When I started this Substack publication, I brought over a bunch of my articles from my blog. I keep finding some that I didn’t bring over though, and that I think might still be of interest. So every once in a while, I’ll post one of them here.
Bretigne, you have a rare gift. You share your intimate thoughts (thoughts about how you see life around you, first-hand and reported, and how you ponder it, question it) with others. And you're deep. Because you choose to go deep.
Most don't. They live in soap opera, narrative level, parroting ideas and memes, responses without inspection, investigation, or analysis.
"At the other end of the spectrum are the people who don’t know their own minds at all."
**Yeah baby, you nailed it! (This is why so few want to be my friend, lol). This is "the crowd" mentality.
"I think a lot of people saw themselves in it, and I think they didn’t like that."
Many years ago at a local grocery store, I got into it with a "pacifist". He wanted all guns removed. So I said, "You support RAPE then?"
He fumbled for words like a fish out of water. And he got upset. Naturally, I upped the anti, "You can't have it both ways. Either you support the Rapist by removing all weapons from her, or you support her to defend herself against a stronger and faster opponent."
Instead of becoming interested that he was sentencing the victim to being raped, he was concerned with the reputation in his head.
This is the hallmark of the pseudo self, the false self that follows members...instead of seeking to understand (Stephen Covey 7 Habits...).
"We’ll never find out if we’re not willing to look into those dark corners. Sometimes we need to be disturbed." Yes! But woe to us that perform the disturbing...
I first noticed the folks who "don't know their own minds at all" when I started government schools, at the age of 12. Before that, I really hadn't been around people like that. Or if I had, I hadn't noticed. So I have to believe that it is not a natural state for us as humans - at least not to the extent that we see it today.
It can be beyond frustrating to be surrounded by these folks - especially in times like these, where their inability/unwillingness to think critically is weaponized against all of us. But the irony is that they are the ones who are hurt most by it. They're the ones who sign up to serve the state, and who line up to get the jab. It's a tragedy.
How many times have you been told you're weird, deep, or ask too many questions? Got that my whole life. Intimacy is what's inside our hearts and minds...now that's truly being naked.
"we don’t want it to be vicious attacks on innocent people rationalized into righteousness by a twisted mind." -- I would say this exactly describes all the neocon war hawks.
Very insightful piece. I too was disturbed by the film, partly for similar reasons, but more so for the frightening realization of how many actual "Jokers" are probably out there in the real world; perhaps as close as my own community.
Liked this article very much, very well written in support of your concept. Also, reminded me very much of what I thought after watching 'Falling Down', with Michael Douglas. Hmmmm. Don't expect to go see 'Joker', but I'm glad of your 'review'.
It can't be pure coincidence that I wrote a piece yesterday that is so harmonic with this piece of yours from 3 years ago. Something must be asking to be reckoned with, again, again, again.
The mentally ill are the most rejected, victims of discrimination in our society. They are aborted, homeless, imprisoned, locked away in mental hospitals and forgotten. The only time society concerns itself with mental illness, is when their kids get shot, then only for about a week.
Bretigne, you have a rare gift. You share your intimate thoughts (thoughts about how you see life around you, first-hand and reported, and how you ponder it, question it) with others. And you're deep. Because you choose to go deep.
Most don't. They live in soap opera, narrative level, parroting ideas and memes, responses without inspection, investigation, or analysis.
"At the other end of the spectrum are the people who don’t know their own minds at all."
**Yeah baby, you nailed it! (This is why so few want to be my friend, lol). This is "the crowd" mentality.
"I think a lot of people saw themselves in it, and I think they didn’t like that."
Many years ago at a local grocery store, I got into it with a "pacifist". He wanted all guns removed. So I said, "You support RAPE then?"
He fumbled for words like a fish out of water. And he got upset. Naturally, I upped the anti, "You can't have it both ways. Either you support the Rapist by removing all weapons from her, or you support her to defend herself against a stronger and faster opponent."
Instead of becoming interested that he was sentencing the victim to being raped, he was concerned with the reputation in his head.
This is the hallmark of the pseudo self, the false self that follows members...instead of seeking to understand (Stephen Covey 7 Habits...).
"We’ll never find out if we’re not willing to look into those dark corners. Sometimes we need to be disturbed." Yes! But woe to us that perform the disturbing...
Thank you.
I first noticed the folks who "don't know their own minds at all" when I started government schools, at the age of 12. Before that, I really hadn't been around people like that. Or if I had, I hadn't noticed. So I have to believe that it is not a natural state for us as humans - at least not to the extent that we see it today.
It can be beyond frustrating to be surrounded by these folks - especially in times like these, where their inability/unwillingness to think critically is weaponized against all of us. But the irony is that they are the ones who are hurt most by it. They're the ones who sign up to serve the state, and who line up to get the jab. It's a tragedy.
How many times have you been told you're weird, deep, or ask too many questions? Got that my whole life. Intimacy is what's inside our hearts and minds...now that's truly being naked.
"we don’t want it to be vicious attacks on innocent people rationalized into righteousness by a twisted mind." -- I would say this exactly describes all the neocon war hawks.
Very insightful piece. I too was disturbed by the film, partly for similar reasons, but more so for the frightening realization of how many actual "Jokers" are probably out there in the real world; perhaps as close as my own community.
Yo Bretigne
Thank you for this essay. When did you originally publish it?
I don't remember exactly, but it was soon after "Joker" came out.
Liked this article very much, very well written in support of your concept. Also, reminded me very much of what I thought after watching 'Falling Down', with Michael Douglas. Hmmmm. Don't expect to go see 'Joker', but I'm glad of your 'review'.
It can't be pure coincidence that I wrote a piece yesterday that is so harmonic with this piece of yours from 3 years ago. Something must be asking to be reckoned with, again, again, again.
Oh wow - I need to go look that up!
https://open.substack.com/pub/thebigatlarge/p/flames-and-ashes?r=aurw0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The mentally ill are the most rejected, victims of discrimination in our society. They are aborted, homeless, imprisoned, locked away in mental hospitals and forgotten. The only time society concerns itself with mental illness, is when their kids get shot, then only for about a week.