Why do people deadpan lie to see if the other person will “get the joke?” Why, in a larger sense, is so much of social norm based on “just fuckin’ with ya pal, loosen up” type gags? Would society function better if we were bold enough to be authentic and vulnerable? Hard to tell, so little in the way of trying that out seems to be going on.
When we feel uncomfortable, why do we say vague things like “you’re off” instead of using details? Little comes from a debate about subjective experience. Why, when conflict is actually going on, don’t we want to quantify and address tangible things, which would be so much more productive? Why, when we’re inventing conflict, do we antagonize people for the reactions within us that they elicit, usually without meaning to?
Why do we complain about the same things repeatedly when change is always available? Why is it so taboo to explore options and responsibilities instead of griping and blaming? Why do we cling to the pain instead of the ways out of it?
Why do we, as adults, treat each other as if the standards pushed on us as kids were ever based on anything but control? Why do we punish each other like incontinent puppies for having inconsistencies? In short, why do we police each other’s expressions of self?
Why are people so hellbent to get back to the overconsumption, crowds, and chaos that we were “deprived of” for a year? Did anybody notice how nice that six feet from overbearing, oversharing, over-staring strangers was? Was it so bad to think twice before spending all your time spending all your money? Did any of us take the chance to reflect and see how much of our developing selves was still compatible with the system that threw so many of us under the bus the second it got tough to keep things running?
Last one: can we normalize breaks? Sensory breaks, productivity breaks, breaks from constant notifications of non events and endless content creation (for who exactly?), breaks to feel and heal, breaks to think before responding, breaks to connect with the inner dimensions and integrate the lessons of the outer dramas, and so on? I’m tired, you’re tired, it’s time to decriminalize breaks.