Consume Less, Produce More

I've not had an inspiration to write any goals for 2022, a practice Ive probably done for 15 - 20 years, maybe less on paper.

But with thought, Consume Less, Produce More was the only thought I had as a goal.

The writing I've wanted to put out there was to lean towards this subject, but I've continued to Consume More, and Produce Nil, or production for other parties, mainly work, which has to take a level of our production, if our systems are built that way.

Consumption is easy, and what the world would have us be, especially as the cog in a capatilstic driven society.  With capatilists, there must also be the demand from the consumption.

My consumtpion continues to evolve, as ours do, but that should not outweigh our production so signficantly.  It is very evident where those who have been able to produce versus consume, albiet much less as the system that capatilism has created has a consumer need, so our lives our innudated with feeds to be consumers.

So, my goal for 2022.  The only one I can muster, or Produce, is Consume Less, Produce More.

Today - Bridging the Gap

The internet was meant to bridge a gap between the knowledge and the not so knowledgable.

Social media was meant to bridge a gap in human interaction.

Both have driven us forward as a society, but also ripped apart self and sense.

Up to social media, we had to navigate the relationships we have on a daily basis.  Normally, from point A to point B; father, mother, children, neighbor, spouse, friend, and possibly foe.  But all we could normally see smell and touch.

The phone got us close.

TV, a little closer.

Internet, closing in on too close for comfort.

And finally, social media.

Both our gifts and curses, in all technology mediums.

But as we have attempted to bridge gaps in human interaction, we've removed other necessary emotions and interactions, to be so facial that, we all can live in our silos as the thought of community and society degrades around us.

I joined TheFacebook as one of the first universities, well before what we know as Facebook.

I still buy the Koolaid.

But that doesn't mean the system around us isn't broken, just because we continue to consume.

Our interactions as humans will continue down this path until we decide as individuals, in a society thats stripped of individualism, to take a stand against voicing our every opinion and creating opposition at every turn.

To me that says Civil War.

And you may say wrong.  Never.

Look outside as our lives are destroyed by information, mis-information, disease, guns.

Or don't.

And keep living our day to days seperate and divided, while faking relationships on platforms meant to economize You.

I know I dont know how to push stop.

But I'm beginning to see we're the problem; the lack of society, by any group.  Those that shun to those that are so accepting that there's a clash of opinions that we have been taught and engineered to fight for.

Instead of fighting for us, for the survival our our bodies, the surivial of our souls, the survival of community and sense and purpose.

As we continue to cut these interactions for the many interactions we may superficially run into within the infinite walls of the internet, these new waters are not those that we have beem built to withstand, evolutionarily or as God-fearing individuals, or not so God-fearing.

Emotion.

Fear.

Discourse.

These will all come to you, no matter the side of the fence.

We don't need the elevated sense of disillusion brought on by social media.

But maybe, it is a societal thing, and we are in the middle of the end of America leading the way.

The community and sense of country felt from 9/11 is far from 20 years ago, and it was our last gathering as Americans to fight against a common good, for our fellow man.

Our fight seems to be us, and we will watch as countries who chose to press on see a change in their course.

That may be conjecture, but there is a brokenness in the day to day that seems irreversible.

At the top of this land, and the bottom.

Entitled - We are all entitled.

I guess (as noone with with much true vicerol self belief might say) that Ive found the conclusion of Entitled.

That we are all Entitled.

And to stamp the Unentitled.

Sounds like we need to be knocked down a peg or two.

Certianly not the hope and positivity we need in the state of this pandemic, as we separate ourselves from society, but there needs to be some practical road map, as well as some deeming words.

Words these day, and all days, spark fire, war, hate, but I also hope hope, love, and the like prevail.

.

Thats a great blogpost title... Hope, love, and the like :)

I hope for more of a vision for Entitled and love,and the like the formation of what could be considered somewhat of the objective.

Entitled - Post Secondary Education

Having a close relative in the hospital in critical condition really puts entitlement into perspective.  While using the situation, thinking about the beneficiaries, and dependents left without a sole provider.  These dependents should have the ability to acquire a post secondary education.  

While their situation is not yet so dire, all US citizen's should have some entitlements when it comes to education as the edicational system at the post secondary level has taken its share.

While a Harvard education offering to all in nonsensical, a more leveled approach, when it comes to educational needs and financial capabilities should be factored.

However, as I sit here and argue against the Entitled, education is one of my breaking points as the blog is deemed 100k plus.  

Students shouldn't have to spend 100k plus, and they certainly don't have to, there are many options, but that availability of post secondary education assistance prior, during, and post is a must in a system that begins to be driving be gain, financial, esteem, noteriety, knowledge, and the like, while the students do not become the focal point of the institutions, to deliver the service of advanced education to the consumer to prepare them for an appropriate career.

So I yearn to join the Entitled, who most certainly have had paid educations.  But only to join in the entitlement of an education, which as a society we should want to invest into the people and their knowledge, especially as a nationalistic measure to move the country forward with new thoughts, ideas, and logic.

Entiled - Entitlements

In my own life, as a pre-millenial, post gen X, [which really only accounts for like a span of 6-8 years in the early to mid 80's] it seems that I have dug myself into known entitlements throughout the year.  Entitlements like bonuses, tax returns, savings account growth, etc, have all taken root in my daily and year to year finances to incorporate a need for the system as well as these entitlements.

However, these entitlements that I know look to less as unexpected "blessings" but as expected entitlements to be received from year to year as yearly financial buoys to rest laurels on and/or waste away with the need of the day.

While I've earned these entitlements, walking with the Entitled, I am also deriving a need for given entitlements, whether earned or not.

Just a thought as I try to pen thoughts to fight a war against the Entitled.

Or slowly drift into the ways of the Entitled. 

Entitled - Ability and Past Accomplishments

Should ability, and I guess, more so past accomplishments, based on ability, dictate entitlements?

They do.

In many cases.

In other cases, maybe the visibility isn't there, or the ability to connect the needs to the given abilities.

Easy example of the visbility of the entitled are sports stars, while not as any an example are those with the abilities that are not reaching their share of entitlements.

Should ability dictate entilements, because what is ability but experience built on past accomplishments with the expectation of a level of ability?

Should the question be pared back down to look at should there be entitlements at all?

If entitlements are due, to marry that with ability and accomplishment, in the end, does make the most sense.  And maybe thats, like a similar situation I had at work today to define a characterizing metric, the only best method to rationalize and move forward with a baseline of where and how to attribute entitlements

Entitled - Motivation, Distraction, Entitlement, and the Mighty Dollar

Im trying to find motivation and time to pen thoughts that maybe could one day be compiled into a book.

Between taking one or even multiple or even thousands, which I do not have, blog posts, does not make a book.

Nonetheless, as I look for this motivation or time to try and compile any coherent thought, I am easily whisked away into the world of social media and back to the celebrities.  I cant lie, I love mma, and particularly the UFC, and am that mark.  I am that guy, minus any money they get from me is very limited.  

But still a big fan.

Is fan just another word for being distracted by those that are entitled, as they have proven to us, in word or action, or look.  That they are of superiority, thus we must watch every move, or maybe that's just a common trait, that we as humans are attracted via our attention, time, and in the end, dollars, are filtered to these folks.

Again, Im a fan of the UFC, and they get little money from me.

But there are many and I am a fan of many things where my time and attention is easily spent, and, even me, in the end, will spend money that filters to these folks, these already entitled being justified through continued financial gain and growth.

I suppose I, like many of us on this side of the fence of the un-entitled, will continue to gaze over the fence in awe.  Wasting what purpose we were meant for, possibly to gain rank within the entitled, but to at least justify our un-entitled, earned means.

I also suppose the entitled would cry work, ethic, and overall damnation of everyone not in the group.

What what excuse is need if you have entitlement.