Friday, August 2, 2013

"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart"


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 ;)

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