It’s not a coincidence that I write about learning computer programming, and think about programming in a traditional sense. Maybe what I’m learning will help me better demonstrate the similarity between programming mobile applications to increase productivity and programming childhoods to be self-conscious consuming adults.
On all sides of the social economic and political spectrums you’ll find acute evidence of bias, ignorance or lack of empathy, yes even you and me. I’m assuming my reader is aware of this already so that I don’t sound outrageous. If you’re thinking to yourself, “I’m not ignorant”, well you’re being ignorant because even the oldest gurus know that they don’t know.
“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”
Socrates
Let It Go
When we’re 3 years old we are free to be as we are. A child who in one minute will experience bliss in a puddle of water will then scream and cry the next minute for getting too wet. We played outside in the grass with nothing more than our imaginations and threw around our toys for no good reason. The point I’m getting at is that when we’re in our parents care, before public schooling, we’re encouraged to express ourselves, laugh, live, & love (if you’re lucky) like that cliche plaque that’s out there being sold for $20.
As soon as we turn 5 or 6 years old kindergarten begins, and so does the degradation of self expression and the institution of conformity. Well, that’s what it seems like now looking back, but when you’re unaware of it as a child or a parent it’s an exciting new adventure into forming social skills, friends, education and well, a test of performance.
In my opinion public schooling is like rolling the dice on childhood development. Hope you roll snake eyes, anything else, you could end up with a variety of strange outcomes. I get it though, the system is set up where parents work 9 – 5, so school is like a free day care, and you didn’t turn out so bad right? As the parent, it’s your job to encourage self expression, discipline selfishness, and guide them however you see fit, which is the most important job any human can have, but that all translates into programming. Here’s a good opportunity to compare computer programming to childhood programming, but I’ll let you imagine the similarities.
It’s By Design
There’s a reason it’s called Television Programming. We use to refer to the TV Guide as the program before the streaming boom, even before my time. It’s no mistake that today, kids are glued to screens, waiting at bus stops for a school whose art and music program is a thing of the past, and punishes them for “acting out.”
Whether we acknowledge the education system as a design for productivity or a design for conformity there remains one constant: it’s illegal to not show up.
“Typically, children must start school by the age of six and remain enrolled until they are at least 16. These laws were put in place not only to improve literacy rates but also to discourage the widespread child labor practices of the 19th and early 20th centuries.”
FindLaw.com
How Much of Your Thoughts Are Your Own?
Fast forward to your twenties after high school, maybe you’ve taken psychedelics or haven’t been brave enough yet, but you at least tried to smoke weed. Maybe you’re well read and had studied philosophy and had begun to strip away some of the layers of institutionalism you had previously followed without question.
Once you begin to unravel the fabric of society, the hierarchy, the political system, and the corporate structures, you get into the habit of peeling back the layers or falling down the rabbit hole.”Where’s this rabbit going?”, “What’s the reason for this law?”, “What’s the reason for money?”, “What’s the point of life?” All these questions allow you to seek answers, and they’re important to the deprogramming of childhood trauma you had no choice but to interfere with. Whether you want to admit it as traumatic or just unfortunate events is up to you, but whether you realize it or not, your childhood is something you still carry around with you today, good or bad.
“They hate you if you’re clever and they despise a fool.”
-Working Class Hero, John Lennon
Living is a State of Hypnosis
Whether you’re scared to accept truth that’s uncomfortable for you to handle or ignore evidence to remain blissfully ignorant is your choice. I love that cliche, “you can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it.” Sometimes cliches are the best way to make a point, and the point is, do us a favor, drink the water. You might feel feelings you’d rather avoid, but you’ll be aware of the truth.
They Don’t Care About Us
“I’m tired of bein’ the victim of hate. You’re rippin’ me of my pride, oh, for God’s sake. I look to heaven to fulfill this prophecy”
They Don’t Care About Us, Michael Jackson
Sometimes a song is the best way to get a point across too. The message is clear through out all music and that’s why I’m working on a collection of artists that have been an archetype of truth called “Proof of Truth.” It’s important that we remember these truths so I’m gathering all my favorite works and quotes to share with you, but for now, go listen to that Michael Jackson song.
I’ll end this programming article with a glimmer of hope. Even though 100% of the people around you are programmed, not all of that programming is bad, and there are ways to reprogram our minds. For instance, meditation is a great practice to reprogram our trigger mechanisms, but if you want a shortcut, take some mushrooms with an experienced friend in a safe setting. The reprogramming experiments you do on your own mind can be dangerous, so don’t go blaming this author on your newly found psychosis, take it easy, breathe and be nice to people.
If you want to chime in please feel free, leave a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram @kyleknob
