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Media Imposed Synchronicity

Where did our unique and individual lives go?  Have you noticed how many times you meet people lately with the same things on their mind as you?  The same new hairstyle?  A similar story about their pet or child?  Why do over two hundred million Americans think that they are fat?  Many people watch the same television programs, read the same magazines, newspapers, books, web sites.  We hear the same music and talk on the radio... not literally the same, but derivatively the same.  There are only 20 to 30 possible story constructs in all of literature.  All of it is repeating something, referencing something, paying homage to something, redefining something, and/or improving on something that is still the same something that we started with.

There are billions of people on this planet and almost no one will ever, in their entire lives have an original thought.  Our conversations rehash the same topics over and over again.  There are tens of thousands of conversations across America every day that follow the same script.  No one wrote it for them, but the media planted the seeds.  We are blanketed with these kernels of thought, inundated with suggestions, ideas, opinions, phrases, dialect, innuendo, comments, rights, wrongs, injustices, clichés, qualms, revelations, achievement, speeches, winning, losing, debating, propaganda, and diatribe.  

Why?  Who knows, it doesn't matter any more.  I am not even suggesting that it is programmed on purpose, that there is a conspiracy (pacify the masses? give me a break) of lies or truths, or that somehow it means something.  Even if it did mean something to some one - even it if was by some grand (or insignificant) design - it would not matter.  Everyone grew up with the same stations, the same sitcoms, the same nursery rhymes, the same news, the same special offers, the same rockumentaries, the same jingles, the same toys, the same heroes/heroines, the same Roddenberryisms, and the very same message about allowing 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.  

We don't have unique lives, we all have the same artificially sweetened, low-fat, vitamin-rich memory recipe as everyone else.  Think about your childhood.  Think about age 8; place a few of your memories in order for that year.  How many of those memories were fed to you by the media?  Now think about a favorite TV show you might have seen that year.  If it was a favorite program, how many episodes can you remember?  I will bet that the number is double or triple the number of distinct memories you can pinpoint as age 8 given the same amount of thought time.  How much of us is the result of living our lives vs. the stories, experiences, laughter, and anecdotes we inherited from the media?

What frightens you?  Think of two things you are frightened of.  Now think of where those fears came from.  Personal experience?  Yes?  Consider yourself lucky.  No?  You are in good company; the company of millions.  The future isn't set, but it is pasteurized, homogenized, synthesized, and globalized.  There is no way to break away, break out, and for most, no way to successfully break down.  

At the turn of the last century, people were asking about the nature of man, the meaning of life, the reasons for being, the definition of consciousness, the theory of relativity, and simply questioning our very existence.  At the turn of this century the most common question you will hear is "What's that from?'"  We are monkey curious, preprogrammed, revelation junkies.

You want new and different?  Go to Bombay.  Go to the Ukraine.  See if you can get deep enough in to China.  Go to deep Africa.  Or hang out with the few remaining aboriginals or Eskimos.  In those places far removed from the global media influence, you will find new thoughts, new experiences, new ideas, new customs...  You may not like them all.  Some may challenge, evangelize, or even infuriate you, but they will be new.  But not that new.  Many of them will just be extremely different versions of things you already have experienced here in your media soaked world.  Many will just be the exact opposite of what you consider normal and therefore a sincere curiosity to you.  I know a girl who went to Japan, she told me about an old man who walked up to her on the street and pinched her breast very hard.  A really good hand-grab hard squeeze.  She was very upset and asked people about it.  In their society it was okay.  I don't remember why, it was out-dated, yet seen as "normal".  I thought she was lucky to have a pretty unique, unexpected experience.  I was intrigued that she had such an interesting story to tell.

Yes we are all different.  We are all completely unique to the core.  Molecularly, chemically, legally, we are all one of a kind, irreproducible entities.  We come prepackaged with brains capable of creativity, adaptation, learning, surviving, and limitless insight.  Our minds are capable of transcending every possible experience regardless of nature and context (except drug-based addiction of course).  We are not sheep, nor ants, nor lemmings.  But our minds have had many of their pathways unified, stimulated, and synchronized by everything media.  We all share simulated memory experiences that influence our decisions, thoughts, values, wellness, sense of being and more.  Every moment of every day.  I must consider the fact that your brain may be rebelling against these thoughts, my subject... if you are awake, I am sure your mind is feeding you a list (for some, possibly a very long list) of exceptions to my opinion that we are all here to achieve media imposed synchronicity.  Go ahead and explain to me why I am wrong.  Send it to me, I dare you, write it down and let me know why I am wrong.  I will compile the points and counter-points.  Why?  Because after the 1st few responses there will be a pattern.  The responses will start to repeat, rehash, and rework the same counter opinions.  I'll bet I get a few with sentences that are nearly word for word identical.  Think about where your "opinion" that I am wrong comes from.  Ask yourself why you think that and what might be the origin of those thoughts.  Put those thoughts in to words and ask yourself, "What's that from?'"

By the way.  I am not providing reference for anything that I have said here.  Most or all of it is just my opinion.  All of it comes from somewhere in my head and is based on something I heard, saw, read, or experienced.  Go figure.