We live in The Guilt Era
Everything seems to be about assigning guilt these days. Guilt must be seen as a motivating force or why else would it be held up so much as something that will presumably foster change? All these folks who traffic in guilt must think that this is effective.
If you are human, you are guilty already.
You are destroying the planet, causing other species to become extinct faster than ever. If you eat meat you are very guilty and even if you don't, plants apparently "know" that they are being eaten and besides, your agricultural practices are just causing permanent damage to things that you don't actually consume.
If you are older, you are certainly guilty for a whole lot of things - first of all, having lived for a while, you have accumulated a lot of guilt simply by virtue of being a human being and being destructive in that way. But also you are guilty of a lack of forethought in how you wasted resources and ruined the planet for generations to come. If you are over 50 you should practically be sued by anyone who is 20.
And if you are a white, older male - don't even get me started - you are so bloody guilty by just existing that it is a miracle you haven't blown your brains out already from all the shame and remorse that you are rightfully feeling. By simply existing, you ARE the "white privilege" and being male you are by definition the oppressor - they pay you more for doing the same work, you are taller and stronger, you can run faster and jump farther - you are just totally and utterly guilty.
If you happen to have some money, or God forbid, be among the 1%, you have clearly gotten there by trampling on others. Shamelessly exploiting everyone around you all your life. Or you are simply a rich trust fund kid who never did anything and inherited it all. You don't care about inequality and your only motive is more money (which is how you got to have a lot of it in the first place - the logic of that is undeniable).
But it does not stop there - if you are a young black male, you are guilty of being ...well, a young black male which means you are very likely already thinking about abandoning your kids or committing crimes. Leaving those single mothers to care for your offspring while you wear hoodies and think about jewellery and angry rap lyrics.
If you are a young woman wearing "provocative" clothes you are guilty of inviting supposedly unwanted attention. Wearing heels and stockings is practically "asking for it". So you better feel ashamed about it.
If you are Korean, you just work too damn hard - how is anybody supposed to compete with that. And the same with immigrants (and you are probably here illegally and NO, most likely you were not really a Doctor where you came from). If you are Asian, you probably had a mother who drove you to succeed in school and this was clearly at the expense of everyone else who can't quite compete with that.
If you are a conservative, you must be stupid. I mean just plain dumb. If you are a liberal you must be a snowflake and out to cloak simple grab at redistribution of wealth in noble sounding motives. What you really want is a piece of the pie that you did not work for and you are using intellectual finery to try to get that.
It has gotten to the point where if you are not guilty of something, that can only be if you don't exist. Your very presence on Earth is offensive to someone and likely to a whole lot of someones.
What should one do about all of that - read "At Home in the Universe" by Stuart Kauffman.
We are not an accident in history of the Universe. We are not a footnote, we belong here. We are the ultimate manifestation of progress of matter towards consciousness. First there was matter, then there was "living matter" and then came consciousness. I call that humanism.
If you are human, you are guilty already.
You are destroying the planet, causing other species to become extinct faster than ever. If you eat meat you are very guilty and even if you don't, plants apparently "know" that they are being eaten and besides, your agricultural practices are just causing permanent damage to things that you don't actually consume.
If you are older, you are certainly guilty for a whole lot of things - first of all, having lived for a while, you have accumulated a lot of guilt simply by virtue of being a human being and being destructive in that way. But also you are guilty of a lack of forethought in how you wasted resources and ruined the planet for generations to come. If you are over 50 you should practically be sued by anyone who is 20.
And if you are a white, older male - don't even get me started - you are so bloody guilty by just existing that it is a miracle you haven't blown your brains out already from all the shame and remorse that you are rightfully feeling. By simply existing, you ARE the "white privilege" and being male you are by definition the oppressor - they pay you more for doing the same work, you are taller and stronger, you can run faster and jump farther - you are just totally and utterly guilty.
If you happen to have some money, or God forbid, be among the 1%, you have clearly gotten there by trampling on others. Shamelessly exploiting everyone around you all your life. Or you are simply a rich trust fund kid who never did anything and inherited it all. You don't care about inequality and your only motive is more money (which is how you got to have a lot of it in the first place - the logic of that is undeniable).
But it does not stop there - if you are a young black male, you are guilty of being ...well, a young black male which means you are very likely already thinking about abandoning your kids or committing crimes. Leaving those single mothers to care for your offspring while you wear hoodies and think about jewellery and angry rap lyrics.
If you are a young woman wearing "provocative" clothes you are guilty of inviting supposedly unwanted attention. Wearing heels and stockings is practically "asking for it". So you better feel ashamed about it.
If you are Korean, you just work too damn hard - how is anybody supposed to compete with that. And the same with immigrants (and you are probably here illegally and NO, most likely you were not really a Doctor where you came from). If you are Asian, you probably had a mother who drove you to succeed in school and this was clearly at the expense of everyone else who can't quite compete with that.
If you are a conservative, you must be stupid. I mean just plain dumb. If you are a liberal you must be a snowflake and out to cloak simple grab at redistribution of wealth in noble sounding motives. What you really want is a piece of the pie that you did not work for and you are using intellectual finery to try to get that.
It has gotten to the point where if you are not guilty of something, that can only be if you don't exist. Your very presence on Earth is offensive to someone and likely to a whole lot of someones.
What should one do about all of that - read "At Home in the Universe" by Stuart Kauffman.
We are not an accident in history of the Universe. We are not a footnote, we belong here. We are the ultimate manifestation of progress of matter towards consciousness. First there was matter, then there was "living matter" and then came consciousness. I call that humanism.
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