Something to Start the 2025 Year Off Right

[Arnox]

WARNING: Before you proceed, there will be light to moderate spoilers for both the Castlevania TV series and Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.

Spoiler

There's two quotes in these two pieces of cinema that both go together super well. I feel that they're even more relevant now. I would have shared them earlier, but as said above, there is some slight spoilers if I do, sadly, and I don't consider these works of cinema to be past the statute of limitations on spoilers yet. Putting that aside, the first quote is by Isaac from Castlevania, Season 4 Episode 6

I have recently begun to consider the future... which has been a novelty for me, because I never really thought I had one. This is how they get us, Hector. They convince us that there is no future. There's only an eternal now... and the best we can do is survive until dawn and then do it all again. That's no way to live. And I've discovered, to some surprise... that I am interested in living. I am interested in building a way to live. And I think I will start here. I have come to wonder that perhaps Dracula did not run things well. Even before his wife died. He lived in one long night, and never the future. I think perhaps he earned his rest... and that we should not disturb it. I will instead build something new on all these old bones. Something where people can live for a future. I'm going to live.

I'm looking especially at the beginning part. About how we're all tricked to only look at the day before us and never further ahead. We're all so short-sighted and we need to look further beyond into the future and decide what kind of future we want to contribute to. Are we just going to maintain the status quo or are we going to decide to stop being zombies and to actually live and have hope?

The next quote is from Waymond Wang in Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, though this one is a bit confusing as it's given from the same character in two different universes.

CEO Waymond: You tell me it's a cruel world and we're all running around in circles. I know that. I've been on this earth just as many days as you.
Waymond Wang: I know you are all fighting because you are scared and confused. I'm confused too. All day, I don't know what the heck is going on. But somehow, this feels like it's all my fault.
CEO Waymond: When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It's how I've learned to survive through everything.
Waymond Wang: I don't know. The only thing I do know... is that we have to be kind. Please, be kind - especially when we don't know what's going on.
CEO Waymond: I know you see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight.
...
CEO Waymond: So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say, in another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.

Putting aside the issues of physical self-defense and other extreme situations, the only way that we as both individuals and as a nation are going to get out of this entire fucking hole is to start caring for one another and to be forgiving. To be empathetic. Otherwise, we are just tired, hateful, uncaring wage slaves. Choose to have courage and to have hope, despite everything going on. In fact, especially because of everything going on. Our war right now is a spiritual one, not a physical one. We are under siege, but we CAN come out of this happy and better, but we need to choose to do so.

I wish you all the best during this new year and I hope for a future where we will rise above our lesser selves here that are in each one of us.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

The first quote is accurate, and beget Apathy. Accepting the status quo, using the default we're given, never complaining or critiquing. Which equates to not thinking and induces chilled speech and complacency. Questioning this state leads to people becoming defensive and even resorting to lies to maintain the facade. I see it all the time when posting facts and point out hypocrisy.

It's not a spiritual war but a culture and civilization one. All religion does is try to supplant and replace actual thought with pre-chewed notions that yet again aren't supposed to be questioned and to remain silent and in acceptance of someone else's world-view. Religion is just another form of identity politics.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind..

 

[Arnox]

It's not a spiritual war but a culture and civilization one. All religion does is try to supplant and replace actual thought with pre-chewed notions that yet again aren't supposed to be questioned and to remain silent and in acceptance of someone else's world-view. Religion is just another form of identity politics.

I should say, you can substitute spiritual for psychological in this case. Either will work. Usually when people say spiritual in this context, they mean something deep in psyche having to do with morale. Or, if one does believe in the supernatural at all, it could also simply mean literally spiritual too. To crush someone's spirit is to crush the very life out of their lives. To smash out the joy and energy from someone until there is nothing left but monotonous routine and hopelessness.

As to being cruel to be kind, remember the caveat I added of situations of self-defense or extreme situations. Generally these situations are when someone is trying to deprive you of your life or basic rights of speech, privacy, and/or simply to live at all for selfish reasons. If it isn't that though, then I definitely think people can and should be way more forgiving and empathetic than they are. Violence and retaliation can and does solve conflicts, one way or another, but it should still always be a last resort.

 

[Houseman]

Yeah, in all the years of human history, 2025 AD is going to be the year when it all turns around!

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

Yeah, in all the years of human history, 2025 AD is going to be the year when it all turns around!

It is highly unlikely, but it could be the first small steps of something. Looking ahead.

I've said it many times before, and I think it still holds true. "We" need to start with childrens education. Not trying to instill group-think, but logic, critical thinking, and common sense morals. Got to fix the cause, not the effect.

 

[Arnox]

Yeah, in all the years of human history, 2025 AD is going to be the year when it all turns around!

I didn't give a deadline, Houseman. lol In any case, who knows. Maybe people might surprise you. I read for example recently that drug use among teens is actually going DOWN. Including alcohol.

 

[Lost-Zeneration-99]

That a good write up @Arnox, I think this year will hopeful be a more easier one for folks. And you are right on trying to find peace and not hate, I will say and what really got me to rethink a lot of stuff and my outlook on life was the well let call it new member of the family that join on Christmas Eve Day. So I decided for this year to knock off on the well being cynical and finding that peace of mind. To you mention of the drinking has gone down in teens I been noticing that but I feel it been replaced my well social media, but I cant say anything because I'm not on it so I have no idea. And well it mostly for me because I like the music scene but I made a thought on going Straight Edge as a well birthday goal of mine.

Now I don't know if any of you guy noticed or just me, but I felt that people was more let say hopeful this Christmas time?

 

[Arnox]

That a good write up @Arnox, I think this year will hopeful be a more easier one for folks. And you are right on trying to find peace and not hate, I will say and what really got me to rethink a lot of stuff and my outlook on life was the well let call it new member of the family that join on Christmas Eve Day. So I decided for this year to knock off on the well being cynical and finding that peace of mind. To you mention of the drinking has gone down in teens I been noticing that but I feel it been replaced my well social media, but I cant say anything because I'm not on it so I have no idea. And well it mostly for me because I like the music scene but I made a thought on going Straight Edge as a well birthday goal of mine.

Now I don't know if any of you guy noticed or just me, but I felt that people was more let say hopeful this Christmas time?

I didn't notice anything, but that's just me. No more or less than last Christmas.

BTW, is that second quote in the OP cutting off for you? (There should be a "..." at the bottom somewhere. If not, it's cut off.)

 

[Lost-Zeneration-99]

I can see the quote good and it not cut off, it is showing the "..."

CEO Waymond: I know you see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight.
...
CEO Waymond: So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say, in another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.

This is what it looks like the end of it.

 

[Arnox]

I can see the quote good and it not cut off, it is showing the "..."

This is what it looks like the end of it.

Well, that's good. But now I have to figure out why it's cutting off the quote in Firefox browsers.

EDIT: I just took it out of the quote box for now until we get 2.4 in here with the new non-buggy editor.

 

[Lost-Zeneration-99]

Well that even odder I use Firefox and I did not even know it was not working right. Is it cutting off on your end?

 

[Arnox]

Well that even odder I use Firefox and I did not even know it was not working right. Is it cutting off on your end?

Yep.