The Origin of the Species

 

Helppouden oikeutus ja harha

On mielestäni aiheellista pohtia helppouden merkitystä, olemusta ja miten helpolla luulemme pääsevämme ja miksi. Ongelmien kohtaaminen tuntuu väistämättömältä jossakin kohtaa etenkin kun ongelmia on väistelty tarpeeksi kauan. Perustelemme usein tekemiämme valintoja niiden helppoudella, käytännöllisyydellä, sujuvuudella, mutkattomuudella, vaivattomuudella ja että pystymme tekemään mahdollisismman montaa asiaa monen asioista joita joudumme tekemään on oltava helppoja, vietävä vähän aikaa, tilaa, kadottava silmistä kun se ei enää ole akuutti ja tarpeellinen. Monien arjen ongelmien on oltava valmiiksi ratkaistuja jotta voimme elää melko monimutkaisessa modernissa maailmassa joka yhä kompleksisoituu kiihtyvällä vauhdilla. Ymmärrän esimerkiksi lauseen, jotta jäisi elämälle aikaa, niin että elämä ei saa olla monimutkaista eikä vaikeaa esimerkiksi siivoamisen ja ruuanlaiton takia ja nuo tärkeimmät asiat kuten ihmissuhteet, harrastukset yms. aktiviteetti ovat monelle varsinaista elämää, muu ylimääräinen on taakanomaista suorittamista. Ei ole ihme että työ tuntuu raskaalta. On paradoksaalista elää sitten kun, löytää helppous ostamalla, unohtamalla, kieltämällä elämän olemassaolo omassa mielessä tietyissä asioissa. Poisheittäminen ratkaisee roskan ongelman. Pohtiminen kuinka asioita voisi tehdä toisin ja paremmin on jätetty auktoriteettien ja myyntimiesten harteille, joiden ansiosta elämämme on helpompaa ehkä liian helppoa.

Harhauttava hokeman tyyppinen kehäpäätelmä on löytää elämälle aikaa, vapaa-aikaa jolloin elämä on silloin helppoa, silloin voi elää kun elämiselle on aikaa, jonka johdosta moni yksityiskohta ja nyanssi jää huomaamatta tai katoaa kokonaan aistiemme ulottumattomiin kun erittelemme ajan erikseen elämälle, tuolle ajalle kun voimme tehdä miellyttäviä asioita ilman pakkoa vapaina. Lisäaskeleet jäävät ottamatta koska halumme helppouteen ja keveyteen, liika helppous johtaa umpioitumiseen ja kaavoihin kangistumiseen, uuden löytäminen, mitä sille tapahtuu? Helppo elämä kangistaa ruumiin ja mielen, tietysti jos helppous on tekemättömyyttä, minnekään pyrkimättömyytä, apatiaa. Toimeen ryhtymisen vaivalloisuuden voivottelu ja henkinen laiskuus ovat helppoon elämään tottuneen tunnusmerkkejä. Kun on tähän mennessä päässyt helpolla niin miksei vastaisuudessakin. Äänessä on syyllistävä tatsi. Kuinka helpolla oletamme pääsevämme kuitenkin vaikuttaa siltä että monessa kohtaa mennään riman ali ihan vaan koska voimme emmekä vaivaudu ottamaan selvää tai tekemää asioille oma-aloitteisesti mitään.

Kuka sitten pääsee helpolla ja kuinka helppoutta mitataan? Riippuu varmaan siitä mikä nähdään vaikeana ja millainen ponnistus on vaivalloista vaatien ponnistelua, aikaa, paneutumista, energiaa, kiinnostusta ja intohimoa. Asioiden eteenpäin vieminen vaatii asioista kiinnostumista, jotta jaksaa ponnistella vaikeankin tehtävän parissa pitkän aikaa kysyy kykyä keskittyä, uteliaisuutta, heittäytymistä, uhrautumista, venymistä, henkistä ja fyysistä. Kysyy kanttia tehdä jotakin johon kukaan muu ei usko kuin sinä itse, jonka tiimoilta saa kuulla tekevänsä jotakin täysin turhaa ja vähemmälläkin pääsisi. Joten miten vähällä on päästävä elämässä mietin, koska vähällä pääseminen kuulostaa todella kummalliselta elämän asenteelta. Mihin yksi ihminen pystyy ja kuinka pitkälle yhden ihmisen ponnistus jaksaa? Mille asioille omistaudumme elämässä kertoo kuinka paljon helppoon elämään uskomme ja haluammeko helpolla päästä. Onko helppous sitä että elää vain itselleen, omille tarpeilleen ja niitä täyttääkseen? Se voisi olla yksi ihmisen elämän helppouden määritelmä. Moni ongelma eliminoituu taustahälyksi kun ympäristö ei kiinnosta. On ilmeisesti helppo olla kiinnostumatta ihmiskunnan ongelmista kun ne eivät ole heti oman oven takana. On helppo olla välittämättä jonkun toisen elämästä ja mieluiten niin. On helppo olla tunteeton ja olla kuin herran kukkarossa, ainakin niin voisi luulla. Tunteettomuuden osoitus on vahvuuden merkki ja vahvalle vaikeatkin asiat ovat helppoja. Ne voi sivuuttaa merkityksettöminä, pieninä olemattomina asioina joiden kanssa heikot painivat.

Helppous on hauskaa. Yleensä se on olemista ja leijailemista onnen tunteessa, stressittömyydessä, ongelmitta ja vaivoitta. Ehkä joku muu hoitaa ne vaikeat asiat tai ne katoavat niin ettei niitä tarvitse kohdata. Helppouden upottavuus, houkuttelevuus, viettelevyys ja luksus. On luksusta olla tekemättä mitään jos on tehnyt paljon töitä. Tekemättömyys tuntuu pitempi aikaisena raskaalta, aivan kuin ei olisi olemassa kun ei voi tai pysty tekemään mitään. Jostakin äärimmäisen helposta tulee vaikeaa ja painostavaa koska mielekäs tekeminen on vaihtelevan ja hyvän elämän perusta. Mielekkyys tekee asioista helpompia. Millaisten asioiden sitten tulisi olla ja haluamme olevan helppoja ja valmiiksi ajateltuja? Millainen vaara ja petos vaanii valmiiksi ajateltujen mallien, valmiiksi pureskeltujen asioiden maailmassa jossa itse tekeminen ja oma ajattelu ovat jotenkin liikaa, ja onko sellainen uhkakuva ja maailma käsillämme jossa elämä on tarkasti suunniteltu ja itsenäinen ajattelu on vaarallista, oman äänen kuuluville saaminen on riskaabelia ja pelko leimatuksi tulemisesta on vahva? Onko siis helpompaa olla hiljaa, myöntyä annettuihin malleihin, pelätä annettuja uhkakuvia ja katsoa mitä tapahtuu?

Päivän ryteikkö

What does money do? It helps but do people find the help they need?

Case of happiness, find it, solve it, put it in action. Maybe we are all born happy and our discontent begins when we begin to want things others have and we start fighting over those things we are supposed to have and someone we are supposed to be like. The moment we begin to have feelings that are connected with pleasure of having something which extend ourselves, make us bigger is interesting. When does the feeling eat us? We have system of encouraging happiness via things and titles which is how we become consuming beings, hierarchical and sadistic. Pleasure, enjoyment, fun, comparison, satisfying feeling of existing with treasures hedonistic sugary fat something to eat, drink, fuck, toy with all which keep our needs and desires wanting more. We are priced by what we have, and what do we have? What we lack becomes a flaw.
When strong ideology of who is master and who is not, difference made via wealth and origin begins from early age to take hold (we are better than those others because), what other measure stops segregation and sense of worthiness measured by material and irrational decision-making to which is which than coercion. It is society’s duty to make sure division does not happen between the poor and the rich more so for society to stay sane and stable and for equality to happen, opportunities must exist for all at low-cost, education stay at high level. There are of course many sides to how happy you should be and how to reach for that state. Some are never happy, some are happy to go to school. When happiness is too much to take, it is phony, the grin on your face is only stupid. Forced happiness can be a sign of problems such as difficult issues are too difficult to talk about. Case of schooling and facing yourself.
Endless cases of finding happiness and not finding it, not even when it hits you right in the head, is right in front of you. That is a serious case of not understanding what happiness is, could be and where to look for. Which problem occurs when you look at advertising where images and nice sounding landscapes show how happiness could be found, how to be happy, what happiness is. Happiness is provided directly by wealth is the message and is in a beautiful place we should visit, see and have somewhere far away. You become content when you get yourself a new car. It is so smoothly running, low consuming ideal vehicle for you and your family. You are safe inside and free to move like any man dreams of doing. Idea of wealth has built in tendency to fill us or and is something we need to have because we must, we are compelled. Consumerism gives us needs which wealth can fulfill, urges that need to be met or is that what money as means of exchange does? To have it little, not at all, to have it a lot, gather money more than you need because you can, speed of money is blinding. It has appeared to be the most difficult thing to do to share what you have got and enjoy sharing.
We exchange and make finance move constantly, something that is the most important thing for us to stay alive for, value, be valued, we give value to things and to other people as we price them according to whatever, when we need to and when we do not. To price something can be irrational, culturally bound, on a whim. The more priced things are the more they are wanted and needed? Who has the power to price anything is a powerful person especially if that thing is basic necessity. We want priced things as they bring us feeling of content, satisfaction which links to happiness, instant happiness of being important, value which flows on us when we buy, value is like glitter, a better life, priced metals, diamonds and pearls, cars and houses extend value of ours, our status in the eyes of others. You possess style and taste and you express those by purchasing, expressing your true nature perhaps, your contemporary identity, you as a consumer liking what is there to get, getting it. Money is a tool to have a stand, size. Money is power in ways that are often harmful. Money men are those who are powerful, hiding and pulling strings. Yes it is men who have access to most wealth. Money gives us opportunities, possibilities are there to be taken for those who can pay. What is free then and what kind of value do free things have?
Are men happier when they have their hands on money?

Is there wisdom in how we live and what we expect other people to do for us?

The rest of the life, which should seem a long time. Any breath is a long time if you feel pain of living, if you think life is burdened and you can’t take it. What is life for those who are scared to think further, even over night, the next day what will it bring, scared to take a step aside because something horrible will come of it,  terrified of getting lost because nothing else can be found. How about for those who are not scared and do not think a minute further to consider why and what should they do, those who jump and those who do not think about time as something lengthy, life as something to measure, something to feel sad about, as a time to gather and own, life for those who cannot let the thought of the rest of the life go as they stay haunted by the idea of being trapped. What is the rest of the life? What has it been so far? Will you have something to contribute to and influence what it will be like? How have you contributed to your life so far? Is it far or is it close by for what you have been reaching? Do you know what to reach for? When you were little what did future look like? Full of opportunities, happenings and events of joy, no hardship but chances to grab like gifts. That is how you should see the rest of the life still, an opportunity and chance you have been granted. Do not feel sorry for what you do not get, it is not about taking and having. But what else do we do but give and take. Is it so we cannot do otherwise and we must draw lines in between to whom we give and to whom we do not?

http://www.artnotoil.org.uk/blog/hundreds-take-part-protest-performance-louvre-museum-over-oil-sponsorship It is still interesting how powerful cultural and artistic connection is for companies and cities. How art is used to make things look better than they are, how art can be used to manipulate and is harnessed for business purposes to make money for those who understand marketing value of high art and importance of creating illusions of kind, creative, open and collectively giving industries and corporations who do good. The thought is of course it is used and manipulated. Art needs money. How necessary finance is in making art, displaying it and producing? Money and getting it play bigger part than it should, how ethical and correct relation between finance and art is can and should be argued.

Beauty is heartbreaking, it is intolerable, it is threatened, rugged, bursting.

To think about beauty we like having which pleases our eye, our senses, is pleasant, but which we like to say is what comes from within, personality, kindness, creativity, altruism, giving and loving. It is what comes from the inside to show on the outside still to understand that there is so much we do not see or can imagine which is beauty. The thought and fact that all is not visible but entails beauty which is not detectable to our senses, that we must have intuition to know it, instinct, sense, reason, comprehension of what there may be underneath, beneath, hidden but alive in all living beings which is valuable and how is it valuable, who values beauty and for what. Beauty of understanding body of beauty, that our senses, reasoning and emotions can lie, image is not true, first impressions fail to prove anything in the end just mere fractions of someone and something.

White cat

Are you thinking what I am thinking or do you just think you know what I am thinking and decided to think the same or make your judgment of me just because you think you know what I am thinking? What a dilemma of what to think.

Making phenomenon of thinking and saying what you think difficult. No I don’t think it is me. I say what I think and what I say is provoking. People get very easily provoked which has led me thinking why is that. I actually kind of like what I say. Result of having provoked is mind-blowing, mind-boggling, exciting or disappointing, anyhow telling. But anyway I have to go the issue of thoughts through bit by bit, level by level. It is a difficult subject of how we think, not to speak of how we think we think, how we think others think, why and outcome of what. You know what I mean, getting to the core of thought getting born, being made and evolving from that tiny spark.
Very basic method of making information is you think you know the topic or the person you talk about even though you have probably even met that person or studied the subject or you haven’t asked what that person thinks or haven’t questioned information given to you because the info is so tempting to use for your selfish reasons and your source talks like he/she thinks he/she knows what he/she is talking about. Know better.
I myself am getting lost in human deduction and deception, lost in difference between knowing something and ignorance, world of thinking we know and learning new ways to think, unlearning, refusal to learn and understand. Persistent refusal of admitting mistakes, admitting a new method would be better than what is in use, mistakes in thinking, clear delusional thinking reigning and ways of seeing other people in bad light which for example ever so strengthening far-right movement is doing, also which academics tend easily do as there is strong belief in being absolutely correct and a strong hierarchy of knowing what is right, what is right information, what to know and whom to believe. Do you say out loud what you are thinking or do you censor the worst crap, the most flammable, the not-so-secure things to say, improper, hurtful things or are you having a pseudonym to protect your identity so you can say whatever you like without having to face the consequences? How do we manipulate thoughts of ours and thoughts of others is strangely a very big issue concerning how the world becomes to be. There are things we are permitted to say aloud, common courtesy and politeness prohibit us from doing what might be offensive. Our position in society, gender, age, education, interests and knowledge dictate some of what we can say, what we come up with to say and can have a conversation about. There are things you would not dare to say to someone because it would hurt feelings and damage your relationship with that person and maybe with other people. Still problem of thinking you know, conclusions based on assumptions and passing those conclusions as facts is pretty obvious. Maliciousness and sarcasm can hurt but both especially sarcasm has social task to perform. Not saying out loud to the face but making innuendos and mockery make either catharsis or create hate but make explosive situations just as anger does in a space where anger is not permitted. It is not allowed to be angry in public, we would draw too much attention.
How do we become to think what to make of anything? Society which is built on values, mechanisms of thinking, roles and behavioral patterns help quite a bit in how and what to think. How do we think in a factory can be circulating. We make something out of something we have, or make something out of nothing to have something. Options are still there and somewhat limitless. In a world of self-evident such questions sound stupid because we are thinking in a certain way and making something all the time is a contemporary habit. Quite a lot we do out of habit of doing and thinking. What to do as a humanist is to think, sit and think, not to do all the time (it is the best way to pass the time as is not to think, but not to think at all is not advised). We can clear our minds and consciously not think but be. When we think we are thinking we may not be thinking at all, it is possible, has happened. The impossibility of thinking thoroughly is a common flaw as is incapability of seeing differently. How about doing something that has a seemingly useless result? It is as necessary as it is to fail. I have had a long time a method of doing things completely wrong in my art. After having done many times wrong something interesting appears. When we think too hard we do not get good results because there is too much pressure (thinking the same old same or something entirely new, how does it happen? How much do fear and stress have to do with not allowing thoughts to happen and move on from old to new, to progress, old can be more progressive than new, it can be better than progress that is seen as new..), when we are clearly thinking but we do not know what we are thinking because we are not able to verbalize (so I draw it, find a way to be understood, I scribble, I collect trash, packages and used items and throw them away) it so that others would understand (for me to understand myself is important, as it is good for you to understand yourself) or take it seriously to listen and be bothered? What is interesting for modern person to think is are IQs dropping which is the question much asked lately. Those IQs. It’s a test. Well are they? We are obsessed with intelligence and it meaning the highest standard of human effort and technical quality, achievement and winning.
This is serious, this is funny, this is nothing, this is something, what is this. I really do not understand why there has to be a joke in the middle of a speech, but that is just me. Intelligence manifested in the way we present ourselves hardly stands for intelligence nor it does qualify likability per se. Kindness qualifies, curiosity qualifies. Making the topic lighter is not good thinking when topic is heavy and repetition is a story of not knowing your own way to making a statement and believing it to be interesting. In a factory-like society there are rules to be followed which make a stupid society. There are ways to say, serious and less serious, serious is not always the best. We want to find the best solution, don’t we. We can speak alone and think in solitude but we do need a partner to battle those thoughts. Do we think the thoughts we are supposed to have gender-wise, in terms of age following what a person of some age is supposed to be doing, knowing and thinking, origin-wise Russians think differently than Americans and are very different? What are we supposed, assumed to think and do eventually can get peculiar forms of oppression and social pressure, do we think the same at all and when do we begin to read each other’s minds? Getting paranoid or learning to cope in society and to survive when we do not have the courage to do otherwise or ways of making get strained and bound when there is no escape?
We don’t think colors the same, we all have taste of our own, dreams and hopefully opinions of our own. In this scenario we do have originality, all have unique thoughts, but do we dare to think originally and speak it or say just thoughts of someone else who is a known original, legitimized original thinker? Are there thoughts that cannot be questioned, uniqueness that is more unique or just unique after unique after unique that cannot be compared, put a price on? Cultural progress is dependent on those who dare to question everything.
What makes us think can be seen an individual process up to a point, a chain reaction, chemical, physiological, biological individual human act, as much as we are individual. There must be personal interest to provoke thought. Animals obviously do think but we do not know what they are thinking, so it is an unknown territory for the most part. It is a thought that animals are not as rational as humans, logical and sensible. This gets tricky. Logic is so many times lost from people and poorly understood I dare to question logic of people. You do not know what a creature is thinking does not mean creature does not think, this goes for people as well. Also those who seemingly think may not actually have a worthwhile contribution. Act of thinking for yourself is and has been seen a dangerous process, chain of events: thoughts that make us do, that make others do and think the same way. Part of any serious thinking individual is important as is of those who join that thinking person and challenge him or her. We are thinking because we just are, because we just are, unstoppable, more or less, and we do not understand most of the process of thinking but we think, we don’t have to know why but we would like to. That is an existential question: we think and we are therefore. We do not know the brain enough to say we know someone’s brain. We think to make. We make conversation to make union, to make a difference, we speak to be heard to become seen individuals and this social act is usually important for all people in some way. We become seen when we speak out.
Silent ones may go unnoticed. It does not mean they agree. Meaning of silence is that it is not meaningless and it is not nothing, silence is not empty. But it is seen a form of subjugation and unthinking, a place for the deserted. To understand nonverbal communication can be easier for a silent person who tends to observe. To lack natural stamina and credibility to fit in may be a strength in making something new. Women have been denied speaking aloud and they still do hinder themselves, place themselves to the background and as decorations. They speak of different things and speak differently compared to men, personal and public issues make interesting division, how to speak in public in other way than formally is agreeable. How differently do women speak then, with soft voice, viciously, too kindly? It is a credibility issue for women to speak for a crowd of men for example, a daring issue. Do women have credibility as women, why wouldn’t they? Do women have to fight for credibility in front of group of men who team up together against one woman, team up against artists, feminists, leftists, animal and human rights activists? Women are compelled to imitate male manners of acting out to have authority. Size, stature, tone and base of voice play their part. Imitation game tend to make us all alike to make us likable according to what we like in a person. When we only want things and people to be liked around we build a space in which we can speak of only likable things, speak that does not do much but keep the bubble intact is useless for progress.
We speak out when we are powerful, when we are given opportunity. We also must speak when we are not given opportunity, we must have will power to think we can takeover spaces of speech, we have decided to take the stand, to influence and be of some opinion to show we are thinking and taking part. There is danger in taking part depending what you stand for and who you are, who is against you, where you come from and what kind of values and people are behind you, are you alone or not. Dilemmas of modern individuals who have lots to think about because it is a complex world of ideas wanted to make look simpler than it is, people should have lots to think about but are not doing the thinking because it is demanding, hard work, not necessary, annoying, too dangerous, not interesting, not entertaining enough and too much to ask because why bother your life is not under threat. You may think you do not come with ideas of your own anyway so you follow someone who thinks and speaks for you. Never choose the easiest way.