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fiat_knoxThis is what you hear, and so you're supposed to stop whatever it is you're doing, that's fun and foolish and strange.
I don't hear those words. If you apply even a little telepathy, and who can't, you actually hear the following words thought by the speaker:-
'You're ignoring the game, and I am not. The game is "being normal" and conforming to an image of acceptable behaviour of your race, class, creed, age, gender, orientation and tax bracket. And you're not playing that game, and I want you to stop what you're doing and play the normal game instead.
'I can see that you are happy, and yet you are doing this wrong thing that you're doing. Surely you're doing something wrong, because you can only be happy by playing the normal game and doing what all the experts and your neighbours tell you. It is important what other people think of you, and you have got to follow the standards of behaviour others set, because they are important.
'Because I am important, and you, you wrong-doing person, you are not - because if you were, you'd be doing the normal thing, like we want you to, and you would be really happy. Not this ... laughing, singing, jumping around thing you're doing now, but being content and safe and normal.
'And I also want you to stop because I'm playing by the rules of the normal game, and I am scared to take a stand like you are, and yet despite my conviction that being normal is the only way to be happy I actually feel quite rotten inside. I am scared of everything, not happy, but because I believe in the normal game I can't see a way out of it, and so your ignoring the rules of the normal game and enjoying your life makes me feel resentful and envious of you.
'I want to feel right. But most of all, I want to be right and I want you to be wrong, because while not being normal is not an accepted part of the normal game, being holier than thou is an accepted move because it earns me the approval of my peers.
'But because I don't know how to stop you by just asking you, I invoke "It's For The Greater Good And If You Don't There Must Be Something Wrong With You, Haven't You Seen The News?" and use the tired cliche of the day. Last year it was "because of the terror threat." A few years back it was "because of the paedophiles." But today the reason is economic. There's a credit crunch on, and we're all supposed to buckle up and tighten our belts - but most importantly, everybody stop being different and CONFORM!'
Do conformists fear me? I hope so. I really hope so. I'd rather them fear than love me, because fear can be controlled. Love cannot.
The credit crunch can go hang. I never had much money to start with. If I have none, it's not that different from before when I have had none, and nobody gave me any either, so I can enjoy what life I can. And I do.
And the credit crunch excuse can go to blazes. Conformists; think up another excuse. Better yet, bugger off. I am the boogeyman. And you've outgrown your blankies, so you have nothing to protect you against me.
I don't hear those words. If you apply even a little telepathy, and who can't, you actually hear the following words thought by the speaker:-
'You're ignoring the game, and I am not. The game is "being normal" and conforming to an image of acceptable behaviour of your race, class, creed, age, gender, orientation and tax bracket. And you're not playing that game, and I want you to stop what you're doing and play the normal game instead.
'I can see that you are happy, and yet you are doing this wrong thing that you're doing. Surely you're doing something wrong, because you can only be happy by playing the normal game and doing what all the experts and your neighbours tell you. It is important what other people think of you, and you have got to follow the standards of behaviour others set, because they are important.
'Because I am important, and you, you wrong-doing person, you are not - because if you were, you'd be doing the normal thing, like we want you to, and you would be really happy. Not this ... laughing, singing, jumping around thing you're doing now, but being content and safe and normal.
'And I also want you to stop because I'm playing by the rules of the normal game, and I am scared to take a stand like you are, and yet despite my conviction that being normal is the only way to be happy I actually feel quite rotten inside. I am scared of everything, not happy, but because I believe in the normal game I can't see a way out of it, and so your ignoring the rules of the normal game and enjoying your life makes me feel resentful and envious of you.
'I want to feel right. But most of all, I want to be right and I want you to be wrong, because while not being normal is not an accepted part of the normal game, being holier than thou is an accepted move because it earns me the approval of my peers.
'But because I don't know how to stop you by just asking you, I invoke "It's For The Greater Good And If You Don't There Must Be Something Wrong With You, Haven't You Seen The News?" and use the tired cliche of the day. Last year it was "because of the terror threat." A few years back it was "because of the paedophiles." But today the reason is economic. There's a credit crunch on, and we're all supposed to buckle up and tighten our belts - but most importantly, everybody stop being different and CONFORM!'
Do conformists fear me? I hope so. I really hope so. I'd rather them fear than love me, because fear can be controlled. Love cannot.
The credit crunch can go hang. I never had much money to start with. If I have none, it's not that different from before when I have had none, and nobody gave me any either, so I can enjoy what life I can. And I do.
And the credit crunch excuse can go to blazes. Conformists; think up another excuse. Better yet, bugger off. I am the boogeyman. And you've outgrown your blankies, so you have nothing to protect you against me.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-13 10:58 pm (UTC)Stupid Lines
Date: 2009-02-13 11:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-14 02:13 am (UTC)If I'm OTT and being all bouncy and nuts then, oh no, that can't be me, that has to be me emulating someone else. I got told once that my opinion didn't matter and it was what everyone else wanted that mattered. That's the biggest load of bollocks I've heard in my life.
Yay to not conforming and bring on enjoying life. I also notice that it's the people who don't do anything that tend to try and bring down anyone who does.
Conformists? Who'd be a conformist?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-14 09:17 am (UTC)Those who know no better. The mostly somnambulent public who only get their news from the papers and the governmental puppet theatre that is broadcast television news. Or from only one book.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-14 08:52 am (UTC)Yes there is a recession, it is affecting the whole of Europe, it's not likely to end soon, and I do know people who have lost their jobs or whose businesses are in trouble, I feel genuinely sorry for them. But I am not convinced by these claims that people who normally buy their organic ciabatta from Waitrose are suddenly switching to Tesco value sliced white because of the 'credit crunch', or going on holiday to Butlins instead of the Bahamas: these all seem like Daily Mail style scaremongering, with the tacit subtext of 'this recession's worse because it's hitting the MIDDLE CLASSES'.