LIFE LESSONS FROM LEMON VOLUME 1

Anybody who’s followed my writing probably gets the impression that my life philosophy is sarcasm and curmudgeonly cynicism toward the inanity of our political system and religious institutions. And while those people would be largely correct, I actually have a surprising level of optimism toward human beings as a species. I believe that people are intrinsically good. I think most people’s intentions are upright, even if their actions don’t befit that objective. Though it does exist, true psychopathy is really an anomaly. I believe that the iniquity and venality in society is caused by the groupthink influenced by corrupt institutions, especially religions and political parties.

So essentially, I believe people are ultimately good, but they’re also easily led and, therefore, misled. It doesn't matter what the message is as long as they have someone to follow who at least appears like they know what they're doing. They’re also reticent to be leaders because leaders are required to have their own ideas, which is very scary for people who are afraid of being cast out of the group. Our society is so pariah-phobic that we’ve become inundated with minions who are so paralyzed by their fear of being laughed at that it’s allowed the corrupt few to overtake us and create a population of angry and confused people.  

We’ve been trained to think that the only way to be happy is to fall in line. In the end, that’s what destroys us. We lose ourselves in the quest to be accepted and to not upset the status quo. We’re experts at polishing our façades in order to give people what we think they want and, thus, remain part of the inner circle.

I wish more people would risk being shunned by their respective group because then, just maybe, the groups would dissipate and we could live in an amicable communal society.  

Random thought, yes, but such is my life.