Angsty Teens; part 2

"Rant about how some teenagers see themselves, and how other teenagers and society perceives them. How their distorted sense of things can lead to a shock once they get into the real world, etc." -Anon

Now to finish up this quote. See that second sentence? That's what we'll be talking about today.

As late and great Albert Einstein (I've heard he was pretty smart) once said "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." And Hell if that doesn't apply especially to teenagers.

Don't get me wrong, teenagers can be intelligent also. I could think of a handful of males and females at my school -- or even the district -- that I could confidently call intelligent. To put that in perspective, there are a lot more than "a handful" of people in the school district. The majority of them, to me, qualify as complete and utter idiots. Offended? Check out this post.

That being said, even those intelligent are adolescent. "But, Kyle," you'll say as you always do when you want to contradict me, "that has nothing to do with being smart or not." To which I will tell you that you are wrong. Plain wrong. In fact, you're so wrong, it's kosher.

Let's get some fact straight: teenagers' brains are developing. Everything is getting all funky -- hormones bouncing around, body parts randomly swelling, grey matter just sorta leaving -- and the teenager doesn't know what to do. On one end, their peers and the rest of society is looking at them and urging them into one direction, while on the other, their own body is like "LET ME FORNICATE WITH EVERY THING I CAN GET MY GENITALS ON!" This all become the biologically equivalent of letting a kitten play with a ball of string for a few hours.

"What does all of this mean, Kyle?!" Fear not. I will guide you. You are safe inside my virtual arms.

This means that the developing human has no clue as to what s/he should be doing. It's like a second birth, but with more acne. The adolescent has absolutely no idea which side to follow. Luckily, their body does. It's sure of itself, so its argument is a bit more persuasive in the ears of the teen. They'll be more inclined to follow its ways. Some will resist partially, others with throw it off, but most won't.

Just what is their body telling them? That they are a damn Superman, but from Earth. If they could, they'd be shooting lasers and flying around everywhere. I know I would. And I'm a teenager. Point made.

Now then, time for a little math. Take one delusional human being, add natural parental sheltering, and through in a pinch of noticeable-scarcity-of-any-educational-system-teaching-them-generally-useful-skills, and you've just made the perfect equation for a disgustingly colored streak on the back of society's tighty whities.

As far as teenagers know, someone will always be around to pick them up when they fall. Here's a nice little example:

Math teacher: "Oh, you failed that test? Don't worry; I have some make-up work that you can do. You'll pass next time.
Police officer: "Oh, you failed that test. Looks like you're going to jail for driving under the influence. Maybe next time you'll pass."

See the problem here? Throughout their lives, teenagers are coddled (even when threatened otherwise) and they just don't know what to do when they emerge from the second womb.

Of course, the only way to know is through experience, so it's really a vicious circle.

Either way, teenagers have no clue what they're doing. Though it can be slowly taught, it isn't. Shame on everyone.

Angsty Teens; part 1

"Rant about how some teenagers see themselves, and how other teenagers and society perceives them. How their distorted sense of things can lead to a shock once they get into the real world, etc." -Anon

The wise words of Anon have been said, and who am I to disobey them?

I am Kyle, that's who. But hey, why put down a good suggestion? This is the first of a mini-series of posts about teenagers. And what better than the blog of an angsty teen? Come on, it's right in the name!

Anywho, this one's going to be about how teenagers view themselves; which is sort of like trying to describe a color: not impossible, but it requires a lot of thought and understanding. Warning: there may be some content mentioned on here, so if you see something you're uncomfortable with, then please skip over it.

First, let's ask ourselves: "How do teenagers view themselves? The words that can be used to describe what are essentially hormone bags full of lustful fluids aren't easy to pick out. Add to it the fact that many a teen's average day involves mental symptoms that would land any adult in a mental institution. And to think, that's just and average day for them.

To put an answer to a question, we'll have to think of how teenagers group themselves; the cliques as they are. There are your jocks, popular girls (not the ones on YouTube), religious nut jobs (or "Jesus Freaks"), misunderstood (i.e emo and goths), nerds, and those who look like the messiah. Maybe that last one's just me. Anyway, I know this list is about as fulfilling as Earing Magic Ken, but there are just so many individual cliques that vary from region to region that's it's near impossible to list them all in one post without it being ridiculously long. Foregoing tracking down a list and talking about each and every one of them, I'll just talk about how I understand the world. Feel free to share your own experiences. Thought I was going to talk about all of those people? Yea, so did I. And then it didn't turn out so good.

Getting the first point out of the way: adults. Adults never fully understand teenagers.

"But, Kyle!" You shout. "Adults were teenagers at one time!" Yea, they were. But how long ago was that? 10 years? 25? 50? The very concept of "adults know what teenagers are" is slightly flawed. Sure, there are many things that adults and teens can relate to: peer perception, social problems (religious, political, etc.) and maybe eve something a bit more saddening like depression. But society moves forward (despite what political groups say) and things evolve (also despite what political groups say). My parents, much less my grandparents, had to deal with cyber-bullying (I've never been cyber-bullied, nor am I thoroughly convinced of its legitimacy, but there are those who have). How could an adult fully sympathize with something like that? Sure, they could try the usual "it gets better" but for some people, that just doesn't work.

There are people who having eating disorders. That's a fact none of us can dispute. There are multiple reasons why these disorders can occur, but many people cite society as the reason why. Society's emphasis on being slim and sexy (both subjective words, the kind I dislike the most) is what causes individuals to develop a disorder like anorexia or bulimia. The people think of themselves as "fat" and "unattractive" when they aren't, in reality. This pushes them down into a state where they want to conform (which, despite what some will tell you, is a good thing at times) and be one of another group. The problem with this is that they're going about it in an unhealthy manner, which could drive itself into a vicious circle or problems. Anyway, how could an adult sympathize with this unless they also suffered from an eating disorder as some point in their lives.

Connecting with some of the last paragraph, we have conformity.

Conformity is something we all do, whether we know it or not. Most people think of it as a bad thing, but when was the last time that driving on the wrong side of the road a generally good idea. But many people have drilled it into our heads that conforming is a bad thing; always be yourself.

Teenagers always think they're being themselves; to an extent, they should be. Be themselves, that is. Individuality is a great thing to have, but the hive should not be considered pure evil. Conformity can make a species thrive.

Also on this there is an "over individuality." Take a person who likes to express themselves with full body tattoos and piercings everywhere. Not to slam on them or anything, but are they really expressing themselves, or just conforming to a different group? My opinion is the latter. Many ideas that pop into our heads are often sparked by an outside force.

This happens to me all the time. I'll be going around all the internet, reading things, and I'll be all "Why don't I make a place where I can share my own opinions?" Then BAM, this blog is created and I'm typing out an essay every couple of days. Am I expressing my individuality? To an extent, yes. But is everything my idea? Not everything, no. It might have a spin on it, but I can't express ideas that I don't have a basis for, right?

Time for some controversy: depression.

I said there'd be some stuff you might want to skip over, and this is it.

Depression is existent. And, at risk of making some people upset, I'll say something: I don't think all of depression is something that just happens. Parts of it are/can be a person's own fault, and that they can make a difference. Though this is less clinical depression and more of a sadness. More on that later, though.

That being said, there's also how depression that can't be helped. A imbalance, or scarcity, of dopamine and serotonin in the brain leads a person to feeling unfulfilled, simply because their brain ins't receiving the reward signal that leads to happiness. So while they may be doing something that was enjoyable at one time, they just don't feel like it is anymore because their brain isn't getting the chemical signal that says it is.

This lack of pleasure can lead to a worsening and worsening condition, possibly brought on by the blessing (or curse) that is self-awareness. We know we exist, and that other people know we exist (whether they acknowledge it or not) and crave happiness and pleasure. When we can't, or don't want, to physically receive this pleasure, we feel as if it's all hopeless and that nothing cares for us. That's to the contrary though, because you've made it this far into this post, and for that you deserve a hug.

With the depression, feelings of loneliness, and self loathing, suicidal thoughts can become common place. Sometimes, these thoughts become urges, and these urges manage to express themselves. Sadly, this happens. And too often for my taste. It's sad that a person has been driven to the point where they feel that there's no way out but by the ceasing of their heart and lungs.

If you've felt like this at any point int your life, especially if you currently do, read this: There are better ways. I know, I said just earlier in this post that "it gets better" doesn't always work. But from one person to another -- albeit through a screen -- it does get better. This moment in your life is just that: a moment. It can be turned around. Changed. Morphed. Though it may not seem like it, your life is clay in your hands. If you want to be a dragon, then dammit, be the best damn dragon you can be. Grab some latex and make a a few teeth, because what kind of dragon doesn't decimate small villages in his/her free time? But I digress. Don't give up. Never stop pushing forward. An a runner can't win if he stops in the middle of the race. Just ask Charlie Spedding. So, in the wise words of Journey. DON'T STOP. BELIEVIN'.

Now to end on a happy note.

Your life is yours. Treat it like a Thai prostitute. Whatever that means. I don't condone the beating of women, but hey, if you paid and she consents, have at it.

You want to be happy? Go find something that makes you happy. Carve wood, play card games, taste test doughnuts, exercise, whatever makes you happy. Just remember to keep it within the realms of health. You'll be even happier if you do.

According to the Science channel, even smiling can make you happy. And it can make others happy to, which only leads me to one logical conclusion: to walk around with a dorkish grin on my face for the rest of my life to ensure that I am a happy and enjoyable person. This can't freak anyone out ever, right? Better yet, why not be a clown. They make everyone happy, especially small children.

The Generalization of Extremes

After my long and involuntary absence, I've come back today to discus something I like to call the "association of extreme to average" or "the generalization of extremes."

What do I mean by this? It's quite simple, really. I just like using fancy sounding names like that because it makes this look sophisticated. The generalization of extremes is where a radical group is thought up as the example of the whole population. Another word for this would be the stereotype, though I like to think my principal goes much deeper than any stereotype.

See, stereotypes nowadays are, in my experience, little more than petty prejudices that have no real influence other than the fueling of one person's ignorance. I like to go deeper than that, and really dig into how we view populations.

Let's use an example; those always help us understand concepts, right? Right.

Take any group you know. Let's say... Muslims. What image popped into your head when you read that? I'd be willing to be at least some of you had the image of a terrorist. Others of you, particularly feminists, might have thought about a woman in the traditional clothing of the faith (whose name escapes me at this moment). Her face could possibly be wrapped up, showing only her eyes. She's quite repressed, right?

Wrong. Well, maybe it's right. I have the tendency to not be a Muslim woman.

But anyway, ask yourself why that image came to mind. I did, and that's the precise reason why I'm writing this.

It's because Muslims and Islam have become synonymous with terrorism and oppression. And that's the basis of the generalization of extremes: that a small, extremist group becomes the generalization of the entire group. I know, I already said something like that in the second paragraph, but I like reiterating myself; it gives this a nice length and makes it look like I know what I'm talking about.

Containing on, we'll use another example. This time politics -- oh, how I do enjoy using politics. Think of any political party you hate or dislike. Got it? Were your initial thoughts something like "dirty Liberals" or "stupid Conservatives"?  If they were: than congratulations, my friend! You've proved what this whole post is about! if they weren't: then you should stop lying to your computer. It's not nice and doesn't appreciate the bad juju.

Either way, you're probably waiting for me to get back on the subject and actually explain more of what I'm talking about. I know I am.

Back on subject now. Right. Got it. We can do this. Push it to the limit. Eye of the tiger. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Bob and weave. To and fro. Alright. Here we go.

There's a reason this process occurs: because we, as humans, accept the generalization and spread it. It may not be all of us -- I doubt Liberals go around spreading the dirty liberal  (they might though!) -- but we still do it. It happens without us even realizing it too! It's like we're all drones who just accept what other people tell us!

Well, in essence, we are. That's how a species who operates in groups, be they large or small, survives and continues to live on and not end up as some alpha-predator's dung pile. So you can blame evolution (or whatever you believe brought about our existence) for your being a bad and generalizing person!

"But, Kyle. We have to follow how we were made. It's the only thing we can do."

On some degree, I do agree with that. Biologically, I can only do what I've evolved to do. Of course, there's one little problem with that: I, and I'm hoping the rest of everyone else, are conscious beings. That means we have the ability to rise above what we've been "programmed" to do and consciously change how we act and think.

So it's all up to you. No matter what people tell you, one person CAN make a difference. Unfortunately, that hasn't always worked out too well, so to be safe, you should sit back down and go back to eating your Doritos. I know I am.

A Summary of Bleach

So there's these guys (and chicks with ridiculously huge breasts) fighting in this city; sometimes the city is still standing, but most of the time it's crumbled and in ruin. The power jumps are comparable to that of Dragonball Z, but not as cool. 

They fight until there's a plot twist, which is meant to make you think "Oh noooooo. How can spiky-haired-protagonist fix this?" And then you remember it's Bleach and tell yourself "Oh yeah. Because he'll just get some ridiculous power and become unstoppable in the next episode, only to have said power later shit on by some villain who's twice as strong as the last, yet for one reason or another didn't show up to just curb stomp spiky-haired-protagonist's ass. I totally would do that to him.

When they aren't fighting, they're either rebuilding the city (because it's only fun to fight in a city you can continually demolish) or talking about some insane, bat-shit things. Which lead to fights. In the city. At this point, I'm pretty much assuming that someone is rebuilding the city, because it's never shown. Maybe that would make a good filler arc...

Sometimes (read: at least half the time) there are filler arcs. These don't require fighting in the city, so they offer a nice change of scenery. That scenery being near the city. Splendid, right?

As a big hug to otakus, every name is some weird Japanese stuff. I never know what they're saying; just that the more words there are, the stronger the attacks are.

Oh, and sometimes stuff is in Spanish. So, you have to be trilingual or something to actually enjoy this. That's probably the reason why so few people really enjoy it.

Why the hell am I watching this? I wonder what I'll eat for breakfast tomorrow...

Politically Incorrect

Let's get something out of the way first: that was probably the most cliche title ever. I mean "Politically Incorrect?" I'm pretty much telling you what you're going to read before you even read it. God, I should work on my creativity more.

Anyway, to the point of this post (and it's not my horrible titles). It's just how pathetic politics is getting.

Start from the beginning. Political parties were pretty much nonexistent. Socioeconomic status was pretty much the only political group you ever needed. The surfs stuck with the surfs. The nobles with the nobles. What class you were born into was what you stuck with, and generally, things went as they did (French revolution aside).

Then this whole "democracy" thing came along. And I don't mean the ancient Greek democracy where everyone gets a chance to vote. I mean the good ol' 'Murrican version of it, guns and abortions included. Now everyone thinks they're entitled to speaking out. My mother. Your little sibling. Even your Great-Aunt Susie. Everyone gets what they think of as a say, and quite honestly, they shouldn't.

I know, you're reply will be something along the lines of "But Kyle, you're always pro-voiceyourownopinion. So why are you trying to choke slam yourself?" You want to know why? Well, do ya?

It's because most people in this world cannot use their opinion effectively. There's a simple experiment you can perform to do this. I'll outline it for you (aren't I being generous?):

Step 1) Walk into any room with a nice diversity of people. Make sure you have a helmet.
Step 2) Say one of the following words or phrases: abortion, gun control, global warming, immigration, economy, homosexuals, <current president's name>. Any of them, or any other "controversial" word you can think of.
Note: if those don't work, voice some sort of opinion about them.
Step 3) Duck and cover, because what will ensue is the verbal equivalent of an elementary school food fight.
Step 4) Ask yourself if any of this arguing and bickering is really changing anything. If your answer is "no," then congratulations! You're on the right track. If your answer was anything other than "no," then go back and ask yourself again. Repeat until your answer is "no."

These people, while they are allowed an opinion, should not necessarily speak it. Why? Because nothing they ever do with those opinions will amount to much positive change.

Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't voice your opinion. Hell, I'm doing it right now. Just who do I think I am? What I am saying (or at least trying to), is that you should voice your opinion in a reasonable and understandable way.

I've sat down with guys who have vastly differing opinions from me, and you know what we did? We discussed them, and I can honestly say that I've learned a thing or two from those discussions (and not just that I hate tofu).

But rarely will people ever do that. Instead, they'll hurtle their thoughts around like Kim Jong Un threatens with missiles after he misses his nap. Accomplishing nothing except stupid destruction.

And that's were we've gotten in politics; the point where all we care about is beating down the other person until they submit to our blind rage. But does that really solve anything?

You should know the answer to that.

Now go home and really think about what you believe.

It's only offensive if you make it offensive.

Have you ever noticed how people get offended? I have. In fact, it happens to me a lot. Every day.

Now have you noticed like people care that you offended them? "Hey!" They'll shout. "That's offensive!" To which I respond, "Why should I care?"

And why should I? The only possible reason why I would care is because it makes me a generally annoying and ill-wanted person if I'm offensive. The goodness of a person's heart is the ONLY reason why that person wouldn't say something offensive.

Now, I know you're like "But Kyle, what about <insert social factor here>?" And I'll agree with you, that factor could be considered important. But here's the flaw with social factors: there is never a unanimous opinion on them. If Politician A says something that offends Group B, then Group B might get uppity and talk-out about Politician A.

The equation for this is Group B's offensiveness >/= Politician A's offensiveness. Rather ironic, isn't it? The very people who complained about someone being offensive are the ones being more offensive.

Now let's say there's a Group C; people who agree with Politician A. Those people will defend Politician A, and, in reaction to Group B's higher offensiveness, will be greater than of more offensive.

So, what we have is Group C's offensiveness >/= Group B's Offensiveness >/= Politician A's offensiveness. It's like three levels of stupidity!

"But Kyle, you can't tell people they're stupid!"
"I don't care."

Normally I don't call out stupidity for these kinds of things, because people DO have a right to be offended. But when it's handled in a way that only breeds more hate, then it's grounds for stupidity.

And in the words of the late Billy May: "But wait! There's more!" That's right, folks, the equation doesn't end. It never does! Just check it out:

Group C's offensiveness >/= Group B's Offensiveness >/= Group C's offensiveness >/= Group B's Offensiveness >/= Group C's offensiveness >/= Group B's Offensiveness >/= Group C's offensiveness >/= Group B's Offensiveness >/= Group C's offensiveness >/= Group B's Offensiveness >/= Politician A's offensiveness. And so on and so forth.

Do you see what I mean?! It's stupid! It's an infinite loop of imbecilic arguing and wasted breath. It's like if Satan had the IQ of an unborn fetus, cloned himself about 40,000 times, and then all those Satans had a massive orgy, the likes of which only the depths of Hell could hold!

At this point, I've kinda lost where I was going. So, I think I'll just wrap it up.

No, I do not care if I offend you in any manner. And don't go around thinking that shouting "That's offensive!" is going to make me change either. If you really want to do something about it just be chill. "Hey, Kyle. It's not cool what you said about my mother. She has cancer." To which I would reply "Sorry, bro. Wanna go eat some food?" because I am always willing to split a bag of chips and some sandwiches.
Please note this doesn't mean I'll always suffer from diarrhea of the mouth (and at that, the excessively stinky kind). I do, and you may want to sit down for this, have the gift of sentience and am self-aware of what I'm saying (that might be a good rant topic...). If the situation arises, I know when to sit down and shut up. But until then: "Nobody has ever loved you."