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The Arbitrariness of Simulacra
Understanding that reality has become devoid of Truth, how do we make decisions?
Until we find some truths for ourselves, it will appear as though there is no way to decide which decision is better than another. With no value anchors, all decisions have the same value. Then, all that is left is literally worrying about negative consequences. The only reason not to do something is if you will somehow be punished for it - not by God, but by someone or some group somehow.
This is enough (now) to maintain order in society because people are mostly afraid to break laws. If there are now laws, then they just have to worry about how others will treat them. It is a system totally maintained by consequences - which are reactions.
In this sense, our society is growing docile and weak. There are no longer affirmations of value in life. In fact, all that matters is the elusive concept of freedom - which is reduced to a farce also because we care more about being able to do whatever we want for ourselves, not about real freedom. Real freedom to exist as you are, to proclaim that there is something worth living for that is somehow transcendent of the arbitrary fields of nothingness we are sifting through today.
The first key, then is an affirmation of those things in the world that cannot be murkied up in simulacra. The few things I've found that fit this category is: 1) caring for your children, which leads to 2) caring for your family, and all other people because they, too, come from families, 3) the continued pursuit of expanding human consciousness, and 4) finding ways to make your own individual existence your own.
All of these values can be painful to reach toward because existence creates barriers to all of these things. Family members have problems. Children can't do everything perfectly the way you want and there's no way to protect your children from everything. People all over the world are suffering from disease, starvation, oppression, etc. The more people know about existence, the harder it is to be at ease in life because existence is absurd by nature. Making existence your own means that you have to take risks, and live consciously which opens you up to feeling pain.
All difficult pursuits, but the beginning of finding some value after digging through the dark waters of the simulacra of existence.
Many problems will continue to remain as each generation grows up to witness new hyperrealities becoming normal. The extremities of today become the humdrum of tomorrow. I don't know how we'll turn that ship around, but that will be important for simple quality of life issues that are important because we don't want our children growing up in an increasingly weird and messed up world.
Until we find some truths for ourselves, it will appear as though there is no way to decide which decision is better than another. With no value anchors, all decisions have the same value. Then, all that is left is literally worrying about negative consequences. The only reason not to do something is if you will somehow be punished for it - not by God, but by someone or some group somehow.
This is enough (now) to maintain order in society because people are mostly afraid to break laws. If there are now laws, then they just have to worry about how others will treat them. It is a system totally maintained by consequences - which are reactions.
In this sense, our society is growing docile and weak. There are no longer affirmations of value in life. In fact, all that matters is the elusive concept of freedom - which is reduced to a farce also because we care more about being able to do whatever we want for ourselves, not about real freedom. Real freedom to exist as you are, to proclaim that there is something worth living for that is somehow transcendent of the arbitrary fields of nothingness we are sifting through today.
The first key, then is an affirmation of those things in the world that cannot be murkied up in simulacra. The few things I've found that fit this category is: 1) caring for your children, which leads to 2) caring for your family, and all other people because they, too, come from families, 3) the continued pursuit of expanding human consciousness, and 4) finding ways to make your own individual existence your own.
All of these values can be painful to reach toward because existence creates barriers to all of these things. Family members have problems. Children can't do everything perfectly the way you want and there's no way to protect your children from everything. People all over the world are suffering from disease, starvation, oppression, etc. The more people know about existence, the harder it is to be at ease in life because existence is absurd by nature. Making existence your own means that you have to take risks, and live consciously which opens you up to feeling pain.
All difficult pursuits, but the beginning of finding some value after digging through the dark waters of the simulacra of existence.
Many problems will continue to remain as each generation grows up to witness new hyperrealities becoming normal. The extremities of today become the humdrum of tomorrow. I don't know how we'll turn that ship around, but that will be important for simple quality of life issues that are important because we don't want our children growing up in an increasingly weird and messed up world.
posted by Will at 11:19 PM
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