We have seasons for a reason right? 

I am really done with the argument of consistency. To show up, every day, with the expectation to be the same person, with the same capacity, when the survival of our entire species is based on change, and our ability to adapt with change. 

Nothing against sports (for entertainment purposes) but I’m not sure it teaches us the right things about how to live our life in a fulfilling manner. The no pain no gain policy, the goal to hurt yourself, over and over again, to reach new heights of tolerance? Then to be celebrated with pomp and show – we are gathered here today to celebrate the hero, who’s need to distract and live in a fictional quest was so strong that he has successfully created a parallel universe and sucked the rest of us with him!

When I read a story of conquest, a part of me is fascinated by what a single person is capable of achieving. It makes me reflect on the achievements of Einstein, and closer to living memories, that of Stephen Hawking’s, and how these individuals singlehandedly took the civilisation forward. But a part of me also wonders if that’s the whole truth. Have they really done it on their own? (I immediately revert to the age old quandary of whether Frodo or Samwise Gamgee was the real hero) And even if they did it all on their own, isn’t that a little sad? 

Our days of hyper individualism are over. If we were still struggling a few years ago, with the renewed attention brought by the unfolding genocide of the Gazans, the delusion of a singular person’s power is well and truly over. We live in a time and space where we are made to believe we are individuals, till we realise we have been robbed off that dignity, years ago. The clock for individual thinking stopped generations ago. First came the blow to the education system and critical thinking. Then came the algorithm gods. Any thought that you and I nurture, including this piece, have been curated for us by the thought police, either for or against the system. And there is no looking away from the fact that there is a system in place. The baton of responsibility might change hands, every now and then, but the system, the gatekeepers of civilisation, remain. 

So then, hyper individualism is fictional. A figment of our imagination. We are somehow led to believe that the responsibility lies on the individual to move mountains, making it possible for responsible parties to evade just that. 

But individuals also make up a system. So what do we do?

I vote for a war. 

Like much of our lives led in the virtual worlds now, the act of rebellion is not going to look glorious, in an old school fashion. For the bloodthirsty game of thrones fans, it will unfortunately be devoid of any gore. It will have to be fought in our minds. 

I am all up for retreats and wellbeing programmes, but much like the system telling us we need to change what we don’t like about ourselves, whilst looking away from the perpetual source of the mess, the wellbeing industry is also a bandaid treatment for the ailing heart. 

If we want to find the source of our unhappiness, we need to go to the source causing the unhappiness. And if we are actively looking for a solution to get away from this pain, it’s safe to agree this civilisation is not sadistic. Our breathing exercises can momentarily calm the nerves, but the lining of this hysteria is running thin because the onslaught of pain does not stop. 

This war has to be fought internally. If you’ve taken the red pill and opted for a life of oblivion, congratulations. No judgements. But if you’re struggling, nature has done its selection, as it always has, and you are a chosen one. 

The era of the messiah is gone. It’s time to mobilise the renaissance army. Are we ready?