The Journey's End

I read an article last week claiming that most of the information we spread on the internet is 'bullshit'. I find it hard to doubt. In a world of memes, one-liners, and shortened attention-spans, the shallow is all-too-often often mistaken for profundity. We fall for specious, vague statements, easily seduced by the power of their confidence and conviction. But as any wise chambermaid who has surrendered her womanhood to a lusty Count will tell you, the power of the thrust says nothing of the depth. Of course, the deft, pithy line can wield a bounty of insight. Nietzsche, Shakespeare, and Stephen King, amongst many others, attest to brevity. Jack Kerouac probably has something to say about it too, but he undoubtedly phrased it in a boring, artless prose that isn't worth quoting. Despite the many endorsements of the succinctness, it must be obvious to anyone who cares to utilise the cogs and gears of their brain that brief statements, regardless of their wit or incisiveness, are not always the end of the discussion. True words of wisdom open up ideas and conversations, not only bring them to a close. 

But enough with the lofty talk. Like most people, I find myself among the pantheon of platitudes via base motivations, namely my ire at the annoying shit I see on the internet. How often have I seen something like this?

Bullshit.

Bullshit exegesis. 

Oh, well, if Steve Tyler says it...

Yeah, but fuck art.

All hail the King of Specious Garbage.

Now we're talking.

I get it. You never arrive at happiness or you never make it to a promised land, and you should appreciate where you are, regardless of what you are doing. However, for those of us who are inclined to pause and digest what information we are presented with, the idea hardly has universal application. There are a great deal of occasions where there is a very definite destination and it is preferable to the journey — a long-distance flight in economy is an obvious example. It's uncomfortable, tiring, and boring, if not frightening. Many people would prefer to fast-forward through those hours or be unconscious throughout. There is no ass paraesthesia at the destination. Or what about workday commutes, where we and our fellow lamenters regret having to earn a living? Or what about the workday itself? On an oppressive Tuesday morning, who among us would value the hours consumed by our jobs over the money and freedom they allow us? The end of the working day is far sweeter than the laborious hours that take us there. "But, you are rushing through your life," appeals the literary snot in you (returning from a long sabbatical). "Take your time to smell the roses," you say clichédily, not realising that one has to journey one's face to the destination of the roses' proximity.        

Here are a few more examples of how the destination can be preferable:

• Suffering from an illness
• Recovering from surgery
• Being in pain and waiting for relief
• Urgently having to use the toilet
• Having to hold your breath and desperately wanting to breathe
• Being exhausted and longing to rest
• Watching someone you love who is terminally ill and/or in agony
• Being that suffering, terminally ill person
• That time I had diarrhoea and was vomiting at the same time
• Waiting to discover if someone you love has died or been harmed
• Sobering up during drunken sex with a sexy-deficient person
• Being stuck on public transport with an unhygienic person
• The sentiment of the song 'I Want to Be Sedated' by  The Ramones
• Waiting in a long queue in uncomfortable conditions
• Beholding the wisdom of Silenus and longing for sweet death and her never-ending caress

There are surely counterexamples of course, like being stuck on the Love Boat or being on holiday or having a good time at a bar that closes early. The point is, however, that we should try to avoid arriving at snap, definite conclusions about large, multifaceted, things such as our lives. One line rarely encapsulates it all, and you probably overestimate your intellectual abilities if believe you can sum complex things up so succinctly. 

Regarding the spirit of the above posts, I of course applaud attempts to grab life and live it in an engaged and positive manner. But do keep in mind that when you die, you would like your eulogy be filled with examples of a memorable life, and nobody will ever remember the specious words you reposted. So, stop absorbing and reposting everything that seems congenial to your mindset and learn about things you are either ignorant of or disagree with. As any wise cow will tell you, you cannot expect to get very far if all you do all day is graze on your own bullshit. 

Give it over already, Kerouac.