Reprinted From an Old Notebook

I've been cleaning my room looking for my passport and I came across a notebook from nearly early high school with a few things in it. This appeared to be addressed to a friend of mine with whom I sometimes discussed such matters. I don't think I ever deemed it worthy enough to show her. It's interesting how perception changes as we get older. Given, I'm emboldened to present this by my ability to present it as an anthropological document and thereby distance myself from the contemplative fourteen-year-old who thought it would never see the light of day. I guess the difference between me then and me now is that then I thought putting quotes around the phrase "the system" would allow me to employ such deliciously general terminology. Now I know that a Ph.D and wordy introduction full of oblique references to other wordy, oblique-reference making Ph.D's introductions is really what you have to do to get your terminology of choice taken seriously.

I don't think its really unfair for the author (me) of this document to refer to "the system". For all of his (my) life, he (I) had been continuously in the care of one, unitary system--the educational system. Personally, I think the central observation he (I) makes (make), that we're conditioned to pursue specific stimuli as rewards and how we continue to pursue these even after graduation, is insightful and relevant even if it is coded in language which sounds more Angry Young Man than wise professor.

I was tempted to clean up the language, play a few word games and transmute the content into the cautious, non-committal language I'd seen on display in the works of modern academic writers.

But I've rejected, for today at least, the frightened, little language that typified what populated the pages of my reading in college. What, really, is the difference between "could be interpreted as" and "is"? Word count. And cowardice.

I, for one, found beauty in the invented yet apt terminology which the author (me) bandies about and refreshment in the overall honesty of the writing. I think he (I) offers as good a theory on the origin and effects of consumerism as anyone else does and does the reader the service of sounding like he actually believes in what he's saying.

And even if he (I) is full of shit, it was an interesting to see how he became me. Today, I wouldn't be caught dead saying something like "the system" even if it did have quotes around it. But a lot of what I still believe about the world is reflected in this writing, I just wouldn't ever let it get to the page in this form. Maybe the difference is just word count. Or cowardice.

Alright, Tiffanie. My problem with "the system" is this. These people that chase things that don't matter, the chasers, will not be happy chasing. I agreed with you when you said so, but now that I have thought about it, I see differently. I think thats what I was thinking when I labeled them chasers, but forgot to say so.

My issue with the system is not about the chasers. Its that so many people are screwed over before they are given a chance. Before you even think that the new system won't work because of parents, hear me out the entire way.

First, the system in place is perfect at its job of creating a certain kind of person. The problem is the person it wants is a chaser. Throughout schooling we reach for things that don't matter. In kingergarten, a gold star, 4-9 a good grade, maybe inkling of social stuff, too. 9-12 its all about GPA which might as well be an acronym for Gold Star.

Why do we chase these things? Well, we don't chase them naturally, we are taught to do so. "Fine," I can hear you say, if you feeling open-minded, "why are we taught to chase these things. Because the mysterious "they" can give us nothing in return for our work. Gold Stars are 99 cents for 10,000 but we still take one for bending over in class or giving your boss at work a great presentation.

We could demand more.

Instead of giving us something honest-to-god good the mysterious "they" needed to give us something "cheaper," not as important. From that, various gold stars were thought up.

Problem: we don't take the gold stars, they're worthless and we know it.
Solution: Teach us they mean something more. But in order to do that, they got to teach us to want these things while we are young.

That is what the system is doing. Why? Because if we stopped wanting gold stars, they would be forced to give us something "real." What "real" is doesn't matter. The "Real" is not in short supply, the "they" doesn't use it. But the reason they won't give us the "real" is cause they can't control how much real they give away. But they can control the flow of gold stars. And guess what? Control means power.

Power is some kind of "real." Its the kind that we know the most about. It's the kind that we know for sure how to get. And they "they" doesn't want to lose this,. Thus, we must be kept asking for gold stars, instead of the "real."

That's why they want chasers, to stay productive.

The Germanically efficient machine is squelching the kids that can get the "real" in its pursuit of the chasers.

The kids that can chase and look for real get by, but there are so few of them and they are not as good as the kids who don't have to chase. So what happens to the real-seekers, the realists? They who cannot chase at all, and/or probably some of the best realseekers, will commit suicide. They can't deal with the demands for chasing, they lose.

The next in line of real-seekers, the ones that can chase a little, too--they'll make it. But after they've made it, they'll never collect enough gold stars to make anyone notice their real.

Next is the group that excels at chasing and has some real-seaking ability, as well. These people will make it relatively easily; get into a good position to where their real could do some good, but alas they don't have enough real to do it.

And finally comes the best chasers. This is the tragic part. Remember the first group which could only get real; they died. Now this group which will only get gold stars, they will prosper and do well. The best chasers would be the favorites of the mysterious "they". There could be a last class, a class with so much real, they completely focus on it and they can ignore the pressure to chase. These people won't care at all about the gold stars and the gold stars won't matter to them. They'll revel in their real and not worry about the ones that can't find any.

My issue with the system is that the system is not right. Quote me on that. I hate the system because it is practically immoral. It rewards the wrong people, it gives its gifts and prosperity to the people that don't matter and its killing the people that do. A slight exaggeration. People may wonder why there hasn't been an American Socrates or another earth-shaking philosopher. Frankly, they wouldn't make it past high school, they'd commit suicide, or close up and forget about other people like that last group.

If by some chance they did make it, they would be ignored by a society that associates all things positive with gold stars.

Not only am I upset cause the people who deserve the best are getting the worst, but because no one is being made truly happy by the system. The gold stars aren't making us happy. We think they will because that's what we're taught. But the best chasers isn't pleased with his stars. A billion placebos will not do what one pill would. So its not just selfish reasons, I wish for everyone to be happy and I wish the good rewarded and the bad punished. The system accomplishes neither so in the tradition of 1000 rappers and a googol of rebels:

Down with the system!