect just the way you are, you'll feel the need to put others down to make yourself feel more dominant. The only way you'll find self-worth is when others are kissing your ass.

Some days you'll realize you're an asshole, and it will hurt really bad.

Wouldn't it be better if we just respected each other for a change?

I Got the Same Old Speech Again Today. . .

I just want to say that it has been a long time since I've written in this because I've been dealing with some serious "bummers." I don't want to say "depression," because that would definitely be unkind to people who are legitimately clinically depressed, but yes. . . I have been feeling down. Truthfully, I still feel pretty low, and it's this kind of energy that stifles my creativity. However, I will try to keep up with this blog and not let it be another scrap project.

A couple weeks back, I visited my doctor regarding an injury. After taking out his flashlight and examining me, he gave me some sound advice and reminded me that I'm "not Superman."

This sparked something in me. How many times have I heard that one? I've never claimed to be Superman, and of course my doctor has the balls to assume I'm just another reckless youth. My father always made sure to scare the crap out of me as well as guilt me with money issues to make sure I'd generally not make any stupid moves.

But enough on that. Perhaps completely unrelated, but I got another speech today that I've heard one too many times. Today, I was mandated to go to a reading for my poetry class. The poet I heard read was phenomenal. (I'll probably review his book in a later post.) The writer is very out there, using weird images such as "boners" and "fucking sheep."

Afterward, the floor was open to questions and answers. My teacher usually begs her students to ask questions. Casually, I asked, "Personally I'm a fan of your work, and I was wondering how do your fellow peers and colleagues feel about your work when you use images such as 'boners' and 'fucking sheep'?"

He was absolutely inspiring. He was an established writer who never compromised his style. I mean, he would not do anything to lose his job, so he definitely showcases the appropriate work for the right setting. (e.g. he won't talk about boners to a room full of elderly scholars.)

I love how he said things like, "I'm not writing to please the upper academia. Just write what you feel works." By the end of his response, I felt enlightened and inspired that this man was willing to just come off as down to earth, and he wasn't all "up the ass" about being on top of the writing hierarchical ladder.

So here comes the punchline: my teacher talks to me after class and said it was inappropriate about how I spoke. Basically, I'm not supposed to talk in that casual, unprofessional way with a writer; this esteemed poet is not my friend. She said the only person who had the right to talk to the poet that way would be her.

I'm really sick of academic bullshit. First and foremost, I felt my question really stimulated conversation in a positive way. Other students thanked me after the reading, saying that my discussion with the poet really made others feel comfortable about asking their questions. Second, all the other students were asking "cookie cutter" questions about structure. I have never met a poet who seemed interested in talking too much about why he chose to write a poem in couplets.

Lastly, I've definitely lost respect for my teacher. I still think she's a nice lady, but definitely one who strokes her own academic ego. If I could, I'd tell her, "I'm sorry. I completely forgot that writers are not human beings. They are gods. I will humble myself and remember my place, oh great master."