(Final Version)
In the annals of time, when decorum was the prevailing virtue and manners were the bedrock of society, one could expect the substandard to be met with disdain. As I contemplate these days of yore, I wonder: Can a gentleman of the highest order maintain his composure when faced with a CLASS-A C.P.O.S? Or does the impulse to administer a well-deserved smack override all civility?
Our modern landscape, alas, is fraught with challenges. The race to the bottom participants—those who dominate public discourse, loiter on street corners, and claim STARBUCK’s prime seating—seemingly hold sway over our airwaves. Are we to accept this as the new norm, sacrificing the very fabric of our thriving society?
The gods must grapple with the souls of the soulless, the aimless, the selfish, and the myopic. These beings, bereft of purpose and empathy, demand $25.00 per hour for work that once paid a mere $4.25—an irony not lost on those who toiled diligently in their youth.
And what of vanity? Colleagues preen before mirrors, applying The Great Lie—the cosmetic veneer that masks their true selves. They strut in pointed witches’ brew shoes, clad in fabric thinner than a millimeter, revealing more than decorum allows. Their quest for respect overshadows acumen and skill, leaving us pondering the delicate balance between appearance and substance.
Meanwhile, the voracious—those who pump iron and imbibe HGH—neglect the true path to power. Reliability, discernment, and benevolence lie untapped, overshadowed by biceps and six-pack abs. Perhaps our children suffer because our values have veered off-kilter. We sought to give them what we lacked, but in doing so, we omitted the crucial ingredients of discipline and humility.
Philosophies abound, some universally great, others niche. Are we open to adopting better thinking, even when we aren’t the original authors? Ownership versus effectiveness, control versus delegation—the answers elude us. Perhaps, as you suggest, a deep dive into diverse philosophies could yield edges of insight, or even steel-manning—an artful defense of opposing viewpoints.
In this grand theater of existence, let us seek not only answers but also the questions that lead to greatness. For it is in the pursuit of wisdom that we elevate ourselves beyond the mundane, transcending the ordinary to touch the sublime.
Indeed, your contemplation strikes at the heart of our existence. To distill the essence of our being, we must shed the superfluous layers—the dead cells that hinder our growth. If we aspire to remain worthy of the freedoms we cherish, our focus should shift inward. Who we are and what we do matter far more than how we appear to others. Perception, after all, is paramount only to the vapid and vacuous. (Final Version)
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(First Draft)
May I soliloquize thoughts of days past & years far, far away, when manners were the norm & the substandard would be seen as only possessing a modicum of decorum? Can I be viewed as a gentleman of the first order when my impulse, upon encountering a CLASS-A C.P.O.S, is to smack the shit out of them? Are we to have a thriving society while allowing the race to the bottom participants to dominate public discourse, street corners, STARBUCK’s PRIME SEATING & our airwaves? Is there any reason for the gods to spare the souls of soulless, aimless, selfish & myopic beings such as many of us have become?
They want $25.00/hr for work I did much better as a teenager @ $4.25/hr. The vain desire the utmost respect from colleagues in the workplace though they spend over an hour in the mirror per day, applying The Great Lie & showing up wearing pointed witches brew shoes & less than a millimeter thick fabric, enabling the reading of their unmentionables & advertising enticement over acumen & skill. The voracious spend too much time in the gym & on HGH rather than learning how to become truly powerful through reliability, discernment & benevolence. Maybe our children are screwed up because their parent’s values are off-kilter? Is it possible we wanted to give them what we didn’t have & that ended up absent a great upbringing, sans discipline & humility? Some methodologies are truly great across the board but are we willing to adopt better thinking even when we aren’t the authors of said philosophies? Is ownership more important than effectiveness? How about control vs delegation? At some point, we are to realize all of the answers are too difficult to discern when we aren’t in the company of better thinking to produce the good questions that lead to great answers. Deep dive into some philosophies others find interesting & useful, especially if not in line with how you currently operate. It could be you find an edge or a few edges. Or, what if you end up steel-manning the essence of your current thinking & shucking away the dead cells that aren’t so good? If being worthy of the freedoms we enjoy is something we would like to continue benefitting from then it is possible, a lot more focus on who we are & what we do needs to be the priority… Not how we are perceived. Perception is only everything to the vapid & vacuous! (First Draft)