Satisfaction

It seems to me I have read lots of blogs lately about the varying degrees of satisfaction that people feel; about their bodies, about their jobs, about their relationships. It often occurs to me that the human condition is about a sort of continual state of dissatisfaction. That once we are contented, we immediately start looking for ways to disrupt that contentment or otherwise improve upon it.

This is certainly not my own theory, as it's been touched on in various forms previously- at the moment I'm just thinking of The Matrix when he finally meets the Architect and he tells him that the first Matrix he designed was a failure because it was too perfect.

It also occurs to me that this core of our being is the reason that we are all here doing the things we are doing. If it were not for curiosity and a desire for improvement, we would still be living like the animals. I wonder sometimes about that Neolithic individual who with little or no tools or support charted stars and planetary movements. The desire to build, to shape, to sculpt surroundings beyond functional. It always leaves me summarily impressed with humanity, and vaguely disappointed with myself.

Hence the modern dilemma perhaps. The abundance of time and the lack of direction. Without a context to strive towards improving the greater good, our nature turns upon our selves. If I cannot fix the world then I will fix myself, or, conversely, if I cannot fix myself, how can I possibly hope to fix the world?

And even if we do not think of such things in such a concrete and literal way every day, I would argue that it is these questions which shape much of our day to day experience. Where we choose to direct our focus or lack thereof. In a modern age of many conveniences we are a people lost. Our creations of governments and corporations and institutions are bigger than the individual and have surpassed us in scope and longevity. And so the majority of the population is.... adrift perhaps.

The drive is intact, but the focus is missing. And so how can one reach satisfaction? To remove oneself from the equation is one way, but it is not the right answer for everyone. If everyone was to remove themselves, then all the structure would fall apart. Some would argue this is a necessary thing, but it would be painful and deadly to tens of millions of people if not more.

And so instead as not even a wheel in the machine, not even an insignificant cog, but perhaps a mere small particle of the grease that keeps it running we are left with far too much time on our hands, and a capacity that is not being used. And so we are all dissatisfied. And it doesn't look like it's going to change.