Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Where is that thin line between action and bullshit?

All the comments on Lisa's blog made have a couple thoughts that I typed out real quick...I don't know if you agree with them. It is just my reaction to what I was reading there and what I have been thinking lately about our society in America. I am planning very soon to write another post about the media(I know you are all very excited about this...it is really all my readers favorite topic that I touch on...), and many of theses thoughts that I throw out there might be touched on in the blog to come. But this is just some ramblings...what do you think?
In America I think that the majority of people are not taught to think for themselves. We are coming to a time when most people have always had an over abundance and so are becoming lazy. Lazy in many ways, lazy not just in the physical sense. We are taking for granted the power and the place we are. We are lazy in our minds and the majority of people think not for themselves, but just the thoughts of those before or maybe even worse the thoughts the media gives us. The few who chose to think for themselves are lazy in another way, it seems. We have these strong opinions, we have these beliefs, we call out others on their poor judgment or their awful beliefs, but what do we do about it? A large number of young people don't vote, but a huge majority have very strong opinions about what is right. A scant amount of young people are socially active in their community but they have opinions that they openly share about the evils of our government and the things which people in power should do. Which seems worse? Which seems more hypocritical? The people who have political views which I do not agree with, but who take action on their beliefs , or the people who write articles, blogs (this is totally not talking about Lisa, but just peoples blogs in general), and complain verbally about their beliefs, but it stops there. They have no action. Just bull shit. Isn't that what it makes it? If I have an opinion, a standard of living that I want to hold others too, but only talk about myself...it makes it bullshit. And not just plain bullshit, it makes it hypocritical, unintelligent bullshit. I want to challenge people, not just people, but myself to think of a few things...

Do I have rights to complain and judge others about things, political, religious or otherwise if I myself am doing nothing to be proactive in that area?

Do the things I say I believe show in my life? Or do I say one thing and do another, or nothing at all?

Do I really know why I believe what I do. Did I form this thought on my own, with education and with checking my biases, or am I just spewing words and thoughts that others have fed me?

I feel so frustrated by what I feel is a lack of interest in finding information and deciding on things for one's self ( I think in Lisa's post Tara touched in this topic). I also am becoming more and more frustrated by what I see as the a selfish and lazy way of thinking that is becoming America's norm. Do we as a society hold people to truths? Do we challenge what is fed to us (mainly here I am talking about through the media ~news, commercials, reality show, ect...~ But I also think that what we are taught in school, our religious facilities, families, needs to be thought through) and decide what we believe?
How do thoughts like this effect me personally? How can I as a person come away from a written thought like this and live out what I have typed only in theory. How can I keep myself from creating my own personal hypocritical bullshit?

**How many times can one say bullshit in one post??

10 comments:

Lisa said...

well, i think the questions you ask are good. But i think that what America, and the world as whole is missing is tolerance. I don't think that by expressing an opinion about a certian political figure or way of thinking is calling out poor judgements or saying what they think is wrong. I have noticed whenever i write anything about how i feel about politics, i get comments that are, in not so many words, telling me i am wrong, or basically telling me i shouldnt write about such topics. The thing is... first off, its my blog. but second, i don't think that in order to express my opinions i have to be putting together a rally, or out in front of target every saturday getting people to sign petitions. I think by 1. knowing what i believe and why 2. voting in the elections important to me and 3. being able to write about it in a blog where my free speech can be exercised. Because i don't have time, nor the interest, to get so involved in politics to the extent that might bring about major change, i do my part by being informed, and confident, and taking my rights seriously (ie: voting). I think you are right about people being lazy though, they dont see the american people having a voice, so whats the point?! And thats why young voters dont vote. I felt that way in the last prez election. I regret voting for Bush. I didnt know squat about what i was doing. I voted for him because i felt obligated by the fact that i am a christian and usually conservatism and christianity go hand in hand, and i felt obligated by being raised in a very conservative family, i felt i would be letting my parents down if i didnt vote for Bush. Then i started thinking, and i realized i can still be a christian and not conservative. I made a choice, that i make everytime i consider what is going on politics. does that make me a bad person, a bad christian?? no, i dont think so, but i know others will disagree. So.. i don't think its bullshit to write about political standings in a blog or wherever, because it may not be getting a president impeached or keeping border walls from being built, but maybe its making someone think about what they believe. I just think there needs to be more tolorence for the wide range of opinions that we all have the right to have.

End Longest.comment.ever.

Jess said...

In no way am I saying that you can't write about it. I just think that somebody who writes something without knowing why they write it or are never acting on thier beliefs it doesn't really mean anything. Take Ben Affleck for example. He went around speaking at realleys trying to get young people to vote when in the end he dind't even register to vote himself.
People can write whatever they want. I don't think that you have to form protests or anything. But I do think that people who argue pollitics should at least be informed about what they believe.
Anyway Lis, I wasn't talking about you. You're blog just triggered thoughts about how I've been hearing people talk about pollitics lately. I appreciate what you had to say and I believe that people have the right to their opinions...just some peoples opinions, when based on nothing, add up to bullshit. (I just wanted to say bullshit one last time)...oops, said it again.

arwen said...

Reading 'bullshit' coming from you is like hearing Ryan say 'asshole'...

I think I know what you're saying... I think... there was a lot to read there... I'm not used to seeing that here... or bullshit...

I think that ... I think that I need to open your post in another window so that I can actually read it while I comment...

ok- so about the part concerning if we belive for ourselves or just what we are told. I think there is nothing wrong with believing what we are told, as long as we are willing to question it. Does that make sense? Here's an example: Katie Couric told me that the real fear about NK's WMDs is that they will sell them. Ok. I believe that. But I am also going to look into that. The only opinion worth anything, is an informed one. And, as we all know, you have to consult more than one source to get the whole story (dang... I need to quit with these research papers...).
I think that you deffinitely have a right to judge and complain, but unless you hold yourself to the same standards as the people you are complaining about, it's just lame.
Believing what we are told: Lisa illustrated that pretty well: she voted for Bush because she was expected to. We value so much of what people think of us, that we don't stop to think that maybe the people whose opinons matter most to us, might encourage us to think for ourselves. This is, of course, not always the case (my mom, for one, would most likely cry if I told her about my religious status- and because of that, I will not tell her). There's such a fear of not hurting feelings that things are going unsaid. It's everywhere. Christmas Vacation is Holiday Break so that non- Christians aren't offended. PC= stupidity.
Too many people want change NOW and aren't willing to wait for that change to happen.
I have to get back to my paper.
Crap, i miss having real conversations with people.......

Lisa said...

I know you weren't specifically writing to me or about me, Jess, i was just responding in a personal way to what you wrote. i think you win two prizes: the most bullshit in one post...ok, no... i mean the most times bullshit is said in a post, and for the post producing the lostest comments ever. Yah for you!

tara said...

i actualy thought that ryan wrote this post, it doesnt sound like jess at all...freaky.

Ryan Woods said...

I've been ispired! And so I wrote my own political post...it's just that I'm ignorant...and so I made some stuff up. But I think it's good.

arwen said...

TARA! YOU WERE RIGHT!!!!! IT WAS RYAN ALL ALONG. Raj was funny the first time guys... time to move on...

RoniZee said...

I wish RAJ would post about politics.

arwen said...

i miss raj....

arwen said...

lets all go over to evilfox and stalk him some... I know I will...