As simple as it may sound, it is truer than ever that life is a scam. Not that it is so by design but because, in its simplicity, deceitfulness found its place; an opportunity and vulnerability for control and exploitation. It all started when some brain birthed the idea that everything on earth is a resource, including humankind itself. This eventually became the premise on which the rest of life was built. It became the stronghold and foundation of all scams. Those who benefited from it, especially for self-gain and their insatiable greed, made it acceptable and convinced the rest of humankind to adopt it as the best way of life.
Under the nose of unsuspecting masses, time and resources were heavily invested in building fortresses that were to ensure the absolute propagation of the best of every scam. Just as every road to hell is paved with good intentions, trickery became the tool for those whose highest ambition is to rule and harvest human energy for self-gratification. This is often under the guise of well-documented objectives of good intentions and in the name of the greater good, presented as systems of education, health, politics and many other forms of mind control.
It is also important to note at this point that the scam has no limits, nor does it discriminate. It is so well decorated and made impressive even to toddlers in order to get them while they are young. Through these, they get sold ice in winter and fire in hell. They, from early life, feel life is too slow and cannot wait just to start adulting. To the best of their imagination, often mirrored by the impression from their adulting role models and ultimate environment, they take it for granted that adult life is everything anyone would ever wish for. It is imaginably carefree and liberating. In the child’s imagination, everything is up for grabs as soon as one steps into the paradise of adulthood: a job, a beautiful lady or guy to marry and live happily ever after, a house, a car and maybe a few kids. In this imagination, a child finds profound joy that feels so real and even becomes the sole purpose of ensuring good grades and a jovial cum laude graduation. That is if the days of high school and college do not give them a glimpse of what lays dormant in waiting for them; sometimes, a seemingly endless roller-coaster and dog-eat-dog experience.
The daydreaming then continues until after graduation, and only to realise that as much as the world seems to be welcoming in a dream, it also has some equal levels of rejection. However, one may only find out about the ugly side of it after pitching a well-decorated resume only to be met with a few bouts of rejection. It is at this point that existential questions start to kick in. It is also at this point that seeds of self-doubt kick in and the high self-concept is finally tested, if not knocked out. Even after getting that first job, as one tries to realise the reality of their imagination and its apparent smooth sailing, they soon realise the acquisition of the material life also comes at a cost – and sometimes it can even pay with peace of mind or one’s health. At this stage, one realises that it is not as easy as it seemed from the daydreaming side of things but finds comfort in rationalisation. I mean, everyone is doing, and they seem to be just fine, so it must be the right thing to do.
Slowly life goes on and one becomes immersed in the scam and makes it their reality. One would even go at length and do anything to defend it, even if this may be at loggerheads with the guidance of their high self. Slowly, they go into slumber to live the American dream because you must be asleep to live it.
*karlsimbumusic@gmail.com
Uncommon Sense is published every Friday in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimhwaka