One of the factors that are being looked into to help employees and freelancers be more productive is trying to help them have emotional and mental health. It really is an important factor and every so often people need to vent or let off the pressure that’s building inside them. So instead of telling you how to do that, I’m going to show you how by venting a bit in this post. I’m going to share some concerns and emotions about myself and the world at large. This means I might be a bit all over the place, but when you listen to people vent you find that the pressure stems from numerous places.
Before we go on, on a moderately lighthearted note, I’m going to bring up spoilers from a web series called Red Vs Blue, if you follow the series and you haven’t watched season 15 yet you gonna know things that you might want to see for yourself.
I’m going to wait a bit to let those who don’t want spoilers to make their choice….
Okay. In Red Vs Blue there’s a character named Vic, he was a part of the original story arc for the series and he took a hiatus for about eight seasons. He was the overseer for the secret project that takes up the main part of the plot points. It turns out that he was actually a computer program set up to monitor the situation and provide support. No where near as active as other Artificial Intelligences in the series, Vic is what is called a dumb AI, slightly more advanced than Apple’s Siri but not SkyNet levels of maliciousness. When Vic finally returns to cast he has been trapped in a computer with barely anything to do for years. And he decides to help a reporter with her various problems in exchange for his own destruction. He’s starting to break down mentally as an AI and he’s tired of all the crap and just wants to stop. It’s rather heartbreaking to see what used to be the most happy and nonchalant characters introduced literally ask everyone he encounters to kill him and then laugh it off as a joke. In the end Vic happily sacrifices himself to stop a machine from destroying Earth in a much different way than season 13 ended. Season 13 ended with a sad melancholy AI farewell, recognizing the noble sacrifice of the hero and how tragic it can be for that individual. Season 15 ended with the AI wishing them a farewell and being happy because he finally gets his wish.
I view Vic’s story arc not as a push toward condoning suicide, but as a warning for those that cheer up others to remember that they need help and care themselves. Now I generally try to care for others, cheer them up, and generally be a caregiver to the ragtag group of individuals I call friends and then some. I generally don’t like venting to anyone and I only vent parts to some and none to others. And then it builds, and is one of the reasons that I like blogging because it gives me that outlet, even if no one reads them. I hope that whatever I put out, successes, struggles, tips/tricks, and methods I’ve found that work will help someone, even if it’s just letting them know that they are not the only ones struggling or having a tough time.
My concerns for the world in general is that I see courses of action being taken that aren’t necessarily geared toward me but they pave the way for making a world where people like me are preferred not to exist. This means two options occur, that the world has no place for me as I go about my business and life, trying to live out my beliefs that 90% of time only affect me or the world needs people like me in the worst way possible. Both options are not that appealing, the second one even less so because it means releasing that chain that I keep myself on. It generally means that I failed in my attempts to encourage people to be capable and try to improve themselves. A world where I cannot be allowed to exist is a world without faith in anything. No science, no religion, no basic beliefs, no reliance on evidence or anything else. It would only be a world of bullies and affliction, quite the opposite of what I want (a world where people leave each other to their own lives and choices as based on their rights and property).
Going off the second option it would mean I’d have to carry on several old family traditions. My family is very into genealogical study. And it’s really interesting to see family traits be passed down through the centuries, not years, centuries. I generally use as many free sites as I can but some of my relations go whole hog and get the pay sites as well. One of my aunts shared with me and my immediate family that she found that one of our ancestors was the last martyr executed for his beliefs by a northern European state (I forget if it was Switzerland or Sweden). Additionally as I looked into different parts of my family’s past there were generally three things they did: farm, be religious/be a pastor/ be a preacher, and serve in the military/fight. The last one is so much so that there are only three major conflicts in the History of the U.S. before 2000 where there was not at least one of my relatives confirmed to be in the military. Of those three options, I’d rather be a pastor with a garden, to be honest. This isn’t because I don’t want to fight, but more likely from me being afraid I’ll like it too much. Additionally I am not mentally prepared to farm.
With the concept of farming in mind we need to realize that things take time, but once they take root they can grow and grow. This applies to ideas both good and bad, and we need to cultivate things that benefit us and help us grow and be healthy. This involves letting out emotional steam and finding things that get us to relax.It also can apply to our friendships and other relationships.
Think about it.
Sincerely,
The Irreverent Gentleman
gentlemansuniversityofmanliness 