Today, I make quite a radical realization, one that could crumble and collapse the entire castles of those from the newer generation. When it came to me, I was welcomed by a sadness that scolded me for my hypocrisy, one that dared pull me away from a seemingly innocuous comfort.
I am referring to idolatry—the term seems kind of off, so instead of forcing on it a new meaning, I will just coin a new term: idolness, a word that refers to one's affinity to modern day idols—I am referring to idolness. It is the most genius, most powerful weapon humanity had thus created: the power to powerlessness, to the consent to weakness. Humanity's hedonistic values had been given the Excalibur to vanquish the demon king! Tied beautifully in a knot by none other than her holiness Aphrodite, through her beauty and love, weakness had then been ignored. It had been treated as a sort of inescapable human condition, an inevitable and impossible challenge, the tall, three-meter thick iron wall that is the originator of tragedy. The appreciation of art, the passionate cheerfulness, and the intoxicating will to support, can be traced back to the veneration of these two values. I call those who possess these two values as "idols'', our contemporary idols. The affirmers of these values, they are to be called “fans” or more generally, “consumers”. The idol-fan dynamics as itself should be no harm to us, my friends, but we should tread carefully, for this is a tightrope that one trip can very easily lead to our fall to decadence. I have tripped, and I assume that you have as well, but together we shall climb back up and restart our adventure towards the higher type of idolization.
It is a basic instinct of humans to protect their ego. The acculturation of certain values had done some excellence and played some horrible tricks and sick jokes on humanity. One of which is the acceptance of weaknesses. Humans began to think that weakness is not an obstacle, but a strength. Indeed, one can use weakness in all sorts of ways, but why as a virtue? Why not as an opportunity to overcome? Humans, if they are to practice holistic-love, are required by their conviction to overcome their weaknesses! Had their superiority complex numbed so much that they no longer wish to hate themselves? Had they lost their love for contempt? Where else should they use this enchanted sword that is the 'pagmamahal para sa paghamak' other than the self? Therefrom one will get to know the others one finds so contemptible. The love for such contempt should bring about more knowledge of oneself and others. It is an essential motivator for humans to strive for superiority, to actualize their Will to Power. The weak, with their knowledge of this, can very possibly claim their envisioned strength. Let's love our weakness as the origin of contempt! Let's celebrate our love as the source of all power! Let us use very wisely the weakness that we so possess! Let us not, however, confuse this overflowing love as the acceptance of weakness. The superior should love weakness not for acceptance, but acknowledgement! Let us tread our ropes carefully and not make such a silly slip. Let us be wary! The subtlety of the flavor is worrisome that one might think one is enjoying HäagenDazs Rum Tres Leches Ice Cream without knowing that it is poisoned. Let us refine out tastes and acquire the ability to differentiate this from that. Let's be careful!
Idolness had been used by the venerators of orthodox values as a weapon to combat the despicable emotions that our weakness arouses. They had stolen from us our precious Aphrodite and vandalized our higher culture. There is humor in hypocrisy, for all hypocrisy is done in deliberation, except for one kind: the ignorant hypocrisy. It is when one's vain, dogmatic assertions fail to acknowledge the impossibility of a certain thing to be actualized precisely because of that very same assertion. It immediately discloses the rustiness of one's brain and one's irksome lack of character. I was angered by this when it came to my realization that my treasured hypocrisy encompasses such a pathetic thing, but I soon came to see it as overly humorous. I want to thank ignoranthypocrites for this tragic comedy! They are to be appreciated as a masterful work of art! Their decadent attributes act as a sign for those striving for superiority, a sign that shows the exact direction one must avoid! Orthodox values should be scrapped just as it scrapped the values before it. "A person's trash is another person's work of art".
Let us not use idolness to ignore our weaknesses. Let us not pervert art into decadence. One must separate their hedonistic ethical practices from art. One must not starve oneself if one wishes to fill one's stomach. It's quite elementary. I found myself starving myself to observe some luxurious cuisine like some skinny dog not too long ago, and I now find the error. It is beautiful how I missed something so simple. Idolness allows for us, even good people, to drop our guards and intoxicate ourselves with the unconscious, ulterior motive to ignore our weaknesses. Our rejection of suffering; of life; necessitates the freedom to forget our weakness. Such cowardice! There is no merit in ignoring it, it should be embraced tightly with both hands; it should be overcome! Let us use idolness, we good fans, as the great inciter of the higher culture and the mirror that will bare naked our whole body! Let us not wallow in our pity, let us celebrate our suffering!
Angel, an 18-year old Senior High School Student, is heavily influenced by his parent's profession: his father, a Master's degree holder in Philosophy and a professor, and his mother, a Junior High School Principal who teaches Contemporary Issues. His work and other students of mine, as agreed with permission, will be featured here on the Hive Blog and the proceeds of the tokens/NFTs gained by this article will be funding our Writing team's Community Work, including helping the victims of Typhoon Odette (Super Typhoon Rai).
