Sometimes…people suck. They are
real ass holes. Who hasn’t met someone who they just want to punch in the face
because they are being an idiot? Whether it’s a family member, someone at work,
or some moron on the road…we all have those days where we seem to meet the best
of God’s dumbest creations. I feel though, that often times we are only looking
in a mirror. Looking at something that we ourselves often are. An Asshole.
In William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys
are marooned on an island all by themselves. No parents, no government, no
rules. Just themselves. In time, Pandora’s box is opened and chaos and death walk
freely amongst the children. One of the central themes of the book is that
humans are by nature, carnal, evil, and malicious. This is seen in the descent
of these innocent boys from humane to demonic. It is also made manifest in a
boars head upon a stake. The Lord of the Flies. Beezlebub, The prince of
devils. Who taunts the children, making them realize that their greatest fear,
the beast, is in fact themselves. This enigmatic symbol ultimately drives
Simon, a representation of spirituality to his own spiritual and physical
death.
The themes in this book inspire me.
Weird right? This is one of my favorite books of all time, and is a must read
for everyone in my opinion. However, there is one thing I completely disagree
with about the book. Which in essence is the core of the book. I believe Human
beings are inherently good.
I feel that naturally and deep down
all humans are brought into this world as good people. I do not believe that
some people inherently bring evil with them. In the realm of science there is
an extensive battle between what is Nurture and what is Nature. Which of these
two opposing forces dictates what we will become. Ask some people and its black
and white…all or none. We either are a product of our genetics or a product of
our environment. I believe in the color grey. That nature gives us certain
anatomy, which can cause certain physiology, which can ultimately lead to
certain personalities and dispositions. However, I also believe that the world
around us is a very sharp knife.
Once we reach a certain point in our
lives I feel that nature sort of dies, and we become subject to the knife of nurture.
We react to situations by what we have seen others react like. We mirror what
our surroundings teach us. Sure we have different personalities, beliefs,
ideals, morals, and genetic variances that make us truly unique. But at the
core, we all have been shaped with what the world has given us. Making some
people bad, and others good.
I am so inspired by Golding’s book,
due to the apocalyptic tale he tells. That humans are evil. He demonstrates
that without laws we will be destroyed by our own beasts. And if this wickedness
is not contained it will consume us. What I pull from the book is to fight
against it. Recognize when we are being malicious and change it. We can’t force
people to change who they are, but I STONGLY believe that we can be instruments
of good in the world. We heal from the scars that the knife has left in us and
we can be different. We don’t have to be depressed or rude and mean. We can
change. We have control.
Sometimes though I think I am too optimistic.
I have people in my life who wear me down. They make stupid mistakes and think
that their life is out of their control. I want to ring his neck. Tell him to
shut the hell up, and make the decision. Take his life, and make the best of
it. Put off the negativity and choose to be happy. I tell him this over and
over and over and over and over and over and over. Do they listen? For a couple
of months. Then the descent back into Dante’s inferno begins again. Not just
for him. But the people who his actions affect. We are his Dante and he is our Virgil.
Dragging us with him…. down the circles of his personal hell. And all of us are
raged and stormed by the tempest of those deep circles of hell.
I am writing this post, not for
him. Not for myself. But for those people who day by day choose their destiny. They
choose to be good. Thank you. Thank you to all the mothers who put up with their
children’s shit day after day. Who hide their scars of sadness from the world.
Thank you to the dads who struggle to make ends meet, but who still take time
out of their day to play with those who they love. Thank you to the sisters who
hold on, and have a faith in something that the rest of us have troubles with. Thank
you to the friends who listen without bigotry or hate. Thank you to the lovers,
who bare the burdens of their partners.
Thank you to the people in the
world who are trying to make a difference. I have had a very hard week. Then I meet
people around me, at work, at school, in the store, and all around me. It gives
me courage to look into the Lord of Flies and yell at him. Scream at him that I
am better. To overcome my personal darkness and fight for myself to be a good
person. To choose the right in more ways than a religious one.
What inspires me? Good people. Not
only who they are, but what they choose to overcome each and every day. To all
of you who inspire me. Thank you. I would be lost forever on an island without
you.
P.S. 5000 blog points ;)
