Stay Out of My Mind! Reflections on Psycho-Invasions
Glendale, California
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Stay Out of My Mind! Reflections on Psycho-Invasions
Call me sensitive, but I can no longer take mental invasion.
I see it everywhere.
You probably do too.
Consider these immediate examples:
Today’s digital edition of the New York Times reads,
Here’s what you need to know about the week’s top stories.
What the fuck!
Who are the editors of the NYT to tell me what I need to know?
Next, I think of my beloved younger brother, Sam. For years, he’d end phone calls with me by saying,
I’ll let you go…
Let me go?
I don’t need to be let go.
I told my dear Sammy to speak for himself, not for me. I tell him when I want to end a phone call, and I implored him to speak for himself.
Stay the hell out of my mind,
I proclaimed (with love).
The major media networks, particularly Fox, MSNBC, and CNN, spew complete and total bias.
Fox “news” deserves its own special place in hell because, as many have said, it is a pure propaganda machine.
But MSNBC and CNN?
I remember when they at least attempted objectivity.
No longer.
Their commentators shout their anti-Trump biases. I share similar viewpoints, but don’t need to hear them from the alleged news.
Instead, I expect a relatively objective overview of what’s happening around the world. Now it’s all commentary.
(I recommend BBC and NPR; at least they strive for objectivity. You’ll be surprised to learn that, OMG, other important non-Trump events occur around the world—floods, famines, war, corruption (non-Trump-related), fires and more, whoa).
My own lovely wife tends to psychoanalyze me but sans credentials. We’ve been over it a million times. Instead of saying,
You hurt me.
She’ll say:
I wonder if you might be shaming me like your mother did you?
I reply.
I’m not looking for a psychoanalysis,
Speak your own truth, please, love!
As yet another example, think about anyone who uses the phrase,
You need to know (fill in the blank).
How dare they tell you what you need?
Only you know what you need.
Much better for them to say,
Would you mind reminding me of the dinner reservation?
OR
I missed you!
I end the endless list by ragging on that intimacy-destroying, self-esteem killing, frighteningly-successful disease of social media, Facebook.
I deeply despise it, and all other forms of social media.
They promote narcissism; they invite you to share your food, for God’s sake, or your newest sexual conquest, or your night of excessive drinking, or your newest fast-food-friendship with friends and non-friends across the globe.
Who cares?
I reluctantly opened a Facebook account, but only as a vehicle for posting my blog. My personal page expresses my hatred for FB. I’m sure some folks have attempted to friend me on FB, only to learn I never look at it save checking who out there in the world of new-narcissism might be reading my blog).
(I get the irony here, believe me, and am anything but proud of it; I consider it a vehicle for spreading my ideas but, again, fully understand the hypocrisy).
(Another problem with FB, I wonder if they’ll prevent me from posting this particular post?)
When I do venture to see how my posts are faring on FB, I get slammed with notices like:
Promote your Page for $5.
OR
Invite Friends to Like this Page.
OR
Post Regularly to Engage More People.
How dare they tell me how to behave?
Finally, I lack the time or energy to address the ever-more aggressive advertising industry. It invades minds with absolute, conscious intention. It literally studies how to bother you, feel badly about yourself, and believe purchasing X or Y or taking drug A or B will change your life.
Complete lies!
Sorry if I exude the ranting irritability which dominates my mood this moment, but I implore you to stay on your side of the court. I promise that, in return, I’ll strive to stay on mine.
(If you like this blog, please tell your friends, family, and pets to subscribe by opening up alankarbelnig.com, clicking on any blog, scrolling to the bottom right, and signing up. Like any selfless writer, I always seek more readers. Thanks so much! – Alan)
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