August 6, 2012
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Monstrosity
A friend of mine told me that I need to write out a 40 page statement about what I want in a partner in order to find my ideal partner*.
But I generally require that someone be honest about themselves, and that alone disqualifies large swathes of humanity**.
Which . . . I guess means that everything is working as intended.
*Well, OK, not actually 40 pages. It’s just that apparently someone really did write out 40 pages of what they wanted, down to physical characteristics like hair and skin texture, and they got their ideal mate, but to me those are kind of just . . . adjuncts to the real human being.
**There is a girl who will not talk to me because I told her that it’s fine if she’s emotionally manipulating her guy friends and stringing them along, as long as she’s honest with herself about it. She thought I was being snarky; I actually believe it. See also “you can choose your own damnation.” You can be a monster, because monsters exist, but don’t lie to yourself and pretend that you’re a knight. Be aware and accepting that you are a monster – or else change yourself.
Comments (8)
How do you read the Metamorphosis? I feel like it’s just one long sentence. I mean I love reading and I know I shouldn’t be selective, akin to eating all of my veggies when I eat food, but I can’t stomach some classics. Does it get better after the first few pages?
And I’d like to meet that person, out of curiosity to see if he/she can meet 40 pages of anyone’s anything.
I agree with your second footnote. (it’s called a footnote, right? temporary anomia…)
The funny thing is that the girl will never own up to what you say is being manipulative or stringing someone along.
To you it is one thing but to her she is just accepting other people’s generosity and trying to have fun. It is not her fault is other people want to be nice.
See, it is human nature to back rationalize and defend negative attributes within yourself else it will just errode away at your ego and you’ll end up like Gregor , a perfectly good person painted as a monster.
Its very hard for a pretty girl to see things outside of her perspective into someone’s that is not especially since it usually just causes hurt. And why would you want to be the person to tell her what you see other than because you cannot get the same treatment as her and want to stop her from selfishly enjoying what life has unfairly and arbitrarily granted her due to your jealously and malice which you back rationalize as alleviating ignorance an passing on wisdom though in reality none of that matters and you’re doing it more to grant pain and discomfort in the mind :p
We are all disgusting and beautiful. It all depends on what camera you’re looking through that produces what image you want to see.
@christykim - It is a long, twisty, totally awesome run-on sentence.
@Ironstove - That’s an interesting and valid interpretation, but I’m a little more literal about Gregor Samsa being a monstrous vermin.
(And, for that matter, about people who abuse others being monsters.)
@moritheil - I don’t think the Metamorphosis was meant to be taken at face value. Gregor’s ‘transformation’ was basically a mental/emotional breakdown that he experienced and his family’s reaction to it was the general reaction of all families that undergo such an event, nice at first, but true colors are eventually revealed when the promise of recovery begins to fade away. I could go into a long-winded analysis of it, but I’ve done it enough times that it doesn’t interest me, but yes… That is certainly one of my favorite if not my favorite book.
You should also see the Plague if you have not already.
I think you are right. Factually correct. Discerning.
But obviously you are operating on logic and thought, while most people operate on emotion and avoid examining themselves too deeply.
So being perceptive is pretty much a 100% guarantee of being mostly alone. But better than the alternative.
@Ironstove - I don’t know about that “face value” statement of yours. I read Metamorphosis as indicative of how identity can change without you being aware of it, and how people will struggle futilely to put a good face on things rather than dealing with reality. I agree that their true colors are revealed, but I think rather than being a true change that is how the people were from the start, and it is only their social illusions that stand between their true colors and immediate revelation.
I don’t see the need to make it more “realistic” by handwaving the fantastic elements as merely psychological artifacts. I think that cheapens the work. But that is, of course, my aesthetics showing.
Tell me more about the Plague.
@runaheadofme - The most/few divide still leaves some percentage, and you only need one.
@moritheil - Ah yes– Pandora did leave “hope” at the bottom of that box.