What?

 It occurs to me that there are people out there whom shall be very curious indeed as to the things I will share.

That's what I mean about living history. How will it be known as to the nuance lost, were it not uttered? And then we define our reality based on a chosen historical perception, while we catalog facts. The facts themselves are horrible; but, we as a species want to feel like we're moving forward no matter the cost. The cost is only calculated later. This is how it is and has been for all of humanity - always.

Individually, do we live any differently? Collective delusions inform us individually, but only as related to the social whole.

What do I mean by that? Am I saying everyone is deluded? Yes. How could I say that? Let me just give the most overt example. Let's imagine I have $10 in my pocket. What does that mean? This is a small piece of fancy paper that someone printed the number "10" upon. It has value in trade because we believe it does.

Irrespective, because of this belief, were one not to have that special numerical paper, one wouldn't be able to buy commodities that number is believed to be valid for in trade. On this simple basis, people live and die every day.

In the era of developing industry and beforehand, there was a different economic construct that made such a system more believable and therefore more sustainable. The value of gold and silver used to determine our economic realities - for thousands and thousands of years. The United States stopped making coins out of precious metal in 1964. If you find a dime, quarter, fifty-cent piece, or silver dollar minted before 1964, hold on to it! It's numerical attribution is much higher than its face-value.

Shit. Now I can't get my coffee because I misplaced my fancy green piece of paper. Whew! I found it. Now I'm worth something.

An Essay on Our Linear Selves

History is a funny thing. I've been keenly aware all of my life that we're all living within our own versions of a greater historical reality. That awareness, however, has not been bereft of delusion - whether imposed, at my own insistence, by society itself, or a combination of both.

But it's the world we live in, isn't it? Full of treachery, horror, and the dichotomy of extreme beauty and love, all at the same time. Perhaps this is analogous to our lives too: we are all beings of infinite capability, hampered by much, ultimately amounting to a commemorative stone if we're lucky. Perhaps too, this is all analogous to the nature of illusion.

The condition itself seems absurd with which to contend, from a logical sense. Within that realization lies it's own horror. How do we respond? Do we bow to the horror show, cowering in fear? No. We meander forth, cowering in fear in other ways - individually - as both introverts and extroverts.

Collectively, I think we deny our greater selves societally in lieu of selfish comforts and perceptions to our own detriment as a species, by design of controlled sociological evolution. Such conditions of society will evolve naturally, of course, the results of which are somewhat controlled.

We base so much value, attention, and energy on this society constructed on greed and accumulation. It has not really changed since time immemorial, this concept of self-entitlement. We have the capacity at this point in history, however, to take remarkable strides forward as a species. The best parts of humankind can be revealed, were they not held back by the imposed division of peoples on geo-political/socio-economic constructs.

It is said that we in society have lost a connection through being more connected than ever, ironically. We've lost social nuance. We've become more isolated and introverted, casting aspersions and labels upon others as if our own morality or even mental health were the paradigm upon which measurement should be based. We have lost what is called a "common myth". We have no believable destination as a society as a result of corruption and conspiracy - that which everyone knows about; some might be in varying degrees of denial about this, but most people even begrudgingly know that our perceived reality has changed. What is left is a shell holding together a framework on the basis of crumbling nostalgia. Shall it be chaos that ensues from such allowance? Is such chaos inevitable? And, my big question: Is it by design? (In my  mind, these are rhetorical questions.)