Come to the conclusion that if people believe the sun does not exist. It does not exist despite what empirical evidence you provide, even if they are sunbathing in it. This chaos is highlighting the broken systems we are surrounded by and how much they don't give a shit about you. The asshole in me is ruminating on the irony of so many support systems over the years being undermined to the point of collapse to punish the feckless who have been made scapegoats of society's ills. But now everyone is likely going to need it and soon find just how inadequate it is in many countries. The worst aspects of profit before people is playing out for hand sanitiser. This will hasten the global recession that was already on the cards. The people who will gain will be the ones using imaginary numbers that if you move them around become greater in value from nothing. Devaluing every ones futures further. Further undermined by our political systems that also deny the sun exists if that is part of their ideology. Right until they themselves are at risk of being set on fire by it. I laugh with contempt not amusement.
I take no pleasure in any of it.
Most advances towards what we consider humane living standards has come out of violence or in response to atrocity. But these days the media machine acts like Goebels wet dream in sculpting minds. 24/7 digital operant conditioning. Consume to death. Worship your masters. Passivity is good. Divide amongst yourselves. Hate what is below covet what is above. As such the sun does not exist.
The Steppenwolf's look pierced our whole epoch, its whole overwrought activity, the whole surge and strife, the whole vanity, the whole superficial play of a shallow, opinionated intellectuality.
And alas! The look went still deeper, went far below the faults, defects and hopelessness of our time, our intellect, our culture alone.
It went right to the heart of all humanity, it bespoke eloquently in a single second the whole despair of a thinker, of one who knew the full worth and meaning of man's life.
It said, "See what monkeys we are! Look, such is man!" and at once all renown, all intelligence, all the attainments of the spirit, all progress towards the sublime, the great and the enduring in man fell away and became a monkey's trick.
Written in 1927 by Hesse
