“humanity is doomed, by the way”-Mark
Maybe it's because I just finished reading an anthropology text concerning the similarities of female genital mutilation in the third world and breast implants in the first, but I'm in the mood to believe that statement (taken from my brother's blog via Facebook today).
Also, I overheard this conversation today at the bookstore:
Coworker Ross: Are you ready, ma'am?
Awesome, Snarky Customer: Are you ready?
Coworker Ross: For the apocalypse? Yeah, for about ten years now.
Also, I just reread my blog entry on Catholicism and saw a trailer for Legion while folding laundry at my mom's house. So, the rapture is on my brain, but not in a like....depressing, fire-and-brimstone kind of way, but in an academic, curious kind of way.
I'm wondering why, as cultures, (not just my culture, but multiple cultures around the world) we torture ourselves. I mean, why do we have rituals that cause unnecessary harm? Why do we terrorize ourselves with images of impending doom and destruction on a “biblical” scale? I know there are reasons having to do with how the cultures evolved, the symbolism, etc., but don't you find it interesting that in just about every culture, there is something inherently damaging that we as humans do to ourselves.
Why, when we, ourselves, understand pain, would we culturally impose it on ourselves and others?
I mean that seriously, not in a froufrou, bleeding-heart way. Outside of what is required for survival-- because that's instinct and hormones, I get that—outside of that, what fundamentally causes that desire to inflict and experience pain and terror?
I'm not excluding myself from this, there's no judgment here. I have a tattoo, and not even I can give a really clear reason why I paid someone to drag a needle across my skin and fill the bleeding wounds with ink. That's kind of messed up, but I did it and I would gladly do it again. In fact, I probably will. I also get a kick out of jumping out from behind doors and scaring the pants off of people. Why is that? Why is that funny or enjoyable? For that matter, why do people go to horror movies? I love horror movies, but when I think about it in a cold, rational way, that too is pretty messed up.
I could go on, but I wont. I think you get my gist. Each specific example, I'm sure, has an anthropological or historical or psychological or sociological reason behind it, but it had to start somewhere. That's what I want to know. What kicked off this crazy game?
So I leave you with that, a whole lot of nothing. A whole lot of questions at least, which I guess in and of themselves are something. A representation of a pursuit of truth as my Nonfiction Writing professor would say. (What's her name Dr. McGonnagul? McGowl? No. McSomething-or-other, I should probably know that) Anyway, I'm certainly not going to answer these questions by staring into space in the middle of the night, so I'm for sleepy time.
Farewell, dear hearts!
*more words that I had to add to the word processor dictionary today: Snarky and Facebook
**word I was surprised I didn't have to add: froufrou
Maybe it's because I just finished reading an anthropology text concerning the similarities of female genital mutilation in the third world and breast implants in the first, but I'm in the mood to believe that statement (taken from my brother's blog via Facebook today).
Also, I overheard this conversation today at the bookstore:
Coworker Ross: Are you ready, ma'am?
Awesome, Snarky Customer: Are you ready?
Coworker Ross: For the apocalypse? Yeah, for about ten years now.
Also, I just reread my blog entry on Catholicism and saw a trailer for Legion while folding laundry at my mom's house. So, the rapture is on my brain, but not in a like....depressing, fire-and-brimstone kind of way, but in an academic, curious kind of way.
I'm wondering why, as cultures, (not just my culture, but multiple cultures around the world) we torture ourselves. I mean, why do we have rituals that cause unnecessary harm? Why do we terrorize ourselves with images of impending doom and destruction on a “biblical” scale? I know there are reasons having to do with how the cultures evolved, the symbolism, etc., but don't you find it interesting that in just about every culture, there is something inherently damaging that we as humans do to ourselves.
Why, when we, ourselves, understand pain, would we culturally impose it on ourselves and others?
I mean that seriously, not in a froufrou, bleeding-heart way. Outside of what is required for survival-- because that's instinct and hormones, I get that—outside of that, what fundamentally causes that desire to inflict and experience pain and terror?
I'm not excluding myself from this, there's no judgment here. I have a tattoo, and not even I can give a really clear reason why I paid someone to drag a needle across my skin and fill the bleeding wounds with ink. That's kind of messed up, but I did it and I would gladly do it again. In fact, I probably will. I also get a kick out of jumping out from behind doors and scaring the pants off of people. Why is that? Why is that funny or enjoyable? For that matter, why do people go to horror movies? I love horror movies, but when I think about it in a cold, rational way, that too is pretty messed up.
I could go on, but I wont. I think you get my gist. Each specific example, I'm sure, has an anthropological or historical or psychological or sociological reason behind it, but it had to start somewhere. That's what I want to know. What kicked off this crazy game?
So I leave you with that, a whole lot of nothing. A whole lot of questions at least, which I guess in and of themselves are something. A representation of a pursuit of truth as my Nonfiction Writing professor would say. (What's her name Dr. McGonnagul? McGowl? No. McSomething-or-other, I should probably know that) Anyway, I'm certainly not going to answer these questions by staring into space in the middle of the night, so I'm for sleepy time.
Farewell, dear hearts!
*more words that I had to add to the word processor dictionary today: Snarky and Facebook
**word I was surprised I didn't have to add: froufrou
It sounds like a potential topic for your semester-long project, maybe?
ReplyDeleteI have many answers, none of which I will discuss in full detail, but...
There's the clear Mrs. Multanen answer of catharsis: when we see other people suffer, we realize our own suffering is not so bad, and as a result we feel better. There is opposition in all things and by tasting the bitter, the sweet seems all the sweeter.
Then there's the Christian (or otherwise moral, charitable) opinion that we are compassionate beings (com-with, passion-suffer) and we have an inherent desire to suffer with others. We feel good when we mourn with those that mourn.
We are aware of the fact that what won't kill you only makes you stronger, and we want to be stronger. Success requires hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. We feel that by suffering we are becoming better, stronger, people.
The puritan/christian answer is that we should be god-fearing. Instilling a fear in ourselves makes us humble, and aware of a god.
The adrenaline rush: we go bungee jumping, sky diving, etc. to feel the rush, or to show off strength or whatever.
To show off in another sense, a kind of bigger and better comparison thing. "Oh you got one tatoo? Yeah, well I got 50! I can take so much more pain than you, loser."
Okay I'm going to bed now. Just look what you started.