|
{life is personal: act accordingly} henry gray I read the Four Agreements. And sure, I pocketed this ancient wisdom, like all the other ancient maxims from Greece and the Orient and everywhere in-between. And sure, I’ve found value in them all. But what I’m coming to realize is that – I’m not internalizing these concepts for you. In fact, I never have done anything for you. I mean, let's be honest: I’ve done it all for me. Everything, absolutely everything I've ever done has been in the name of self preservation. One of the Four Agreements states that you should try and not take things personally. For a couple of years now I’ve worked with this maxim. And I’ve been able to employ it in my daily life. It has helped. But I’ve come a certain point in my life now where I say: fuck that. I take everything personally. The stars, the waning and waxing moon, if the Broncos lose, the war in Iraq, bipartisan bullshit rhetoric and most importantly, why you’re being a childish asshole to me on a Friday night for no apparent reason. I say fuck this ancient wisdom. I say, everybody should take everything personally. Maybe then we would be catapulted from our comfortable slumbers – and propelled into the world to create a worthy dialogue – on canvas, paper, street poles or on somebody’s mind. The Four Agreements and other ancient wisdom literature is not written for the betterment of society. It’s not written so that we can live kinder and gentler with others. For our own sake - not theirs. It is written because of one simple idea: self preservation. Yes, that’s right – all of these pieces of literature were written because we all act out of self preservation. And take one step further out onto the plank and: we all act selfishly. I don’t smile at you at (insert public place here) because I like you. I smile at you because it makes me feel good. And if I do like you, it’s not because you’re really that fucking amazing – it’s because I don’t find you to be an immediate threat and probably, something you said or did made me feel good about myself. In the end, you’re an fucktard and so am I. Some say that this wisdom literature is intended to show one power and strength and the gods. I say fuck that: I spend a lot of my time around artists and musicians. And for the most part, boy do they suck. All of these creative types believe that they were given free will to act out all of their childhood abuse and adolescent infirmities. They believe that they have the right to mope around, be schmucks, be aloof (even though they're in public) and act like dogmatic intellectuals (if they can really spell all that). To most these folk seem opaque and complicated. To me they are mirrors: just like me, they’re assholes and full of shit. And yes I’ll have you know, I lock my door at night for one simple reason: Because I do not trust you. More than that, I don’t really even like you. In the end, you’re an asshole and so am I. But then again, assholes have purposes – they are not the lowest of the low. So I correct myself, and will now say: I am an asshole and you are a hemorrhoid – devoid of any real purpose in my life apart from making me feel good about myself. Now fuck off and stick some mistletoe in your ass. It will amuse me. |
