So I went to see an R-rated movie the other day. Well, first I sat through the 45 minutes of commercials about buying the giant discount popcorn bucket, and then I watched an R-rated movie. Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself again. After the popcorn propaganda came the previews (including the preview for that upcoming Coca Cola bears movie, aka the upcoming 90-minute commercial about Coca Cola). Since I had paid to see an R-rated film, the previews were for many R-rated films as well. One time I read the description of the rating itself, being told that minors must be accompanied by an adult. For some reason, it made me laugh. I mean, the content of the film doesn't change simply because your parent is sitting next to you. Obviously the message is "We don't care if your kid should see decapitations and raunchy sex scenes at age nine. We just want to make sure you don't mind if your kid sees it. And don't sue us by the way."
I had to catch myself, because my inner monologue had begun should'ing all over the place. You see, I think one of the un-evolved elements of humanity is our propensity to tell other human beings what they should and should not do, think, believe or feel. We do it all day long. It saturates every conversation from religion to politics to education to... who should see an R-rated movie. I mean, I was sitting there in the theater thoroughly enjoying the adult humor and language used in the film. Honestly, a few years ago I would not have felt comfortable with such content, but I have changed. Depending on your own beliefs you may think I made a change for the worse, letting my morals slowly decay and allowing my mind to be infected with unholy influences. Maybe not. Maybe you think R-rated movies are more in-line with the real world, unfiltered and consistent with our modern society.
What really struck me was the fact I couldn't simply enjoy the show without first dealing with these kind of thoughts; I was somehow compelled to entertain fabricated debates in my head regarding the nature of morality. That's annoying. I mean, I paid $10 (plus the nearly $15 for the giant discount popcorn bucket) so I could yell internally at my third grade Sunday School teacher (who was a lovely woman by the way). Why was I letting people "should" on me from the past? From decades ago?
That's me on the back row, third from the left. Wait, no that's Moses. [image]
I observed the actions of the characters on screen. The uncensored tone of the dialogue was refreshing, but it reminded me of how any truth or lesson lying behind the film would be totally lost on certain individuals. The unmarried couple laying in bed after sex, having a real human conversation filled with laughter and joy and hope... none of that would come across to those only preoccupied with condemning the "sin" of premarital sex. The woman abused by her husband of 15 years shares a dance and a kiss with a younger man in a bar... but she's an adulteress whore and a drunkard to some. You see, characters in films may not be real, but they represent very real ideas, people, situations, etc. Movies are truly art imitating life.
So, who is to say how we should live? What should we do? What shouldn't we do? It's easier for us to get those answers from other people. For some that is as easy as picking a religion. Right and wrong are able to be defined, creating a framework for living. In such a scenario, one must simply do all they can to avoid what is wrong and pursue what is right. This creates a tendency to dismiss "gray areas" as confused or twisted logic, created by dark forces conspiring to trip you up at every turn. Reality is only black and white to many people, therefore anything gray is to be met with suspicion at the very least.
That reminds me of another R-rated movie coming out soon... [image]
While I won't fall into the verbal trap of attempting the phrase "You shouldn't tell people what they shouldn't do" ...I'll propose what I see as an obvious downside of should'ing on people. To define life (and particularly your life) as existing within any pre-defined framework is to reject the experience of life. If you tell someone else how they should feel, who they should love, what they should do, etc., you are telling them that their own experience, their own journey, their own path is pointless. Their unique existence? Meaningless. And worse, you are tell them that your unique existence isn't unique either. You're kindly (or often unkindly) breaking it to them that life isn't about doing the work of discovering your own place in the universe; you're saying life is already decided to be [fill in the blank]. Get use to it.
And much worse, you can rob people of some of the most beautiful moments. You have the power to take something miraculous, or freeing, or life-giving, and write it off as selfish, sinful or even demonic. Any particular brand of happiness not grounded in your particular worldview can be met with ridicule, dismissal or scorn. And again, the real tragedy is that you reject the truth behind the packaging. You miss out on life, trading it for a concept you've elevated to the place of God.
Obviously we can have our convictions. We can believe strongly in principles that guide our lives. We can fight for what matters to us. But it must be the fruit of our own labor, to work out who we should be as individuals. It will involve trial and error. You will mess up. You will get discouraged. But if you pull through, if you discover what is good and pure, what is dark and empty, what gives you meaning and what poisons your soul... if you experience pain and rebirth, if you conquer yourself and find who you really are...
...No one should ever be able to define life for you ever again.
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Brett Gallaher is founder of weoccupyjesus.org, pretty much the best blog like ever. He resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the place they wrote that train song about. Once he shot a squirrel, but he felt really bad about it afterwards. Brett dreams of a world where atheists, theists, and everyone in-between can unite under common goals and principles to make the world a better place. When he's not changing the world, Brett also enjoys paying way too much for coffee. If you would like to join Brett's peaceful revolution, follow him to facebook.com/weoccupyjesus. He also just finished writing a scifi-paranormal-ish ebook about time travel, available for free download!