The Conditioning of Society

Why do many people do the things they do? Are they things that people really want to do? Or are they things that society tells them to do? These are vague questions, but are good starting points.

I'm starting to come to the realization that a lot of what society conditions us to think and do is bullshit. We have to go to school from the time we are 18 to about 22. Then we have to get a certain level job and reach a certain point in that job by the time we're a certain age. We have to get married and have kids and a certain point in our life. Certain drugs are bad. You have to believe in God. If we don't reach certain points in our lives and accomplish certain things then we are considered failures or losers. If we have views on certain things then we were outcasts or misguided.

I'm not writing this because I feel like I'm viewed as an outcast or a loser. Quite the opposite. I have a fairly decent job. I'm about to get a Master's degree. I'm 27 and single, but that's fine. By society's standards I am just about where I need to be. But dig a little deeper and you'll find someone who doesn't want to conform to what society says he should do. At risk of totally attaching labels to things, I sort of think like a hippie.

1) I'm not completely with the idea of marriage. I guess it is what you make of it, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Many people would tell me that I just haven't met the right woman. That may be true, but I don't know. I just know that I would have a hard time getting into that sort of financial committment with a woman. Most marriages fail because people grow and start wanting different things. Finances also play a huge part in failed marriages. I hate to use the word "fail". I guess it's more like the marriages don't last. I believe that many people get married because that's what they're supposed to do. Too many people settle on somebody and are miserable for the rest of their lives, unless they get divorced (which I honestly think is a totally acceptable option).

2) So many people let their jobs run their lives. Unless you're saving lives, there's a good chance that you're worrying too much about your job. I've always worked to live, not lived to work. I'll get my job done because other people are counting on me, but I refuse to let it fuck up my life outside of work. I refuse to sit at home and stress about work. Show me a job that does that to me and I'll show you a job that I used to have. Society tells us that our work lives are just as important as our home lives and that it is alright to sacrifice happiness to get ahead in the business world.

3) The war on drugs is pretty ridiculous to a certain extent. Society places a stigma on certain drugs. Marijuana is taboo in this country, but for what good reasons? People legally drink alcohol and it arguably has much worse effects than marijuana. That's because there's an established economy with alcohol, so it is acceptable to sell and consume it. If someone wants to unwind in the privacy of their own home and smoke a joint then it's a bad thing. With no real good reason other than society tells us that it's bad. Heroin, cocaine, meth and other processed drugs that cause ridiculous amounts of crime are drugs that I think SHOULD be taboo. People should be able to smoke weed and visit the magical mushroom kingdom in private. It's a problem when it starts running your life and prohibits you from fulfilling work and family obligations.

4) Most of society believes that there is a god. There are many religions, but most people identify with some sort of higher power. I'll fully admit that I don't believe in god. It amazes me that people think it's strange that I don't believe in something that cannot be proven. Often times, common sense goes out the window when religion enters the picture. Have your religion, that's fine, but don't look at ME as the delusional one when I'm simply saying that I don't have proof there's a god and I think The Bible is fiction. I believe that many people claim to identify with a religion because that's what is accepted in society.


Those are just brief writeups of things I can go on and on about. Here is the crux of it. Live, love and be happy. Don't be afraid to question things that you feel are ridiculous just because there's some sort of pressure on you. Just because the majority think a certain way doesn't mean it's the correct way to think. Do some true digging and find out what makes you happy. Don't settle. If you do those things and find out that religion, marriage and all of that truly make you happy then so be it. If not, don't be afraid to stand up and tell society that what you are seeing and hearing is bullshit.

I think the hippies are more in touch with reality than I ever gave them credit for.