Sharp Phil said:
No, it isn't. If you think you're a vampire, a werewolf, or a zombie, you're delusional. There is no one on this planet who can say otherwise.
we all are living in our own made up realities my friend... even you and I.
I think if a kid wants to dress up in a vampire suit, paint his face white and hang from the ceiling like a bat while listening to generic death metal... let em, as long as he's not running around sinking his teeth into some poor girls neck, what's the harm?
As for being labeled delusional for thinking that you are something different, or thinking you are something that you and i would consider "not real"... i find that preposterous. To him, it is completely real, and is just as real as your perception of what you are. What if the whole world suddenly were under your "delusion" that they were vampires of some sort or another. We would very quickly find ourselves in the category of "delusional" by this new order for thinking (or knowing) we are not vampires. Furthermore, What are we NOW anyway brother? Human beings? And what is that exactly? Perhaps if we quantify, analise and categorize ourselves enough, our lives can loose all of their inherit beauty and divinity... I do not mean to be callous or make low brow remarks, but to rather express a point. We fool ourselves into thinking we know so much, that we have real, true understanding of what we are and why we are here, what defines us as beings. In reality, we have no idea what our true nature is, most of us at least. We are all just walking sacks of chemicals, convincing ourselves that what we believe on any given day must be real. In reality, we are romantically involved with an idea of what we would like to be based on belief systems we grew up with... and pursue that image of self to the utmost, persecuting those who do not choose the same method of thought or belief system, or those who may challenge our addiction to our beliefs.
Imagine things a different way...
In Iraq when we give people a "thumbs up"... to them, it's like flicking the bird. It is a obscene gesture in their country
The same was true when George bush (the first) went to Australia, and drove through Sydney giving a reverse peace sign through the window of his limo(which to them means up yours, roughly translated).
So, are our troops in Iraq and our former president *******s? No, but they can be perceived that way by people with different views very easily.
Many people consider themselves vampires if they feed on other peoples emotions, or attention (instead of blood). Some are "sexual vampires" feeding on sexual energy from multiple partners. In any case... if a group defines a set of principals and standards for a certain practice and gives that practice or belief system a name, in this case a metaphorical label "vampire" with supernatural/mythical historical context, it is no less real or true than a set of standards that you and your social class or group has created over time for themselves and defines as "right, moral and real". It is simply different, and should be respected as much in my opinion. If however, a groups moral values begins to cause harm to those in your group, phisical or otherwise, then by all means take exception to this group and do what you must to protect your interests (or re-evaluate your own interests as the situation dictates). In my humble opinion however, if a group of people wants to call themselves werewolves, vampires, or zombies, then they are not any more delusional than you or i, with our own made up cultural and moral values, they are simply very, very different . So for me, i let em be.
Finally I submit that There is beauty in the insane and very strange, if you allow yourself to be open minded enough to see it. Some of the greatest minds ever to grace this big blue ball were considered "insane" by their contemporaries.
For me, insanity is super sanity. The normal is psychotic. Normal means lack of imagination, lack of creativity. - Jean Debuffet
Sorry if this was a rambling jumble of ideas, but i thought i would throw it out there!
Namaste:asian:
-Rob
