nastradamas
06-04-2013, 01:05 AM
It was three o’clock in the morning, and there was another conversation to be overheard. I was in bed of course, I need to get to bed early, good sleep is crucial to success, not that I was hell-bent on success, or even had anything to succeed at for that matter, it just seemed a good thing to do. Regiment and structure aren’t typical of someone who prides himself as being open-minded and free spirited like I do. Nonetheless, I knew firsthand the pitfalls of too much freedom, and sought to limit myself. After all, if I place the impediments myself I’m still free in a sense, but can also reap the benefits of structure.
The voices I heard from the other room were muffled but identifiable. Howe was privy to all sorts of opinions and stories from Preston that I wasn’t. It’s not that he didn’t trust me, it’s just that Howe, love him to death, was too simple-minded to make sense of these stories. Even if he could take something away from it, he wouldn’t know what to do with it. Preston knew this, and couldn’t resist the urge to speak freely to someone who wouldn’t judge him and would leave with him, through the refined art of manipulation, complete control over the story.
They didn’t know that I sometimes listened in, or maybe they did, I don’t really care. It’s not that I was jumping at every opportunity to here another one of their conversations; it’s just that the sound of it kept me awake and I figured I should have some form of entertainment while laying there in waiting.
The TV was now off, and I could here Preston starting off as usual.
“I’m so ready for this semester to be over with”
“I’m so ready for college to be over with man. I just wanna get good grades so I can get the hook-up after graduation.”
“I can see us working in the city together with sick apartments, driving nice cars.”
“Same here. I just wish I could pay extra money and just get my degree now, that’s all that matters, not all of this bull**** they make us do here.”
“I know right, like two lit classes, three philosophies, and all that other ****. Like how is that gonna help me in my job.”
“Don’t forget art history dude.”
They both laugh.
“I don’t see how they don’t realize that that stuff doesn’t matter.”
“They want us to be ‘well-rounded’, like that even means anything.”
“Yeah I know right. As long as I’m making six-figures in a few years I don’t really care, I’ll put up with it.”
“Same here man.”
“People that don’t realize the importance of making money are just ignorant, money is literally what makes the world go ‘round. That’s the way it is, that’s the way it has to be. People are only as valuable as what money they make, everything else that makes up a person is just extra, once you’re wealthy you can take the time to ‘develop’ yourself. Learn to appreciate art, go to plays, ballets, jazz concerts. To be honest, those things are just the social habits of the rich, there’s no such thing as ‘high’ culture, It’s just everyone wants what the rich people have, not just the money, but the lifestyle. Once I’m rich I can pretend I’m well-cultured. Just think, how many well-cultured poor people do you know? It’s an illusion. Tell me, how is reading Kant, or Tolstoy going to help me in the board room.”
“You’re right man. Wow, I’ve always thought like that but could never put it into words.”
“I think that the meaning of life is to acquire as much as possible, while loosely if at all adhering to the laws of society. And morals, another illusion, meant to make people feel like they have some sort of intrinsic worth.”
“Wow man that’s deep.”
I could hardly take this any more, this greatly surpassed the annoyance I felt when they held on conversations with me there as if I didn’t even exist. This wasn’t annoyance, it was rage. Not at them though, I couldn’t really understand it, I didn’t know where to focus it. So I did something I never had done. I got out of bed, left my room and walked right up to them.
“I feel bad for you.” I said to Preston.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You’re priorities, your morals, your perspective on life, it’s all ****ed up!”
“Dude what are you talking about? Have you just been listening to us this whole time?”
“Damn right, and I’m sick of it. You have know idea of what you’re talking about. At twenty years old you’re going to claim you know the meaning of life!? And damn I’m no older than you but I can sure tell you you’re far ****ing off. The reason people like you think the way they do is because it’s the easy way. It’s easy to measure success by the size of a paycheck, sure, any other way that takes time to measure a man’s character is useless. Then again time is money right? That’s the problem with your society, the one you value that is. Sure patience is a virtue, but what are virtues when there’s money to be made? Stupidity breeds stupidity, and you’re living proof. Of course a society that values money over all will produce more who think the same. Supply and demand right? Everyone wants it all but there’s not enough to go around. Let me tell you something, in this world you idolize, there are only two types of people; puppets and puppet-masters, and guess which one you are. Just because you want and have the means to be rich doesn’t mean you ever will be. Your desire to be like them is exactly what makes them so powerful. Higher demand of the same supply means a higher price right? Well guess what, that sort of person that you want to become already knows you do, and there’s not a chance in hell they’re gonna let you join them. Why not? Come on you know this, once the supply increases the price goes down, that’s the way the market works, don’t think it doesn’t extend to people. You said it yourself; people are only as valuable as the money they make. Well you were wrong about that, and you were wrong about something else too, morals aren’t an illusion, money is.”
Looking back on that night I know they didn’t really understand what I meant. I couldn’t blame them though, like I said, my rage wasn’t toward them, rather the society that has allowed them to become what they are. A society that values money over all is not only devoid of morals, it is not eternal, therefore not natural. I can only liken it to a sickness, only this is a disease that has consumed all of mankind. What can one person like me do to cure it? But then again couldn’t everyone else be thinking that too.
The voices I heard from the other room were muffled but identifiable. Howe was privy to all sorts of opinions and stories from Preston that I wasn’t. It’s not that he didn’t trust me, it’s just that Howe, love him to death, was too simple-minded to make sense of these stories. Even if he could take something away from it, he wouldn’t know what to do with it. Preston knew this, and couldn’t resist the urge to speak freely to someone who wouldn’t judge him and would leave with him, through the refined art of manipulation, complete control over the story.
They didn’t know that I sometimes listened in, or maybe they did, I don’t really care. It’s not that I was jumping at every opportunity to here another one of their conversations; it’s just that the sound of it kept me awake and I figured I should have some form of entertainment while laying there in waiting.
The TV was now off, and I could here Preston starting off as usual.
“I’m so ready for this semester to be over with”
“I’m so ready for college to be over with man. I just wanna get good grades so I can get the hook-up after graduation.”
“I can see us working in the city together with sick apartments, driving nice cars.”
“Same here. I just wish I could pay extra money and just get my degree now, that’s all that matters, not all of this bull**** they make us do here.”
“I know right, like two lit classes, three philosophies, and all that other ****. Like how is that gonna help me in my job.”
“Don’t forget art history dude.”
They both laugh.
“I don’t see how they don’t realize that that stuff doesn’t matter.”
“They want us to be ‘well-rounded’, like that even means anything.”
“Yeah I know right. As long as I’m making six-figures in a few years I don’t really care, I’ll put up with it.”
“Same here man.”
“People that don’t realize the importance of making money are just ignorant, money is literally what makes the world go ‘round. That’s the way it is, that’s the way it has to be. People are only as valuable as what money they make, everything else that makes up a person is just extra, once you’re wealthy you can take the time to ‘develop’ yourself. Learn to appreciate art, go to plays, ballets, jazz concerts. To be honest, those things are just the social habits of the rich, there’s no such thing as ‘high’ culture, It’s just everyone wants what the rich people have, not just the money, but the lifestyle. Once I’m rich I can pretend I’m well-cultured. Just think, how many well-cultured poor people do you know? It’s an illusion. Tell me, how is reading Kant, or Tolstoy going to help me in the board room.”
“You’re right man. Wow, I’ve always thought like that but could never put it into words.”
“I think that the meaning of life is to acquire as much as possible, while loosely if at all adhering to the laws of society. And morals, another illusion, meant to make people feel like they have some sort of intrinsic worth.”
“Wow man that’s deep.”
I could hardly take this any more, this greatly surpassed the annoyance I felt when they held on conversations with me there as if I didn’t even exist. This wasn’t annoyance, it was rage. Not at them though, I couldn’t really understand it, I didn’t know where to focus it. So I did something I never had done. I got out of bed, left my room and walked right up to them.
“I feel bad for you.” I said to Preston.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You’re priorities, your morals, your perspective on life, it’s all ****ed up!”
“Dude what are you talking about? Have you just been listening to us this whole time?”
“Damn right, and I’m sick of it. You have know idea of what you’re talking about. At twenty years old you’re going to claim you know the meaning of life!? And damn I’m no older than you but I can sure tell you you’re far ****ing off. The reason people like you think the way they do is because it’s the easy way. It’s easy to measure success by the size of a paycheck, sure, any other way that takes time to measure a man’s character is useless. Then again time is money right? That’s the problem with your society, the one you value that is. Sure patience is a virtue, but what are virtues when there’s money to be made? Stupidity breeds stupidity, and you’re living proof. Of course a society that values money over all will produce more who think the same. Supply and demand right? Everyone wants it all but there’s not enough to go around. Let me tell you something, in this world you idolize, there are only two types of people; puppets and puppet-masters, and guess which one you are. Just because you want and have the means to be rich doesn’t mean you ever will be. Your desire to be like them is exactly what makes them so powerful. Higher demand of the same supply means a higher price right? Well guess what, that sort of person that you want to become already knows you do, and there’s not a chance in hell they’re gonna let you join them. Why not? Come on you know this, once the supply increases the price goes down, that’s the way the market works, don’t think it doesn’t extend to people. You said it yourself; people are only as valuable as the money they make. Well you were wrong about that, and you were wrong about something else too, morals aren’t an illusion, money is.”
Looking back on that night I know they didn’t really understand what I meant. I couldn’t blame them though, like I said, my rage wasn’t toward them, rather the society that has allowed them to become what they are. A society that values money over all is not only devoid of morals, it is not eternal, therefore not natural. I can only liken it to a sickness, only this is a disease that has consumed all of mankind. What can one person like me do to cure it? But then again couldn’t everyone else be thinking that too.