Societies Goal Is To Make Us MACHINES.

[bobenns]

We come into this world naked and we leave with nothing. What really counts during the time we have here on this planet? What is more important? Who we are or what we have? To so many it is what they have, the more they have the more they want, once started down that road they can never get enough. Millions, Billions, Bazillions, never enough. When they die, their grotesque spoiled offspring fight over the spoils and use it to destroy themselves. Was it worth it? Me thinks not.
I was once in the office of a man who was in charge of a family owned and run car dealership. It had his fathers or grandfathers name as the business name. John McGee Chev Olds. The son Dick, was running it as the old man was out of the picture from too much alcohol. The son had a little sign on the office wall that said "The who dies with the most toys wins". He was dead serious about it. It was his creed. He was a complete asshole, a pompous pig of a human being, the stories of his exploits were well known about the town. Nobody liked him but most liked to talk about what he had, his house and wine cellar, big boats and expensive cars, parties with women hired to entertain the boys, on and on. What a load of shit, what a wasted life. He had a lot of stuff, but he had no friends. Sure some people looked up to him, but they were the underlings, wanting what he had, living in his shadow. And when he's gone no one will have anything good to say about him.
I was there to do a story for a small local business publication in which he bought advertising. I had to interview him. His self conceit and contempt for others made me feel sick. I thought to myself, "If this is success, then I don't want any of it." I ended up writing one of the most uninspired articles I had ever done, I don't remember a word of it, all I remember is the stupid sign on the wall and the fat pig behind the desk and wanting to puke.
The other thing about the dealership. They were widely known as cheats, crooks and thieves. Anyone who bought a car there or had one serviced had a story about being taken to the cleaners. Yet people kept going there, buying the product of the parent company that was also running itself into the ground. Most people are hooked on materialism and put it ahead of their fellows.

[naturelover24]

TRUE WORDS MY FRIEND!

[nye_at_ocean_lab]

I had to interview him. His self conceit and contempt for others made me feel sick. I thought to myself, "If this is success, then I don't want any of it." I ended up writing one of the most uninspired articles I had ever done, I don't remember a word of it, all I remember is the stupid sign on the wall and the fat pig behind the desk and wanting to puke.
The other thing about the dealership. They were widely known as cheats, crooks and thieves. Anyone who bought a car there or had one serviced had a story about being taken to the cleaners. Yet people kept going there, buying the product of the parent company that was also running itself into the ground. Most people are hooked on materialism and put it ahead of their fellows.

But at least you realised it and didn't get sucked in. That's the key! Just keep moving forward to a more sustainable future! Oh hold on! Isn't that what 'they' want us to do? So folks like us who care about the panet start living sustainably and that means there's more to go around for 'them'!

[lightfoot63]

Im 47 and have been a mechanic(hvac) for 26 years. Us service guys are in the trenches 10 hours a day and sometime the stress is hard to bear. We are puppets,robots and are really not allowed to express our discontent or have opinions. Everyone is your boss. We can not have emotions without being considered cry babies or whiners...all the while, approx.30 office personel are pulling our strings to achieve a specific outcome...everyone sees and bleeds green...I cant take it much longer!

[naturelover24]

LIGHTFOOT63, GET OUT!! you need to get out and travel my friend! drop the 9-5 predictable, apathetic lifestyle!! you'll be happy you did! find someone to accompany you in your adventure and live each day fully!! go to road junky.com and you'll find great advice for traveling cheap!! :) God bless you man :D:D:D:D:D:D

[camerer17]

In Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, he talks about how the governement is like a machine that controls our lives and he believes that the government would be best it did not govern at all. Similarly, McCandless fleed society because he saw how many people blindly lived materailistic lives (including his parents) like machines and never experienced the tru joys and freedoms in life. Thoreau and McCandless lived very similar lives, what similarities did you find between Thoreau and McCandless transcendental ideals?

[naturelover24]

exactly my friend! society gets a grip on our hearts, and we are all blinded by the joy of living in adventure and peace with everyone/thing! contrary to "the american dream" which is complete crap and unfulfilling, we ARE created to be unselfish, peace-loving beings, and passionate with a PURPOSE in life.... spreading LOVE! WOOO

[naturelover24]

anybody else have any thoughts on society??

[PeterMavin]

The whole basis of our society is to remain the status quo, there is a set formula that we have to fulfil, first you gotta get an education, then a job, then a house (complete with a mortage that will keep you tied down for years into the system) and then a family. If you fail at any of these, like education, you end up as a person living on the fringe of soceity but for some reason you still try to fit into the formula, you work a rubbish job to pay rent and have a family. It just goes on and on and all we have is generation after generation selling thier time so they can buy things that were made with other peoples time. What Chris did was just say no, like in the movie when he is in the city and sees the Yuppie in the resturant and imagines it being him, he could of had it all, we all know he had the education. That is why chris is such an inspiration, he didn't let capitalism tie him down, he unsubscibed fro mthe system and lived truely free. lol sorry if that sounds a bit incoherent, it made sense in my head =P

[naturelover24]

no PETERMAVIN, that makes perfect sense my friend!! your right! this world is like a beartrap, with a set formula that we have to obey in order to obtain the "american dream", which is ironic because america is about freedom, or so it claims, but our society wants us to, as a whole, be slaves to our passion-less careers. total crap! and its the commercials, pop stars, news, movies and all that stuff that make us believe in the 9-5 lifestyle and that money and a big house and powerful job bring happiness, when absolutely none of that selfish crap matters.... thoughts?