People for quite some time, even more so since WW II and the global ‘advent’ of an apparently global culture – have embraced the idea that business is good. More business is better. Which basically means: the higher the numbers, the better.
This leads to the rather sad realization that many people also treat love that way: they may not know better, but they act as if numbers are at the bottom of it. Love the most beautiful, the richest, the most handsome, the loudest, funniest or something else …est.
And the surface too often is taken for the real stuff: whatever someone says is taken at its face value, it seems as long as the image is ‘fitting’ the mainstream, the fashion, the – numbers, all’s well.
Particularly irritating at times is the behaviour of grown-ups, who seem to have no sense of their individual value, who think that having fun can have one connotation only – and that it is also fine to listen to what the majority apparently has to ‘say’ about these matters.
Who are constantly testing their market value by flirtatious behaviour or coy looks and moves – and seem to overlook completely, that they are transformed into a product, on ‘the market’… Almost seize to be human, and loose all individual character in the process, because they try so hard to be ‘part of the crowd’, the majority. Fulfil general ideas, instead of being a person.
So, what people believe, seems to amount to this:
- The majority, it is taken for granted, is always right.
- Fashion or what people take for it, the mainstream, is the best thing to have – or be. Or at least be part of.
- The majority states that having fun means, more of everything is better – even in love. Or what they take for it.
- If one conquers ever so many more and new people every other day, not only will certain others look up to them – it will make life so much more interesting and – fun…
All these assumptions are based on the idea of numbers: and since human beings are not ‘working’ by numbers alone or even mainly – these ideas will never result in what many people are looking for.
Instead, the boredom and the uneasiness continue – and become more. More people, more exciting moments become necessary to fill the void, scare away fear or anger – and less and less insights into their own soul, true needs or sorrows are possible.
What will be impossible to find, are fulfilment and the inner calm of ‘having arrived’. The ultimate contentment.
These things can be found only inside, not out.
Author’s Note
As is easily the case with people of limited perception and imagination, an article like the above seems to be easily misunderstood…
There are so many kind and funny and considerate humans around who are a bit flirtatious just for fun. Nothing whatever to say against that. But anyone who’s looked a little more closely also knows those who apparently keep a record. Who constantly need to prove something. Preferably using all around as an enforced audience. Especially in a workplace with confined spaces where ignoring them gracefully is out of the question.
This text is not applicable to ‘all and sundry’.
But, as I mentioned, not everyone’s experience is a broad one… and people still too often ‘jump to conclusions’…