Civilization and Its Discontents

Civilization and Its Discontents changed my life.

I read this book for an Intellectual History Seminar Class @ University. At the time I would admit to going through a crisis of faith. Something that I didn't think would happen because I had gone through something similar a few years prior. I had come to "know God" earlier in my life but to me, something didn't seem to sit right. Perhaps it was Christianity's superiority complex or the idea of a deity in the form of a man or that it just doesn't make sense to begin with, I always had a looming shadow of doubt. Doubt as to the veracity of the bible, the claim of Jesus as "G"od, the idiocy of praying to some supreme being for assistance for something like sharpening a pencil or finding a date for the prom. The notion that some floating magnificence in the universe would care whether we passed algebra or got that promotion is highly arrogant and slightly insane. Indeed, "G"od must not have something better to do, like ohhhh, I don't know, save starving children all over the world, so therefore he must certainly make sure my truck can make it to the service station before running out of petrol.

I guess the logician in me has always felt "weird" about praying. It never really comforted me and to be honest I never really remembered whatever it was that I prayed for. I should have kept some sort of scientific log correlating wishes/prayers and the number of times they came true/were answered to satisfaction. My guess would be 50% yes and 50% no. Now, this is taking into mind that one is wishing/praying for the correct thing AND to the correct diety. I think 50% is a good number. Maybe that's why the French lost so many wars, they were praying to God © and not Thor ©. Now, you may say, what about the times you've prayed and things worked out just as you hoped and confetti fell from the sky and you were swooped off in a chariot of gold, blah blah blah... Maybe it was Karma's turn to answer a few from the queue. "G"od must surely get tired and need to take a break too.

Christianity (tm) is a religion that is targeted for a specific demographic. What they should perhaps also target is an Intelligence Quotient as well. Mmmk, perhaps I am being a bit uncharitable. But this religion offers little/no tolerance to people that are in the slightest bit different. It uses the sledgehammer of their morality to pound people into submission and a theatrical display of a cursed afterlife of ETERNITY for the sins committed within the span of 75-85 years. Now, please correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time I checked ETERNITY was a very large amount of time. The thought that seemingly intelligent people can subscribe to something so ridiculous is beyond my comprehension. Then again, I'm not fluent in Stupid and have no plans on learning the language.

Now, nice seguey back into Civilization and Its Discontents. My favourite excerpt from this book caused me to exclaim "FUCK YES!!!" in the Rutherford Library on campus followed by a host of "Shhhh!!!"s and a few chuckles:

"In my Future of an Illusion [1927c] I was concerned much less with the deepest sources of the religious feeling than with what the common man understands by his religion - with the system of doctrines and promises which on the one hand explains to him the riddles of this world with enviable completeness, and, on the other, assures him that a careful Providence will watch over his life and will compensate him in a future existence for any frustrations he suffers here. The common man cannot imagine this Providence otherwise than in the figure of an enormously exalted father. Only such a being can understand the needs of the children of men and be softened by their prayers and placated by the signs of their remorse. The whole thing is so patently infantile, so foreign to reality, that to anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the great majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view of life." - Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (1930), Chapter II.

These few lines, in some sense, freed me. Before I couldn't articulate my frustration and disgust towards such things. These words opened a dam that flooded me with beautiful dose reality which in turn helped me to discover the understanding of my own purposelessness and my own mortality. I was finally AWARE. Utterly aware. I needn't believe, anymore that my "fate" or my existence was a direct result of some obsure Master of the Universe. And let me tell you, growing up Catholic it is difficult to shake those instincts with which they brainwash you: suspiciously looking around for the Holy Spirit © or biting your tongue if you say the J, C or G words.

Now, don't get me wrong, Freud didn't become my god, there was no transference going on. However reading Civilization and Its Discontents... well, it changed my life. Now, if only I can get rid of this cigar...