the panic sisters
That is neither here nor there.
I have, in my various readings etc. come across some severe criticism of colleges and universities and their lack of teaching people how to think. What I read the other day was that "they (colleges) encourage a kind of broad sampling of areas and knowledge so you have the ability to reference a name and no ability what so ever to critically think about the ideas presented. The discouragement of specialized studies outside of a kind of categorizing will be the downfall of western civilization."
The downfall of western civilization - I had coffee with an artist the other day who vehemently defended their right not to think about anything. The question at hand was whether or not she should end a documentary with an act of random violence to "shock viewers". Literally, just to shock viewers and as she put it "make them realize how much they care about me because they're obviously going to be caring deeply about me after two hours about my life." She was offended that a friend of hers said she was using violence irresponibly.
"Why should I have to be responsible with anything? Why should I have to think about anything?"
I mean...why should she? And what right does anyone have to challenge her vision? Really....I mean, who could counter that kind of righteous self-entitlement and the demand that she be loved simply because she was there.
I have ranted about unconditional love before but as I move into writing these new pieces I am beginning to understand even better the layers that exist. Conditional Love extends into the unconditional at moments because it recognizes that no body is perfect, but that we try. Unconditional love doesn't allow for perfection and prefers, frankly, that you constantly be in a state of need so that you can be loved. Conditional love allows you to rise at moments and stand beside the one that loves you.
That is why, unconditional love is expected towards animals and children but conditional love, is the realm of emotional maturity because we want not only support and care and acceptance when we are at our most vulnerable - but we want the same things when we are at our heights.
I don't think I will have coffee with that particular artist again.
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