26/02/2008

Our violence.

Most of us have a fascination with violence in some way. It's probably a part of our genetic inheritance, that didn't go away with the rise of society. So why is that? Is it such a necessary mindset that it will remain more or less for eternity? Are we perhaps not as civilized as we would like to claim? Or is maybe something that we, deep down, actually like and enjoy? I can't say I know anything for certain, but to me it seems like violence is something we're born with, or something we evolve trough too much bad tv, gaming, and comics? I doubt the second part, unless you already have some sort of psychological disturbance, but can we exclude it? I'd have to say no. Even though I love some games, comics and movies, who focus almost exclusively on violence, I can't say that these things have not had any effect on me as a person. That would be bullshit. Everything affects us to some degree, even if we are not even aware of it. But if we actually focus on absorbing something containing lots and lots of graphic violence, does the effect differ much from anything else? Cheesy romantic dramas for instance? The problem is that what we're seeing is not how things are in life. Movies, comics and games, even if they are objectively trying to portrait reality, can never do so, since they are not reality. Imagination can only take us so far. Actually being in a fight is not a cool exchange of attacks and blocks. A fight (between two people that is) is not a pleasant experience for neither of them. Unless you've been in several you'll be in a state of panic, your whole body will be stiff because of this fact, and if someone actually manages to hurt the other person it's more a case of luck than anything else. Though this is of course not true in every case. This is just what I picture how two normal persons would fight, partly based on the few fights I've seen. If someone actually starts fighting with the intent of hurting the other person, then we have a different ballgame entirely. The problem is, if you want to hurt someone, you won't think of the consequences. The goal is to hit the other person until they don't fight back. What happens after that won't even cross your mind until you realize you have to deal with the consequences. And then it's too late to change your mind. There you have my view on violence. I can't say I'm either advocating the use of it, nor am I suggesting that we all become pacifists. Sure, I'm against violence in general, it won't make anyone change their mind, and change anything that has already happened. But sometimes you just can't think something over, and a punch in the face is probably the clearest way to tell someone that you don't like them anymore. Though I did drift from the topic I suppose. Our culture seems to have have violence in form or another, no matter the time or place. Public executions, gladiatorial combat in the sand in Colosseum, bullfighting, boxing, movies, music and so on. Though is some cases violence appears to be a part of life for some. Organized crime, Yakuza, and all kinds of gangs all live in worlds where violence is a part of life. It's even difficult to say if they're actually a part of our society or not, simply because they use it as much as they can, and don't abide by it's rules. This isn't really a problem though. What is a problem is the glorification of a life of violence that occurs in movies, music etc. On the surface it seems like like it's easy to just start dealing, and soon you'll be living in a penthouse in New York with a big gold chain, grills and Humvee. Which is of course bullshit as well. Even most movies doesn't portray the life of the criminal in that way, Tony Montana dies in the end for instance. And if you drift into a criminal lifestyle expecting to become rich and powerful, you'll most likely end up dead because someone didn't like you for whatever reason. In a recent article the daughter of a Yakuza boss tells us about her life. How her family was living in poverty, and that the honor and glorification of the criminals are just that; glorification. If even a boss of a criminal organization is poor, how does life look for the guys further down the ladder? Hardly any better. If your already poor, and don't really have anything to lose, it might be easier to drift into criminality than to actually get a job. But once that choice has been made, it's a lot harder leaving that life than it was getting in. More about Shoko Tendo, daughter of a Yakuza boss, here.

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