Chapter 2: Influence

You know that old stereotype we have about the general American follower mentality? That we're all just sheep led by the herder called consumerism and society?

I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps we have this whole sheep mentality pegged wrong. Where does originality come from anyhow? Is anything ever of our own accord? Are we ever really thinking for ourselves? I don't think so. So much of who we are is about how the people around us have influenced us. Even when we think we've come to a decision on our own, odds are that idea had to have come from somewhere...

I definitely think that how we decide to process what we're given makes us individual...but I notice when I look around, we're almost all the same kind of people in any given society. Does liking yellow vs blue or chicken vs steak make us really all that different? Not really.

Does our political views make a real difference in our society? Not really? When was the last time your political views changed the face of how our government functions or what laws are passed or what wars we fight in or what countries we decide to aid?

I tend to judge people a lot on their religious and social views. But I guess if you really think about it, the issue probably isn't about how "mindless or ignorant" I feel their thinking is... What it really comes down..the only thing that really matters is how it effects how they treat other people around them.

Being influenced is okay. We all are influenced. The people around us help us define what we like and who we like. Co-workers define what products we like to buy, parents help define what we want to be, and friends can define what we like to do...etc

It's okay to be a product of influence...but how is that people can be okay being influenced to hate. But if it's a given that we're influenced by everything else, what stops us by being influenced badly? Nothing I guess.

I guess it's another proof that we're all just programmable biological bots. :)

Chapter One

I've been blogging for a really long time...since before there was the term blogging. LOL. ...hahaha before there was even L-O-L.

I have a horrible time sleeping at night and what I often do when I feel kind of lost to the night is blog. I used to blog about everything that was on my mind and everything that was going on in my life. I stopped that all about a few years ago when I started blogging specifically about an MMORPG I started playing. World of Warcraft.

But a part of me thinks that chapter of my life is slowly ending. And at the end of it, what's left? Just me again. Alachia the haunted lonely pessimistic anti-social dreamless insomniac.

I had thought about continuing on my old blog but I'm not such a fan of livejournal anymore ever since they wouldn't allow me to post videos.

First things first.. I have got to figure out how to sleep and get on a regular schedule. Second step is to figure out what to do with my life. I don't know who I am or what I want to be anymore.

I'm kind of sick of people saying that I have nothing better to do but hang out with them or talk to them....like...because I don't have a career anymore... I'm obligated to be desperate.

The reality is that I'm actually been pretty content with being a nobody. I am however not comfortable with how other people try to make me feel like being a nobody is pathetic. It might be...but if I'm okay with it...shouldn't that be okay?

I don't know, we live in a society of judgement. Half of the conversations I had with my co-workers and friends was always about bashing someone else's lifestyle, choices, relationships... He's going nowhere..She's self-absorbed...They're going to break up for sure....There's no way they're happy...etc and on and on.

Why doesn't society teach us to be happy for other people....to not downplay everyone's life like an awaiting tragic story?

"They make a ton of money"... often is followed by "They don't know how to spend money. I'm sure they're not happy if they feel like they have to be that tight They're so cheap"

"They've been together for 2 years now"...often followed by "He's always looking at other chicks and she's totally obsessed with getting married. It won't last"

The books say to not pay attention to what other people think about your life. The Dr. Phil's of our society tell us to just be happy about being who we are. That's just not realistic. Maybe if we lived in a glass box that was perfectly polished and kept on a special shelf all by itself. The problem is that our lives are more like a hacky sack that makes its way by being tossed from foot to foot. I was brought up to get a good chunk of my validation from other people. Suckage....but my life.

Okay. Before this turns into a full scale monologue of all of Alachia's flaws...I'll stop for tonight.