Generation Narcissist
We are all funny but not quite as funny as we think we are. Being my harshest critic is a very draining job, which really isn’t a job since I do not get paid to do it. I always assumed that the duality of living in the real world and living in my mind was some idiosyncrasy of mine; that there couldn’t possibly be others that felt this way but, alas, I was mistaken.
It comes off as pretentious and narcissistic if you have never met me or at least heard my voice, because if you did you would know that I strive to be neither of those things. But on a related note: I have no problem looking in to a mirror and seeing myself for just who and what I am. I think of millions of people who can not do this; who try to convince themselves that they are something that they are not: human .
I’ve gotten picked on before for using the word“chivalry” to describe how one should act in society. So apparently since I believe in some useless form of 14th century principles, I am a huge douche bag. It is as if there is something missing in today’s society but I am the clueless one for believing in being courteous and having some sort of code of personal honor. Now, I know it mainly pertained to women but I direct it at everyone I come in contact with. It fits well with the old saying, “Treat others as you wish to be treated.”, but poor, naïve Brian should know better by now and this is not how the world works and hasn’t for a very long time.
Was I born too late or born too soon; has this all happened before and will it all happen again? I think too much or do you think too little? Why does one take it as a personal affront or a “correction” when you call them on their bad social etiquette? When did it become acceptable to not hold a door open for the person who is entering directly behind you? Why is there such a look of shock on a store checkers face when you are cordial to them and wish them a genuine nice day? Have we become so detached from the way things should be that there is no going back?
The sense of entitlement in this country is astounding, for lack of more concise term. No where in our almost rewritten Constitution does it say, “You, as a citizen, are ENTITLED”, to anything. If you look at the Declaration of Independence you will not find it there either. It vaguely states this, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” So, I will once again place partial blame on Reality Television and the rest to poor parenting. Yes, poor, poor parents, with their oh so busy schedules that they have to have a nanny raise their children. Or those other poor parents that are so busy that they just leave their kids at the mall for hours on end and then wonder why they get a call from the police to come down to the station to pick up their off-spring. “It must be someone else’s child officer, for my children can do no wrong!”
We have to EARN things; we must WORK for them. 95% of the population is NOT born with a silver spoon in their mouth but of course Hollywood has convinced us otherwise. Fifteen prosaic minutes were up eons ago so please go away. I would rather be sitting in a dark room, strapped to that chair in A Clockwork Orange with my eyes forced open and watching Infomercials than have to watch this shit. It once was this: “If you’re in advertising, kill yourself!”, but now it should be, “Which ever ass came up with a stupid show following around a bunch of rich kids during the first year of college, yeah, they should be shot; a lot”.
I tire of having this weight, this feeling of being in the overwhelming minority of people who actually do the right thing. Then again, in a society that no longer cares about such things as a personal work ethic or scruples, what does it really matter since it falls on deaf ears. 75% of the population thinks that they are entitled to everything materialistic piece of crap on the planet; 15% of the population does as little as they can, all the while scheming to see how they can skirt the system and rip people off. And then there is us, the 10% ‘ers; those that try to do things buy the book and end up getting it from both sides.
Who needs manners when you have a cell phone attached to your head? Sometimes I pretend that there actually is a link between cell phone use and brain cancer. We need to get over ourselves. I am pretty sure the founding fathers never intended for the good people of this country to be spoilt pretentious brats bullying the small dorky kid on the playgrounds of America. . .
~BP Smith – 07/02/2009
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As many revel in man’s infinite genius and his strive toward greatness, I ~ much like you, prefer to look upon (analyze) man’s shortcomings and seemingly sasquatchean steps into utter stupidity. Why? Well, because I like the comedy, and so that I am never so far removed from the world around me that I cannot see the possibility of my own role in what can become an ongoing farce if you’re not careful ~ or should I say, not paying attention.
And with this write, you have my full attention ; )
A well-crafted rant.
ps* It’s nice to know that I am not alone in my view, my take on the current state of man.
Maybe I am too much like Rorschach? In his belief stucture of moral absolutism and moral objectivism but then again he is/was an extremely right winged character. And I am not. None of us are, we are more than any label, hense the picture at the top.
Do you resemble the character of Rorschach in The Watchmen? Perhaps a little ~ his want to do the right thing no matter the pain or hardship, but you are not as dark as Rorschach nor as absolute in your life-experience-obtained ideologies.
There’s so much more to you then anger and societal disgust. There is hope, passion, love, sharp wit, and a most wicked sense of humor. You are complete unto yourself and make no apologies for it, and that takes courage ~ a kind of grace that denotes a well-defined sense of self; you know who you are in relation to the world around you.
If I had to compare you to a character ~ be it film or novel, I would have to say a cross between Constable Benton Fraser and Doran Payne.
Cole Sear saw dead people but we “see stupid people.”
Well I should hope not since he was damn ugly!