rEaLiTy

"Reality" is a easily abused word. At least, in my world, in my life, it is. Remember my article about "maturity", and how my mother and my sister contort its meaning to something.... something that has nothing to do with actual maturity? According to the two of them, a real mature man is completely apolitical, has no opinions of his own, has no dreams or ambitions, has given up on the world ever improving for the better, refuses to invest in anything risky (like cryptocurrency), refuses to sit down on the ground at any time, electing to squat or kneel instead, no matter how much his back hurts. Isn't that ridiculous?

In the last week, I had a chat with a friend of mine. He reads my articles, albeit is annoyed by my constant whining. You see, if you read my articles, you already know this, but if you don't, I may need to inform you: for the first twenty-eight years of my life, I have lived a life without responsibilities, sheltered from "reailty". An extended childhood of sorts. That came to a crashing end when I got kicked out of college for failing a certain subject the 6th time, and that's when "reality" gave me a big-big slap, in the words of that friend of mine. And he says it was long overdue. I jokingly retorted, that had I invested in bitcoin in 2011, I would have never had to face "reality", ever - because I'd be rich enough to live a decent life without work. His reaction was obviously a facepalm.

So, what does "reality" mean then? Well, in this context - or in the meaning that my friend used it - it certainly doesn't refer to the laws of our physical world, such as water making things wet, fire burning things, and wolf bites causing you to bleed. No. Instead, it's being (ab)used in a similar way that my mother and sister (ab)use the word "maturity" - it's a shorthand for Stockholm-syndrome, for being resolved to your terrible and miserable fate, and wanting everyone else to also get resolved to it.

"You have to have a job to live. You just gotta have a job." - said another friend of mine. But is that the reality? I reckon that it's not. The so-called "FIRE" (Financial Independence & Retire Early) movement rejects that "reality", and does so quite successfully. Billionaires reject that "reality" as well, also successfully. NEETs reject that "reality".

I guess by my mother's and sister's logic, none of the great historical figures in the world were "mature", and by the aforementioned (ab)usage of "reality", I guess George Washington wasn't living in reality either - he should have just accepted that the British rule in America was rEaLiTy, amirite?

Well, he didn't. He fought against that "reality", and won. And now the United States of America is the largest economy in the world, while the United Kingdom is the fifth (which is still a neat position to hold though).

Reality is whatever you make it out to be

Now, I know that this statement sounds like a cliché'd saying of motivational speakers, but isn't it true though?

You shouldn't let anyone dissuade you from your dreams or hold you down by forcing their Stockholm syndrome down your throat. Don't be afraid to dream, to have ambitions.

Who has the authority to decide whether your dreams and ambitions are realistic or not? No one, except maybe God and the laws of physics.

History was defined by people who went against the grain, who went against "reality", who rejected the world the way it was, and sought to change it, for better or worse.

When I failed college on the dreaded 28th birthday of mine (26th of June, 2020), my mother predicted that I'd become a factory-worker. I insisted that that wasn't the case, yet she kept insisting that I "accept reality" and get used to being an assembly line worker with no career advancement options. Yet, despite her predictions, I landed a job as a software developer! Granted, after less than half a year of work, I am miserable as all hell, criminally underpaid and already ready to reconsider the whole thing (I was never destined to be permanently tied to a company to begin with - I am supposed to be a freelancer).

In fact, as of the time of writing this article, my employment status is probably hanging by the thread, as I refused to do unpaid overtime on Friday, and simply clocked out and logged off when my 8-hour shift ended without any explanation. But you know what? If they want to fire me, so be it. I'll find a better job, become a freelancer or just burn through my savings to finish college, or even go through with one of my crazy plans that might just work. If they want to lecture me about company loyalty, I'll give them a lecture about me not being compensated for overtime and me being criminally underpaid for a software developer (700$ per month = 8400$ per year. No I did not miss any zeroes).

Don't be intimidated by "reality"! Don't be afraid to dream and have grandiose plans! Don't be afraid to think outside the box and make your life better! You have nothing to lose but your chains.

Don't be afraid to throw that dice

I once read a book on financial advice, and that book strongly advocated for embracing change - yes, change of any kind - and neatly subdivided people into three classes:

• According to the book, people in the lower-class strive for survival, and live/budget on a day-to-day basis.

• According to the book, people in the middle-class strive for comfort, and live/budget on a month-to-month basis.

• According to the book, people in the upper-class strive for (financial) independence, and plan head for years or even decades.

Living on a day-to-day basis without planning for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow is the fastest way to get stuck in poverty. However, focusing exclusively on comfort will also hold you back. On the other hand, if you achieve independence, you will also achieve survival and comfort too. Through independence, you will gain comfort, and through independence, you will survive and prosper.

Yes, to a large extent, it's all a matter of luck, of being at the right place at the right time. However, you are at the right place at the right time far more often than you can even realize. It's just that you don't realize it, or if you do, just like me, you are paralyzed by fear and/or laziness.

In case I get fired from the job that is making me miserable - or I finally have enough and quit at one point (if they demand my return to the office, that will really be the last straw) - I have already several crazy back-up plans if I can't find another full-remote job. And even if those crazy plans fail, I have the ultimate backup plan. And you know what? I will always stand back up, no matter what life throws at me.

So gather your bravery and throw that dice. Don't fear the unknown. For too long, I was held back by fear of the unknown and comfort in what I already know. I was - and sadly still am - being held back by my middle-class mentality. I live relatively comfortably, but I still have to work 8 hours a day (or even more, as sometimes they expect overtime, but never compensate me for it), and I am left with just enough free time to wallow in my depression. Maybe I have it too easy? Maybe if life threw a genuine challenge at me (like me being fired from my shitty job) and forced me to overcome it (by becoming a freelancer, by working on my crazy projects, etc.), I would come off stronger, freer and happier - and most importantly, independent.

I don't accept the "reality" that I am destined to be a miserable wageslave till retirement. I don't accept the "reality" that you have to have a job to live a good life. No. I reject that reality, and when the time comes, I will actively fight against it. I will forge my own fate, through fire and steel, and I won't give up until my last breath. They will not break me like my parents and their parents were broken in.

You hear that, reality? Do your worst!

Reality is what WE make it out to be

When you are feeling miserable, but get to see someone whose life is objectively worse than yours, how do you react?

My mother's reaction is, from my point of view, the weak option, the Stockholm-syndrome option: slapping herself, reminding herself how good she has it, and getting herself to stop complaining. The powers that be win. She loses. Everyone who is oppressing her wins.

My reaction is the strengthening of my desire to overthrow the current system, and enact reforms. My reaction is not "Oh look how bad he has it, look how privileged i am compared to him, I better stop complaining" - instead, my reaction is "Oh wow, look how bad he has it, even worse than me! This is why we need reforms and change ASAP!". Why? Because reality is what WE make it out to be. We have the power collectively. We just don't realize it. Through this realization, I win.

Reality doesn't have to be what it is now. Reality doesn't have to be what the powers that be dictate. When a large enough self-aware mass rises up demanding change, and really puts their hearts to the cause, there is nothing that can stop them: violent response by the powers that be only galvanizes the opposition further, and creating martyrs only strengthens our cause. Indolence and being resolved to "reality" are the only way for us to fail. Victory is from rejecting what they call "reality", and daring to demand.

When Christianity was first born, it was a religion harshly persecuted by the Romans. Yet they never gave up. They kept spreading the good news, the Gospel. And today, Christianity is the most widely followed religion on Earth.

Likewise, when Islam was first born, the followers of the Prophet Muhammad were subjects to persecution and harassment. Did the Muslims accept rEaLiTy and relent? No, they did not. Every martyr only strengthened their cause and further galvanized them, until they successfully overcame the pagans of Mecca and Medina - and now Islam is the second most widely followed religion on Earth.

Afraid and demoralized, we will forever remain slaves of the powers that be, slaves of "reality". United and determined, we are legion.

The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. But we can't expect a superhero to save us all. No. In a time of crisis, we all have to be heroes, we all have to take up the mantle. We have nothing to lose but our chains.