Modern opiate of the masses.

[imthefoolonthehill]

I have a theory... I have proven it to myself.

Karl Marx is outdated. Religion is no longer the opiate of the masses (if it ever was). The new opiate of the masses is Music.

Think I'm wrong? Go an entire day without music. Try it.


I did it today. I found out why religion is the opiate of the masses.

It lets you forget. It lets you escape. It does it quickly and without consuming your entire attention.


Today without music, I spent my 40 minute commute in near complete silence... the sound of the v-6 and of air hitting my car.

I realise that wasn't a sentence... but I don't think I care.

Without music, I could think more clearly, and I didn't forget things. I forced myself not to sing in my mind. I forced myself not to hum and plugged my ears everytime I heard music from someone else...

Without it, I was craving it. I was craving music. I could remember so much without it. I could THINK clearly... this is especially important... I've had some genious thoughts when I first wake up, but forget them as I turn on the radio or cd player. Or, after listening to music, they make little or no sense. I lost the focus, I lost the clarity.

Don't believe me? Try it.

By the way... I couldn't hold out the entire day. I finally broke down... I'm listening to Red Hot Chilly Peppers as I type this... and you can see that my thoughts are far from clear.

[ajoe]

OK, someone is responding to this thread now.

I admit I'm currently addicted to music, but I think you're wrong cause I lived for 17 years without music and I was just fine. :)

[simon]

I have gone for days in total silence, no music, no movies, just me and books and the parental units out.
But I do think that in some sense music is a getaway from life, or else a spurr, something that propells you forward, keeps you going.

[fayefaye]

I thought you were going to offer us a more substantial opiate, fool. I can't tell you how disappointed I am.

[fayefaye]

RHCP?? I LURVE the red hot chilli peppers. And i agree with your point too. Lately I've been unable to sit at down for more than five minutes without a cd on -even though my cd collection is pitiful- and I ALWAYs have the radio on in the car, even though I hate most of the music they play. The little ear pieces of my discman are just like the seashells from farenheit 451.... eases the pain.

[papayahed]

I used to be a big fan of RHCP until One Hot minute, that's when it all went to hell IMHO.

Music is the opiate of the masses!!!! However I find that music gives me more focus. I can concentrate on what I'm doing more effectively with music than without.

[Shea]

Only when I'm by myself, like when cleaning the house, I like to sing a cappella. I'll turn everything else off, and just sing my harp songs. But I think it's different when your making the music than when your listening to it. I agree, I don't concentrate especially when listening to music with lyrics, but for some reason, I think more when singing or playing my harp.

[emily655321]

I'm the same as Papaya. I need music to focus. The first thing I do when I turn on the comp is turn on iTunes radio. If it's not on, I can't concentrate. But maybe you're right too...maybe the reason I can't concentrate is because it draws me out of my head and makes me notice the things around me. My thoughts don't flow because I'm more aware of the feeling of my fingers on the keyboard and the hum of the comp and, now that I mention it, an ache in my tail bone. Ouch. (Bad habit of putting knees-to-chest and feet off the chair when I'm on the comp.)

ANYway... I think it's true that it changes the way I think, but I need white noise no matter what I'm doing. I can't even fall asleep without a fan on, or all I can think about is the silence of the room around me. GAHH!! I'm off topic again. (How do I do that??) I need music even when I read, but it has to be the perfect non-distracting blend of instrumental and singing.

[ajoe]

^ Weird. If I try to read and listen to the music at the same time, I usually end up counting the beats.

[crisaor]

I'm not sure if you're being serious or not. Anyways...

Originally posted by imthefoolonthehill
Karl Marx is outdated. Religion is no longer the opiate of the masses (if it ever was). The new opiate of the masses is Music. It lets you forget. It lets you escape. It does it quickly and without consuming your entire attention.
There are a lot of things with those properties. Music usually doesn't change your way of thinking, its area of influence is more close to the emotional responses it generates. Marx was referring to religion as opium because in his view it clouded people's thoughts and made them unaware of the real nature of the events that happened in the world. If you're looking for a modern analogy, television would probably constitute a much more suitable example.

[piquant]

I vote it's either TV or alcohol. Do you have any idea how much tv the average person watches? And think about what they show on tv, especially to the people who can't afford cable...that's brain-washing at its best. As far as alcohol...visit your local college campus.

[Lara]

How about sitting at our computers writing emails and posting on forums?

I do think you are correct though Fool, for some music is definitely an opiate.

[Koa]

I agree that Marx's sense was maybe a bit different, but I don't think fool was trying to be that precise, he just made an analogy...
I don't agree that music can't change the way of thinking, I think it does... Maybe because for me the main thing in asong are the lyrics, and if I'm really into certain songs I start philosophizing (is that a word?) at them and therefore they influence me.

As for music being the opium, well... I agree with fool in tehory, but in practice in the past 2 or 3 years I've found myself able to spend days without music, to my great disappointment :(

[imthefoolonthehill]

Originally posted by emily655321
I need music to focus.

You need music to focus because it helps you forget the unnesseccary (sp is all to hell) details.


oh and tv has nothing on music. music doesn't require your entire attention and it can go with you everywhere.... even where there are no radios... getting a song stuck in your head for example.

[papayahed]

Of course music can change your way of thinking, anything can....

[emily655321]

Hopefully.. if you actually think about things it can

[crisaor]

Originally posted by papayahed
Of course music can change your way of thinking, anything can....
Then maybe you relate to music in a different way that I do.
For example, I don't see how listening to 40 minutes of Beatles at their most psychodelic performance (i.e. Sgt. Pepper) is going to change your mind, other than giving you a hell of a good time.

[papayahed]

i don't think music can change a persons belief system or anything grand like that but the way I see it is that a lyric, a note can open up your mind to different perspectives, a different way of looking at things....

[crisaor]

That I can agree with. :)

[imthefoolonthehill]

is anyone else an entirely different person when they don't listen to music?


I find myself much more observant and I reflect a lot more... I get more philospophical and less concerned with details.

[ajoe]

I'll tell you when I listen to music when doing homework I don't get anything done!

[imthefoolonthehill]

hmm... I get more done because I go on autopilot... unless I am writing a paper for last year's lit teacher (who is one of the few people who can see through the BS) or doing math or physics I listen to music while doing homework... just go on autopilot... what you do doesn't matter. what you get as a grade does. so if I produce crap, but get good grades for that crap, I will continue to produce crap... and autopilot is the best way to do that.

[crisaor]

Originally posted by ajoe
I'll tell you when I listen to music when doing homework I don't get anything done!
You can say that again. It happens to me also. Thing is, I can't stand being in my room and not listening to music, so mostly I have to study outside my home.

[emily655321]

Originally posted by imthefoolonthehill
unless I am writing a paper for last year's lit teacher (who is one of the few people who can see through the BS)

Same with me, Fool. I never even realized how much of my papers was BS until I met my 11th and 12th grade English teacher. Suddenly there was this red ink stuff all over the pages, and none of it was "Emily, you're brilliant"-smiley faces! :p Turned out he was a teacher who was actually smarter than me, and I had to learn how to put real... whatdoyoucallit... "thought" into my papers. :D Best teacher I've ever had.

[Koa]

I often don't listen to music as much as I want cos I can't do something properly...If I do something like studying with music on, I'd either find myself just following the music and singing, or I'd forget about the music and concentrate on what I'm doing...The same happens when writing letters or even at the computer...I have to put music that it's not my very favourite, otherwise I'd follow just the music...Or if I don't, I feel it's wasted. I'm very fussy lately, if it's music I really really love I need to find a perfectly quiet moment for it, otherwise I feel I've spoilt it!!!
When I was 13-14, I used to study with the radio on, but now I don't listen to the radio much anymore, too much crap.

I'm worried about when I'll do my semester abroad...I'd need an extra suitcase only for the cds!!! :eek: How to bring all the cds I need??? :eek:

[emily655321]

LOL Do you have a laptop? Or, even if not, you'll have internet access, right? There's a lot of good streaming internet radio. 3WK Underground radio (www.3wk.com), Radio IO Rock (www.radioiorock.com), 97X (www.woxy.com), Indie Pop Rocks (www.somafm.com)... good stuff. :D

[Koa]

but i want cdddddsssss ;) :D

well i dont have a laptop and don't want one otherwise i'll never manage to get out of the internet addiction...so i'll have access only from uni, i doubt they'll make me put the radio on there...(at least here you're supposed to do half-serious stuff on the uni's computers...)

[imthefoolonthehill]

Same with me, Fool. I never even realized how much of my papers was BS until I met my 11th and 12th grade English teacher. Suddenly there was this red ink stuff all over the pages, and none of it was "Emily, you're brilliant"-smiley faces! :p Turned out he was a teacher who was actually smarter than me, and I had to learn how to put real... whatdoyoucallit... "thought" into my papers. :D Best teacher I've ever had.

This year, i only have two teachers who are smarter than me... consequently I have learned absolutely nothing except in Math and Physics........ I feel like this is such a wasted year, filled with busywork... ever have one of those years?

[simon]

Oh yeah, my whole grade 12 year I spent about half an hour on hw every other night, and was bored to the point of fluid leakage.

[imthefoolonthehill]

lol... *translates*.... simon was near tears.

[emily655321]

Your powers of deduction never cease to astound me, Holmes.

There are worse things than being bored for lack of homework. In fact...why is that bad again?