Keep the beat
Little drummer boy
Each hit, a strategic rhythm
Must be kept in line
A metronome for each step of the march
Fail not, each gong must be striked with purpose
Weariness will not be accepted
Carelessness punished
One note out of line
A domino effect disrupting all those around you
Who's to blame?
You or the system
A burden you must bear your entire life
A system you must follow without question
But these are the rules you made
The system and each step you put in place
Your passion is the source of energy
To keep pushing, to keep drumming
Discipline is the tool to your self made prophecy
i know what this one's about!!!!
ReplyDeletetell me mind reader
ReplyDeletewhat if the metronome is nothing but what the boy uses to disguise the chaos underneath the rhythm? Random alacrity and melancholy camouflaged by disciplines.
ReplyDeleteMind reader says:
ReplyDeleteAlways having to prove oneself to others.
Blindly following a path simply b/c it's regarded as the sole line that leads to success and fortune.
Society's predetermined models of success.
And even if one doesn't buy into this universal axiom on human prosperity, they are bound to it regardless of their aversion to all that it stands for. They follow it w/o question, b/c in the end, everyone needs to follow something; everyone needs a goal; everyone needs to satisfy the aspirations imprinted upon them by others. Life is lived for others, either to please them, conform to them, or to manipulate them.
although i see your point vic. discipline itself isn't a display for others. ultimately that person is in control of his own discipline. that's what discipline is... the ability to regulate and set rules for your own actions.
ReplyDeletejoanna... this is very well written. although i might have not thought about all the points you made in your comment, i completely agree with them.
hmm maybe ill start writing poems again
life doesn't need to be programmed
ReplyDeleteit is programmed from birth... is it not?
ReplyDeletemaybe for kids under caste system in India or North Korea, but isn't it our nature to pursue for freedom, which makes where we are a great place to live?
ReplyDeletei agree our nature is to pursue freedom, but the idea of freedom is too idealistic at least to encompass everyone.
ReplyDeleteyou think america is great? have you seen our economy lately? our principles are overrun with equality for everyone, but through these laws we're creating more inequality. freedom in this society is not obtainable. everybody's getting sued for small things lately. half of the corporations are going downhill. our system gives freedom and power to those who have no knowledge of the company they're running. a majority of this nation's education is based on the longstanding belief in the power of confidence.
more offspring are produced from high school dropouts. and you tell me this is a great place to live?
Compared to some countries and people in some situations, I would argue that America is a heaven to live in. Despite some of the issues that are pushed around today-kids getting dumber, people getting poorer, etc., there are certain qualities of life that are existent in America that people in other places wouldn't dare to dream about.
ReplyDeleteFor some people, the happiness in life, is not about the money for some it is the idea of living another year, another week or even another day, for some it is to live without fear. People are born with a certain set of circumstances, it is true. But would you rather stand there and have nothing happen or work, if even to play the game, to play it with a passion for something.
The statement "money isn't everything" is a blatant lie in today's commercialized and financial culture, and yet, there are people today who are up to their neck in cash who are not as happy as people who just get by. You do need to have a stable source of income, you do need to have a good education, but rather than think that this is a symbol of trying to aspire to what society deems as honorable or right, think of it rather for the future.
If you are a successful businessman or a doctor who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, does that mean that you are playing the game well? If your dream of happiness is simply to relax at home with family and friends, listen to quiet music on the porch, if the greatest happiness of your life is to watch the sunset on an ocean, then what is stopping you?
hm... yes, America has some aspects that are better than other countries. one example would be in muslim countries where the women are treated worse than dogs. im not saying that our country is the worst, im just saying it isn't great, that it could be better, that this idea of freedom, a system of equality that we've established long ago was the key to bringing about fundamental rights to humanity, but at this point the system has gone too far. we've become complacent on the fact that because we are a country that pursues freedom and promotes the power of the people, we can manipulate our fundamental constitution to "promote equality" and give advantages to certain groups. at the same time promoting inequality and lack of responsibility.
ReplyDeletei say these things about america because our mindset as a country has become so focused on immediate goals. what will give us the quickest results. how will we gain fame, power, money now? im not saying everyone believes this is the goal to success and happiness, i certainly don't, what i'm saying is that what dominates our country are the companies in power. and when it comes down to it those companies consider progress nowadays as how fast we can make a profit. and by doing so, we are in fact working backwards. by disregarding morals and not recognizing the consequences. a prime example would be bp.
certainly people have different goals for themselves as to what will truly make them happy. but the problem here, is that so many people are living with no "passion". they think that maybe if they get rich, they'll be happy with their lives. is that why robberies, thefts are rampant? the only "passion" they have is to what they can take at their whim. think about all the poor people here. of course it's not the best place to be homeless, no job, no money, but why are there more and more? is it because there's no job market? that might have something to do with it, but honestly even if you don't have a job, if you have the "passion" to get one, you will. it's the fact that there is no will to work harder, to get the same amount or a little more pay than you would if you lived off welfare. or if you lived off of people feeding you everyday for free.
you're right you do have to have a stable source of income, a good education to have the ability to determine your own happiness. but to do so, i would argue you have to follow society's steps, before you can make your own mark. the only way to change a system is to follow it until you reach the top. it's doing things you don't want to do everyday until you've reached a point where you can do something about it.
hmm, for many once they've reached a point where they have a lot of power, and by power i mean wealth to do what they want, they become obsessed with the idea of making more. either for their kids or for themselves. and that in turn becomes their new passion and indeed they're playing the game of life, and use that as a portrayal of "success".
i guess what im trying to say is that fundamentally once we've adjusted to something, we stick to it, become complacent, and to change means to have to work harder for a future that might outlive you.
I agree with many of the things you said although I can't be sure that everyone is able to find a job in today's economy. I think it's hard to be able to step into the shoes of someone who is on unemployed or someone homeless and say, just try harder you will get a job. Passion with quotation marks may be quite different from what the human spirit is able to go through and because I have never gone to bed wondering when the next time I'll be able to eat is, I can’t speak for them.
ReplyDeleteI also agree, most big business today is corrupt. As normal individuals or even as employees of companies, we are not given information about what goes on behind the so called "curtain" in the upper hierarchy of a companies control. 500 years ago, merchants and maybe small politicians dominated culture, shaped public opinion and interest-today it is consumerism. It dominates the way we think, the reasons we work hard, the reasons we don’t.
But in the advancement of technology, “refinement” of society, in the increase in wealth, there is always the taint of corruption and I have to say it is sad that in our society today, disregarding morality gets you farther. Ultimately, what society has been working towards is an "easier" future where not as much work leads to more profit or materials. Instead of walking 10 miles to work and taking 2 hours, drive a car and be there in 5 minutes. Instead of writing with a pencil and paper, use a computer and what you want to say will be done in minutes. All of this improvement, as much as we use it today, seeks to make life easier. So then the ultimate question is, what kind of future should we work towards then? Should we work towards a future in which things are more difficult to do? Should we work towards a future where there are no big businesses? As a society, we are working towards the future and yet every step of the way, we work against ourselves, letting ourselves indulge in the same things that promote the culture and society we are so eager to change. We must follow the path that society has deemed the path to success because that is what we have created.
If you ask someone, what would you do today, to improve life 10,000 years from you, they would probably say, nothing because either humankind will have become extinct by that time, or the Earth will have blown up, any number of catastrophes might have occurred to rend what was done 10,000 years in the past useless to people of the future. But if you ask someone, what would you do today, to improve life 100 years from now? They would probably give more interesting answers. But of the people you ask, how many will have known the answer before the question?
What is the best way to change the future? Follow what we have done so far and perhaps progress in the same direction? I think the answer to that as it stands is quite uncertain.
it is true, i can't speak for any other person except for myself. each of us has different experiences that shape the type of person we are, and the kind of person we are born as. with me being in very different circumstances than those who live on the streets, i cannot put myself in their position and say what i would do. it's much more complicated than that.
ReplyDeleteand i do agree, with improved technology we have done all we can to make the rewards more obtainable with less effort. and that may have pushed our generation and generations to come to become increasingly lazier.
i really like this quote..."As a society, we are working towards the future and yet every step of the way, we work against ourselves, letting ourselves indulge in the same things that promote the culture and society we are so eager to change. "
you pose a great question... what then shall the future be? how will a society succeed in the future if everything has been done so that we naturally let ourselves work against it? of course a future without technology or without big businesses bears no realistic future. but i do believe in the power of the government to motivate, to change, and to eventually revolutionize the way we think about our environment and our future. and to have great minds thinking for the future, we become a better society.
yes each person is different, but there are many similarities. it is through these similarities in the fundamental nature of the human spirit that we are able to form the bond between each individual. that's why the ability to persuade relies on the ability to touch a person's soul, not by knowing exactly how they're feeling, but the feeling itself. emotion, pushes us more than anything to work harder, to get somewhere, to do something. if you've ever done something that you didn't want to do, but had to, why do you think you did it? what made you push yourself to do so?
ReplyDeleteonce we have realized the consequences or simply the rewards of doing something, motivation to obtain that reward is the only reason why we do it. but the narrow sighted goal is often the most common, simply because patience and faith have never been one of humanity's greatest strengths. the things we see as admirable are those things that are naturally hard for us to achieve. at the same time, how shall blind optimism and deprecating pessimism balance each other in this often unpredictable world? there is no concrete answer, or mathematical formula to determine such.
but one thing is for certain. we need a common cause, to start a movement that will change the way we think about the future. no technology can bear the burden we have as individuals. but we can use technology in ways that don't simply make small things that we do every day easier, but to fundamentally help us as individuals grow and become the type of future we seek out to be. technology is a tool to allow us to see past our immediate goals. work toward a future that will bring peace rather than destruction. it can be used to balance our emotions and use it for the right purpose rather than as weapons for war. technology is great and all, but we are too focused on building technology in a way that damages our society. with the good comes the bad. but why not think of it as with the good comes the better, and even better.
we can be a society that has integrated technology to improve everyone's intelligence... like in star trek. or what vic is working on. we can be a society in which big businesses become big because they take responsibility for a bigger share of society, it's not just about the people, it's about the system we put into place. the emphasis on pride and honor really need to be more ingrained in americans as a whole.
if i could what i would do today to improve life in 10,000 years, would be to change the goals of humanity. we're like cancer, each cancerous cell fighting to grow and take control, but we never think about those around us, and maybe if we did, maybe if we worked together as a whole and contributed a share, our society, our world would be much different than it is today.
While it's true that America is what many would call "a heaven to live in," that's also part of the reason why we fall short in so many categories. I feel like the trailer for "Waiting for Superman" sums up several of the flaws of the American mentality. How is it that a country whose education system is falling behind can raise the most confident generations of its time? We are a self-proclaimed world power and utopia. Future generations are brainwashed into thinking that a silver tongue, confident swagger, and an accessible trust fund are all the necessary tools to achieve the American dream and all the happiness that comes gift wrapped with it. So much of our society is made up of individuals who simply do whatever they deem necessary as long as: 1) they don't get caught, 2) it brings them one step closer to that dream they've been aiming for, and (if they're particularly charitable) 3) it doesn't harm too many people. That's not to say that we're no more than a whole lot of corrupt individuals gunning down others for our own sake, but unfortunately there are far too many people, people in esteemed seats of power and people in self-dubbed seats of power, who follow this path.
ReplyDeleteOne particurlarly disgusting aspect of this society we live in is that those in power are simply that; they're people with power, not heart, just power. They know how to use words. They know how to run their mouth, how to turn on that charismatic switch and lure people to their side. They're the people who play around with our futures. They're the reason why it's no longer a question of "who has the most passion for reaching out to those in need?" or "who has their heart in the right place?" when deciding who makes the cut for medical school, law school, and all those other lines of "successful" paths in life. No, now it's simply a question of "who's got what it takes to make their parents proud?," "who was the best at memorizing lines and lines of information?," "who can sweet talk their way into our interviewers' hearts?," and most importantly "who worked the hardest during their early school years to get all chummy with their professors and set their eyes on the recommendation letter of the lifetime right off the bat?".
People are selfish. That's their nature. Some have learned to supress this part of themselves, but what good is that when that other big chunk of society runs rampant with no more than their own interests in mind? I'll tell you what it does.. it gives those power seekers more stepping stones to tread all over as they make their way to the top. After all, they have to make both themselves and their parents proud, don't they? Now if only, we could all shift that perspective and instead work to make our children and future generations proud instead. After all, the past and even the current times are a bit passe.
wow... haha im trying to think of things to say that will counter your argument. but i cant. that's why i think we need to change this whole system. it's about the way we approach our goals, the things that we deem successful in this country. there are few people that have heart that are in "power" positions, but those few cannot carry the weight of this country and cannot change the mindset of the future generations. when i say pride and honor in oneself i am referring specifically to morals, to the "step over each other to get to a higher position" kind of attitude we have set up for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI do believe people are selfish, but i also believe it's something that we've made for ourselves over the years and we justify it on the scientific basis of natural selection. we implant it in ourselves and let it grow into something so innate that we never knew we were once without this feeling.
selfishness, today is entirely different than what would have been a while back. today, what we regard as selfish is the act towards promoting oneself. but we were once individuals that worked together as a group to survive, to extend our species to what it is today. and although that may be an act of "selfishness" towards humanity as a whole, it would not be deemed selfish to fight for others, rather the opposite.
i really do believe that if everyone were to open their eyes and see the big picture, that corruption in society wouldn't be so prevalent. today we see in newspapers the detriment we've done to the environment, the scandals, bankruptcies, crash of the stock market, stubbornness, cockiness of american children, drop in IQ, more than 60% of our population with a college education jobless, more offspring in disadvantages situations... the list goes on.
change starts with the parents, with how they raise their children. if they set certain standards for them and teach them, push them to become the golden child they always wanted, they turn out "successful" yes, but at a price of what? we often start to blur the lines between what is good and what is bad, yet those lines used to be as distinct as black and white. we are losing our ability to point out what is virtuous and what is selfishness. by virtue in the children's eyes they are pleasing their parent, the one who raised them and took care of them when they were young, taught them how to "survive" and be an "influential" part of society. yet at the same time they're working towards a goal that only benefits their immediate surroundings at the cost of everyone else.
it's not a matter of suppressing the selfishness inside, it's a matter of realizing selfishness in a broader term. understanding who you are as an individual, looking within and finding out who you want to be, not what your parents want you to be, who you want to be as a citizen of this society. looking beyond, opening your heart to the benefit of everyone not just you.
always humbling oneself, always striving to be better, none of the self-affirmating nonsense that deems itself to be the best, rather not good enough. that makes an individual, a company, a society, a nation worthy of praise.
=D
ReplyDeleteHey, you should use reCAPTCHA instead, to help digitalize old books!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.captcha.net/