Going back to your childhood, which films grabbed your interest then, and of those, which do you still watch now? For me I’d have to say: Mission Impossible 1 (1996), The Count Of Monte Cristo (2002) and The Mask Of Zorro (1998). All of these have a hero central to the story, who’s been betrayed and on a mission to not only save himself, but put things right in the world they’re living in.
These heroes typically possess magnetic qualities to their personalities. Upon seeing these films, boys want to be just like them. And it’s not just young boys. Remember watching Catch Me If You Can, when the young Frank Abagnale watches the first James Bond film and decides he wants the same tuxedo and fast car? It’s a funny scene, mainly because it contains a kernel of truth: it’s not just children who are impressionable. It seems as if we’re programmed to do exactly that: seek out figures to look up to and emulate.
It sort of explains to me why someone like Andrew Tate became so popular amongst young boys, despite his many flaws. With the world around us changing so much, the traditional answers for how to lead our lives seem to fall short. Degrees are still important, but they no longer provide the same guarantee to the good life, as they once did. So can you blame these youngsters, when you ask them what they want to become growing up, replying they want to be social media influencers? It’s easy to criticize such answers and to accuse them of laziness. And perhaps there’s some truth to that, but you’ll also have to admit that we’re not providing them with great alternatives.
While we’re telling kids to work hard in return for an average life, Andrew Tate is flying around on a private jet, implying little work for lots of results. Still, while the youngsters are feasting their eyes on the jet, listening to Andrew brag about, “My private jet!”, no one tells them the jet isn’t his; it’s being hired for the day.
In other news, I’m still busy with my studies, trying to accomplish the unaccomplishable. Time’s too short and I’m getting my ass kicked daily. It’s not nice feeling, which you’ll know if you’ve ever tried to stretch your limits. Now, I like chess metaphors, so here goes. I’m playing an opponent who simply will not give up. A few moves ago, I had a plan, one which would have lead to a win, but once again, he’s blocking my every move, to the point that I’m not quite sure what to do anymore. My previous approach failed. And at this point, there’s no move to help me along in the short term. My choices are between bad move A, or bad move B. But that’s the short term. The long term’s a different story.
Anyways, I don’t want to complain too much. It’s useful to gain some perspective when it comes to situations like this. I haven’t played too badly and my position is much better than is the case a few moves ago and ten times better than I could have dreamed was possible years ago. Hopefully, when I make an inventory of everything, looking at the situation with fresh eyes, I’ll be able to continue playing the best I can.
Let’s end on an old Eisenhower quote: plans are nothing, planning is everything.
Kind regards
Vincent J. Dancet