Observations From the Spectrum

If we search, we find truths. Some of these truths are unwanted and some cause us to shift how we think. This blog discusses one of those shifts. The one that got many to willingly give up their participation in life for the safety of being a spectator.

Two oxen pulled carts crashed into each other in ancient times and the drivers beat the crap out of each other while all workers within the village stopped toiling to ogle and watch. One villager immediately asked the man standing next to him who he thought would win. They disagreed and placed a wager of two eggs on their favorite fighter alst while the governor and the priest of the village sat above sipping tea mesmerized by the maylay.

“Are you thinking what I am thinking?” asked the Priest.

“I am not sure,” replied the governor.

“I am thinking that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get followers to church to listen to sermons and follow the word of me. I mean God,” he laughed.

“So what are you thinking?”

“I would have to condemn it but what about building a place where we had men fight to the death or maybe even fight lions? We could sell seats and you could make speeches about what you expect as governor.”

And the arena and what would become MMA was born. Competitors duking out their grievances under the prying eyes of millions of viewers adding wealth to all those who govern and rule the game.

Man continues to give up what they have literally and figuratively to those that control them. Many believe in someone else’s image of the unimaginable, spend hard earned dollars paying to support others participating in life while gladly paying multiple taxes to make sure they can watch and have a seat. 

I’d say prove me wrong but I would assume that if you made it this far and are a reader, you can clearly visualize the problem and the truths around it. We continuously watch. We watch life go by without actively physically participating except the few who prosper because of our attention.

Ages ago this was figured out and those whose families have had the luxury of generational wealth. They understand that if we are watching and waiting, we are not doing. So they have built whole industries to get us to watch and not participate while in the background manipulating the truth.

We know this to be true. Lies are being sold as facts and millions globally are buying into these lies because the lie is easier to manage than the truth. Dreaming that someday you will be rich is a lot better than accepting that you are at the bottom and have no value. Hoping that someday you will be happy and healthy without accepting the fact that this takes action and that your couch is more comfortable than leaving the house to go seek help. Believing that God will take care of you without accepting the fact that in all of space and time, we are all nothing more than a spec. 

And this is what we do. We accept life on others’ terms. It is a global phenomenon and global problem. We accept without action so many things that would actually warrant the two ox drivers to fight. Undrinkable water. Unaffordable housing. Voter fraud and intimidation. Inflation. Minimum wage which can’t afford a full-time worker a life. Global warming without action from our leaders. Rich people telling poor people to just save more money. 

The list is endless and most accept the added taxes on taxes as the price of doing business so that most may watch life go by. If you don’t see that having paywalls on needed news as a tax, you are blind. You are paying three times then to access information that should be free: device, service, paywall.

Things may seem dire. And they probably are for most. Most don’t want to think. They prefer watching. They prefer not to act or interfere when there is injustice. If only the villagers ages ago when the ox carts crashed had pulled the fighting drivers apart and helped them to fix their problems amicably. But they didn’t. It’s not how it works.

So either pick a team and enjoy the show or unplug, stop watching and act. Stop buying in for convenience sake and start demanding truth and the support of what is true. Follow the Niel Youngs of the world and ignore the Joe Rogans and then start harnessing your ‘reading between the lines’ skills and see what you find.

• All works at Observations from the Spectrum written by Dylan Netter
• Observationsfromthespectrum.org
• OFTS.blog 
• On? a third point of view – book of Essays
• Marinehippie.com podcast w/ Docstodden.com – dialogue exploring politics and musings of life 
• Horizoncoaching.org – Linguistics Life Coach and English Tutor