Bullshit and...happy fuzzy bunny time.
2003-01-24 - 10:16 p.m.

Lately I've been thinking about bullshit.

Or...whatever you want to call it. censorship, falsity, ass-kissing, neat little facades and big toothy smiles...bullshit has infected my brain as of late.

I am a hypocrite on this issue...I deal my share of baloney, every day. I doubt there is a person who is not guilty of this...and I base that assumption on the observation of just how much *dire bullshit* is passed around in this world, and how it is sometimes deemed necessary to do so.

It's an interesting thing...think too much about it, and you'll spin in circles.

When is it best to just *grin and bear it*? To not speak your mind to avoid possible conflict or negative reactions, to "preserve the peace"?

Well, there's a funny thing about opinions themselves. Opinions, viewpoints, "the mind" that you want to speak...to me it's fluid, it's always changing. This is because there is SO MUCH information out there, it's impossible to know the whole story...and so many factors effecting your viewpoints...such as propoganda...even if you don't realize it's affecting your viewpoints, it inevitably is, even if it's pointing it in the opposite direction. Therefore, I don't think it's possible to get a "solid stance" on an issue. There is a fine line between relativism and open-mindedness...I don't believe it would be good to have no opinions or points of view on anything...if that was so, then nothing would contrast, you couldn't compare things...if no conflicts exist, nothing can ever be resolved or debated, information could never be shared...then what's the point?you might as well hook yourself up to a respirator and watch Teletubbies all day.

But...if you can't establish a "solid stance" on an issue, what happens if you go around spouting it everywhere and then you get proven wrong? Would it be better to censor yourself, just in case you're wrong, and wait for people to tell you what's right? Is it better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt?

No. I just think...no. If nothing was ever wrong, how would anybody know what was right? Wrong and right...a comparison of different things and a selection of the better point of reason? Just like...if you were never miserable, how would you know what it was like to be happy? nothing exists, nothing makes any sense, unless there's something to compare it with.

But what happens if what you say enrages someone? What happens if it causes harm? If it causes harm, does it really matter who's wrong or right?

It's touchy. Here you're dealing with self-control, raw human emotions...and instinct. Would you betray your point of view, your personal integrity, to save yourself or someone else? Would you not wear a religious symbol to school for fear of being kicked out? Would you hide your sexuality for fear of being ostracized or even physically beaten up? Does censorship become necessary, or okay, in these circumstances?

Words are powerful. Information is powerful. Once you have said something, you can never un-say it. And that is scary to some people. It's scary to me. And some people are so set in their ways that they don't understand that points of view *do* change. Should you think carefully before you state your opinion? yes. I think you should be informed, know at least what you're getting into. But it is impossible to know everything, so you can't wait around until you've gathered "all the facts", because there is no "all the facts".

Preconceptions..."this child is too young to read this"..."this should not be for sensitive audiences"...I don't wanna trail off too much into my discussion on age, but age...is a number. It's a generalization. Generalizations and classification are used for clarity, and I understand that. Nobody is exactly alike, so approximate grouping based on similar trends is done for clarity.

I understand that children and teenagers are impressionable...but restricting media could possibly do more harm than good. If you're not exposed to the world around you, then the impression being given is one of a very narrow world...your age does not measure your ability to separate fantasy from reality. There are many grown people who cannot do that.

I cannot suggest what is right or wrong, I cannot suggest whether or not censorship is a necessary evil. But I can suggest that you go out and buy a pair of rubber pants. Because there's a lot of bullshit to wade through, and we're just getting started.

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