Friday 7 September 2007

Mockery

I cannot help but feel mocked. Looking at the lack of love in the world, the burgeoning world economies, the progress society takes, and individual demeanour makes me ponder over the possibility that the "Eutopia" we're striving for has actually come to light, just in a different shade.

A shade tainted with an eminent lack of colour and vitality. A lingering haze that blanket our vision. Margaret Atwood and Henry James are some of those who have tried to ring the alarm. Lucidly weaving tales of horror done by mankind and individual goal to wriggle out of misery. The stories they wrote are often heavily laden with dark and bleak issues surrounding the society, and its deliberate choice to be ignorant.

Unlike James who penned Gothic horror stories, Atwood pen hers in a way that doesn't seem apparent. For example The Handmaid's Tale and Ornyx and Crake by Atwood tell a story of how a set of laws being set up by the government to be followed by many without questioning. It comes to mind a similar version written by George Orwell, 1984. The parodies surfaced suggest a telling sign of some form of breakdown, otherwise why would there be a need to bring forth a flaw - a crack in the wall.

"Aria Da Capo", a play written in 1916, also contain a similar theme. It's essentially a play showcasing how "form managed to take precedence over substance" (Mayura) when people start to practice the dogma. Indoctrinate themselves with the intention of forming a "perfect" society.

It's interesting how these "intelligent" people couldn't see the main flaw of their vision: that the idea of perfection itself is a sign of hubris thus, according to the Greek laws, punishable by The Divine for only The Divine is said to be perfect, none of its creation or its creation's creation could escape from its imperfection.

Hence, the chase for "perfection" and creating "Eutopia" is sort of a mockery to The Divine, suggesting how mortal-like it actually is. It suggests that man too can come up to The Divine's status, and that it's not as powerful as it's deemed to be. Man is showing off his capabilities, and bringing down the high status of The Divine.

If there's one thing I learn from Greek mythology is that hubris is both a man's power and poison. It gives him confidence to reach beyond his limits yet, unknowingly he's stepping out of his safety circle and plunging into a bottomless abyss. He finally has what he's strive for: a place that's somewhere beyond his limits. An example would be the story of Icarus.

Philosophy teaches us to assess the matter at hand and argue our way out, or better still to avoid, making the wrong judgement. Questions like Ethics and Morals are often debated either with friends or self. It's a hard conflict to reconcile with. But it's inevitable.

So I feel mocked. I feel like my life is being parodied by those around me - in jokes, gossips, conversation starters, etc. I feel that our lives is a mockery. A mockery on those who hates us, and us on them. I kill the innocence in others, and framing a perspective worthy of Hades's partnership. I walk the lives of others. Stepping on the ground that others have stepped on with my footprints, as if mocking them. Of how funny they are, or how funny they walk and land their footprints. As if mine is better than theirs.

The same picture we see, but I have a varying view. Likewise for him or her. Our differences is a mockery of others. Our gifts to others, for them to laugh at and pass it on. And that's how laughter makes the world go round.

Love y'all

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