It's been about eight months since I formally announced that I would no longer be devoting my time to commenting on the Social Justice internet presence and the transformation has been nothing short of profound. It's kind of like how they say when you stop smoking suddenly your sense of smell and taste starts coming back and you realize you'd forgotten all the wonderful ambrosia that you'd- for some reason- decided was best locked out as you trembled and quaked behind your nicotine ramparts.
My addiction was never drugs or drink. It was the narcotic rush and flimsy, fickle, pseudo-celebrity status offered by getting involved with YouTube drama. And sure enough- there was withdrawal just the same. I would think about what I wanted to say to [insert name of internet crackpot] who had the audacity to say [insert looney bullshit cooked up by whatever political extremists I've pissed off this week] about me and eventually I just started treating those spells like a panic attack- something that I didn't have to feed into and sure enough- eventually they would pass and I'd go on about my day.
The little pleasures came back- laying in bed in the morning listening to my favorite New Age cuts. Getting a deep dish at Nancy's. Driving through the sprawling, lavish neighborhoods in Buckhead while listening to Steely Dan. Playing my guitar. All of that.
But most importantly, I was able to stop overdosing on truth. There's a great TEDtalk on depression by Andrew Solomon that has a line I really like:
The truth lies.
When dealing with depressed persons, Solomon argues, a therapist is often confronted with someone who wallows in misery because they've become consumed with the big existential realities of life- tell them that they have a wonderful life and friends and family that love them and they'll say "well what does it matter- we're all going to die any way." Well, that's true- in the grand scheme of things we are only alive for a short time on a tiny blue-green planet tucked way off in the middle of nowhere (celestially speaking) and most of us will not have an impact on the direction of the human race in the long run- that is true. But it is truth to such a degree that we lose the ability to enjoy the life that's right in front of us.
Similarly, it is true that there is (or was at this point) a deeply incestuous relationship between game developers and the gaming press. It is true that the various strains of modern day Social Justice are turning college campuses into glorified daycare centers for a generation I like to refer to as "Children of the Cornhole." It is true that victimhood obsessed outrage culture is whittling away at our civil liberties to the point that police will one day judges will be handing down guilty verdicts just because a fully grown adult in a diaper shakes an oversized rattle and points their finger. It is true that political correctness has become so monstrously severe that debate team students win awards for their lunatic behavior by playing the race card.
All of this is true, but you know what- it's not going to play a part in my going through the drive thru for a bagel and iced tea at Dunkin Donuts so why am I letting it take up space in my head while I'm there?
I'll be 33 in September. Too old to be wasting time with inane garbage on the internet and young enough that I can still enjoy happiness during my pre-viagra decades. Let the crazies on the interwebs bask in their lunacy- I'm having too much fun in that oft-neglected wonderland called reality.
Who is John Galt?
Cheers,
-Jordan
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Hahahaha never seen someone more disconnected from reality in my life. ROLMAO!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteGlad you're holding up okay, Jordan
ReplyDelete