[Some] students know that they are desirable.
They know that senior leadership within companies believe that they have potential, and/or that they are capable; and that they can secure a future for themselves so as long as they follow instructions, are attentive, and listen carefully to others.
These students are typically quite agentic. Perhaps, these students are at the top of their class, are involved in a variety of extracurriculars, and/or hold jobs and have great reputations in their workplace. With the accumulation of a great many types of experiences, they are apt to encounter a harsh idea; that, no matter what they do, they won’t be, and can’t be, special, in the eyes of an institution. They could earn Nobel prizes and make groundbreaking scientific discoveries, and/or become a theatrical celebrity and find themselves with a fanbase composed of 500 million people. However, many people have adopted a lens that renders their identity and accomplishments and story to a reduced form–that leads others to see them as “an individual out of many individuals,” rather than simply “an individual.”
The lens that has been adopted by many people is completely natural. It stems from pre-historic times, and is apt to enable people to empower themselves. In empowering themselves, people are enabled also to see every person as just “one of many.” Embodied here is the practice of detachment (arguably). Humanity has develop a lot of tools–resources, systems, theories, philosophies, repertoires and archives of behaviors–that can be used for embodying detachment; and it is to my belief that these tools will be with us for the long run, since they can help with both mental and physical health maintenance and cultivation. However, we must be careful about using these tools, so that we end up supporting one another rather than hurting one another with them.
Diversity is unavoidable. With the way branding works, identities have been commodified, and one could look at the world now and argue that it is like the Gold Rush that once occurred in the United States–with people of color taking the place of gold. There are a lot of things in-place now–things that are facilitating the actualization of a future where [people of racial backgrounds that are of minority status in terms of presentation in educational and professional spheres of life] are represented equitably. There are systems in-place for ensuring inclusion in the future for those who, at the moment, are of minority status.
I believe that, in contrast, inclusion in the future for those who, at the moment, are highly represented in educational and professional spheres of life is not ensured. People of highly represented backgrounds may become the loneliest people on Earth, and may develop intimacy exclusively in relationships with each other rather. One consequence of this is a reproduction of the slavery system–completely disguised by notions such as “personal taste,” “interpersonal chemistry,” and “happenstance.” People with family histories that involve more education and career advancement will flock together, and people with less education and career advancement in their backgrounds will flock together – in reflection of what has already gone on. I fear that the progress that society has made so far, while great, needs some critical inspection.
It is perhaps important to note that that feelings of loneliness may arise in everyone who reflects upon the commodification of the human/self and/or the branding of identity–not just people of backgrounds that have been highly represented in higher education. If this occurs, rises in feelings of loneliness may lead to rises in suicide rates. One could argue that that is perfectly fine–and that it’s perhaps “nature’s way” of reducing the human population and securing longevity in term’s of the Earth’s planetary livelihood; but it is something that I fear.
I want to bring about a future where people have the freedom to choose who they love. A future where reasons for a failed or less-than-ideal relationship coming about do not include things related to a person’s background, but including solely that another person’s will directed them elsewhere.
Pasfut Trailblazing 