Video games and movies: The quick absence from the everyday problems

Video games:

I think one of the main reasons why video games is a big part of the entertainment part of society, is because it makes you feel in control. You forget your everyday struggles and obligations for a period of time, and you focus on another world where you can be whoever you would like to be and to do things that’s not otherwise available for you to do. In this universe you can control the variables which are something that can be hard in the real world. By this I mean there’s so much subconscious that we do not fully have control over. It’s much easier to dive into another fantasy world than to deal with real life. In the real world we know that it will pay off in the long run, if we take an education and do all the things we are supposed to do. This can be a hard and uneasy effort. There are also factors as where you are born, and whether your parents are wealthy and educated or not, that will make an impact on your life as an adult. Even if you’re born into a well-off and well-read family you – like any other person – will have wins and losses in life. By playing video games you will be able to achieve and experience things which you would not be able to in daily living. Playing video games can give you a satisfaction and feeling of achieving a goal. It’s a fix to put away your day by day thoughts and instead experience an alternative world.

Movies:

There’s a similarity between video games and movies when it comes to why they are such a big part of society. I think most people have a favorite movie which they have seen a lot of times. A movie in which they can relate to the characters and they can watch it over and over. Movies can – like video games – be a way to get away from everyday life. I assume most people would like a travel around the world and meet new people and cultures. But most people do not do this all this time because we are expected to act, behave and live our lives in a certain way. Some people work a job which they do not find enjoyable and only do it for the money. They spend most of their lives doing the things they are expected to do, so they in the end can use a little amount of time on doing what they really want. Grinding your way through life and work can sometimes be tough and it is not always a pleasant experience. Movies can be a fix where you can dive into another universe and meet new people and follow their lives throughout the movie. When you after a movie have ended think “Wow that was awesome”, you get a feeling of satisfaction. You get a feeling that you have gained something. Most people would like to live an adventurous life and experience new exotic places every day, but that’s not how the real world works. Movies can be a way to get these daring and explanatory experiences into our lives.

Anti-heroes

Why are anti-heroes - such as Charlie Sheen - popular?

First I’ll clarify what I mean by an anti hero. This is a person who’s going against what is seen as normal behavior in society. An anti hero is not as famous as traditional heroes. They may be corrupt and put focus on themselves, or they may not have any unusual qualities whatsoever. They are not villains but not necessarily heroes. They may do bad things but they are not evil. Their actions are motivated by their personal desires. Their morals are not inevitably like many others. They take action and do not always think about the consequences.

One example of an anti hero is Charlie Sheen. He’s mainly known from the TV-show Two and a Half Men. In here he plays a rich uncle who’s known for being interested in women. He’s not interested in a long a serious relationship but more the short ones. He’s not willing to commit to a serious relationship. He’s living in a luxurious beach-house and rarely gets up before noon. He’s drinking, sleeping late and do not care what other people think of him. Not even his mother or brother.

Another example is the character Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother. He’s a womanizer and he – like Charlie Sheen – is not willing to commit to a relationship but prefers one night stands. He’s having a lot of confidence and he does what he wants. Barney Stinson is a very likeable character that many people would enjoy hanging out with. He's doing things his own way and he’s trying to be different from the rest of society. For example in the way he dresses.

A quite different example is the character Homer Simpsons from The Simpsons. His personality is very different to Charlie Sheen and Barney Stinson. He’s not the smartest person but his positive attitude and funny comments makes him a very likeable character. His lack of knowledge makes for amusing and humorous remarks about everyday life.

On the surface - of especially the two first characters mentioned – they are sticking out of the normal crowd of people and deliberately or not, do things that are against the norms of society. They are personalities with attitude who is social, and on the surface seems very sure that they are simply awesome. But under the surface there are problems that are suppressed and pushed down. Like having childhood problems and not being able to trust other people because they have been led down.

In today’s society we normally surround ourselves with people that in some way are like us. People in which we have common interests and we can relate to. But then, why can we relate to characters like Charlie Sheen, Barney Stinson and Homer Simpsons in which we don’t necessarily have much in common? In my opinion it’s because they possess qualities in which we all somehow wants, but these qualities are not always wanted by society. Many of our desires are suppressed because we are expected to behave in a curtain way. These people do not follow the norms and the rules but does what they want to. That’s an ability that we all in some way find desirable and wishes that he had. The ability to ignore the responsibilities that at a very young age are put on our shoulders. All the things we are supposed to be doing and all the obligations. These characters urges are not as covered up as others and they are better at acting and doing what they want instead of only thinking about the things that we feel like we have to accomplish in life. Like getting a good education, a wife and kids and be morally responsible.

Why sport is a big part of society

Why is there in the media and society a big emphasis on sports? And why is one kind of behavior being rewarded more than another? 

In both the western world and in many other parts of the world, different kinds of sports are a big part of society. In the media after the world wide news we will get the sports section with all the latest results. Why is this? 

In our current society there’s a big focus on how we look and what we eat. Often we will get told what to eat and what not to. There’s an expectation that we are fit and in good shape. If you’re obese it could be your own choice, but often it’s interpreted as if you’re not having control with your life. Being fit shows that you have surplus and the necessary willpower to put the needed hours into the gym. 

This means that if you’re a person who enjoys going to the gym or you’re doing other kinds of sports, then there’s a good chance that people will see this as being a positive way to spend your time. That’s also why we’re looking up to big sport stars that are the elite and are competing at an international level. It’s the same thing with being an introverted or extroverted person. There’s a general tendency from the society to prefer extroverted behavior to introverted. Being outgoing and social is perceived as a positive quality. 

Another example of one kind of behavior which is pointed out as being good, is to look at Warren Buffet. He’s an American investor who is widely considered the most successful investor of the 20^th century. Buffet is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and considered among the world’s wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world’s wealthiest person in 2008. In 2012, American magazine Time named him the most influential person in the world.[1]

 

He considers himself as being lucky to be born into a capitalistic society such as America, because here his stock marked skills are being recognized and rewarded. In a liberal capitalistic country in which money equals power and fame he’s doing great. He says: 

I’m not sure whether it’s intellectual or emotional, but when I was born in 1930 the odds were 40-to-1 against me being born in the United States as opposed to someplace else. I was a male. The odds were even money on that. So now I’m down to 80-to-1. You don’t want to bet on 80-to-1 shots normally, but I got lucky. As Bill says, if I’d been born a few thousand years ago I’d have been some animal’s lunch, because I’d have gone around saying, “Well, I allocate capital,” you know, and the animal would say, “They’re the kind that tastes the best.” I can’t run fast. And I can’t climb trees. And so here I am, by pure, pure luck, born at the right time, the right gender as it turned out, compared to my sisters who were just as smart or smarter than I am, in the right place and in a system where allocating capital pays off like crazy.[2]

 

I think this quote by Warren Buffet illustrates very well the point I’m trying to make. In a certain society, one kind of behavior is being preferred to another. If Warren Buffet was born a thousand years ago he would be at the bottom of the food chain, but in today’s society he’s at the very top. 

The reason why our current society puts an emphasis on sports is because we have chosen to put focus on the body. It’s good to be fit and on a slimming diet if you have put on some extra kilos. 

Another reason why we focus on the body, is because in the present society making a first impression when we meet new people in important. Today we differentiate between ‘primary relationships’ which are close and personal relationships which are found mainly in the family and ‘secondary relationships’ which are professional relations which are found in the school system and in the labour marked. In the family it’s a goal in itself to spend time with each other while in the school system and in the workplace there’s a agenda where there is certain things that has to be done. In previous societies the primary relations were domination, but today the secondary relations are more and more domination. We will meet so many different people that we don’t have time to sit down and get to know every single person. Therefore you could argue that the first hand expression you get of a new person is quite important. If you’re being fit and seem to have a certain control over your life, then it will help you make a good first impression. 

To sum up why sport is such a big part of the current western civilization it’s because there’s a focus on the body, being fit and in good shape. Therefore participating in sports and being social and outgoing is behavior that’s more rewarded in current society.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2012/09/18/the-forbes-400-summit-bill-gates-warren-buffett-and-the-greatest-roundtable-of-all-time/2/

Education as our main title

When we meet new people why do we introduce ourself by what we are doing for a living and our education? 

In my opinion education says more about your social background than it says something about you as a person. Where you are born in the world and into which social class are factors that are participation in decision-making your education. By this I mean that your social environment is having a big influence in deciding your education. If your parents are arcademics, then there's a good change that you will too.

“What is the more important, genes or the social environment in which you are growing up in?” I believe that we all are very different people that have very diverse skills. We all have something we are good at, and you have to figure it out for yourself. I don’t believe that we all have the ability and potential to become e.g. a mathematics professor. You will not be the next Mozart – even if you’re as skilled or even more than him – if you’re not growing up in a musical family where your musical skills are being stimulated. If your potential are not being stimulated then you will not realize that you are talented and achieve full potential . This can be illustrated by this quote 

Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll spend its whole life believing that it is stupid – Albert Einstein. 

I can hereby say that education says more about your social background than you as a person.

You could therefore ask the question: If you should not introduce yourself to new people with your occupation, then what should it be?