This is probably way too big of a topic to start and finish in one week, but it's been on my mind and that's why you're here.
The David Foster Wallace quote I shared last time really sent me for a loop. I can't stop thinking about it, so I'll share it again:
“Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship–be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles–is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.”
For a brief moment in high school, I considered myself a Born Again Christian. I left Christianity behind again when I came to the revelation that everyone chose their religion. (Don't ask why it took so long.) Most times, though, it was just a product of their upbringing, not some personal enlightenment or deep study to find out their way was the one true way.
Now I can't say what I worship. Most days I'm probably unconscious by default. I don't give too much thought to the biggest of questions, even if I'm writing about some of that stuff here. I'm often just going through the motions to make a living, hang out with my friends, try and find a hunny in the midst of a global pandemic, and write a few blog posts.
It's easy to be unconscious. The easiest, some would say. Because as Russell Brand eloquently points out on his podcast with comedian Duncan Trussell:
“What we have done is acculturated our appetites, the appetites that are just there to ensure the survival of the vehicle we’re in, like eat food or the vehicle will shut down, have sex or that’ll be the end of the line. We have, in a sense, deified through culture those impulses. We’ve sort of sanctified them. In one way, the question is not whether or not there is a divine, it’s where we apply our divine impulse to, what we apply our divine attention to.”
We've gone so deep that you might even consider spirituality taboo. Just the word conjures up images of crystals and tarot and moon phases. Meanwhile, the American capitalist dragon continues to blow flames. We're supposed to keep working with our heads down.
Both Buddha and the Notorious B.I.G. tried to warn us - more money, more problems. You might tell yourself that one day you'll have enough, but it doesn't work that way. You get used to it all. The hedonic treadmill only has one speed.
We all know by now how Jim Carrey articulated it, right? He said, "I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer." I don't think Jim Carrey would lie to us. Ace Ventura? No way.
Ultimately, I think the wanting and the getting and the struggle and the sacrifice is all about finding some peace. You want cash because it brings security. For a bit. You want a spouse so you're not alone. Most of the time. And it's not that any of these goals are inherently bad, but they are attempts to find what can only come with worshipping something larger.
It's hard to imagine being fine with being quiet or poor or owning little, but it is possible. We're just so indoctrinated into the message that we should be rich and winning and fed and fucking. We're surrounded by it.
But if you take a breath and a look around, you might just wonder, what's the big picture? Isn't there more to life than just the wanting and getting? Is there more to all of this? I can't say for sure, and you wouldn't believe me if I did. The good news is the choice is yours.
With that being said, let's check out some of the other stuff I found this week:
I took some extra time this weekend to articulate how I felt about George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and the country's current situation.
You might have seen the story by now but nearly half of the Twitter accounts discussing "Reopening America" may be bots. The Internet is not real life.
Mask On or Off: You’re Both Wrong | Andrew Schulz
Casey Neistat never fails. Check out his latest video: FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
VICE: Metal Drummer Rethinks Relationship With Satan After Nearly Dying From Coronavirus
If you liked anything I shared here, you might get a bigger kick out of a longer clip between comedian Duncan Trussell and actor Russell Brand
Until next time...