The adjective form of the word is.. Superficial.. so I guess the noun form is.. Superficial..it..y. Ah. Yeah, that’s it.. Superficiality. I think that our society is teaching us, directly or indirectly, to act and therefore, be superficial through several ways. Consumerism. Impersonal Communication. (and subsequent clichés).
I’m writing this essay as if the sky will fall moments from now. All aboard. This is my train of thought… That’s how I’m writing it. I’m living for today. Trying to analyze what change in direction to take next, yet, unrelentingly and continuously. Along the tracks, people who have become superficial don’t take time to analyze themselves. They look into the mirrors and only see an outer shell. They coat each of their onions with such an opaque paint that, if the onion was made of glass, you could not see the core. Superficial spheres of glass. Fragile. That’s what they are. Tainted by their own narcissism that they can’t tell who they are anymore. Only some kind of soul (paint) thinner can possibly open up their minds to something else for a mere second. In a book by C.S. Lewis, an angel says to a ghost, “’Friend’, said the Spirit. ‘Could you, only for a moment, fix your mind on something not yourself?’” (8:63). Superficial is the ghost. On Earth perhaps it hid even himself, from his self. People do it all the time. (not to be too much of a hypocrite). Buying products, getting tattoos, girls with make-up, drugs and medication, sex, money, fame, isolation, sports, music, art, movies, religion, technology, education, etc. etc. All of these are fine for their intended purposes and reasons behind them. However, People will use anything and everything at their disposal, within their reach, to cover up their insecurities, and eventually, change who they are for what They think is best for Them. Americans have adopted this subconscious motive real, real aptly.
Just “Imagine all the people living for today” -John Lennon.
..Not for themselves or material possessions,
but for the good of others.
“I wonder if you can”
Next Stop. How do people like this talk? Well texting, facebook, e-mail, great right? Well, unless you have a severe speech disability, you should be calling the person you want to talk to. The conversation abilities, demonstrated when people communicate in person, are impossible via text messaging of some sort. So then, what do they talk about? It goes like this.
“How are you?” (perhaps just trying to see if you are there)
“Sorry, my phone died last night”
“What are you up to?”
and my favorite, “Hey”
Hey what? Is that supposed to be an attention getter to see if I have my phone on silent or next to my ear? It is like you are screaming in my ear. You sound like a school bus backing up on my street at 2:10 on weekdays. Punctual. Why do you have to know what I’m doing as soon as you want to? In less than seconds you can find out where, why, and the other w’s that someone is involved with in that very moment. How about some privacy or at the least some modesty? To talk to someone personally you need to do it in person. In. Person. If you actually care what their day, week, or even month, etc was like then a 10 minute drive (maximum, right?) to meet up should be no problem. What are so busy with that you do not have time to sit down with a friend and just talk? What is more important than your relationships? Some people have let their personal relationships deviate so much that nothing is left but printed words on a virtual page. “Conversations kill” –Scott Weiland. That’s how some people must see it. As if looking at someone in person is too painful for them. Seeing their expression and reaction to what you say must be blinding. Hearing how they say it could be deafening. Might as well be with how much conversation takes place like this as opposed to in person.
We arrive back at the station. As a result of the disintegration of a decent human beings’ personality, we are left with clichés. The overuse and mistreat of something once beautiful in its own right. Prep. Rocker. Jock. Goth. Emo. Skater. Surfer. Baller. Etc. Target consumers. Abercrombie and Hot Topic Goers. To Hell with the Mall(s). Throw your cell phone in the fire and try using only your home phone for a week. Delete your Facebook or Myspace if all you use it for is looking at other people’s lives. Invent yourself. Why not make your own shirt with your own thought or point of view written on it? Why do all these houses look the same in this neighborhood? Take a baseball bat to your television. Create a landfill for infomercials. After I accidentally shot out a friend’s oven glass with a B.B. Gun I had to go to Wall Mart to try to fix it. Capitalism at its best. Spare me.