Unfortunate Trends in Human Society

Very quickly summarized because I just needed it.

1. Fake Smiles: both in the sense of showing I'm not a threat, don't fear me, don't feel the need to ruin me. And in showing that my 'moral' positions are right because I'm happy/well adapted, etc. The best way to smile though is to learn to really believe it and the way to do so is largely by becoming a traditionalist/a near panglossianist where whatever consistent moral framework you might have had is instead fragmented into a few pet causes.

1.1. The flip side is The Idiot. The truly good person in a constant state of shock at how awful others act. The unfortunate reality that to be truly good means seeing this world as a hell, etc.

1.2. One of the most essential concepts towards humankind's potential for understanding is being open or closeminded. Unfortunately being closeminded generally results in greater happiness. The openminded person persecutes themselves constantly worrying about how they might be wrong, what flaws there may be in their thinking. They're constantly tearing themselves down while the people who actually are causing the majority of the harm, are busy thinking how great they are and just finding reasons to justify such thinking.

2. Anti-elitism: hiding test scores, convincing self you're no better than anyone else... and/or at least hiding the obvious reality. Some combination of the two. The best way to hide is to really believe you aren't. But then as you're faced with others constantly causing harm you're left to think they're evil (and thus be consumed with anger) instead of recognizing the incredible stupidity around you.

3. Force as the method to solve disagreements. Rage, anger, frustration, annoyance, punishment, shame.

4. The alpha male: competition against everyone where their success is a something to be jealous of, etc. Where even showing compassion towards someone becomes a demonstration of superiority thus making you a person to dislike. (Oh that artist finally died? Well then I can finally quit being quite so jealous and actually give his work half a chance.)

5. Isolation trends-The fear of being perceived as gay, thus making men cold and distant to one another. Eh? Monogamy. Most technology. I suppose capitalism. Etc.

6. The burying of our mystical beliefs within our subconscious while outwardly following a Camus atheism, studiously ignoring such an important part of the future (our apparent nonexistence) while still performing endless highly ethical actions as a result of long term forethought.

The most essential charateristic of humankind is the extent to which he is a long term or short term thinker. This Camus atheism wrecks all possible understanding of why we act the way we do. Why we act 'ethically' to whatever extent we do.

6.1. Refusing to recognize that the enjoyment of art is so strongly tied into subconscious magical symbolizations.

7. The incredible extent to which we conform out of fear of what will otherwise be done to us. How we do this subconsciously. How we avoid thinking. How we are just trying to please people with power over us instead of actually thinking whether or not a given action actually is such a good idea.

8. How the structure of our society is greatly increasing our indifference towards one another and that indifference is the heart of all suffering. Hate just ultimately being a dysfunctional reaction to perceived indifference.

9. I suppose the sophistication of the corporate news media system in brainwashing the populace.

10. Art becoming about getting fame through it's mass production, especially in an age where very few artists are needed to entertain billions.

11. Not really a trend but, the fact that we're mostly still just merely surviving despite the fact that technology is such that we could all be living like kings.

..then there's other stuff. "Bad" words. A few insights and odds and ends. It's not so bad.