These fables, these anecdotes, these allegories, these fairy tales that have paved my literary development, they all seem to stem from the same perspective, right? This same ideology is implicit in just about every movie and every historical account of those traditionally regarded as “heroes”. And this thematic element is present in so many of them—so many of them, and in fact, that there are very few exceptions—but we barely recognize it as an element at all, but rather just the way it should be. They all depict the protagonist as a simple man of above-average physical composition fueled by virtue, obsession, or psychosis ultimately pursuing someone who is, above all else, a thinker. Sure, he could be generally amoral, obsessive, or psychotic himself, this antagonist, but what truly distinguishes him is that he is someone who thinks, someone who challenges the belief system set into place and influencing our lives. Often, the sly and clever fox is portrayed as the villain in fables, for example, and Socrates was killed for asking questions. The Devil merely spoke to Eve in a plan so ingenious, it took what seems like moments to instigate Original Sin.
Alright, this seems like a bit of a conspiracy theory, right? But then we go to school, the first, “institution;” or our initial introduction into bureaucracy and the standard thinking methodology. Often, students who are left handed and taught to write with their right. We sit with our hands folded on the desk before us, visible. We don’t move too much. We stare at someone talking at us for hours on end. And, of course, there are those moments in between while you’re in transit, between classes, to and from lunch, and during our little interims like lunch and break. During these times, very short ultimately, but what make up the majority of our memories for eleven years straight, we experience the tiny societies that coagulate amongst the students that establish each respective class.
And the most intelligent students, often antisocial because he or she cannot relate to the lesser-developed interests and pursuits of the mean, are usually at the bottom. Granted, there are some with exceptional communicative skills, but that sort of talent, especially young, is few and far between. I mean, most adults can’t adequately communicate. Most adults.
Where does this antipathy for exceptional intelligence come from?
This is not to mention that as these same classes progress, free thought and originality are further discouraged. Those who are too atypical or who cannot seem to conceptualize why they care about what they’re being forced to learn end up medicated and estranged. The same people who move on to populate our world continue their hostilities against those who are most intelligent; indeed, those same smart people will be the dickhead bosses that shirk on civility because of their deep-seated spite. And the cycle continues, because to be a puppet or a moron or a gladiator is far more valued than to be an artist, a writer, or even a mathematician. And lets not get started on the tragedy of our education system in general. And how undervalued our teachers are. Even, with how much little respect teachers are granted across the board, from children to adults.
The point is:
I think it’s generally regarded as evil to think for one’s self. Granted, it is one of the biggest devices foreign countries use to cause the dissonance in a society that’ll substantially weaken it and its government. This is why one of the first things one must do in order to colonize a country is to educate its inhabitants. This is also why one can only colonize a lesser-developed country. Colonizing a country that’s at the same economic and educational level as one’s self isn’t colonizing at all—that is called an invasion. And it must be done violently because it would be too difficult at that point to outsmart them.
But it’s absurd to believe that one should not think for one’s self, lest it compromise national security. If one is truly concerned about their country’s national security, he or she ought to educate themselves on their government’s endeavors. At least then he or she would be abreast as to how many countries are pissed off at theirs.
Independent thought and higher intelligence has been demonized. One doesn’t even really need to be very smart to be considered exceptional in school—one must simply be interested. It’s that pathetic. Warning labels are insulting. Originality is insulted. And above all, our greatest minds are hindered, muted, and underappreciated.
So, fuck the system. I’ll think as much as I want. The Revolution starts with thought.
