Tag Archives: social commentary

The Growing Epidemic of Romantisicm

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Within the recent past I feel as though there has been an upsurge in this idealistic “perfectly imperfect” life which isn’t actually at all about embracing imperfection but instead inserting a sort of “convenient imperfection” making it seem as though everyone has the perfect life by projecting the perfect kind of messiness.

Evidently this has been only exacerbated by the media. Social media is only a highlight reel, however the issue grows when it is advertised as being reality. For example, a model showing what they eat in a day being a cheeseburger and a pizza, a college student showing their day in their life studying at little cafes and going out with their friends, these are all only adding to the issue. These people are constantly talking about romanticizing their lives, always finding what is exciting and new about a given day, and showing a cookie cutter life with these “convenient imperfections” that look like nothing to the average person.

I’m not saying the issue is with finding beauty in the mundane, except I feel quite the contrary I really believe finding beauty in the mundane is essential to happiness and joy within everyday life because I think that it is there as long as you look for it. But what I am saying is that it is when these people preach an impossible standard of reality (that is really still a highlight reel) that is seemingly attainable, but in reality just simply is not, that is when the romanticist mindset turns sour.

So it isn’t that we can’t find joy in our everyday lives, even if we aren’t a celebrity, have a trust fund, or are a nepotism baby. It just is that we need to take in life exactly the way that it is given to us. Find the joy in as much as you can, it’s there you just have to be willing to receive it. Let yourself feel when things are hard or sad or disappointing, not everything is going to work out exactly then way you think they will and that is the same for everyone, but that doesn’t mean its all bad. Everything happens for a reason. Laugh and cry and smile and sing and dance and like and dislike and form opinions and look up and receive life for what it is. Because no one is going to see it the same and really that is what is so romantic about it.

Would Life Be Easier Without Governments?

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I’ve always thought that life would be so much easier if everyone just governed themselves, and was in charge of their rights and property. Humans have, after all, imposed war, famine, unjust societal standards, and a plethora of other issues upon themselves; no natural forces have really contributed that much to the unhappiness and restriction within our society.

What would happen if there was no government, or a system of hierarchy? Someone could own an endless amount of property and have as many liberties as they wish. But, to make it just, everyone else would have those same exact freedoms, too. This also means that if I declare a certain amount of land to be mine without any legal resources binding me to it, my neighbor could just as rightfully claim that land to be theirs and kick me off. I wouldn’t really be able to do anything about it, and I would probably get angry. If this system were to exist in our world right now, every little thing would end up in a stalemate, and wars would probably be a lot more frequent.

No matter how good you think your idea of perfect personal liberties are, there will always be someone near you with opposing thoughts regarding what those rights should be. If those ideals were to be extremely different, people would most definitely break into chaos. For example, you might think that it is wrong to own multiple firearms (even if it is for self-defense) but your neighbor may think it is right. Not only can some sort of conflict ensue, but because there would be no legal consequences to your neighbor’s actions, you may also start to feel unsafe, which is in violation of your natural rights.

Governments have the power to protect our inalienable rights and impose serious consequences on those who violate them, but with the guarantee of certain rights, other freedoms will have to be sacrificed. This idea of social contracts means that no one can ever really be entitled to every single freedom in the book if they want to peacefully (to some extent) coexist with other individuals.

In the end, it’s impossible to please everyone; not all people will be satisfied with the way central governments are structured. While I agree that our current ruling system has its faults, it is pretty successful at maintaining societal structure while still trying to defend everyone’s personal rights.

1984 by George Orwell

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Image result for 1984

C’mon, admit it, you love dystopian novels. The Hunger Games, The 5th Wave, Divergent, all are popular teen novels that kids love reading these days. But how about older dystopian novels? Those ones that actually have the tragic end that they were promising from the beginning of a broken down world? Sure, I could be talking about Fahrenheit 451, another really great older dystopian novel, but I am talking about the one I enjoyed even more: 1984.

Although written in 1949, it talks about a world that has experienced wars ever since WWII, only to be pulled out of the dumpster by a totalitarian government that gave the people total war, slavery, and ignorance. The nation of Oceania controls this post war London, where there is never enough products, and everything already there, like houses, is over 50 years old. Winston, who works in the government, notices this but keeps on writing lies to public so that they would like the government more. After meeting a person he likes, O’Brien, and a person he hates, Julia, he starts to want to rebel.

I really liked the themes of the book. The government is always watching them, which is cool. We also sometimes take freedom for granted, but as Winston says, he doesn’t even have the freedom to say 2+2=4.

However, there is some adult things to be worried about, like a graphic torture scene or two, and a lot of themes of fertility. I also did not personally like the main character. Although he perfectly suited the themes of the novel, I kept screaming at him to not be stupid.

And, finally, this is a really great novel. Even if you don’t like old books, you’ll love the idea of corrupt governments, and a desire for freedom.

-Megan V

1984 by George Orwell is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.