From a reddit post (deleted by mods), that, while seemingly resentful toward humans, served as an excellent prompt for reflection. First, on how our attitudes toward self and humanity-at-large can evolve so drastically over a lifetime. Second, how the point-of-view of the accuser is likely originating from the same exact place as the accused – ego based thought. How does the attitude below make you feel? Does it spark ill toward the author, or compassion, or indifference? How about your sense of importance?
From Stranger
Dear World,
Fuck Humans. You are not as important as you think you are.
From Me
Dear Stranger,
There is no such thing as “important”. We’re just here. I suspect many here would joyfully admit their cosmic insignificance 🙂
For the humans who do “feel important”… their perception really doesn’t seem warrant anger toward them. They are on their path.
And you are on your path, feeling resentment, which you are sharing with all of us.
(duly noted)
Your feeling of resentment is about as cosmically significant as their feeling of importance. They are ideas in your heads that you are free to indulge or just observe. I have no issue with either of them actually, as long as nobody’s hurting anyone. Given the options of A) living my life feeling really important or B) feeling really resentful, I think I’ll see what else is on the menu, or simply put the menu down entirely.
I hope your respective feelings teach you something in the long run.
Reflection
What emotions come up in your mind as you read this? Can you relate to any period in your life, where someone else’s sense of importance bothered you? Can you relate to the need to feel some level of status in your own life? Certain flavors of status feel genuinely wholesome and healthy, yes? Regardless of how we feel individually, we have no choice but to coexist with humans who will be experiencing the full range of these feelings, always. How can we not become emotionally entangled by these ideas as they come and go? How can we let them be, not only when our own minds bring them up, but when they come from others? Consider mindfulness as a way to explore this.
More Reflection 🙂
Minutes after posting, the universe (aka a reader of this post Salomon) handed me a new question: why post this? Is it perhaps, motivated by self-importance? (dun dun dun…)
This is excellent. WHY do we do anything? This question may as well be personal religion. It feels absolutely right to apply it here, too. Ultimately I can’t locate a feeling of importance. What exactly am “I” (or you), anyway? Frankly, I’m not sure I feel much identity with anything lately. This feels freeing. “Importance” needs to be anchored to something, and ideally, one (however you want to define, “one”) provides no ground upon which to anchor anything 🙂 I do very much enjoy floating ideas out into the world, though, and seeing how others might engage with them, so that we can grow together. I hope this post is as faithful to that process as any other.
2 responses to “Convo w Strangers: F*ck Humans.”
Unironically I found Stranger’s message far less self-important than the response. From where emerge the need to respond if not from self-entitlement itself ? (Hence, am I self entitled to respond to this prompt ?) Stranger’s view does not feel more resentful than a realisation at any point in life where nothing really matter and hence our drama are but from our own making, it might very weel came from tiredness, a form of existential exhaustion : “Come on now fellow us”. And sometimes it is sane to have this reflect back to us.
Hi Salomon. The context where this message appeared was soliciting response, and I chose to oblige. Next, I was appreciating the discussion which was unfolding, before the post was deleted. These two things are where the need emerged. The fact that you and I are discussing mere minutes after posting, well, I appreciate this very much 🙂
As for self importance, I have to remain vigilant, of course. I will sit with this suggestion. This reinforces why I appreciate the value of sharing thoughts with people.
Sincerely: thank you for taking a moment to reply.
As to the tone of “come on now, fellow us” – if that is genuinely the spirit in which this person intended that, wonderful 🙂
The “F” in front of humans suggested some resentment, but I am open to the idea that it may have been an attempt to put us all in our place, as opposed to ill-will.