The Masses

The news, a presentation of recent, supposedly relevant, information. A biased perspective with an agenda to sell, for most. There isn't anything wrong with it, it's capitalism. If I want to influence people to buy a lifestyle then I need them to see their reliance on emotion to do so. 

Fear is a primary emotion to feast on. Staying scared and "in your lane," maybe edging towards the dotted yellow line, at times crossing when no officer is present, guarantees a place in this world. For the most part, the mass portion of society stays where they know to be safe. We go to work, pay bills, do something for entertainment outside of work, and much of this is without question. We go to movies the commercials sell us on. We buy products we think we need. We buy upgrades on those products because the new version is better. 

Even the people who are "different," are part of a crowd of also "different" people. Alternative can be the new mainstream in your circles, just taken out of context in others. If I go to a rap concert on Saturday night and wear the same clothes to church on Sunday morning, I too would be viewed as "different." I cannot recall the movie, but the line says something about thinking you are different is the most common idea one can have.

Fear of being different probably is driven by biology. Being outside of the masses means your pack is no longer supporting what you believe, say, and do. It's survival to camouflage. It can be damning to stand up for an individual thought, for democracy likes equality right? I mean, "All men are created equal." Why would I continue to follow an individual thought? This only applies to those haven't been so inundated by society that all thoughts and conscious likings are influenced to be similar. 

I fear being different. I isolate because I do not judge myself until I get around other people and I become aware of my differences. This, a low-self esteem coping mechanism, in the past has helped me to blend in. To having things like others, behaviors similar to theirs, to buy the same clothes, and indulge in the same activities. My behaviors were an act and some people could see through them. They knew I wasn't genuine and naturally separated themselves.

Being an individual, isn't a fun, unique, TV show character like that depicted on the Disney Channel, but it is being true to self. We all have different perspectives and ideas. Though our democratic and capitalist society might not allow for it, it is a part of you that should not be squandered. Great men, artists, people of significance all were original thinkers and yes, many were persecuted for their individual ideas. Still, they were true to self. A truth of all truths when living life. Being honest is a characteristic looked for in relationships. Honest communication. By following the masses, blindly acting without question, and negatively holding self in low esteem is to deny truth. 

Lying isn't acceptable in anything but politics, a dirty little game. We all want the good things in life,but if this is at the cost of a unique self, then it might be a price a little to high. Odd, weird, outcast, different, nerd, whatever the term kids used these days can all mean individual. For anyone who has heard them (guilty), your differences are recognized and it threatens the status quo and the agenda some people hold very dear.

We say independence, yet we mean similarities. Independence disrupts the machine which requires all parts to work in sync. Though from time to time I like to dumb myself down and watch the news. I find the obvious bias entertaining.