I'm currently writing a paper on TS Eliot's 'The Waste Land' right now, well, CLEARLY taking a break, but I totally just had a revelation on how shitty our intelligence is becoming. I decided to find a recording of Eliot reading the poem, because I find that you can gain so much more from the poem if you hear how it is supposed to be read. Well, I listened...and listened again, and then went through my favorite parts and, well, I listened again. After I finally let it end, I went and turned my itunes back on, and...well I'll refrain from saying what song came on, but I immediately became embarrassed. This moment it really hit me; these lyrics are dumb as shit.
We listen to it because the beats are rad, raw, dirty, make us want to do illicit things...and I'm the FIRST person to admit that even if the lyrics suck, the beat is what gets me. However, it's making us idiots. After reading poems and books from these guys, honestly, there is SO much more out there than what we expose ourselves to. There is SO much we can learn, and to think it's just from a bunch of single words put together...and the fact that JUST that can teach you so much, it's unreal. It's not only music either, it's culture. I was having a talk with one of my best friends the other day about how unbelievably hard it is for us to find guys attractive nowadays because they are just...so damn unintelligent. They don't read, they don't listen to decent music, they aren't religious... And no, that's not fair to say, I don't mind if they aren't religious, but if they know NOTHING about anything spiritual...like, those things are what's important in life. Not drinking, smoking, partying...that is just so empty. And trust me, I went through that phase just a bit ago, and I found nothing fulfilling in it. Not one thing. The things I find pleasure in talking about, some guys/people don't even know what the hell I'm saying. I had a run in with someone my friends set me up with, and I can't even begin how painful it was. He had a beautiful tattoo of a Latin quote that is found in some of my FAVORITE poetry and literature...and he couldn't reference one. NOT ONE. Frustrating to say the least.
I feel like I've become a snob, but I really don't mean to be. I think I just...oh I don't know, as a good friend put once 'I never thought my head and body matched up well.' It's true. They haven't. And I honestly believe I will be spending my life alone. I specifically blame my Literature professor from last year for this. He gave me an excerpt from an Allan Bloom book on the corruption of the human mind, and knowing that I happily obsess over music, he had me read the section in which Bloom negated any happy feeling I got from just listening to my tunes. Thanks a lot, Professor. I've now become a complete snob and I really don't think any guy enjoys hanging out with me. It sucks that I am attracted to philosophy, poetry and music. IT SUCKS, IT SUCKS, IT SUCKS. I think I may just stop reading and start doing what normal people do...and join a sorority and dye each others hair and like...play beer pong. Three guys came up to me at the bar the other night, and one of them asked me what I wanted to do after school, so I told him, because I have goals in my life. His response: "whoa weird, so you're like ambitious or whatever..." and then tuned out. UH, YEAH I have ambitions I'M A HUMAN. Nope. Next guy: "So what do you do in your spare time when youre not studying?" Me: Well I have a music blog and I love to write and read and find new music, what do you do?" Him: "oh, I workout." Fail. Next one...became so utterly confused on the fact I knew more about his tattoo than he did, that he honestly told someone I was too smart (which is obviously an INSULT nowadays) and left me and started hanging on these two blondes with fake boobs.
Like, IM NOT EVEN SMART. AT ALL. I just pay attention to details and live life in awareness.
Hello one bedroom apartment in NYC with 27 cats.
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21/Male/NY. in my spare time, i play beer pong and work out. sometimes simultaneously. whoa that's a big word. i also spend many hours thinking of tattoos i can get permanently printed on my body that make me look super smart until people ask me their meanings.
ReplyDelete......Seriously, there are guys out there, there's just less of the kind we are able to make a connection - the connection we want/need- with. Although we condemn them for their mainstream habits and likes/dislikes, we are guilty of it too, just as you said. we like music for its beat, we dress a certain way to appeal to others in another certain way, we watch certain movies or TV shows, read certain books. we follow things like trends just as 'they' do. the difference is we stop to take the time out and think about what we're doing. we spend our time doing research on things we like, rather than letting it just come to us through the TV or radio. it's important for us to not be told how to see things, how to see life. you'll meet someone perfect. and if not, i like cats so you can move in with me. that'd probably be more fun than being married anyway.
xx
Fish, not cats.
ReplyDeleteThose aren't normal people, they are Hollow Men. They are Prufrocks. Don't be frustrated you're not like them, be frustrated that they are denying their own humanity by failing to use their God-given mental faculties.
You're not a snob at all, and there's nothing wrong with having standards. In fact, it is good to have high standards, whether they are in regard to guys, people in general, music, conversations, or anything. By lowering your standards and trying to make yourself okay with being on a baser level than you know you deserve, you are denying the Image of God in you.
And you ARE smart, and you are probably going to get married and have, like, 32 kids, and I will make fun of you. Because I love you. And I'm VERY proud of you.