The individual is dead!
We no longer have to look further to analyze the world we live in today. All we have to do is look at the responses/reactions we get from the public. The overwhelming consensus is fear and targeted blame. We have successfully killed the individual.
Another mass school shooting in the United States is like another sound bite that is easily scrolled through as if it's not interesting. How did the people respond? Pointing fingers at gun laws, blaming the republicans, the people on the right, the broken system, and so forth and so on. Yes, people in charge should be upfront and address this in a way it will help fix the issues at hand and make everyone feel safe today and tomorrow. What about the shooter? How did it get that far?
Let's pause for a second and evaluate the state of affairs. How in God's name did we get to a point teenagers are making the worst possible decision to cause harm to the most innocent beings in the first place. We have abandoned our youth. If they are not technically advanced or in sports or even within the social groups, they are automatically labeled and cast out. There is no telling what is going on in their minds, and all of that isolation is affecting all of us terribly.
Let's shift a bit here. Since the "me too" movement, an overdue development in my book, the accusation has become the punishment, regardless of the truth. We went from one end of the spectrum to the other. No one was listening to whistleblowers, truth-tellers, the poor, the outcast, and anyone shedding light on the wrongdoings. And now, any group, especially the minority, just has to point a finger, and someone's life is canceled.
Here is an example to explain the spectrum shift above: Some people have a proposition out there about the wealth gap, saying the super-rich should hand over their money to the poor to even things out. They fail to realize that if every poor person wakes up with a lot of money, the same problems poor people face will multiply by a lot. This is to say that accepting the opposite solution will cause a lot of harm overall.
Back to the individual
Your opinion is dismissed as quickly as it's shared. If you do not say something in alignment with the masses, then you are simply ignored, but if it's anywhere near the offense line, then you are a target. I learned being a parent that, paying attention to your children is critical. Kids will act out to get your attention. I tested this out to double-check. My 3-year-old will misbehave when left alone or when our energy doesn't match his, so one time I stopped doing everything I was doing and literally just watched him and made eye contact, and his attitude was calm and playful the entire time. Can you imagine if every incredible system we can claim to build just paid a little more attention to our youth? Though provoking idea there.
The fear is getting bigger with every proposed solution. It's like we have made it too far down a path and lost track of how we got here. Instead of pausing to assess how we got here, we decide to push forward and ignore every misstep of the journey, but come up with an elaborate plan to kill the individual because of strength in number, right?
Here are whats happening:
- If you don't support a movement, you are against some freedom
- Jokes are not funny when one person is offended
- Don't speak your mind against the education system
- The system is broken, but corrupt people are eviler
- Misinformation can only come from individuals
- If you are rich, you better sit down somewhere and pay your tax
- CNN and FoxNews only
- Everyone is created equal, but the middle class must pay more tax
- Don't listen to Joe Rogan, or you will be corrupted
- Your opinion matters if it's connected to your leader
- Thoughts and prayers are all we have for victims
- Bitcoin is a scam, but banks are in your best interest
- All companies MUST be diverse, but support minority businesses
- A peaceful protest does not apply to everyone
- LBGTQ+ are a protected class of people
- We need to create safe places to celebrate our views
- Financially support the War in Ukraine but only talks about student debt
- The virus is mutating, and so we need more vaccines
This is a summary of where your opinion will determine your future. As an individual, you better watch what you say against what is happening because experts have all the answers, and you don't qualify to comment. Enjoy your time alone and get on your social media or just watch Netflix while the grownups are thinking about how to fix the world for you.
The individual is slowly fading away to the background. They have nice jobs with benefits and would hate for their lives to be flipped outside down by making an outfield comment about hot topics. Self-awareness has taken a long nap on a king mattress and shut the blinds.
Is there a way out of this misery? Imagine that outcasted teenager sitting around with this question in their head. Of course, there is always a way out, a difficult journey, but it's doable. Hope is like the sun that comes out after a long dark night.
The group might have lost its direction with some warranted ideas, but the individual is needed more than ever. A monk once mentioned our aim should be to try to reduce suffering around us. This must happen at the individual level. Paying full attention to your immediate surroundings and fixing the little things that you are able to fix is the way. Imagine the cascading effect of this novel idea.
Let's be rebel against our own ways; our passion can be channeled, not against anybody else, but toward a better version of our situations. Listen to Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror, and breathe. Let's put the labels we give each other down for a moment and see each other as humans.
I truly hope everyone is managing the best they can. Reach out to me if you need to talk to someone.
Follow me for more, and I'll take you on a journey. https://medium.com/@thekajangu