Is Enlightment/Knowledge really worth it?
October 12, 2015 5:23 PM Subscribe
Is attaintment of knowledge concerning society, politics, socialism and capitalism really in ones best interest? Or is it best to be ignorant about these things? Being more aware of how corrupt governments and conglomerates are, whom conjointly exploit labour forces/people, through consumerism, materialism, debt and media, doesn't exactly fill one with confidence... Would you agree?
I've found that as i've got older (I'm soon to be 35), i've become more analytical, introspective, curious and enlightened by these main areas: society, politics, capitalism, money and materialism. These areas of thought have come about through education (completed a Business degree a couple of years ago), watching documentries (primarily Zeitgeist), reading (plethora of information on the internet from Marx to Stoicism), watching and listening to George Carlin, and most recently watching a TV series called Mr Robot (you'd have to watch it to see where I am coming from lol). Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed absorbing knowledge of such areas, it's left me somewhat disillusioned shall we say....
The Zeitgeist documentaries in particular and reading works by Karl Marx has really fuelled my interest in this ideology of Capitalism and associated concepts of money, debt, materialism, consumerism, class struggles and profit by conglomerates who essentially run the world (IMF, ECB, World Bank etc). I could go on, but I won't :) Consequently, it's left me feeling hugely disillusioned at the same time liberated. Liberated because I no longer follow the sheep, think independantly, appreciate the value of money and spend it wisely, and count my blessings as much as I can. I watch my immediate society being sucked into materialism and consumerism on a day to day basis living in a city, spending hundreds of dollars/pounds on clothes and stuff to fill their houses and taking out loans to buy the nicest cars. I do look at these people and they look happy and confident and it makes me feel like I'm a minority because im not buying into that ideology.
Many friends around me are saving for a deposit for their first home, or, looking to improve their credit history to get said mortgage. I'm soon to be 35, i've been doing various contracts since graduating which have paid reasonably well (slightly above average wage), and I quite like not committing myself to one job for the rest of my life. I have no children and i'm not married. I also rent and have done so since, day dot really.
Sometimes I think, maybe I would be better off being ignorant, as ignorance can be truly bliss to what's really happening out there in society. Why not be a sheep? Buy into the whole house and car and clothes and holiday doctorine. People seem, on the face of things, happier. Those who are more enlightened, educated and socially and politically aware of what a flaw the whole system is I believe can be quite unsettled. Like myself I suppose.
I've experienced really tough times in my life, lost jobs, a home (tenancy being ended by the landlord) at the time time, so I know what it's like to lose everything that is very important in terms of security. Hence why I count my blessings at the moment with a very good job that pays well, lovely colleagues and a rented aparted which is 5 mins from my work. I have little outgoings (of course I have debt, but very small in comparison to what others may have) and I am incredibly fortunate. I see homeless people on a daily basis, and have on occasions, given money to them or my time, because I really do appreciate what I have and how easy it is to lose it all. My job is a means to an end and I understand that now, moreso than I did 12 months ago when I had no job, and I was placing a lot of pressure on myself to find an occupation in life. I consider myself very humble and I am very thankful.
My question is to you - do you feel it is better to be enlightened or ignorant in relation to society and this idea that you should buy a house, get a career, have a nice car, buy nice things? How important is getting a mortgage to you? It's difficult now, more than ever, to save for a deposit for a house the way the economies are developing. By going to university as a mature student, it really opened my eyes to the way the world really works and how it is solely run by conglomerates. To take out a 25 year mortgage, with interest, means I have to ensure im in work for that period of time. I wouldn't actually own the house until it was paid off, so i wouldn't be a home owner.
I don't know. I have a worring propensity to over analyse things through reading and educating myself, and I don't know if I am doing myself more harm than good by doing so. History and knowledge fascinates me and I can read for hours. I just worry whether it's the best logical thing to be doing and i'm only ostracising myself from most of society.
I've found that as i've got older (I'm soon to be 35), i've become more analytical, introspective, curious and enlightened by these main areas: society, politics, capitalism, money and materialism. These areas of thought have come about through education (completed a Business degree a couple of years ago), watching documentries (primarily Zeitgeist), reading (plethora of information on the internet from Marx to Stoicism), watching and listening to George Carlin, and most recently watching a TV series called Mr Robot (you'd have to watch it to see where I am coming from lol). Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed absorbing knowledge of such areas, it's left me somewhat disillusioned shall we say....
The Zeitgeist documentaries in particular and reading works by Karl Marx has really fuelled my interest in this ideology of Capitalism and associated concepts of money, debt, materialism, consumerism, class struggles and profit by conglomerates who essentially run the world (IMF, ECB, World Bank etc). I could go on, but I won't :) Consequently, it's left me feeling hugely disillusioned at the same time liberated. Liberated because I no longer follow the sheep, think independantly, appreciate the value of money and spend it wisely, and count my blessings as much as I can. I watch my immediate society being sucked into materialism and consumerism on a day to day basis living in a city, spending hundreds of dollars/pounds on clothes and stuff to fill their houses and taking out loans to buy the nicest cars. I do look at these people and they look happy and confident and it makes me feel like I'm a minority because im not buying into that ideology.
Many friends around me are saving for a deposit for their first home, or, looking to improve their credit history to get said mortgage. I'm soon to be 35, i've been doing various contracts since graduating which have paid reasonably well (slightly above average wage), and I quite like not committing myself to one job for the rest of my life. I have no children and i'm not married. I also rent and have done so since, day dot really.
Sometimes I think, maybe I would be better off being ignorant, as ignorance can be truly bliss to what's really happening out there in society. Why not be a sheep? Buy into the whole house and car and clothes and holiday doctorine. People seem, on the face of things, happier. Those who are more enlightened, educated and socially and politically aware of what a flaw the whole system is I believe can be quite unsettled. Like myself I suppose.
I've experienced really tough times in my life, lost jobs, a home (tenancy being ended by the landlord) at the time time, so I know what it's like to lose everything that is very important in terms of security. Hence why I count my blessings at the moment with a very good job that pays well, lovely colleagues and a rented aparted which is 5 mins from my work. I have little outgoings (of course I have debt, but very small in comparison to what others may have) and I am incredibly fortunate. I see homeless people on a daily basis, and have on occasions, given money to them or my time, because I really do appreciate what I have and how easy it is to lose it all. My job is a means to an end and I understand that now, moreso than I did 12 months ago when I had no job, and I was placing a lot of pressure on myself to find an occupation in life. I consider myself very humble and I am very thankful.
My question is to you - do you feel it is better to be enlightened or ignorant in relation to society and this idea that you should buy a house, get a career, have a nice car, buy nice things? How important is getting a mortgage to you? It's difficult now, more than ever, to save for a deposit for a house the way the economies are developing. By going to university as a mature student, it really opened my eyes to the way the world really works and how it is solely run by conglomerates. To take out a 25 year mortgage, with interest, means I have to ensure im in work for that period of time. I wouldn't actually own the house until it was paid off, so i wouldn't be a home owner.
I don't know. I have a worring propensity to over analyse things through reading and educating myself, and I don't know if I am doing myself more harm than good by doing so. History and knowledge fascinates me and I can read for hours. I just worry whether it's the best logical thing to be doing and i'm only ostracising myself from most of society.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, this is chatfilter. -- LobsterMitten
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