MAD Magazine, 1968.
Andrew Breitbart, the late ever-controversial right-wing gonzo journalist (not to be confused with the dreary Trump-propaganda organ that now bears his name) used to have a saying that “politics is downstream of culture.”
Meaning that:
- People’s political opinions are mostly not thought-out or analytical so much as an expression of what they think is valuable, cool, scary, smart, stupid, impressive to their friends.
- People generally put more of their hearts and free time into cultural pursuits—from mass media and video game consumption to churches, schools, museums, gun clubs, bowling leagues, etc.—than political ones, so the attitudes that pervade the larger spaces of their lives affect the smaller ones, not just in what they believe but who they know and trust.
- Young people in particular are much more into getting their values and their “facts” from cultural rather than explicitly political sources.
The problem is once you form a strong belief that somebody is guilty of a crime, the contradictory details are just that. They don’t fundamentally change our belief in their guilt.
Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win, essential to success.
“…when it gets dark and cold in the field, being present on the lines with the troops and not hiding out in a warm tent is a tremendous demonstration to our people that they are being fully supported and truly valued. It is not my place to lecture the government leaders on what they should be doing to be present on the lines with the workers and small businesses. But it is my duty to register that there is a need for it.”
Brutus speaks figuratively of a “tide” in the lives of human beings: if one takes advantage of the high tide, one may float out to sea and travel far; if one misses this chance, the “voyage” that one’s life comprises will remain forever confined to the shallows, and one will never experience anything more glorious than the mundane events in this narrow little bay. Brutus reproaches Cassius that if they do not “take the current” now, when the time is right, they will lose their “ventures,” or opportunities. The passage elegantly formulates a complex conception of the interplay between fate and free will in human life. Throughout the play, the reader must frequently contemplate the forces of fate versus free will and ponder whether characters might be able to prevent tragedy if they could only understand and heed the many omens that they encounter. This musing brings up further questions, such as whether one can achieve success through virtue, ambition, courage, and commitment or whether one is simply fated to succeed or fail, with no ability to affect this destiny. Here, Brutus conceives of life as influenced by both fate and free will: human beings must be shrewd enough to recognize when fate offers them an opportunity and bold enough to take advantage of it. Thus, Brutus believes, does man achieve a delicate and valuable balance between fate and free will. This philosophy seems wise; it contains a certain beauty as well, suggesting that while we do not have total control over our lives, we do have a responsibility to take what few measures we can to live nobly and honorably. The only problem, as the play illustrates over and over again, is that it is not always so easy to recognize these nudges of fate, be they opportunities or warnings. The characters’ repeated failures to interpret signs correctly and to adapt themselves to events as they unfold form the basis for most of the tragedy that occurs in the play.
What Anxiety Actually Is, And Why It Makes Relationships And Dating So Hard
Anxiety are the beginning stages of relationships, you struggle to get through normally because in you always seem to ruin something before it begins.
It’s staying up at night and tossing and turning because you wonder how someone feels. It’s questioning if this is really something or is it all in your head.
Anxiety is being excited about a date but thinking they’ll cancel last minute. It’s staring at your phone waiting for it.
It’s every past relationship on repeat and hoping this one doesn’t end the same way.
It’s an ending that emotionally destroys you. It’s trying to handle it with grace and dignity but at the same time, you’re in tears wondering, when things changed and what you did wrong. It’s beating yourself up for it, even when you’re friends tell you, it was him not you.
Anxiety tells you, ‘no, it’s not that they were the wrong person, it’s that you’re flawed and not good enough.’ And you look at yourself fixating on things you wish you could change because that’s probably why it didn’t work out. Anxiety is striving for perfection even if it kills you.
Anxiety is every text and not wanting to be the first one to send it.
It’s stressing how to word something properly because you care but you don’t want to come on too strong.
It’s the agony of waiting for a response as reread what you just said. It’s wanting to send a double text but knowing you shouldn’t
It’s social media adding to it and making it 10X worse. It’s never just a like or a view or a share because you’re staring at your phone wondering if it means something more.
Anxiety tells you, ‘they’re ignoring you on purpose. They don’t care. They are going to leave. They’re mad at you.’
Anxiety is believing lies made up in your own head.
It’s the weight lifted off your chest when they respond but you still worry.
It’s wondering at any moment, ‘are they going to change their mind about me?’ It’s playing out that scenario in your head, just so you’re ready for how you’d respond to it.
Anxiety is anticipating the worst in people, even though you have the best intentions. It’s caring but the insecurity of caring too much.
It’s questioning and doubting, everything someone thinks, says and does.
It’s finally getting a relationship but you’re paralyzed with fear of it ending, even though it just started.
Anxiety is pushing people away because you think it’s for their own good.
It’s is being everywhere on time and needing your partner to be the same way. It’s wanting things to go according to the original plan and getting upset when it doesn’t.
It’s messing up and making a mistake and your immediate assumption is, they’re going to leave or dump you. It’s being unbelievably hard on yourself even though you’re the least judgemental person ever.
Anxiety is being painfully insecure and not being able to help it.
It’s standing in a crowded room, holding his hand, as you meet his friends but all you want is for them to like you. It’s trying too hard that they don’t sometimes.
It’s wanting to drink but worrying about drinking too much. It’s the apology the next morning you didn’t even need to say.
Anxiety is wanting to explain to him, ‘this is what you’re dealing with or this is what you’re getting and I understand if you want to leave.’ But at the same time, you just try and hide it.
It’s learning to trust him slowly.
Anxiety is explaining to your partner, ‘this is what I thought, it’s completely illogical, I know but I need you to just tell me I’m wrong. Tell me we are okay.’
It’s needing constant reassurance.
Anxiety is your partner wrapping their arms around you when you completely break down and they just have to keep telling you, ‘it’s fine.’ It’s someone else being strong when you can’t be.
But it’s also the fear of letting someone close enough to see that side of you because you’ve always been strong for yourself and you fear vulnerability.
It’s that critical voice inside your head that you hear on repeat. Even when they compliment you, you don’t believe it at first. And they don’t understand why you don’t see yourself the way they do. But there’s something beautiful about teaching someone to see themselves through your eyes.
Anxiety is the beauty and appreciation of someone really knowing you and accepting you because you still struggle to accept yourself. It’s watching them change the way they act or what they do, just to keep you more at ease. It’s the comfort in a simple phrase, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t answer this is why…’ It’s a feeling of wholeness when they say, ‘I still love you, even with this thing WE have to live with.’
It takes a rare person to love someone with anxiety and it’s not always that easy. But if you can figure out how to, you’ll receive a love that is unconditional. You’ll be with someone who truly appreciates and accepts you. You’ll hear thank you too often and I love you even more. It’ll be a love that tests you and challenges you but it will make you realize some people are entirely worth it.
(via deeplifequotes)
“When we meet someone and fall in love, we have a sense that the whole universe is on our side. And yet if something goes wrong, there is nothing left! How is it possible for the beauty that was there only minutes before to vanish so quickly? Life moves very fast. It rushes from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes
A Government that steers the boat has far more power over its destination than those who row it. Governments that focus on steering actively shape their communities, states and nations. They make more policy decisions. They put more social and economic institutions into motion. Some even do more regulating. Rather than hiring more public employees, they make sure other institutions are delivering services and meeting the community's needs. In contrast, governments preoccupied with service delivery often abdicate this steering function. Traditional governments get so preoccupied with rowing that they forget to steer.
Every fall into love involves the triumph of hope over self-knowledge. We fall in love hoping we won't find in another what we know is in ourselves, all the cowardice, weakness, laziness, dishonesty, compromise, and stupidity. We throw a cordon of love around the chosen one and decide that everything within it will somehow be free of our faults. We locate inside another a perfection that eludes us within ourselves, and through our union with the beloved hope to maintain (against the evidence of all self-knowledge) a precarious faith in our species.