Misanthropy N' Me

There are a lot of things in life that I dislike. Stubbing my toe. Egg farts. Nickelback. But there's something I dislike above all else; people.

Not all people, mind you. There are actually quite a few people I like, and even fewer I really like. There are a lot of people I admire but don't know well enough to like or dislike (I can't in good conscience claim to have a formidable opinion about someone I've never met. I can say, for example, that I like Kevin Smith's movies or John C. Reilly's acting, but those hardly seem the proper mediums of judging character. but I digress). And I suppose I don't truly hate anybody. Hate is such a strong word, and although I have a strong dislike for Glenn Beck's stream-of-conscious, right-wing, red-herring rants, but he meets the same qualifications as Kevin Smith or John C. Reilly. No, I suppose I don't really hate people, but boy, they sure have some annoying habits.

One of the more irritating habits is preaching personal beliefs and opinions as absolute, all-encompassing truth. I guess that would make me a hypocrite, as I am quite evangelical in my own convictions. The difference between me and other people is that I admit I'm biased. You'll never hear me claim to have the truth unless I have the numbers to support my claims. You won't hear that so boldly too much anywhere else. Don't believe me? Just read the comments on any video on YouTube. Having conviction does not equal having the truth. I can tell you my own beliefs about hot dogs, how they should be consumed and with what, but that doesn't make it doctrine.

(pictured; the Hot Dog Doctrine)

I also hate the notion of anti-intellectualism. Anti-intellectualism is hostility towards intellect, intelligence, and the pursuit of education, and the dismissal of philosophy, art, literature, and science. More people know who Snooky is than Carl Sagan. I admit to only recently discovering the genius of Mr. Sagan. But I sure as hell have seen Jersey Shore. For a long time the world was convinced that the world was flat. But with the help of Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, and several other intellectuals, we now know the earth is spherical. We have proof of this. Photos have been taken from space. Then again, the Earth could be on a turtle's back. How is this a real thing? Is it a real thing?

(yeah, it's a real thing)

I have little faith in humanity. Someone recently told me that 24 is too young to be jaded. But I'm surprised it took me as long as it did. If I'd discovered the true idiocy of people by the time I was twelve, maybe I could have been experiencing my midlife crisis by now and I could be dead by 50.

But I don't want to end on a bitter note. I admit there is good reason to live. And the truth (As I see it) is, it's the opposite of what I've been moping about. We should form our own opinions. We should seek education. I don't know what the truth is, but it is our role to find out for ourselves.

Sweet dreams...

(...are made of this.)