Skip to main content

Our social contract

Humans are very strange.  Our behavior in many instances is molded to be intentionally and sometimes not, politically and culturally correct.  We do not say what is on our mind rather fall into a well worn groove that is defined by society that we inhabit.

These behavioral traits I suppose define us as a species that does not mostly want to rock the boat.  The cost of said rocking might be exclusion from the cult that is humanity.  Belonging to the cult is not what I like to do.  It seems to me unnatural.  We have been gifted with a brilliant nervous system which should allow us to be anything but nervous about our interactions.

Recently we went to visit someone in the extended family because they had produced an offspring.  Now here itself the human experience becomes to me retarded.  People who we would otherwise barely go see given logistics et al are suddenly in the limelight because of their ability to procreate?

Then on actual visitation there is an obligatory boring chit chat that may or may not be something I want to entertain.  But alas you are now in their freaking abode.

So they present their child at some point.  At which instance the visitors are expected to gush with some enthusiasm of perceived cuteness of the little tyke.  Well anything that small really has no personality and so to start seeing things is literally like openly hallucinating.

I found the entire experience rather tepid and at times not worthy of the visit simply because visiting a two month old is a pointless exercise.  The parents did not necessarily attempt (perhaps they felt equally at a loss to generate conversation) to brighten the space.  Then there is the gift giving.  I say why?  The parents I'm certain did not decide to introduce new cretins to the planet on the hope of surviving on gifts.  But the societal norm suggests otherwise.

All in all though the civilization as we know it requires you to either spend time or money or both to be part of any gathering and to me that is BS.

I'd rather take a book and read it by myself or take a hike.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...

But What If We're Wrong?

I attempted to read this book by author Chuck Klosterman backward to forward but it started hurting my brain so I decided to stop and do it like any other publication in the English language.  Start from page 1 and move to the right. Witty, caustic and thought provoking this is a book you want to read if you believe that the status quo might, just might be wrong. At times bordering on being contrarian about most things around us it tries to zero in on the notion of what makes anything believable and certain in our minds.  The fact that there is a fact itself is ironic.  Something analogous to the idea that you can never predict the future because there is no future. Many books and movies have tried to play on this concept - best that I recollect (I think I am) was 'The Truman Show'.  This book by Klosterman attempts to provoke the reader to at least contemplate that what they think they know may be wrong. He uses examples like concept of gravity, and how it ...

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...