The nature of our Self-delusions

It seems to me that we live in a world mesmerized by the marketing of technology. A lifestyle has evolved based on consumerism and it seems to be our downfall. The addiction to convenience, the short MTV attention spans of people, the avalanche of stimulus, has resulted in a world full of people, strangely aware of their impending doom, but unable to save ourselves. We have have heard of mass hysteria before, I think that this is mass self-denial on a global scale. There is global warming, it will make our lives hell. And it is too inconvenient to do anything about it.

It is scary on some level knowing how sane, knowledgeable people, the scientists, whose voices are being lost in a sea of communication spam. But I meet so many people who are caught up in their own self-delusions. Each person trying to find love and comfort... looking at the promises of what a new phone or computer or hair dye will do. So many of us are denying our own personal issues while the mind-numbing effects of consumerism blinds us to the rot that is setting inside ourselves. We get depressed and want to take a pill to fix it instead of going through therapy. We want to eat unhealthy food and take another pill to counteract the ill effects. We want to be slim but do not want to exercise, another pill. We are impatient if any of the pills take time to take effect. We do not care if the pill solves the root problem, if it apparently takes the pain away from us.

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with pills, technology and finding better ways of doing things. But there is no panacea. We have to still work hard to become good at our work. It takes time and effort to nurture a relationship. It takes courage to look at our own flaws and determination to overcome the discomfort.

What am I trying to say in a short post, (but probably already too long for the attention challenged youtube generation)?
I am saying that there are no shortcuts in living a full life. There is no single answer to the question of life. There is no clear path ahead. And it is more important to find out what you want to life your life for and how to go about it than who is the next winner of survivor. All those movies about perfect people are bullshit. We all have issues and need to constantly heal ourselves. It is not a spa, Loreal shampoo will not help you get the hunk. And what are you going to do with the hunk anyway?????

I have issues, real and imagined. I have inherited a tendency for diabetes, high-cholesterol and depression. I have aspirations I can never fulfil. But I am also fortunate to be able to have a career I am happy to wake up to each morning. I have a few good friends and staff. My life is a mixture of ups and downs, good luck and bad luck. And it is better for me to go on. To face each problem with courage, to be open to new possibilities and find the resources to deal with deep issues.

Fame and riches is such a waste when you are in and out of rehab. When things around you fall apart anyway.

What are you refusing to face? If we cannot face our own personal demons, how are we going to save ourselves from global crisis?