I swear I had a lot of things to blog about today, but I have no clue what I was meaning to say. I was watching Q&A last night which is a show where politicians or various important people come on to talk about important topics in a panel type format, and get asked questions from the live audience or via twitter. Anyway, last night it was a live show from the Festival Of Dangerous Ideas (a point I'll get on to later). There was a great question asked from one audience member about how her parents had experienced revolution and counter culture through the 60's 70's and 80's, but her generation (she is about my age) had not experienced anything like that. And it's true, people my age have it extremely well. We are more concerned about material possessions and keeping up with stupid trends rather than making life better for everyone. Why talk about poverty when I have slow internet? Why should war bother me when I can look up cat photos on tumblr? We are a fickle and narcissistic generation and we don't deserve anything good. Too wrapped up in our own ego and self belief, without proof. We have it so good that we have no reason to band together and complain or try to change the status quo. And that's why we are doomed. God help us when the next generation overtakes us, because I think they're even worse. We have become a consumer obsessed society, where we are more concerned about having things, as opposed to DOING things. Things that matter in the world.
And on the point of dangerous ideas, the entire concept of the festival is that you're meant to be exposed to ideas which challenge the status quo and are meant to inspire thought and questions. But here's the rub - there's a CLEAR distinction between an idea and action. All these hipster pretentious wannabes will attend and engage and enjoy things, but they will not go out and change the world, they will not change how they live. They will probably forget about it in 2 days, despite thinking they are soo cultured by having attended such an event. Ahh, how apathy will kill us.
At this stage in my career, it seems awfully apparent that to advance to higher levels of management you really need to specialise in something. That doesn't suit me as a generalist. So where does that leave me? Out on the lurch, I guess!
I'm thinking how good it would be if we could all be understood and from that just freely communicate? But that leads to more disturbing questions. What about the death of langauges? Languages tend to subsume others. They're not static, because they tend to evolve over time. But should that mean we should let some languages die? I always lament English because it's so cancerous - people who speak it well tend not to speak other languages very well so they rely on others speaking English in order to be heard and understood. People overseas want to learn English because that's an informal measure of how intelligent and successful you are/will become. If everyone spoke English, then we could all be understood. Maybe we could get along better. Maybe even wars could end - haha noooo, English speaking nations have fought wars against each other...but not for a long, long time. Hmmmm. Well countries that speak the same language have gone to war against each other, so it does make sense.
I love how people get attracted to horse racing. Apparently it holds ideals of privilege and culture, but it's really just an excuse to keep up appearances and get obscenely drunk, isn't it? Watching bogans pretend to have class while wearing horrible outfits and making out in the bushes. Ahh, white people, you so funny!
And I'm slowly making progress, I'm getting there. But does it ever amount to anything? I wonder what will become of it and what the night has to say.
And in the overextended reach, things will elude your grasp. I'm not even joking. Hmmm things aren't ever as straightforward as you'd hope. I just want to take it easy this afternoon, but I'm foiled. Or am I? Hmmm...questions questions. But never any answers. This isn't what I need to know. 2.5 hours until I'm out of here, and quite frankly, I can't wait.
How many people forgot it was my birthday? With the rise of social media, people don't keep birthday details in important places, they prefer to be given prompts. Everything else is disposable. People are as well. It's not the way it used to be. I'm getting old and I'm definitely feeling it.
I'm done for today.
Joaquin out.
