r0dman.com

I caught up with my future brother-in-law last weekend. Had a big drink with him like we always seem to do even though it’s not that often. Usually we end up talking all kinds of random on these nights, and this time was no different.

He brought up this blog, and how he wants to blog with me but didn’t know what subject would be suitable. Immediately I knew that it had to be something about consideration. You see, we are two very different people in a lot of ways, but deep down we are both willing to listen to each other and consider what the other one is saying.

You know how some people just seem to disregard what you say immediately? If you’ve read the articles on this page you’d be well aware that I’m open to a lot of different theories and facts. Finding someone that you can discuss this with is hard at times.

Every time I bring up the idea of house prices crashing in Australia to my father, he pulls the “it’s different here” line. He’s old school, and doesn’t have the mental ability to consider the fact that a lot of people could get screwed over by this bubble. Same deal with talking to my fiancee’s mum about weddings. I’m not saying “I’m right and you’re wrong”, I’m saying that “my view is this”, and yet I’m still told that I’m wrong. How can an opinion be wrong? Nice people, but very close minded, and I have trouble talking about my true thoughts with these people nowadays.

After our drunken talk last weekend though, I realised that consideration is very important in a good relationship. It’s hard to speak your true feelings to someone who will just shut you down every time. Good communication means that while you may not agree with someone’s opinion, you will try and see it their way. The more you are willing to consider a person’s view or opinions, the more you will find out about them.

I caught the bus in to work this morning. It’s an hour and ten minutes by bus, and 35 minutes by car, but I prefer the bus. Less stress for me. When I drive I am just in disbelief of how terrible people are at driving, how inattentive they are in the mornings, and really, I just feel like a sheep when I’m in that car on the way to work.

Now granted public transport isn’t much of a step up from driving. It just makes me a sheep that is either too broke to drive, or cares about the environment a bit more than the next sheep. Ideally I ride my bike, but I’ve been lazy lately. When I used to work in the city it was a 35 minute ride to and from work, and I literally rode every day of the year. It’s not so easy when your commute is an hour and a half. It probably doesn’t help that I ride a single speed though.

This morning my connecting bus left before mine got to the interchange. At first I was a bit annoyed but I realised that if I caught the train I’d only get to work 5 minutes later. No biggie. I waited for the train while it was raining lightly and it was actually enjoyable. A few minutes to myself, in the rain. Nice! When I arrived at work though, people think I’m crazy. “An hour and 15 minutes to get to work? And you’re jacket’s wet! As if you don’t just drive!”

What I can’t get over is just how people are unable to think for themselves. The majority of people that I know just follow what the TV tells them to do, or what the sheep next to them is doing. I knew if they asked them why they drove a car they wouldn’t know. You get answers like “Because that’s what you do, you drive to work in your car. Everybody does it.”

I got started with a dude the other day that was telling me how bad alcohol is, and how awesome he was because he didn’t drink alcohol. Pity he drinks three or four cups of coffee every morning, and is one of those “I can’t function without my coffee” people. So I told him…

Caffeine is the most widespread drug on the planet. It is more addictive than alcohol. Served to children at all ages, and has huge range of negative effects.

Granted, alcohol is not good for you, however, think about when caffeine is taken. Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Every day?

Think about when alcohol is taken? Once a week? Once a month?

Obviously the amounts vary per person, but caffeine is a socially accepted drug. You can chug it all morning at work and no one bats an eyelid. If anything, you’re the odd one out when you don’t drink it. Try having a scotch at 9am. I doubt it would go down well with your boss/wife/etc.

So you can be addicted, and be on a drug during work, or while living your “normal” life.

This guy is happy to be told by the newspaper (and I use the term loosely) that alcohol is so insanely bad for everyone (and don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating how good it is for you), but he’s in a little dream world that tells him that his excessive coffee drinking is fine. The same guy drinks a few litres Pepsi Max every day and refuses to believe that people can be “in shape”, and eat a diet with more than 8 carbs per week in it.

Why do people need the latest fad? You only have to read your local paper to know what I’m talking about. New diet, the latest phone, new cars, etc. They don’t know what else to need. How often are people told that they should go for a walk outside and enjoy life? Told to look up at the sky and be amazed by the clouds? Told to go for a ride on their bike with the kids? No one benefits financially from those activities (except for the Government, but they are too blind to plan for long term benefits of people being fit and healthy and are happier for the short term benefits of claiming tax from TV sales and other crap), and after all, a newspaper is just an advertising medium. The paper is just doing what they do to make money. Same with the TV station.

All I’d like to see is people thinking for themselves. Believing in what they TRUELY believe in, not what they are being told to believe in. Fat chance though. In this last year I’ve learned what it feels like to be in a minority group. Only thing is my group isn’t due to my race or hobbies or orientation, it’s because I’m happy to think for myself.

Do you think for yourself? Or do you just follow the other sheep? Once you open your mind up to the possibilities, it’s hard to become an ignorant sheep again.