#our world problems

An epidemic of harassment has been plaguing humanity. The horrifying, non-consentual acts of powerful men are finally being exposed, and with these revelations, people are rightfully asserting that the problem is not simply with Hollywood or other out of touch cliches of people but with all men… that’s great… but that’s not far enough.

Those who partake in acts that hurt others do so to feel more confident and secure. When confronted for these actions, the inevitable defence will be that we are all human. We are all flawed creatures, but this can no longer be acceptable.

Humans have reached an evolutionary point to ask why we do the things we do but we are not evolved enough to answer that question. We created God to solve this dilemma and gave him all of our most beautiful concepts: Justice, Truth, Honour, Love. Then we forgot we gave him those and with our society’s increasing alienation from religion and secularization of civilization, we’ve lost our way… if we ever had it at all.

This epidemic reveals deep running issues with humanity. We are not evolved enough to satisfy our desire to focus on life instead of the gaping void of death and horror that lurks at the edge of each of our visions… but we should be. Its time to curve our own evolution.

What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? Jokes? Parody? How can we have any issues when we have so many amenities that less fortunate countries don’t have? There’s not enough hot water for my twenty minute shower. I don’t have enough plugs for all of my electronic equipment. They remind us to be grateful for our lot in life. We have no real problems, how could we when so many people around the world are starving and we have plenty?

Well here in Gutter Town, we have our own ideas, concepts that fell between the panels and have been forgotten.

Ever since the first moon landing in 1969, we have though of ourselves as having achieved our greatest potential. Where can we realistically go from there? Developed countries are basically utopias of plenty with technological marvels that make it increasingly easier to stay connected to one another.

How could there be any problems for us left? Especially for the wealthy.

Well let me ask you: how happy do you feel? How safe, connected and secure do you feel? Deep down?

Because I don’t feel connected to my neighbour who is worried about his next purchase or his friend who is mean.

I can’t connect with him until I uncover his true problems beneath his egotistic trivialities.

First world problems are not joking silliness to remind us to be grateful but the next great hurtle facing humanity: emotional alienation.

No matter who we are, each of us believes and feels our own struggle through life as the greatest burden imaginable because it’s the only one we can truly ever imagine. Try as we might, there is no real way out of our heads so we are doomed to feel our lives as the most difficult.

You hide this beneath layers and layers of ego but the self is always doubting and the doubting self causes you real concern. It forces you to recognize the great tragedies around you, occurring in your heart and in the world at large. It reminds you that death is always around the corner and horrible things are always afoot. The great void is waiting to swallow you whole, perpetually waiting at the edge of your vision...

I feel it too, every morning when I wake up, go to work, eat lunch or play with friends and everyone else does as well but we rarely discuss it.