Come on, Sense!

As we grow older, we lose the youthful acceptance of each other. The innocent questions are replaced with judgement. For what? When did we replace connection with comments?

There are status questions, differences of opinion, opposing taste – but we learn early & through school, travel & community that basic human interactions bring us all closer. When we’re young, everyone can be anything & we accept it – even if we judge, even if we doubt, what stands true is that you can be. The artist of your own domain. The story isn’t written. Yet when we get older, they remove these categories & try to put you in one of two. What happened to ‘anything’? When do we give grace?

A beautiful soul is timeless, yet the older version of you probably isn’t as open minded as it used to be. You’re letting the judgement win as rooms you used to be in, become storage. You start seeing things destroyed, & soon you’re joining in tow, killing the things you don’t understand to extinction. That’s where I find myself begging for decency, demanding it from those who once gave me grace. Once gone, there is no coming back, because many don’t realise that reputations & character are incredibly hard to repair. The people we sat amongst at universities now live only in fear that is aimed to keep people divided & angry.

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

I’ve seen it many times in the last 12 months, due to some very polarising right-wing idiots holding power. People you love, people you admire – losing their fucking common sense under the need to find someone else at fault with their sadness towards the world. Following paths of attention capture, designed to direct anger they have within them – at someone else. Usually without a shred of merit besides an intentionally divisive landscape. You have to fight it, the internet is wide open & can be searched with ease to relinquish these burdens. The reason isn’t whatever buzzword gaining political points between two parties. It’s a bigger distraction, but it’s you allowing it to happen. Go outside & speak to people. Don’t believe everyone is evil, bad or anything you don’t like is wrong. Try something new. Take a new path to work. Get uncomfortable. Take a risk with dinner. Stay young. Get offline, it’s incredibly hard, but get offline! Don’t be caged by its data on you – relinquish these spells & have your illusions destroyed. They are always made of glass (& can easily be replaced, minus warranty).

You must strive for timeless good, to be remembered by all as a good human, someone who made energy within others & not just in your youth or in performance. I understand this isn’t church, & nobody loves being preached to – but I’m not religious. The lives of others mostly just don’t affect you, or shouldn’t, so don’t let it? Stand for injustice – not harm. Don’t accept moments where your age accepts judgement before you enter the conversation, be the old man at the table who isn’t outdated. When it becomes acceptable to hold small minded thoughts, talk to your younger self. Be the one who answers the call with space. It has become a dying breed.

I implore you to avoid these echo chambers – as it’s never been more important. We’re more online, more influenced (we have JOBS called influencers) & your anger is profitable as clicks. Don’t do it! Resist, simply because it’s all you can do to stop yourself being swallowed whole. Until the day you die, resist these traps & you’ll have the most uncommon of gifts that remain timeless – common sense. The beautiful soul. The old person who wants success for the young, plants trees they’ll never sit under. Put away your axe. Smile for no reason – it actually works, try it. I’m always angry & it works for me – imagine what it could do for you? Don’t lose the ability to spot bullshit & let it’s intentional anger overcome your sensibility – steering your ship away from where it was going before you saw it.

If you care about someone & see them losing their way, please implore them to have common sense too. Be kind, they’re angry, just at the wrong people. It can work, & it can make them feel better. The best way is to give someone an off ramp – not to attack.

For those who have lost, for those who have dreamed differently – for those who aren’t here but kept it until the end.

They often say, “you’ll understand when you have kids“. Maybe I’m naive, I’ve been called that before. But being a Dad has only made me realise more, that morality sits above everything. Above politics, above religion, above EVERYTHING. You do good, not because it’s easy, but because it’s the truth. It’s right. You doing this helps everyone. Being cruel is a game that nobody wins. If you spit evil & ruin someone else’s inner voice, you’ve created a cycle. Be the one who breaks it, & holds the most valuable of all currencies – common sense. The younger you still lives in the same head.

To the infinite journey to keeping common sense. Go well.

C.f