Tag: pop

Alien

Are we speaking the same language? Are we even from the same planet? Those are at times the questions we ask ourselves when we encounter people who we thought had an understanding of common sense. Ultimately we have to make a choice of whether we are going to be delusional and endure the frustration of constant miscommunication or move on.

In the world of science and technology there is always a reference point. A reference point allows you to measure distance, the level of completion of a chemical reaction and everything else you wish to quantify. Widely used references, I would call them standards. Standard is a bad word these days, similar to discipline, respect, responsibility. These words evoke feelings of embarrassment, insecurity, inadequacy and even patriarchy. Ultimately we set standards for ourselves in modern time as the old standards typically seem oppressive. This is unfortunate as they probably just need dusting off and remixing rather than a total dumping.

Parents, friends and social groups in general who truly want the best for you will encourage you to uphold and accept a standard from you romantic interest. People who do not care for you, wish you ill, or use you as gossip and entertainment will allow you to disrespect and destroy yourself.

Standards may be dictated by religion, geographic origin, and media/television/internet. Of course television and other media’s main goal is to get you to buy something. Putting you through multiple failed relationships gets you to spend more(We’ll explore that lengthy topic another time). Pop culture exhibited on television and subcultures that may not be so visible, put pressure on those living according to conventional/traditional standards. Pop culture causes FOMO(fear of missing out) but rarely shows the long term damage of unsustainable behaviors.

I somewhat strayed off topic, but I said all of that to indicate that some of us are living according to different standards. So different that it may seem we are speaking a different language. Having a guide may seem controlling but at times it is for your own protection. One can get so caught up in an alien way of things to the point they are lost. No longer what or who they thought they were.

Exploring other cultures is something you do on vacations or when reading a book or watching a film. It is not something you want to do with a life partner unless the tenets of that culture are in alignment with yours. It is not about xenophobia but about having a comfortable life where everyone understands what is expected of each other.

Photo Credit: https://flic.kr/p/77wKN

Sub and or Pop Cultures

They say youth is wasted on the young and I agree. Also as many of us are living an extended youth mindset we can be considered to be wasting our whole lives. Traditionally(the main part of my perspective) each stage of life is supposed to give its own prestige, greater understanding, increased wisdom, increased discipline, increased classiness, and just overall increased coolness. These increases come with a full understanding of, and setting ones self apart from the previous stage that was just upgraded. That is speaking traditional…1950s, skip backwards over the industrial age to the Victorian era, skip over colonial times back to Feudalism. I skipped be cause the transition periods in between, involved growing pains that threw a lot of traditional behavior out to make space for massive growth.

Get to the point already, right. Basically don’t be a weirdo. I was trying not to be offensive but I am trying to help. Being different is a natural occurrence and we have to love ourselves the way we are made. Other differences are not innate or natural and are manifestations of our attempts to self-medicate our inner issues.

One thing I have recently learned is to NEVER make a permanent decision in response to a temporary issue. Suicide is at the most extreme end of this statement. Close to suicide is drug abuse in its many forms. Not so much, but still bad are negative thoughts about yourself. Many negative thoughts can be attributed to not accepting oneself, so that’s why it is so important to know that you are…important.

Now how does all of that relate to Pop and Sub culture. Pop culture and sub culture are the same things, momentary. So you cant make a permanent decision around a temporary thing as stated before. Look what happened to the tramp stamp of the late 1990s? As you grow you may not want to date yourself based on a pop culture or subculture permanent mark.

If you ask yourself whether a decision I am going to make will be ok five years later looking back, then you are probably safe. Even if you are in a bad space emotionally or otherwise, that is a temporary condition, believe me. If you are in a great place that can potentially be temporary as I’m sure the tramp stamp was fun for the first three years but that was not part of a five year plan. Fads come and go so often that I won’t get into specifics, as we all have to analyze what we can live with and we always have to live with ourselves.