genius animus

Well, this site was supposed to be a great thing, a dedication to someone who made me understand--like it or not--the superficiality and self-centeredness of our society. I had this vision that people would visit this site and have that same sad epiphany and maybe enough people would have it that we could change the way things are. But I couldn't come up with an idea that would work. It turned into a commercial site for my freelance work, making it superficial and self-centered, and I hated it. This wasn't supposed to be about me. I am not the genius.

Who he is doesn't matter. He's dead. But there are many like him: individuals who shine too brightly for the gray time and place in which they were born. Rather than being encouraged and nurtured, they are forced to choose between stifling their creative light to fit with the status quo or forever remaining outcast to society. Or, sadly, choosing to leave this world altogether.

In this world of cookie-cutter houses, indistinguishable vehicles, interchangeable movie plots, and generic songs by blondes who look and sound identical, what's wrong with a little individuality? Why does everyone have to look like, act like, think, feel, and believe what everyone else does? Are we afraid perhaps that our ignorance might be exposed if the standards are ever challenged? Or are we just afraid that something out of the ordinary might actually make us think?

THINK, damn it! Question everything. Why are you doing what you are doing? Is there a reason for it? Or are you doing it because "that's just what people do?" If that's the best reason you can come up with, consider whether you really value your short time on this earth. If you do, why are you wasting it running through a pre-programmed routine day after day after day? How many hours, days, weeks, months, or years of your life are dictated by superficial societal standards? For goodness's sake, be yourself. Do what you like to do. Don't have kids for your parents' pleasure. Find a job that you actually enjoy doing. (A happier life might be worth lower pay, yes?) And if your neighbor is doing something totally and completely different, let her. Take control of your own life, not the lives of others. Maybe you can learn something from her; maybe she can learn something from you. Or maybe you can just share and enjoy each other's unique being. Imagine that.

L. Genius - the personification of one's natural inclinations.

L. Animus - breath, rational soul in man, will. Strictly speaking, animus is the thinking principle, opposing both corpus, 'body', and anima, 'soul'.