#Modern society

[definegodliness]

23-10-2024

World

The world is aching, Yet some people thrive In hostile environments; Some people thrive in Realms without soul or substance; Some people are Brutalist-by-heart, and prefer The tones of concrete over green; They prevent philosophers asking Stupid questions about falling trees. So, really, the world is Not Aching, I am.

--- 23-10-2024, M.A. Tempels ©

[odinsblog]

Steve Cutts, a London-based illustrator and animator, creates artwork that satirizes the excesses of modern society. His style draws inspiration from 1920s-1930s cartoons.

[wordsforeachday]

Nicki Merz - Society's Insatiable Need to Be Seen

[dumblr]

Not to be over dramatic or anything but the decline in popularity of hand written letters is one of the most disappointing decisions we have made as a modern society.

[onbeingadreamer]

Thoughts: For better of for worse

An essay by Isabel Gorgis (2023)

It is silent in the room - so silent that one should be able to hear a pin drop. The sole thing thing to be heard is the ticking of the clock, as well as the armchair producing a creaking sound. The woman's gaze has drilled into the girl's eyes, and she asks her a question that was meant to be simple, a one-word answer. The girl already knows what she should say, it goes without saying because that's the reason she is sitting in front of this good-natured looking woman. Still, the girl's thoughts are in a jumble, and the answer has dissolved right before her eyes. 

"How are you really?" 

Thoughts are complex, it is not possible to give an answer to what they are because they exist everywhere, in every corner of the world. Thoughts are everything from what interests you have, what colour you have chosen for your hair, or what car you decided to buy in the end. Thoughts are also what gender you are attracted to, what way of life you have chosen, or perhaps if you are unhappy with life. As I write this essay in my Swedish classroom, I need to think, something I do all the time. When we sleep, thoughts become dreams that eventually wakes us up with a fresh batch of new thoughts, always, always, present. If I were to describe thoughts in one way, I would say that they control our brain, thus our whole being. In this way, thoughts are interlinked to our health. 

I have chosen to write about thoughts because I believe they are the underlying cause of the a vast number of the problems we as individuals have to endure in life. However, how can thoughts help us? The book "Hälsogåtan" by Anders Wallensten, covers all of life's keys to good health such as sleep, food, movement, surroundings, and thoughts. The area of "thoughts" stood out to me as I believe it strongly affected all of the other areas with a great force: When someone is tossing and turning in bed late at night, it's because their thoughts are running full-scale marathons, when someone struggles with problems related to pretty much everything in life, the influence from the brain is usually the mastermind behind them, when someone does something productive such as running in the forest, they are filled to the brink with motivating thoughts, and if someone's mind is calmed by a quiet walk in nature, it's their thoughts that are dampened, becoming quieter, and quieter. Over the years, as people grow older and thus more aware of life and its existence, the role that thoughts have becomes even more vital for each day that passes by, ultimately gaining more power, for better or for worse. 

Anxiety. Years ago, most of us probably did not acknowledge its existence. Today, most of our lives are repeatedly marked by it. Do we roughly know what the problem is? That may be. However, if we were to know exactly, the problem would already have been solved in this society focused on research and problem solving. Today's society is demanding, and we live at a pace that our hunter-gatherer brain cannot keep up with. In a socially, economically, and politically connected society, there always exists something taking place, whether it is work, studies, or information about just anything spreading in the matter of nanoseconds on the internet, etc. We are fed and fed with constant information too heavy for our brains, and society's expectations today are sky high, reaching numbers never seen before. 

Are you aware that the brain meets more people during one day out in town than a hunter-gatherer would meet in his entire life? This really made me lost in thought for a while. Is it fully true that there exists a better standard of living (for most of us) today? As a matter of fact, numbers related to mental, social, and physical health are looking sadder and sadder with each passing year. 

One example of extreme anxiety is related to a sort of control need where everything has to be faultless, cultivated from impressions of what is described as a "perfect life". Today, people are solely a button search away from reading and taking in information about all the types of dangers that exist. Many interpret these as tangible dangers, viewing them as a threat to oneself. In short, their whole lives are affected negatively by their thoughts. These thoughts gnaw at people's brains, turning them into zombies that can not think of anything else. There exists a plethora of massive grey clouds, constantly haunting people's lives. 

But we as humans possess the power to transform a vicious cycle of anxiety into a superior, good, and kind one free of it. Because we live in a modern society, we do not have to dedicate as much time to surviving each day, naturally we have more time to think, and think, and think, and sometimes this results in worry. Therefore, I am urging you to be more active. Fill your days with activities that you genuinely enjoy, that enlighten and motivate you. Ignore the thoughts that are currently doing everything trying to be seen and heard by you, which they seem to end up being. But you also need to work a long term solution, it never works to run away from your thoughts, they somehow always sneakingly find their way back. The numbers are dire when it comes to mental health, and our entire society is becoming dysfunctional, there needs to be a change!

You will wanna look back at your past thoughts to view how they used to affect you, and you will wanna see your progression, a positive change. You will wanna be enthusiastic about many things you did not have the energy to be before, for example contributing to society in one way or another. It goes without saying that we should not always be happy, content, and satisfied, but the way many of us feel about ourselves today is not natural either - it is not the way it should be. 

[undeadentropy]

I think I would have preferred kings and lords spitting on me and throwing me to the dirt and calling me a peasant. At least it was honest. At least it isn't this. This sickly sweet "we value you as a customer and citizen, have a wonderful day 🥰" bullshit our tyrants like to pull. This illusion of choice everyone knows is a lie. Call me trash, turn your nose up at me as you rob me. Tell me point blank how you see me as you exploit me.

But don't you fucking patronize me.

[d3r-d4s-di3-dex]

i know it's silly and kinda nonsense but,

can you imagine trying to explain to our ancestors what "eco-friendly" means and what is "bio"?

explaining that humans now are destroying rain forests so they can build factories, breed cows and other animals for food? using chemical pesticides on fields?

(info: slavic pagans had free range animals who were randomly on meadows, near rivers and forests all day until night)

[raining-anonymously]

i need more time!!! i need more time!!!!! i can’t go out all day to do my responsibilities and then go home and do more responsibilities and get eight hours of sleep and have leisure-brain-off and then, on top of that, have time to create!!! for myself! i need to make a million animations and drawings and stories and films and programs and i don’t have enough time in the day!!!!!

[nando161mando]

[ometochtli2rabbit]

[omegaphilosophia]

Why Past Traditions Struggle in Modern Society: Outdated Practices in a Changing World

Traditions of the past, while often meaningful and integral to the societies that practiced them, may be seen as ineffective or even problematic in the present for several reasons. Here’s an overview of some of the issues with past traditions that contribute to their perceived ineffectiveness today:

1. Outdated Social Structures:

Rigid Gender Roles: Many past traditions reinforced strict gender roles that limited the opportunities and rights of women and marginalized genders. In contemporary society, these traditions are often seen as oppressive or discriminatory.

Hierarchical Authority: Traditions often upheld hierarchical social structures, such as caste systems, feudal systems, or rigid class divisions. These structures can be incompatible with modern values of equality, democracy, and social mobility.

2. Cultural and Ethical Relativity:

Cultural Insensitivity: Some traditions are rooted in specific cultural or religious contexts that may not translate well across different societies or time periods. What was once a respected tradition in one culture might be viewed as insensitive or irrelevant in a multicultural or global context.

Ethical Evolution: As ethical standards evolve, practices that were once considered normal may now be viewed as morally wrong. For example, traditions involving corporal punishment, arranged marriages without consent, or exclusion of certain groups are increasingly challenged.

3. Scientific and Technological Advancements:

Conflict with Scientific Understanding: Many traditions are based on pre-scientific understandings of the world. As scientific knowledge has advanced, practices rooted in superstition, myth, or outdated medical beliefs have lost credibility.

Technological Obsolescence: Some traditions were practical solutions to problems that modern technology has since resolved. For example, traditional agricultural practices may be replaced by more efficient, technology-driven methods, making the old ways seem obsolete.

4. Economic and Social Modernization:

Economic Shifts: Traditional practices that were suited to agrarian or subsistence economies may not be effective in a modern, industrialized, or digital economy. For example, the communal sharing of resources in a small village might not work in the context of urban life.

Urbanization: Many traditions are tied to rural or small-community life. As more people live in cities, these traditions may become impractical or irrelevant in an urban context, where anonymity and different social dynamics prevail.

5. Individualism and Personal Autonomy:

Suppression of Individual Rights: Many traditions prioritize community or familial obligations over individual rights. In modern societies that emphasize personal autonomy and freedom of choice, such traditions may be seen as oppressive.

Resistance to Change: Traditions can sometimes be resistant to change, discouraging innovation or personal growth. This resistance can clash with modern values that prioritize progress, self-expression, and adaptability.

6. Globalization and Cultural Exchange:

Cultural Homogenization: As societies become more interconnected, traditional practices may be overshadowed by dominant global cultures. This can make localized traditions seem irrelevant or incompatible with the globalized world.

Cross-Cultural Tensions: Traditions that were effective in homogeneous societies may face challenges in multicultural settings, where diverse practices and beliefs coexist, sometimes leading to conflict or the need for adaptation.

7. Secularization and Religious Decline:

Loss of Religious Authority: Many traditions are deeply rooted in religious beliefs. As societies become more secular, these traditions may lose their influence, especially if they are seen as incompatible with modern, secular values.

Questioning of Dogma: Modern societies often encourage questioning and critical thinking, leading to the rejection of traditions that rely on unquestioned religious or ideological dogma.

8. Generational Shifts and Changing Values:

Generational Disconnect: Younger generations may view the traditions of their elders as irrelevant or outdated, especially if those traditions don't align with contemporary values such as diversity, environmentalism, or technology.

Value Evolution: As societal values evolve, traditions that embody outdated or less relevant values may be abandoned or transformed to better align with current norms.

Traditions of the past may be viewed as ineffective in the present due to their association with outdated social structures, ethical standards, and cultural contexts. The rapid pace of technological, economic, and social change, coupled with the rise of individualism and the influence of globalization, has rendered many traditional practices obsolete, irrelevant, or even harmful in the eyes of modern society. As societies evolve, traditions that once served important functions may no longer meet the needs or reflect the values of contemporary life.

[definegodliness]

2-11-2024

The numbers don't work anymore

Flaws become More and more endearing to me, Manifesting reality Against the filters catering to the Mean of what is to be considered Aesthetically pleasing. Wanted. Needed. I feel Battered by the desires of the Masses, orchestrated. Therein, Propagated Singular. Then, I must be so lonesome, Flawed. Human. Human? What part, then? I am Slowly drifting away from collective intent, And, at the same time, swimming against The stream of my innate communal sense, Embracing entropy. Bored. Real.

--- 2-11-2024, M.A. Tempels ©

[battleangel]

Chew. Harden. Lengthen. Satisfy.

The tagline for Hims literal Hard Mints Chewables in an online ad that auto-played as I scrolled through a wiki article literally nauseated me & makes me fucking sick:

Chew. Harden. Lengthen. Satisfy. With confidence.

Hims now makes and sells chewable hard mints for ED (erectile dysfunction) that come in “discreet” tins.

The ad for the Hims Hard Mints is absolutely sickening & dehumanizing.

I just saw an in-website ad for the Hims Hard Mints that auto played as I was scrolling.

I was actually rereading the script for the demiurge episode from Aeon Flux.

The dystopian society that Aeon Flux presented that I watched for the first time on MTV in 8th grade in 1995 has now become a distressing Orwellian reality.

Aeon Flux was deeply dark, mindfucky & deconstructive and included heavily sexual subplots where the main character, Aeon, clad in a skin-tight leather BDSM get up with an impossibly tiny & concave waist & ginormous boobs actually has sex with someone through a hole in her back.

Pretty dehumanizing & reductive portrayal of sex, right?

Just like the Hims Hard Mint ad.

So, the active ingredient in Cialis & Levitra has now been put into a hard mint chewable in a “discreet” tin.

Just like everything else, absolutely no thoughts to what might be behind the ED — anxiety, stress, mind body disconnect, unprocessed emotions and/or trauma, listlessness, lethargy, numbness, emptiness inside, loneliness, aimlessness, mindlessness, constant distraction, being overworked by design in our capitalist corporatist economic system, toxins chemicals & additives in foods & beverages, depressive feelings, malaise, existentialist despair, feelings of self-doubt, abandonment, isolation, inadequacy, constant comparisons, constant competition, keeping up with the joneses, overemphasis on the mechanics of sex, reductionism where sex is reduced solely to harden fuck ejaculate, lack of esotericism, total disconnect of mind body soul heart constantly caused by capitalism which is endlessly rewarded by disordered inhabitants that are slaves to the corporatist machine, lack of philosophical inquiries, never having a thought, watching pornhub on cell phone since 10 creating toxic harmful unrealistic expectations for sex. . .

Treating men like dehumanized sex robots and machines.

Chew. Harden. Lengthen. Perform. Satisfy. With Confidence.

Disgustingly sickeningly exploitative & reductive.

Reducing sex to nothing but moving body parts.

Why chewable? Why mint flavored?

Why in a tin?

Because then it seems like its not prescription medication - which it is, it has the same active ingredient as Cialis & Levitra - its just, pop an Altoid then go fuck her.

Just as mindless as everything else in our current 3 second attention span society.

Why not try to get to the root of what is causing the ED as 90%+ of physical & mental DIS-eases is literally your body mind being at dis ease and is caused by a mind body imbalance of some sort.

Why not look within instead of looking in a tin?

Why is the answer presented as a chewable Altoid?

Fun. Easy. Minty. Fresh. Discreet.

Why not reflection?

Why not meditation?

Why not examining ones own thought, minds, feelings & emotions?

Why not journalling?

Why not experimenting sexually and seeing if the ED is being caused by lack of interest in current sexual activities?

Why not explore your sexuality and sexual identity and see if boredom or malaise or lack of physical/sexual attraction may be at the root of the ED?

Why must everything be unthinking?

Simple?

Automatic?

Just pop a minty chewable chew.

In a discreet tin. Nobody has to know.

The entire ad focuses on the man satisfying the woman by chewing, hardening, lengthening, satisfying, performing with confidence.

Imagine that that is an ad actually describing a thinking feeling human being.

Its fucking terrifying.

Its nauseatingly reductive.

Its dehumanizing as fuck.

Its reducing men to literally nothing more than their anatomical reproductive organs and functions.

What of love?

What of ecstasy?

What of spark?

What of connection?

What of chemistry?

What of instantaneous chemical reactions?

What of soul connections?

What of soulmates?

What of twinflames?

What of beauty?

What of eroticism?

What of sexual soulmates?

What of sweat-filled intensity?

What of anticipation & build up?

What of longing & desire?

What of fantasy?

What of daydreams?

What of seductive allure?

What of devouring moments?

What of soul orgasms?

What of tantric sex?

What of hands free orgasms?

What of mental g-spots?

What of sexual exploration?

What of kinks & fetishes?

What of sexual preferences?

What of sexual identity & sexual expression?

What of wet dreams?

What of sexual attraction to the self?

What of turn-ons?

What of turn-offs?

What of sexual likes & dislikes?

What of trying different things sexually?

What of mixing things up?

What of roleplaying?

What of sexual imaginings?

What of erotic fiction?

What of homemade porn?

What of boudoir photography?

What of making yourself a sexual object?

What of self-fetishization?

What of lingerie?

What of voyeurism & exhibitionism?

What of sex shows?

What of public sex?

What of sexual personas?

What of sexual muses?

What of sexual adventures & misadventures?

What of orgies and one night stands and random hookups?

What of taking a break from sex?

What of temporary celibacy?

What of too much of a good thing applying to sex?

What of determining preferred frequency of sex?

What of getting to know yourself sexually?

What of societal sexual scripts that demand certain things from men & women?

What of not fitting the societally ascribed sexual scripts for the gender you were assigned at birth?

What of the intersection between your extremely individual & personal gender as everyones gender identity & expression is different & how that intertwines with societal dictates for how men & women are supposed to interact sexually?

What of sexual dogma that demands that the outcome of sex be an orgasm for all genders?

What of non-penetrative sex like oral, manual & intercrural?

What of sex being treated like a hypercapitalist machinistic end game?

What of love & loneliness?

No?

Just, Shut up. Chew. Harden. Lengthen. Perform. Satisfy. With confidence.

[ambientsoundtrackfan]

I just finished listening to the witch trials of j.k. rowling which was actually really interesting. this is very controversial for some but I do really support the idea of retaining biological terms and treating gender identity akin to religious freedoms. switching from rowling and the trans activists(through the interviews in the podcast) gets nowhere and becomes hurtful for both sides because the trans community doesn't differentiate between those who hate trans people (true bigotry) and those who don't agree with their worldview. you can even see this play out with genz nonbinary communities and traditional trans communities disagreeing on various issues relating to gender identity. ultimately all the claims of cultural relativism in regards to gender, nonbinary, transgender binary, traditional gender identity etc should really be protected under a religious framework. you can believe what you want but you cannot demand others agree with you philosophically. just because I don't believe in the Book of Mormon doesn't mean I believe Mormonism should be illegal or Mormons should face discrimination in everyday life.

[captainpirateface]

A line not used enough in modern, polite society...

[elisian-fields]

My Sand Castle; My Stone Henge

I won’t find your love elsewhere 

I shouldn’t care, but I do

You don’t love me

How I want you to

So I shouldn’t care-

To not find you

But I do

Care too much

Need your love,

Need your care

Because I know it’s there

Even if I can’t feel 

The pulse of it

Against my heart

I know it’s near-

Never far

Your love means more to me

Than love itself

Security and reason-

logistics aside, 

I won’t treason

against your passion

I’ll hold you with emotion 

As long as you stay

Protect me from the falling sand

Of the castles built above me

Scared they will collapse soon

So hold me

I have nobody,

So I’ll keep you on guard,

Pay you with my love

To have your loyalty on hand

You’re the only one left

Please understand

This foundation is broken

But you hold concrete

A wall protects you

So let it protect me,

I beg,

My last fence is falling over soon,

Drowned in the water from the sea

Salt in my eyes,

I won’t breathe

I’ll be alone, 

Please save me

I’ll love 

I will,

I will

I do

Like an oath,

I’ll give you forever-

Then I might

Love you-

Once more.