Goal
Today, I will discuss foolishness and how playing the fool makes life more difficult for individuals.
Table of Contents
- Why is life challenging, unfair, and exploitative
- Society’s fools
- Never play the fool
- How to stop playing the fool
- Remove yourself from fools
- Stop taking society seriously
- Develop better habits
- Have long-term goals
- If you don’t play the fool, everyone benefits
Why is life Challenging, Unfair, and Exploitative
Cars, plentiful food, housing, etc. The poorest of the poor have more luxuries than kings did hundreds of years ago. If so, then why do people still suffer?
“Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.” – Euripides, The Bacchae
In the current era, our challenges are a monolithic government, greedy corporations, and individual incompetence. These dangers are terrifying and significant. Fortunately, we have conquered many hazards plaguing our ancestors, including widescale war, famine, and disease.
So why does life remain so challenging, unfair, and exploitative? Because of the foolishness of our times.
Society’s Fools
Government, corporations, churches, and other corrupt institutions take everything from individuals. And we come back for more. Then, we pretend not to know why life is a struggle.
To play to fool is to act in idiotic, destructive ways while pretending not to know what one is doing. For example, people will cancel each other, destroy monuments, and ostracize their fellow citizens to promote government. Then, once said government is elected, everyone plays the fool and acts surprised when the government supports big business, clamps down on citizens, and steals more of our resources.
What defines foolishness is the make-believe game. We pretend not to know the consequences of what we are doing. We know the results of destructive decisions and bad behavior. But we cannot face the reality of our selfishness. Thus, when we do something, and the consequences come to bear, we shrug our shoulders and fake outrage.
Of course, the consequences of our foolishness will destroy our civilization. Supporting government leads to tyranny and exploitation. Always has. Thus, citizens create a society that is challenging, unfair, and exploitative. And this creation is made possible by our foolish desire to support an institution with no interest in helping the average person.
Never Play The Fool
You must avoid playing the fool. Improve yourself, remove your mind from what is toxic and unnecessary. Handle your responsibilities.
“Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.” – Elbert Hubbard
As with all things, we must take a step back. We cannot do anything about our fellow citizens’ foolishness, but we can as individuals avoid playing the fool in our lives.
Remember, playing the fool is dangerous because you will justify that which you know to be wrong. In short, you will lie to yourself and continue this lie even at other people’s expense.
For example, if you eat fast food to satisfy your cravings, you will gain weight. You knew you would gain weight, but you ignored the reality. If you want to play the fool, you can lash out at those concerned about your weight, support destructive “healthy at all sizes” lies, or regulate other people’s ability to enjoy fast food.
Being foolish helps no one. Following a stupid path and fulfilling your vices, then acting surprised when the consequences are negative does not allow the world to improve.
How To Stop Playing The Fool
To stop playing the fool is to become a stronger individual.
- Remove yourself from fools – Are you surrounded by weak individuals who blame their bad decisions on others? You need to remove yourself from anyone who does not seek personal responsibility. Weak individuals will always trap you in a subpar mindset and ensure you play the fool whenever struggles arise.
- Stop taking society seriously – The world is a lost cause. Study it from afar, engage when appropriate, but seek to distance yourself. Avoid consuming terrible media. The less seriously you take society, the less likely you will buy their foolish narratives.
- Develop better habits – If your daily routines are pushing you towards greatness, you are less likely to engage in foolishness. Therefore, seek to get ahead of your issues. Eat well today, so your health is better tomorrow. Practice your chosen skill every day so you’ll improve by the year’s end. Seek the best daily habits to increase your competence.
- Have long-term goals – If you seek the ideal, you will not falter. Having an ideal will inspire you to keep going, even when you want to give up. The closer you come to the ideal, the better off you’ll be.
If You Don’t Play The Fool, Everyone Benefits
The fewer people we have acting like idiots, the better society becomes.
“If you fear nothing, then you are not brave. You are merely too foolish to be afraid.” – Laurell K. Hamilton
Playing the fool does not benefit anyone. When you pretend to be blind to your responsibilities and the difficulties of life, you never grow.
Focus on improving yourself. Find the things you have been ignoring and embrace them. Be responsible. When the rest of the world shrinks from its duties, eagerly pursue yours.
The more responsible you are, the more competent you become. And the word benefits when individuals are skilled, capable, and strong.
Actionables
- Do you play the fool? What is one thing you needlessly pursue, then pretend to be ignorant of the consequences?
- Are you a strong individual? Why or why not? What can you do to strengthen yourself?
- How often do you consume media? For what purposes? Do you feel better when you watch the news or consume entertainment? Why?
- What is one thing about your life you wish you could improve right now? List out how you would make the improvement. What mental blocks are preventing you from pursuing what is best for you?
Please remember that it’s important to do the actionables. You’re not on this earth to simply read but to do. To become an individual, you must act more than you consume.
*Image credit to Unsplash.
