Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sheep, Sheep, Everywhere
Why do people do it?
They generally think the same as their social programming makes them. Watch the tv programmes they are supposed to (and don't think that those things aren't marketed exactly to their audiences), buy the goods they are supposed to and go to the job that they hate to get money to do exactly what they are programmed to like those two weeks in the sun and the conservatory they'll rarely use.
Sure, there are exceptions: rouge genes abounding and square pegs in those round holes. But mostly, we aspire to the banal, the effortlessly trivial, the dull and commonplace. We're humans: it's what we do.
Take bank holidays. Still, millions will pile into cars to sit in traffic jams en route to a seaside they know they'll barely reach in time and which will probably be thronged with like minds making it unpleasantly crowded. (Not that last Monday though - too wet by far - but any clement ones.)
I do it too, lest you think I'm somehow placing myself on a pedestal. Not necessarily the very same things as listed, but more or less the same, and other stuff besides that is just as dull and commonplace. I but the Sunday papers, whether I need to or not.
Guess that's how this world works. It's ridiculously obvious if you take a step back. It's not even a bad thing either, in many ways. Those who do step back and spot what they are doing can at least be aware enough to avoid the worst of it - hence, I'll never roast in a summer car travelling all day for ten minutes at a beach, I'll never buy that house just on the edge of my wage reach, I'll never (again!) buy those items on discount just because they are on discount, no thought for whether they'll be used or not. Hopefully never, at least. That programming can be devlishly hard to break.
Most people just don't make any conscious decisions at all most of the time though, do they? Maybe that's for the best too?
They generally think the same as their social programming makes them. Watch the tv programmes they are supposed to (and don't think that those things aren't marketed exactly to their audiences), buy the goods they are supposed to and go to the job that they hate to get money to do exactly what they are programmed to like those two weeks in the sun and the conservatory they'll rarely use.
Sure, there are exceptions: rouge genes abounding and square pegs in those round holes. But mostly, we aspire to the banal, the effortlessly trivial, the dull and commonplace. We're humans: it's what we do.
Take bank holidays. Still, millions will pile into cars to sit in traffic jams en route to a seaside they know they'll barely reach in time and which will probably be thronged with like minds making it unpleasantly crowded. (Not that last Monday though - too wet by far - but any clement ones.)
I do it too, lest you think I'm somehow placing myself on a pedestal. Not necessarily the very same things as listed, but more or less the same, and other stuff besides that is just as dull and commonplace. I but the Sunday papers, whether I need to or not.
Guess that's how this world works. It's ridiculously obvious if you take a step back. It's not even a bad thing either, in many ways. Those who do step back and spot what they are doing can at least be aware enough to avoid the worst of it - hence, I'll never roast in a summer car travelling all day for ten minutes at a beach, I'll never buy that house just on the edge of my wage reach, I'll never (again!) buy those items on discount just because they are on discount, no thought for whether they'll be used or not. Hopefully never, at least. That programming can be devlishly hard to break.
Most people just don't make any conscious decisions at all most of the time though, do they? Maybe that's for the best too?
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Not quite as much to say as I thought
How do people manage to write more than one post a day in these things? It's more like one a month for me. I think I spend too much time waffling on various message boards and the like. I seem to prefer to take out my wrath by ranting on those things as opposed to here.
Anyway, just had a lovely holiday to Italy, as you do, and now back in the old UK. It's good to be away, but it's always nice to have those home comforts around too.
That and I'm trying to finish old PC game Icewind Dale 2 which is a biggy as games go and has taken ages. A bit heavy on the fights and light on interaction, next to the great Baldur's Gate series, but well worth playing for RPG addicts like me. I do the pencil and paper stuff too. Have done for over 25 years now, quite frighteningly. We've even gone back to playing D&D now, though Warhammer Fantasy is far better as a system. But D20 has improved it all. Certainly a step forward...but it would be nothing without a good GM, and thankfully we have one of those. Though I take my turn behind the screen too, most notably in WFRP.
I should mention my cat too, next time. Because that's the sort of thing people do in blogs, isn't it? I'd post pictures, but I'll work on the assumption you don't care that much. Any more than I would want to see your pussy. I could work in a tired old Mrs Slocombe type gag here, but you probably already did that in your head, didn't you? Ye dirty feckers. (Can we swear here? Is it monitored? Shouldn't I know that? Feck isn't a proper swearword anyway, as any loyal Father Ted fan knows.)
Anyway, just had a lovely holiday to Italy, as you do, and now back in the old UK. It's good to be away, but it's always nice to have those home comforts around too.
That and I'm trying to finish old PC game Icewind Dale 2 which is a biggy as games go and has taken ages. A bit heavy on the fights and light on interaction, next to the great Baldur's Gate series, but well worth playing for RPG addicts like me. I do the pencil and paper stuff too. Have done for over 25 years now, quite frighteningly. We've even gone back to playing D&D now, though Warhammer Fantasy is far better as a system. But D20 has improved it all. Certainly a step forward...but it would be nothing without a good GM, and thankfully we have one of those. Though I take my turn behind the screen too, most notably in WFRP.
I should mention my cat too, next time. Because that's the sort of thing people do in blogs, isn't it? I'd post pictures, but I'll work on the assumption you don't care that much. Any more than I would want to see your pussy. I could work in a tired old Mrs Slocombe type gag here, but you probably already did that in your head, didn't you? Ye dirty feckers. (Can we swear here? Is it monitored? Shouldn't I know that? Feck isn't a proper swearword anyway, as any loyal Father Ted fan knows.)
