Opinion

Break free from the puppeteer

Paul Eckert
Guest Columnist

As of right now, forget everything youive ever learned. Everything you thought to be true is a lie. The real truth is that your life is the product of society. Your personality and opinions are just a collection of traits and ideas you have adopted from all of the people you have ever known. You are not original, but it's not like you can help it. This truth applies to every human on this earth.

Is the truth a little hard for you to acknowledge? Maybe it is -- you have always been told that there is a right way and a wrong way to live, act and think. Until now, you have lived your life chasing the American dream and have never wondered why.

My friends, the time has come for you to look up at the strings that puppet you and cut them loose. If you want to live your life in ignorant bliss while making yourself a slave to an intangible master, then stop reading now. However, if you want to live your life according to your will by being aware of the ways of the world, then read on, little trooper.

The first step in breaking free of the puppet master's invisible chains is to realize what everything really is. Marriage, religion and government are all institutions created by man. They are not all bad, but they are creations with specific structures. Institutions are created to funnel human activity for the sake of simplicity and efficiency.

Take marriage for example. Why do people get married? The real reasons range from insecurity to money and, in rare cases, true love. However, if you had grown up in a society where marriage did not exist, you would not even consider looking for someone to settle down with, and if you did it would be considered deviant behavior. Marriage is not for everyone, but it seems like people try to force themselves down that road just to fit in with society. Marriage is so ingrained in our society that a 45-year-old unmarried guy is usually stereotyped as "creepy."

If you objectively examine other aspects of your life (such as friends and school) you will realize there is an underlying truth for their establishment in your life. Realizing these truths is of ultimate importance in understanding life and best utilizing its components so that you can live the way you want to. 

To emancipate yourself from the oppressive shackles of tradition, you must question everything that you do ­ you may be surprised at the answers that you give. Ask yourself, for example, "Why do I go to school?" or "What am I trying to accomplish in my life?" I warn you that your first answer may be a response programmed into you by society, but dig a little deeper and see what you find. Examine your life in an objective fashion, free of any kind of bias. The answers you discover may inspire you to alter or eradicate some of your behaviors. Question every small aspect of your life, such as why you drive a car, why you feel so rushed all the time and why you watch the kind of movies that you watch. The answers to all these questions can be liberating, but they can also be depressing ­ you might realize that you lack a well-founded response.

What are you supposed to accomplish by all this? First, realize that the well-traveled paths of society are not the only paths your life can follow. Realize what it is you truly desire and set out to accomplish it. Next, examine your life for the true motives of your behavior and alter your actions in accordance with the real way you want to live. 

E-mail me with any questions; I will be glad to help. The truth will set you free. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Paul Eckert, a sophomore accounting major, can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu.