I have something of the opposite problem this week - counseling a 40ish-year-old man that see-through, fishnet shirts + flip-flops are not appropriate office attire...
One of my interns told me, "my brain hates my eyes for seeing this."
Dear Mike can you see my smile? Hmmm oriole lost their compass, the basic common sense related behaviour. It is the new homo something … not sapience ..something is fundamentally missing!
Doc Martins have been a statement since I was a kid; 30 years ago… they were cool, because they were so light and durable; but I guess it was more rebellious to wear as they were anti-establishment. (the going trend these days is actually extreme comfort or how ‘crispy’ one can look.) The conformity I see everywhere is actually the party/drinker/slackoff and get away with it mentality, people can work hard and get no real accommodations while those that don’t move up with no real effort at all. I often find that these types of people have no critical thinking skills and sincerely lack depth and understanding of our world around us as a whole, they lack any real accountability giving or receiving. And yes, I think on a very basic level, they are afraid and this is where they form a pack mentality, go with the crowd, blind allegiance conformity…
Your welcome! I have worked in a few different places only a handful of years, but at 46 have experienced many things; that most people would have never suspected or survived. And the shear lack of personal knowledge or depth or even true grit of people this day and age astounds me. I’ve always felt as an outsider, never fitting in; even when I supposedly belonged. I’ve come to find there’s us and them, and as much as I hate to be right, it feels so prevalent everywhere, even my own family. The real divide of who is willing to be authentic, and who is clearly not is heartbreaking on so many levels: and leaves little room for genuine compassion or connection amongst humankind! Everything is engineered to separate us from the greater good, those of us who speak out in even the smallest ways are railroaded into silence or worse… recovery is brutal, as if life itself is not cruel enough… I am deeply saddened by the lack of unity and connection that we as people really so desperately crave and in many ways need, because it is and will be our ultimate downfall…
I deeply relate to your words. I wish things weren’t like this—but I’ve survived experiences few would even imagine, and while that doesn’t make me feel proud, it has certainly made me more aware of human nature in all its complexity.
I read your message several times—it felt like someone truly gets it. Authenticity is a rara avis, rarely encouraged, often punished. I grew up under Communism, and looking at today’s world, I struggle to find many genuine positives in what we call democracy. It felt like opening Pandora’s box: yes, a few good things emerged, but so did many dark forces—and they haven’t been tamed.
It saddens me to witness the widespread brainwashing, the almost hypnotic state so many live in now. We’re told we’re free, yet so much is engineered—division, destruction, self-sabotage—all while incense burns and OM chants play softly in the background. A surreal illusion of peace masking chaos.
What’s the solution? Perhaps… waking up. Truly waking up.
Dear Noni I am so grateful for your comment. You understood exactly what I was saying! Yes what once was a form of rebellion now is fashion, conformity, blind belonging without questioning why or without any “fire in the belly” /strong conviction other than a few pints of beer 😀 I am sarcastic. And yes again .. critical thinking is at the core of it all. Conformity kills it slowly but surely! Thank you for reading and sharing!
I have something of the opposite problem this week - counseling a 40ish-year-old man that see-through, fishnet shirts + flip-flops are not appropriate office attire...
One of my interns told me, "my brain hates my eyes for seeing this."
Dear Mike can you see my smile? Hmmm oriole lost their compass, the basic common sense related behaviour. It is the new homo something … not sapience ..something is fundamentally missing!
I was speaking with a group this morning about belonging. This adds to my reflection.
How interesting! Belonging is such a vast subject. It influences our lives massively.
Doc Martins have been a statement since I was a kid; 30 years ago… they were cool, because they were so light and durable; but I guess it was more rebellious to wear as they were anti-establishment. (the going trend these days is actually extreme comfort or how ‘crispy’ one can look.) The conformity I see everywhere is actually the party/drinker/slackoff and get away with it mentality, people can work hard and get no real accommodations while those that don’t move up with no real effort at all. I often find that these types of people have no critical thinking skills and sincerely lack depth and understanding of our world around us as a whole, they lack any real accountability giving or receiving. And yes, I think on a very basic level, they are afraid and this is where they form a pack mentality, go with the crowd, blind allegiance conformity…
Your welcome! I have worked in a few different places only a handful of years, but at 46 have experienced many things; that most people would have never suspected or survived. And the shear lack of personal knowledge or depth or even true grit of people this day and age astounds me. I’ve always felt as an outsider, never fitting in; even when I supposedly belonged. I’ve come to find there’s us and them, and as much as I hate to be right, it feels so prevalent everywhere, even my own family. The real divide of who is willing to be authentic, and who is clearly not is heartbreaking on so many levels: and leaves little room for genuine compassion or connection amongst humankind! Everything is engineered to separate us from the greater good, those of us who speak out in even the smallest ways are railroaded into silence or worse… recovery is brutal, as if life itself is not cruel enough… I am deeply saddened by the lack of unity and connection that we as people really so desperately crave and in many ways need, because it is and will be our ultimate downfall…
Dear Noni,
I deeply relate to your words. I wish things weren’t like this—but I’ve survived experiences few would even imagine, and while that doesn’t make me feel proud, it has certainly made me more aware of human nature in all its complexity.
I read your message several times—it felt like someone truly gets it. Authenticity is a rara avis, rarely encouraged, often punished. I grew up under Communism, and looking at today’s world, I struggle to find many genuine positives in what we call democracy. It felt like opening Pandora’s box: yes, a few good things emerged, but so did many dark forces—and they haven’t been tamed.
It saddens me to witness the widespread brainwashing, the almost hypnotic state so many live in now. We’re told we’re free, yet so much is engineered—division, destruction, self-sabotage—all while incense burns and OM chants play softly in the background. A surreal illusion of peace masking chaos.
What’s the solution? Perhaps… waking up. Truly waking up.
Dear Noni I am so grateful for your comment. You understood exactly what I was saying! Yes what once was a form of rebellion now is fashion, conformity, blind belonging without questioning why or without any “fire in the belly” /strong conviction other than a few pints of beer 😀 I am sarcastic. And yes again .. critical thinking is at the core of it all. Conformity kills it slowly but surely! Thank you for reading and sharing!