One of my previous posts touched upon a personal shift that is happening right now. Expression, authenticity, vulnerability abd exposing yourself.
After a short conversation with @bbblackwell, I realized I don't really understand what I am thinking, thus it'll require more than one post to reach the bottom of this abstract, philosophical crisis of mine.
Important Categorization: Mindless vs Purposeful Expression
When those words popped into my mind, things became clearer. I identified what is my issue.
Let me begin by saying that not all emotions and thoughts are created equal. While we were taught we were special and the shit that's coming out of our poophole is pure gold, we are incomplete and imperfect beings. About 80% of our mind and personality is completely useless and outright garbage.
Why?
Becuase humans are mostly the same. 80% of the things they offer are not novel nor valuable, since they are abundant and everyone possess them.
Think about it. People admire people who have an extraordinary, uncommon, talent. Or to be more precise, they possess a common ability to an uncommon degree.
Do you think that everything you have to say is necessary to be said?
I hate the notion of "killing the ego". It's shallow and plays to some people's innate desire to be meek and get squashed for something greater than them. BUT according to virgin Newton, there's an opposite:
Writing for the sake of writing. Writing for your pleasure, in a way that is inviting and seeks validation, feeding your ego and inflating your value.
So, what's the solution? Authenticity comes to mind.
Yes, authenticity seems to filter out the unecessary noise of our fake self-projection of our persona. Is it enough though?
I said that not all emotions and thoughts are created equal. Every day you experience a plethora of both. Does this mean they are real?
Most of the times they're fleeting, a product of spontenuous observation of our environment. They don't define us nor represent our true character.
S E N S A T I O N A L I S M
Look around you and see who entertains us. Common denominator is sensationalism, novelty, a continuous cycle of ups and downs, push-pull.
OK, at this point a question naturally occurs (a sign we are on the right path).
"Is it NOT ok to let go and get undressed and raw and show how your mind functions?"
No. I've done that for over 300k words. And I still do it occasionally, because I like testing people and their reactions to me.
BUT I will say this: It becomes a burden to your soul. When abstractions aren't grounded to reality, you may equivocate yourself to something greater. When your intellectual prowness isn't linked with real life results it'll become unbearable even for the most detached individuals.
Writers are extremely prone to this and should be cautious or at least aware. Writing for the sake of writing can be irresponsible, because a seasined writer can alter the perception of the untrained readers and persuade them that whatever he/she says is important and real.
That can create all sorts of fables.
As we established, many of the things we say aren't genuine and don't come from a place that is "true", if you know what I mean. Here's where purposeful expression comes into play.
Schopenhauer said: "No one writes anything worth writing, unless he writes entirely for the sake of his subject"
Also, someone whose name eludes me said, and I am paraphrasing: An abundance of writers in a society is a sign of a society in decline.
And I agree with both of these statements.
Art has become a commodity, where the laymen feel they can do what the masters can't. So they try. And they produce rather shitty shit, but because they are the mass, they get the validation they seek.
They think art is about "me me me, expression, my ideas, my feelings", yet they don't understand that art is about sacrifice.
I am not sure If I am finished with this subject, but I am finished with this post.
Leave your thoughts below, I really need to hear your opinion.
(Please refrain from commenting if you are stupid)
-Thatredbeardguy