Wheels-within-Wheels #4

iv. Apathy, beyond mere ambivalence, is the external manifestation of despair. Perception regulates impact. Gains and losses might truly be among the grossest errors yet. Excessive apparent loss might lead to learned helplessness, where one simply takes the kicks dished out by the world. Remaining static implies no resistance, but will eventually lead to a state of decline due to a lack of input. Energy will always bleed away in a non-isolated system. Disorder will be the eventual consequence. Stasis may require more energy expenditure than constant motion. The error becomes especially marked as stagnation becomes preferable, and manifests as depression. The suicide takes the most extreme position by irrevocable action, leaving only a rotting corpse and a few tainted memories. Death never changes, thus inspiring fear in the unknown through the vehicle of simple preservation instincts. Lesser fears breed anxiety. Change propagates life. Maintenance is becoming more difficult over time as the world moves on. Natural cultural and societal inertias advance the desire to remain still. The end result will be anti-natural. One does not drive a car with eyes shut. A conditioned reflex is not always best. Sometimes one must kick a little. The choice is where and how hard. The herd would dictate all responses, through morality, at individual expense. Competing moralities confound the question. The herd is different from both the individual and its civilization. All three may have conflicting goals and values, often projected on each other in error, creating impossible demands. The individual may feel alive, overflowing with energy, and find no suitable release within the herd dynamic or the framework of civilization. Another environment may have fostered something worthwhile, but the present state offers no opportunities. Decline occurs when any system has no where else to go. Pressure is always exerted by the decadent, and one inevitably succumbs. A product may not act otherwise. Mitigation is a coping mechanisms. Passivity allows stagnation to continue while seeming to involve the individual very little. Lies create new untruths and often errors beyond the scope of the original sentiment. Co-dependance is not independence. Drama is boring. Fear can paralyze or empower. Fight-or-flight responses can be conditioned by external and internal influences. A degenerate mindset may always be bought with trinkets. One may learn to stand alone, thus weakening the grip of authority. Never absolute, beauty is created by embracing fear, and understanding its hold. The past cannot be changed, only its interpretation and a willingness to avoid past mistakes. Eternal reoccurrence is usually a bad thing psychologically. Energy is best spent striving toward the future. Change is the only constant. Stable equilibrium is the grave. Why rush that inevitability?