Love and hate are the strongest emotions a human can feel. Covering a wide spectrum of intensity these two emotions can account for some of the most important decisions one will make in their lifetime. A couple deep in love will marry and reproduce, a man gets revenge through murder, a tumblr feminist becomes indignant at words on a screen. These emotions and their motivations are usually crystal clear. More often than not these passions are our will acted upon the world. Everybody thinks they are important, everyone wants acceptance, everyone needs the love of another, and so on. When these conditions are not met we act out; we manifest hate. When these needs are met we manifest love. Why is it though that is so much easier to hate than to love?
A friend was recently raving about the new HBO breakout hit: True Detective. As if reading from a script he argued the series was the realest and most gritty show since Breaking Bad. Having finally caught up with the series I would agree. The show is very compelling, it seems real, but what is real? What is the truth?
Skimming the internet, the character most viewers identify with is that of Rust Cohle, played by Matthew McConaughey. Cohle is the distillation of every alcoholic, tortured soul, ‘real’, pessimistic and ‘deep’ character of the genre. He is the penultimate speaker of the dirty truths. He is he who says what we are all thinking. His foil is Martin Hart, a more traditional family man. Hart understands that there is more to the truth than what is rational or what can be easily explained.
A great example of the two characters’ interplay is in the following scene. They visit a traveling tent sermon to follow a possible lead. Rust believes religion is a fraud, that logically it makes no sense, therefore its followers are stupid and worthless. Martin criticizes Rust saying “for a guy who sees no point in existence, you still fret about it a lot.” Martin believes that religion gives people a sense of community, so what if they are believing in ‘fairy tales’ they get which the pessimist cannot, the positive connectedness felt by inclusion in a group and a set of morals they believe to be just.
Why is it though that truths shrouded in pessimism are able to elicit such a positive reaction from viewers? Rust Cohle is not the man any of us would want to be friends with, but the man which lives inside our heads. The one which tells us that our displeasure with the world is really truth. This pessimistic notion of truth is — more often than not — just a facade for anger or self-loathing. Real, objective, truth is hard to find even in the internet age. Charlatans can peddle their snake oil promises of eternal happiness in the space right next to the man who uses not only facts, but the broader implication of these facts to help others with their lives. Even still one must take in all information with a grain of salt and critically think when assessing its effectiveness with one’s own experiences.
I always used to find myself judging other people, thinking I was better then them, smarter than them, but am I really? One may wonder who’s dick their co-workers had to suck to land that job because they’re barely literate mongoloids who couldn’t perform a task correctly if their life depended on it, but I bet those co-workers think the same thing about you.
Do we perceive the world more negatively than it actually is so that it fits our narrative of how things should be, when in reality they are just rationalizations for our own short-comings? Why is it so much easier to accept something negative as truthful than admire the inherent beauty of the world? Would we be better off if we focused on the positives we do have — like the beauty of nature — rather than the things we don’t have or can’t change like the way society is, women with bad attitudes, or fat people?
Read Next: Are You The Superhero of Your Neighborhood?
“Why is it so much easier to accept something negative as truthful than admire the inherent beauty of the world?”
I didn’t know that it was.
“Would we be better off if we focused on the positives we do have – like the beauty of nature . . .?”
I didn’t know that we didn’t. If you’d only posted sooner you might have saved me all the trouble of building that 10″ Newtonian and tramping around in the woods.
Absolute pessimism is safe because there is no room for disappointment, no vulnerability. Unsurprisingly, these people tend to (a) have led very hard lives and (b) be very unhappy. It is a defensive posture of someone who feel severely wounded, the psychological equivalent of the fetal position.
If all we did was focus on the good in the world, then nothing would get done.
So your position is that there are no good acts?
I think he meant there are no bad dogs.
I’m saying we wouldn’t identify what needed to be fixed. Enjoying the good in life is what we all should do, but we should also root out that which hurts ourselves and society.
“Enjoying the good in life. . .”
I like a good fire at my feet and a good windbreak at my back.
Wouldn’t I have to do something that helps me, and whatever society I keep company with, in order to have that?
And if the worst comes to worst, can one not always think, “Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things.
This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next
few minutes well.”?
12th warrior, I liked that flick.
The truth hurts, but most don’t like to hear it anyway. That’s why religion exists (liberalism falls into this category.)
The danger of the Left is that they believe in the superiority of their religion. Rust is considered a madman by religious folk because he does not conform, and instead seeks truth. He is therefore, a pariah to human thought.
We all have a foolish hope that things such as the American dream, enemies, exist so that we have a reason for living. All the feminists hope for is that the patriarchal establishment exists, so that they can “smash it down.” Challenge this rationalization, and you’re the devil himself.
Although atheists think they are better than the human condition, they are not. We are all slaves to it, and keep our own indiscretions to keep ourselves occupied. What’s scary about the red pill to the Left is that it seeks truth and pessimism over fantasy and optimism. We know our indiscretions, and the limits of them.
“Nerdlings slice and dice “hypergamy” (try and say that word out loud without wanting to cut your dick off) like they never went to high school and noticed girls like cool dudes. People call themselves “red pill” like it’s some lame cult badge of honor (Hi, my name is Bob and I’m red pill! Dorks).”
This is what OP is talking about.
Whatever hurts your damaged ego becomes automatically true for you.
And the root of this is: You think the world gives a shit about you. You think you are the main character of the complex history of the universe, hence anything important and emotionally loaded that hits you must be true. There are some people who see everyting good as true, others who see everything bad as true. Others who go between one thing and the other.
And then there are the normal emotionally sane people who don’t give a fuck about this mental masturbation. The same people who don’t go on the internet and google bullshit to find the faggotsphere.
Good points Boomsey.
See, when you stay on your meds you arent so a bad dude after all!
You’re right—-we’ve been doing it all wrong. Lets all go back to being blue-pill betas! There is no “truth”. Women aren’t a certain way. Culture in America isn’t in decline—we’re just pessimists. Marry young, have lots of children! Divorce is a myth!
You can be red pill, be aware of your surroundings and yet still take chances and go all in. That’s what life is all about. Sitting on the couch trash talking about women and modern society, as true as it may be, will not make you a happy man.
Some of the best red pill guys I know, get married and just accept the risk they are taking, its a gamble, its like going to the casino and betting all your cash in a poker hand. Is it stupid? I admire them. They put the joy of the ride above all things and if they lose they just build their castle all over again. That’s what being a man is all about.
Stop crying about how shitty women are, and go fuck them. Be positive.
Nah! I’d rather emigrate to Eastern Europe or LAtin America where men are celebrated to be men.
Hey,do it wherever you like…
Don’t pretend like they don’t have problems – huge problems – there as well. I bet anyone from one of those places would swap citizenship with you in a microsecond.
I always notices my neighbors Kentucky Bluegrass was always a deeper and richer green than my run of the mill Northern Fescue…
By betting all your cash in a poker hand, you can win much more.
Marriage’s best scenario is status quo.
Sure. And some of us already have “been on the ride” before and lost – and have rebuilt our castles.
And some of us may want to go get back on “the ride” again..
But some of us just prefer to go play a different game.
Thanks for your comment.
The truth is ugly as hell…but to ignore it and live fairy tale lives is foolish…it’s indicative of fear. With knowing the truth, you can position yourself in a way as to gain advantage from being aware of what that truth is.
The truth is ugly, but you don’t have to let it grind you down. There is still much beauty in the world.
When we are young all the truths are black and white. God is in heaven , drugs [or whatever] is bad.
When we are young men we learn of complexity: Your heroes turn out to be false gods ;”Thomas Jefferson had black slave and Children with them!”
When we are much older we recognize the complexity for what it is, but we see the underlying truths again:” Yes the allies fell out, lied ,sold out and there was no clear end at the of the war, but consider the alternative”.
Acknowledging the negativity of the world can help you avoid pitfalls, such as acknowledging the nature of women, and even acknowledging the nature of your environment and the working world.
We are manipulated in so many ways that we cannot perceive, since a young age. There are so many people out there who are struggling in life, whose talents mean they should have gotten more. Does the cream rise to the top (ie the best of the best)? Look at our alleged ‘leaders’- they are a joke and have no talent. In every sphere of life, the person who often succeeds was the one who took advantage of opportunities, and mabye they were prepared, but they sure weren’t the best. Worse still, we are slowly entering a ‘communist’ era in the West where hereditary wealth and connections mean way more than raw talent. In such an environment, the best talent is kept out of the big leagues, because the existing top level competitors fear it.
We live in a world where we are fed half-truths and a bunch of lies. Feminism. The idea that working hard pays off. Social justice. etc.. I guess the maxim as a man is that whatever happens, you got to take the knocks and keep going, as you will get no sympathy, ESPECIALLY from women. Life was never easy, and despite the comforts of the modern era, in a lot of ways its harder for us as we face new challenges. The human species was built to survive and propagate; this is something we are deterred from by our environment (unhealthy/toxic foods, feminism, negative social conditioning, consumerism/materialism) – we have strayed from this path which is why we have social pathology. The pursuit of truth can lead to righting wrongs and making a better life for everyone, including yourself – but you MUST share your ideas with others, because ideas grow in strength with numbers.
>Does the cream rise to the top (ie the best of the best)?
>[…] where hereditary wealth and connections mean way more than raw talent.
Yes it’s sad that talent and skill doesn’t necessarily lead to success, wich is why social skills are so important. Your best piece of work won’t bring you shit if nobody knows about it.
Opportunity cost comes to mind – a major reason why working 8 hours a day for someone else is a waste of life which most people won’t see. Every day you spend in the office could mean a wasted business opportunity, every minute you do mindless stuff, someone else out there is working on himself and improving his skills.
What you call “social skills” is really “habitus”, maybe the most important concept Bourdieu developed in connection to “social capital” (an extension of the meaning of capital in the Marxist sense to other spheres of power accumulation). Together with the work of Grannovetter on weak and strong ties, it teaches us the limits and ways by which we can improve our chances of success. You can´t fake “habitus”, at least not for a long stretch of time, but it can be acquired.
Yes. Great points. Some of us unfortunately however, though we may aspire to greatness as we might — need to pay the mortgage and put ramen noodles on the table…
jeez louise with the “pie-in-the-sky” stuff already…
Great postt. Once a person sheds the idea of good or bad, positive or negative and simply analyzes everything through a keen lens with the goal of truly understanding what is really there, that person is miles ahead of all but the top 10%. Only once a person is truly objective in their analysis can a strategy be maximized. The way most people play the game of life is like trying to participate in some random game without first examining the rulebook and watching reams of video of past plays. Be smart. Be objective. Be rational. Be a calculated risk taker. Be a goal seeker. Strive to reduce the sucker in you to zero in every facet.
This article made one big blunder. The mongoloids never wonder why I was hired. I was hired because someone needs to get the difficult assignments, the fuck ups, and the 11th hour fixes. I’m there because I can efficiently do and fix their work but they cannot do nor fix my mistakes. Not on their best day with 3 times the allotted time I would give myself for the same assignment.
So a fat woman came into the shoe store today….
I’ll be the first to admit I do not like the direction our society is headed but I am going to be the last one to give up on improving it. Call it stupidity/stubbornness/determination, I don’t really care I refuse to capitulate.
That’s noble of you. But as you stand at the city gate to meet the barbarians with your sword, expect to be stabbed in the back by those within the walls who you are trying to defend.
That’s why you surround yourself with people of similar mindset.
That’s assuming those with similar mindsets are actually who you think they are.
>I always used to find myself judging other people, thinking I was better then them, smarter than them, but am I really?
In my personal fields of expertise and hobbies, I certainly am better than 95% of the population.
Other people (especially men) however have their own niches where they excel. You just can’t be an expert on everything – a jack of all trades is a master of none, as they say.
Note that is not to say that we’re all special snowflakes and everybody is amazing in some way. IQ is a very real and accurate indication of one’s possible potential, a smart guy will always be faster and better at acquiring new skills than a dimwit.
Believing in the notion of Truth, and consequently searching for it, doesn’t require a negative worldview. While yes, all too often the two are found in conjunction, this is only indicative of an early state of acceptance. One cannot fully appreciate the light until he comes face to face with darkness. Thus, comprehending the discomforting nature of reality is a prerequisite for experiencing the joy sacrifice and success have to offer. So no, the pursuit of truth is not merely a mask for negativity. Negativity arises from the hardships faced along the journey toward the light* (out of the cave, so to speak), and is overcome by the most successful among us: the ones who get closest to a realistic notion of ‘truth’ both in thought and action.
I was lost in a shroud of constant doom and gloom for a few of my best years: it was a mix of bitterness, self-pity, and insecurity that arose from the conflict between a budding notion of the Truth and the bullshit version society shoves down your throat.
*My apologies for the cheese-ball analogy: it stems from Plato, Dante and a Catholic education.
Your apologies are unnecessary in the land of the “red pill” which stems from a style over substance post modern movie.
A cynic is nothing more than an idealist who’s really fuckin’ tired…
Long boring tirades are become de riguer here lately. As all the armchair sociologists, pyschologists and philosophers commenting seem to have a penchant for hearing themselves speak using – as in the clip above was referred to – as their “ten dollar words”.
Carry on
“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, Rage against the dying of the light.”
I believe there is no real objective truth, but only the subjective truths of various individuals. The truth is as you perceive it and will lead a wise man to happiness and a fool to the traps of solipsism and nihilism which discredit life completely.
Since you no longer judge yourself in relation to other people, I feel your knowledge of your superiority to them has overcome any latent inferiority complex that you started with. On that note, all individuals who develop their bodies, minds, and spirits are better than those that do not, and rightfully can be deemed superior.
On your very last point. We should focus on the positives as a means to see the beauty in the world and to have it give us the grit and zeal required to slowly change the world for the better, one man at a time, starting with ourselves.
I will be chopped, screwed, and damned before I let apathy, entitlement, and laziness destroy my society without a fight. We all fight here on this forum, to noble purpose.
“no real objective truth”
There is objective truth. You will surely die if you jump off a really high building. If our senses cannot perceive reality accurately we would not have survived.
Truth.
Or consequences.
Spay or neuter your pets.
There is objective truth. Discerning it is not always easy, pleasant, or popular. However, if you know it, it is much easier to navigate the shoals of life then if you are ignorant of it.
Perhaps a greater truth than the real ugly truth itself is that people do know and understand the truth, but would rather pursue fantasy and break from reality.
The greater quality of character is not to be the negative prophet of truth, but to be the savior from truth through creating your own fantastic reality, even if it’s built on fabrications, even lies, so as to break from the grim reality of truth.
Walt Disney did it during the depression, and his legacy is with us to this day.
People want those who can digest the truth, yet still give them an escape from it. Even game relies on this ability to give women an escape from the truth that their value is finite, and declining with age. The truth is that they are responsible for their own action in the end and will live the with consequences of their decisions. The man that takes them away from that reality has “game” and maybe is more of a dream weaver than an alpha male.
Perhaps alpha males are alpha because the know the truth, accept the truth, yet create their own world of relationships with women based on their own rules. They’d be the last to tell women, and men, about the reality and truth of western women. They ignore the garbage, find a positive frame that’s contrary to the truth, and create a world that conforms to their desires as opposed to conforming to the truth. That’s why even ugly, old, and seemingly extraordinary men can be alphas with the right frame. They just need to create an alternative reality that attracts women to them, and consequently gets them what they want. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy — believe it to achieve it, even if “it” flies in the face of reality.
It’s a much more exciting, fulfilling and happy experience when you can build your own reality, despite what’s going on around you.
Life is Beautiful
“Perhaps alpha males are alpha because the know the truth, accept the truth, yet create their own world of relationships”
“That’s why even ugly, old, and seemingly extraordinary men can be alphas with the right frame. They just need to create an alternative reality that attracts women to them”
I don’t get why you’d want to create an alternative reality. Alphas genuinely live life as they want, they don’t create any fake reality to get women.
Alternative doesn’t necessarily mean fake. When you have a core belief that guides you, reality bends around you like space-time. Every law, habit, behavior we may complain about in blue-pill land is the result of someone creating an alternate reality. Some of us realize that is fake and contra-nature, destructive. So with courage and determination you can create your own reality. It’s happening right now, whether you know it or not. We’re doing it all the time. Not to step into a bubble and pretend inequity doesn’t exist, but to become a law to yourself. If that means to stay in a western country, so be it. If it means to leave, so be it. Either way, you take ownership of your reality – and there is guidance beyond the mere act of thinking or feeling, but our deep mysterious soul / spirit self that sees all of this as an immense delightful game!
Enjoy the ride 😉
Well said, prepman.
” . . . even ugly, old, and seemingly extraordinary men. . .”
Who you calling “seemingly”?
“It’s a self fulfilling prophecy –” because reality is defined by what works. Trying to define what works as an alternate reality suggests that you are lingering in an alternate reality.
Sorry. I meant UNextrodinary. I thought I proofed that better. Sheesh.
Let me clarify. I’m not suggesting Alphas live in fantasy land. On the contrary, what works in game is the ability to create the illusion to the female that the girl will obtain what she seeks (money, status, power, protections, relationship, marriage, kids, etc) from a man when in reality his intentions are merely access her vagina without giving these things up.
I’m not saying men are creating fantasies for themselves to become alphas or that alphas that alpha are such because they do it to themselves. It’s just the opposite. Alphas understand and live in reality as well as any man–that women are generally resource robbing whores, cheating sluts, and irrational liars with not much to offer other than her body.
I’m merely suggesting alphas can overcome the “truth” of the state of western women, create an alternative reality for womens’ hamster driven reasoning and decision making process, and obtain more pussy for himself. Betas are the ones who tend to live in fantasy land, along with females, in thinking women are precious princesses who are worthy of everything a man can give her. I used to be one.
At first, the gritty truth of reality takes a man through what people often descibe as phases of mourning. As a blue-pill beta, you first deny the truth about women, you then get mad and disgusted at it and rile against women. You then either wallow in ugly reality at that point (as the article suggest these characters do) or accept the truth and change your world to accommodate the reality. This is when men become alphas, or at least become more alpha. They adapt to the reality even if they are repulsed by it and work with it. They game the system, hack women’s thought and decision making processes by feeding the hamster whatever illusion it likes, then he takes for himself what he wants.
“Sorry. I meant UNextrodinary.”
Well, that’s different then. Who you calling unextaordinary? I believe “weirdo” is the word most applied.
See, if the straight line is different, I need a different punchline.
“Let me clarify.”
That’s different too. We be mostly cool and shit. My one quibble would be that alphas don’t overcome the truth, they simply see it as the truth. It doesn’t bother them that it’s the truth. It is what it is and that’s all that it is and that’s what they deal with. Like the sky being blue. You don’t overcome the sky being blue, unless you live in some reality where it’s really important to you that it be Royal Stuart tartan for some reason.
It’s the people overcoming betatude who have to “overcome” the truth if they want to upgrade to alpha. Or rather, overcome the fairy princess fantasy and accept the truth.
“As a blue-pill beta, you first deny the truth about women . . .”
Bingo! See, we be cool and shit.
Very well-said!
And remember, there is so much more to us than the skin/flesh/bone/bloods/transient thoughts&emotions we can being human. The investigation into ultimate truth / ultimate reality starts by feeling very personal (‘I want to know the truth. I want to know God or prove there isn’t one.’) to being absolutely impersonal (‘I AM the truth! Yet this that I am is still and always will be a mystery. I am a mystery to myself, and all beings are part of this same mystery. All form is without substance, empty. Yet the empty void manifests as all forms. Not either one or the other but both, and neither. How does this truth move me in this moment?’)
Well written and thought provoking.
A very real case for a little self observation.
Excellent article. “Penultimate” means second last by the way.
Second best*
pe·nul·ti·mate [pi-nuhl-tuh-mit]
adjective
1.
next to the last: the penultimate scene of the play.
2.
of or pertaining to a penult.
Can’t argue with Dictionary Man.
Guy named “western cancer” is preaching to embrace the positive. Lol
For the past several decades there’s been a concerted effort to cultivate self-hatred and negativity in people to make them easier to control. Self-hatred of oneself and the human species has been taught as being rational though it’s no more rational than constant optimism. It isn’t objectivity.
Squeaky wheels get the grease.
True, but if you want to find out reality apart from people’s beliefs about it you have to strive for objectivity. That includes reality about people. Besides, mass murder and suicide aren’t the grease we need.
For the past several decades there’s been a concerted effort to cultivate self-hatred and negativity in white men…
FTFY
whaaaaaaa! Poor white men. They are the only ones who were raised to hate themselves. Certainly not any of the rest of us men in western society. Fuck off.
Give up your comforting rage and direct anger at specific individuals who cause problems.
Only an immature idiot of vast and immense proportions would
use the name “Western Cancer”. Case
closed.
This was my perspective up until my 30s. In my 40s, I’ve learned to accept and even like people and that includes the idiots. At some point, you gotta throw off the Holdon Caulfield bullshit.
I’m just the opposite – the older I get, I have zero tolerance for idiots. Life’s too short to deal with mental midgets.
Hate and love are undoubtedly powerful emotions that play key parts in how we interact with the world. I used to think that hate was the opposite of love, but with many years of experience behind me, I now believe that indifference is the opposite of love, and I have embraced indifference as a more constructive way of approaching the unpleasant parts of the world. When I used to encounter dumb ass and destructive people or ideas (feminism, liberalism, political hypocrisy, deluded older women, etc.), I used to get energized, mad, or try to engage on a logical level. That is mostly a fool’s errand and wastes valuable time and energy (although I still can’t resist calling out some silly person or idea out on this site on occasion).
Now, when I encounter such nonsense my main response is one of indifference. “Let the little people fight for the table scraps.” Condemning this nonsense to oblivion is exactly the right stance for me. Do not provide validation (even if negative) by showing that you take any time to give the matter even a shred of concern. Your aloofness will be noticed and admired, and it conserves your energy and time.
BTW – indifference also works very well in pickup, negotiations, and many life situations. Give it a go, you might find it a powerful stance.
This article, so accurate and true in its message should replace the bullshit Psychology and Sociology classes that are “taught” in colleges and universities, Bravo, sir – you hit a grand slam with this!!!
Good stuff.
“Why is it though that is so much easier to hate than to love?”
It doesn’t require understanding other people. To truly love, you don’t even have to like someone. You can not both understand and hate at the same time. The understanding creates the compassion that eliminates the hate.
Short, but sweet. I read the article twice and the reality of it still hasn’t fully sunk in. It’s something we should really meditate on so that we can fully understand.
I do think that understanding the true reality of things is important, but it is often negative. Instead of wallowing in that negativity though we should seek to find the silver lining in it and make the best of a bad situation.
Most people can’t do that though. Once the reality of a situation hits them they “Can’t Handle the Truth”. There’s no better example of this than the comments section of the website. Constant bitterness and negativity about the world…
This is something I feel strongly about and I think we should all adhere to what the author said and seek to embrace the beauty in things, even if the reality is ugly.
Hey if people would actually read Plato you would realize that cole’s character is really a wayward rational mind and by wayward I mean a bodily indulgent man. He has what all the people with passionate minds desire, he can indulge himself without killing his rational self. So most people (passionate minds) desire his state of being, despite it being impossible for them. His partner is an emotional mind who naturally understands whats right from his emotions but he cant articulate them because he didnt get them by intellection, while cole has no problem articulating, but he’s got the wrong idea since rationality is harder than emotionality. In a similar way to the way that being a virtuous man is harder than being a virtuous woman, or at leasts its a higher function. There I just explained the eternal secrets of the world and the reason people like cole and the conflict in the show, if you can understand them. But it wouldn’t be wisdom if it was easy to understand.
Get over yourself. The world is full of negativity like death and suffering, so any honest individual is going to be rather negative about life. Never trust anyone optimistic; they not only want you to conform, but these cheerful conmen always want you to have a smile on your face while you do what you are told.
Yeah good idea let’s all be miserable our entire lives.
You can be honest and optimistic.
You don’t have to be negative just because you’re mortal. We’re here for a good time not a long time (or a perpetually miserable time).
do not try to bend the spoon – that is impossible, simply understand that the spoon does not exist (ie. is not important). Then you will see it is not the spoon that bends, but yourself. (ie. you find a different approach to the problem and simply go around it, like a breaking wave goes around a rock.)
Accepting the idea that we can’t change something limits us as a species. The people crazy enough to think they can do the impossible are the ones that do just that.
Being negative, pessimistic and cynical is the only way to experience true happiness. By acknowledging the world as the cruel place it is, you can see what real love and beauty look like. What others call positivity is really denial. They will always be tortured by the worlds constant failure to meet their sunshine up the ass expectations.
Life is a Bitch….Fuck it!
limbic system
we are wired to detect threats in the environment
For me truth is power and freedom. If truth leads someone into depression, nihilism, anger or suicide, he hasn’t fount the truth behind the truth.
Example: The truth is that women are weak against temptation and absolutely unreliable. This truth is known to many men and sends many men into apathy and resignation on life. The empowering and liberating truth behind the truth is Game, not so many men are aware of that, not many have bothered to search for the bright truth behind the bleak truth.
I always search for the bright truth behind the bleak truth in all aspects of life and always find it. Therefore there is no correlation of truthand negativity in my life.
This is the first great article I’ve read other than the Conan the Barbarian one. The thing is, when I read this I have hope for the readers of this blog, because judging some of the comments and articles it seems like the readership consists mostly of the crowd who is witnessing the sermon. There may be hope for us yet.
In the present climate era, it is almost impossible to “perceive the world more negatively than it actually is.”
here
What always amazes me about men like Cohle, the apparent hardcore nihilist, is the amount of anger they have at the world they believe is purposeless. If a lion were to attack me I would not get ANGRY at the lion. I would kill it. I would curse my bad luck. But to get angry at the lion which was only doing what its instincts told it to do would be absurd.
Or, for a better example, if a meteor falls from the sky and blows up my house, I certainly would not get MAD at the meteor. I would be angry that it happened to me and all the crap I will have to go through to recover. But I can’t even imagine feeling anger AT the meteor.
One reserves anger for WILLFUL violations against moral norms. I get angry at the man who robs me. I get angry at my wife if she cheats on me. Do I get angry at the dog for peeing on the carpet? Only if I am a moron (I know, there are a lot of morons out there!).
It reminds me of the words of C.S. Lewis: “I did not believe God existed and I was angry at Him for not existing. I was equally angry at Him for creating a world.”
Rust mocks people for telling themselves stories that make them feel good. But he is telling himself stories, too, just sad, dark stories that allow him to make sense of the world his experience says must be real. He tells people they are only living a dream, believing they exist but says one day they will wake up and realize they don’t. Exist as Selfs.
But Who? Who is dreaming? Who will wake up? Who will realize that THEY don’t really exist?
Rust has no explanation for the fact that for there to be observations and Observer must exist.
Unless you mind is tricking you, in which case why believe anything you think. Especially if it’s so depressing and destructive?
There is nothing new in Cohle’s philosophy. I read all about it in Philosophy 101. Actually, I read about it when I was 13 and in junior high. It’s a philosophy that rejects logic and reason, specifically the laws of non-contradiction and identity.
I experienced “enlightenment” as taught by Zen Buddhism a while back. I saw the “true nature” of reality. The man behind the curtain. So what did I do? I got BORED with it. Yawn. If that the truth, what a waste! Not in any bold, courageous, daring action that fights and risks death to expose the truth and thereby free others from the Matrix. But an inconsequential sigh two decibels above a whisper because you’re too weary with boredom to gin up the energy to say anything more.
So why are we so attracted to it? To the pessimism? Perhaps for the same reason we admire the alphs ssshole who flips off the world and defies reality while creating one of his own. Even if its unsustainable.
There’s a reason why Heisenberg had to die In the end. Not because he lived the Truth but because he lived a lie.