Philosophical Circle

The Common Thoughts of a Commoner

Summary: It is evident from the lessons of the past that humans have the ability to affect everything around them therefore, it is vital that we recognize the greatness of our inherent power and then swiftly make the necessary changes where possible for a chance of a better tomorrow.

Thoughts of a commoner: 

I wasn’t nurtured by my family or society to think in the manner I do now—introspective, profound, and unreserved. However, with each passing year, I sense a growing liberation in my thoughts. It appears that, at some juncture, I’ve shed the shackles of my fear of being an independent thinker, unafraid of shame, mistakes, or successes. It seems that I am no longer binding myself to the normalities that turn the wheels of society towards an apparent abyss. Instead, I am aggressively forgoing something new within myself but as old as time: I am becoming a true thinker. It was never made abundantly clear to me that there was an option for me to think on the contrary towards everything I would have been taught throughout my life but now it is. I’ve consistently exercised the freedom to make authentic mistakes, pose insightful questions, and challenge boundaries, especially in instances where objective truth succumbs to subjective opinions driven by incentives surpassing empirical facts. This environment has given rise to obscurities and convenient truths. To me, it encapsulates the paradox of written and oral history—inevitably biased and imbued with convenient truths. Consequently, it blends genuine truths with other misleading residues that shape our lives, societies and our history.

 It took no finding of any physical key to acquire my freedom but just the seer will of my own desire for it. The question of why I have been subjected to such restraints as I journeyed my life to begin with has held no real tendency in my mind because it is already too clear to me why this truth had been placed upon my reality. It’s evident to me that my indirect past experiences, inherited from my ancestors, had already shaped my future, a reality they likely remained unaware of. They, like me, were probably conditioned to think in a limited manner, guided solely by faith. It might not have crossed their minds that every decision they made would ripple through their external reality, reaching a distance unfathomable to them. This realization eludes those whose subconscious knowledge isn’t rooted in human psychology and comprehension, encompassing both subjective experience and objective analysis. Still, even if they had thought in this way, reality would still have played out the way it did. 

The endeavor to deprogram one’s mind might not have appeared as a wise pursuit, contingent on the circumstances trapping an individual. Regrettably, recognizing the trap becomes a trap in itself. Consequently, the effort required might have felt overwhelming, akin to a metaphorical force greater than gravity, accompanied by an ineffable sense. Confronting such a conscious thought proved daunting and the task itself too formidable. If the aim is to discourage a soul, burden the mind, for it bears a weight too heavy to endure.

While the past holds significance, what currently unfolds seems more consequential, especially when considering their relative importance. This analogy aligns with the nature of a mold, easily shaped but resilient once set. Therefore, I find greater importance in the malleability of the present state than in any rigid past, recognizing that each moment evolves into the past. Thus, prioritizing the current state, particularly the psychological aspect, can catalyze significant future changes.

Any statue can be taken down, removed and a new more desirable one can be positioned in its place. It’s nonsensical to waste time staring at the past in disgust instead of glaring at the present in hope and predictability. The hardened past will only become harder the more energy and thought you give it in any present moment because it becomes that present moment, which is a mistake in my opinion. The past is meant for lessons not for replications in the present. 

Reflecting on my life experiences, it seems that humans may inherently possess more natural power than they are inclined to acknowledge. Whether it’s laziness, ignorance, or another more insidious force at play, something seems to hinder the recognition of our true human potential. The answer remains unclear, yet, similar to a clay mold, the past lacks the strength of the current moment. Therefore, the reason matters less than the solution to the problem. Adopting a de novo mentality becomes crucial in unlocking our potential.

We should not stand still and dwell in the sorrows of the befores or move without first fixing our course to one that is desirable with our eyes half shut or not open at all. We should instead, create an archive and move steadily ahead with the past in the back of our mind instead of infront of it causing it to permeate our fogged reality. Perhaps, this will help us move freely with thoughtful intentions and clear visions of tomorrow. The reason I believe this is what is currently at play is because it seems as though a lot of commoners do not appear to have a clear vision for the future (with their lack of transparency from those who “knows best”) but instead have fear and compliance for expectations through past exemplary enforcements reinforcing our minds. Making us tired. Tired of rebelling, tired of questioning, tired of demanding high standards, tired of caring and for some…tired of living. 

Firstly, I’ve been thinking of the word commoner and what to make of it. I’ve gathered that it strikes me as a misnomer. I feel as though a commoner cannot in retrospect be a commoner in the way that we currently know it as because this title actually does hold rank and has a much more important degree of significance than it is commonly known to have. Certainly, if something is done most often among most people then it is a common action. However, it is the degree of importance that I believe is the misnomer. Although it may not seem as though something common can hold much value, on the contrary it indeed can. Why do we value common sense so much and yet feel it isn’t common at all? Perhaps it’s because something seems more valuable the less common it is. It’s rarities that we find the most valuable. This is because we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that something that is plenty is not as valuable as compared to if it was less abundant. I suspect that being a commoner is Perhaps viewed in the same regard. Infact, we tend to view things in that way a lot in our society. Ofcourse, we do not apply this notion to everything. We diminish the value of something that was once precious the higher in quantity it becomes. The more people the less humane it seems we become, the more demand in gold the cheaper it becomes. It’s the supply and demand mentality I suppose. But is there an alternative way of thinking that is more beneficial to society that does not depend on diminishing the value in something or someone just based on the quantity or easy access of that thing; should everything that increases in supply decrease in value ? Every title should matter no matter how abundant it is. There is one title in particular that has been overlooked for far too long and should quite frankly be reinstated to its rightful place in ranking. This title is ” commoner”. How can a commoner be ranked so low on the economic scale when their title and rank in reality is that of being a human? There are many responsibilities that directly and indirectly affect not just all of humanity but obviously much more than that. It’s hard to scale just how far the effects of humans go but if i was to guess, it is a distance that is probably unfathomable because everything at some scale will at some point will be affected by something else. This proves the great influence any human being has on reality. So yes, a ” commoner ” may not have such ranks that are highly respected and notable in most societies knowledge but if humanity has any respect and true knowledge of itself worth then commoners will be held in comparable standards such that of a general or royal family or maybe even much more. This way their role is not looked down on and as a result will be taken just as seriously or more than any other titles that we hold in such high regard. Perhaps this is the basis of having a new and better future for humanity that is beyond the scope that is currently foreseen in our current times. One that does not repeat the treacherous and tyrannical past that most of us seemingly loath with a passion due to its destructive and nonsensical nature. 

The reason this is important is because it appears that the rules humanity renders for itself acts as the bricks that ultimately lays the path of the direction that it goes in whether it’s aware of its ultimate destination or not. Perhaps most people do not think about the notion of generative and perpetual sociological decisions and their inevitable paths. 

The philosophical analysis of reality shouldn’t be confined to a small segment of society; rather, it should involve the majority. Engaging in these significant reflections, often not aggressively encouraged or incentivized for the so-called ‘commoners,’ is crucial. Recognizing the vital role they play and regularly pondering on these matters, making necessary changes when needed, becomes essential for the benefit of society and all other elements suspected to be collectively impacted.

In any case, I hope that i have succeeded in at least burdening you with curiosity of what you may already know and what information you have neglected to have been taught. Although,  you should feel this way and so should I because It is necessary for change and ultimate de novo or ” A new “. Just like when you feel pain when you get burned by fire, for instance. How else would you know the boundaries that reality had made clear for you to make necessary changes? Fire is a thing that both nourishes and destroys, both lightens and darkens? It has its roles and so do you. It seems to me that we are constantly feeling the burn and instead of making changes, we stay stubbornly positioned in our demise. Realize your potential, your roles, your responsibilities and use it to the best of your abilities for positive change because just like fire, you have the ability to do good or bad. It is not at all difficult as you may think it is, like most other things in life, it is all in your perspective based on your knowledge. All you have to do is be curious and venture the terrains of your mind with the willingness to learn something new and open yourself up for whatever may come as a result. It all starts with thoughts of curiosity. That is the power of being a commoner – of being human. Lay the path that is beneath your feet in the direction that you would like to go. Speak honestly with your fellow humans about your vision of the future and merge your minds to an integral solution. Things may change along the way but that is expected and even encouraged because our ability to learn new things and adjust our trajectory is power in itself. See that and you will see the possibilities and the magic of being human. If we all take part then we could create the true definition of being a commoner. 

Hence, we should not let the current definition of a commoner deter us from knowing our significance and therefore, using our powers to become the best version of ourselves to then perennially render the best version of humanity instead of invariably (in some cases), rendering the worst. 

Cognitive dissonance : 

Although I mentioned in the beginning that I was not born with the ability to think in the capacity that I currently do, it is not to say that any of us were. It is to say however, that we were imbued with the talent to learn, which is adequate and necessary to embark on a life path of knowledge, if that is what one seeks. I have come to realize that although seemingly popular by choice, self mutilation in the educational sense is not the answer to fulfillment however deceptive it may be. Instead, like anything else, practice and resilience in the achievement of knowledge is the consequence to achieving this goal. Besides, that is how you got to where you are at this very moment whether you know it or not or at least it has some part to do with it. That being said, I am also aware of other factors such as the psychological phenomena known as cognitive dissonance. This dissonance causes people of all kinds to act disingenuously against what one apparently believes in. It is the discomfort one feels when their actions go against their beliefs. However, I see this as a positive sign because the discomfort can help you to recognize what you truly believe in and when you are at odds with that belief. This can help you to recognize your hypocrisy and guide you to a more meaningful path such as the one of self love. As a result of this hypocrisy, we as a people have fabricated some parts of our existence through manipulating ourselves and others. Some of us will do whatever we have to in order to achieve what we want through the act of manipulating others to reach the point of acting against their beliefs. I would argue that our biggest cognitive dissonance is believing that we are all connected and yet act towards our own self interest. I believe that life affirms our connectivity and yet our  economic structures encourage us against that. For instance, we know that however self reliant one may be, it is nearly impossible to know everything, especially at the right moments because even knowledge takes time. That being said, relying on one another is vital for the best outcome of a society. This is why having specialized careers is a good idea, however  encouraging a society to advance their individual knowledge through becoming resilient and self-reliant is still a better option than not because this can only benefit society even more. Likewise, it can fortify an individual’s freedom and confidence in themselves which can only strengthen a society. This is what true power is; the ability to be resilient, self reliant, knowledgeable and influential with the goal of society benefiting through that. Unfortunately, we have been taught  through the eyes of jealousy, hatred, selfishness and impatience, instead of; admiration, love, selflessness and patience. It seems as though if the latter values were the backbone of our societal systems then the world would be a radically better place overall. However,  there is only one way to know for sure and making the necessary changes on an individual level is the best way to start. I say this because relying on our societal systems to change is not very realistic but working on oneself is. Besides, each individual makes up a part of society so, why not be the part that is perpetually advancing towards the betterment of all?