Dear Readers,
On this blog I've been speaking about ideas that don't exactly conform with the crowd. Talking about sexual abuse and domestic violence is pretty unpleasant at best, but bringing up issues such as those of my experience that most people in society fail to understand (or seem to) is even more difficult.
In this particular entry however, I'd like to speak about something a little different, and wish to aim it at a younger audience, and on the idea of being cool.
I've been there myself, having gone through adolescence, and constantly worried about what other people thought of me. There was so much in the way of how you should wear your hair, what music you should listen to, I mean I enjoyed nu-metal and emo music as a kid but that was what I was into. Nowadays I wouldn't be caught dead listening to it, and many of my male and female peers would be extremely embarrassed to think of what they used to listen to, watch and wear as kids and teenagers.
The female example is pretty blatant too, with so much pressure put on young women regarding what's cool to wear, how to have one's hair, female fashion is so changeable that I find it somewhat bewildering. And woe betide any teenage girl who goes to school with her insecure friends.
And then you have dull bums like these trying to make the point of "logic" that this is, but come across as pretty misogynistic by calling women without makeup various forms of ugly, and then calling women who wear makeup "fake bitches", the two-faced fool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHcIOUdZCr4
The same applies to virtue signalling. After my granddad's passing, I was intrigued and disappointed to notice that a few of my friends were a bit too busy complaining about Jeremy Corbyn and the election to offer any words of condolence. That's the thing about it. It's not about empathy, it's about looking cool.
That is their only reason to do that, and approve of such amoral, immoral, immature, childish, unempathetic, unpleasant, unintelligent and all-round stupid ways of thinking. Not because it's the right thing to do or because it achieves anything, but because it's 'cool' and that's it. Even people making up trans identities that make no sense (e.g. I identify as being from outer space, an actual example) are just conforming to what they think is in.
The implications are clear. Be 'cool' and 'trendy' or risk ostracisation for being different. Even attempts at being 'different' end up falling prey to this way of thinking when they get off the ground. In the end, we teach kids to try and be 'cool' rather than teach them to accept one another, warts and all. If anyone fails to fall into this category, they're out.
I understand the idea. We all want to fit in with our peers, because as social creatures, evolution-wise we risked life and limb itself if faced with ostracization. If you enjoy the trappings of a certain culture, that's fine, but if your friends would shun you for not being trendy enough, then find some real friends because that's not what these people are.
When it comes to these trends, what are they for normally? Makeup? Music? Fashion? Making money. I admit, it takes a deal of bravery to stand out from the crowd, especially when your confidence is low, but it goes to show the sort of society we live in, where this shallow and vapid point of view prevails.
Real 'cool' people tend to stand out from the crowd, or act as an example to follow.
What is 'being cool' but manipulated conformity?
To wrap up, I'll leave you with this Shakespeare quote:
'We are the makers of manners, and the liberty that follows our places stops the mouth of all find faults.'
Henry V Act 5 Scene 2
Yours sincerely,
The Invisible Man
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