My Observations From My Two Weeks Of Vacation
From Zombies To Blue Skies, Here's What's Resonated With Me.
“If your politician truly wants to be for the people, this is what we need them to be. And if your politician doesn’t want to move on this matter, that tells you about your politician.”
Greetings, Unorthodoxy readers!
I am delighted to reconnect with you all after a period of travel and introspection. As I settle back into my routine, I am eager to share the insights and experiences that have shaped my recent journey.
Travel, as I have come to appreciate, is a profound soul-nourishing experience. The opportunity to step away from our daily grind, immerse ourselves in diverse cultures, and witness life beyond our confines is truly enlightening.
The beauty of travel lies not just in the physical journey but also in the internal transformation it triggers. It serves as a reminder of what we are striving for in life. It’s not about escaping reality but about experiencing the potential of what our reality could be.
We must remember that this world is vast, filled with endless possibilities. We don’t have to confine ourselves to a monotonous routine. When we experience the potential of what life could be during our travels, we return home invigorated, ready to bring that vision to life.
I urge each one of you, if you have the means, to take time off and travel. Visit a part of the world that warms your soul, where the people radiate love and friendliness. It’s a humbling experience that allows us to truly appreciate the essence of humanity and remember what we are fighting for: life and the freedom to live life how we want to.
With these reflections, let’s dive into the heart of our discussion.
The World Beyond Our Habitats
One of the most fascinating aspects of vacationing is its ability to transport us beyond our familiar environments. As I’ve previously discussed, our minds are creatures of habit, and our environments become our habitats. We shape these habitats to our liking, and it’s all too easy to become comfortable, even entrenched, in them. This comfort can sometimes blind us to the broader world around us.
When we embark on a vacation, we are uprooted from our habitats and thrust into the wider world. This experience forces us to interact with the world on a larger scale, particularly when we traverse through airports. Airports serve as microcosms of society, bustling with hundreds of people all engaging in similar behaviors.
As a writer whose job revolves around observing and documenting behaviors, I find this environment particularly enlightening. It offers a unique vantage point to observe the ebb and flow of the masses. It’s like peering into a living, breathing cross-section of the world and thinking, “So this is how people operate in the real world.”
This was precisely my experience during my last airport visit. Amidst the flurry of activity, I found myself gaining a deeper understanding of our society. Observing the airport and the people on the planes, I realized, “This is how our population is now built.”
And with this observation, I realized a sad reality: the zombie apocalypse might be here already.
The Digital Zombies Among Us
The term ‘zombies’ might seem rather dark, but it’s the first word that comes to mind when I observe the world around me during my travels. This observation is not unique to me;
has written about this phenomenon in his work1, and , whose work is phenomenal, has also chimed in2. (Please subscribe to Cate as, again, her work makes one think!)As we travel, we realize how people act. One of the most striking realizations I had on a recent flight was the ubiquitous presence of personal entertainment devices. On planes, there are chargers for phones, which is a common sight. However, the placement of these chargers beneath the monitors leads to an interesting spectacle. As you look around the plane, all you see are rows of cell phones charged up to monitors. It’s a sea of screens, a testament to our digital age.
This sight is not limited to the confines of an airplane. As you leave the plane and walk through the airport, waiting for your next flight, you see the same scene replayed. Whether you’re on a bus or simply traveling, you realize that everyone is on their phone. It’s a sight that makes you wonder, “What was it like when they didn’t have phones?”
Our bodies are equipped with tools for interaction and engagement. The eyes, often referred to as the windows to the soul, allow us to perceive the world. Our feet, made for walking, move us from one place to another. Walking is not just a physical activity; it’s a psychological one because your body moves mentally and physically from one location to another. Similarly, our hands were made for doing, for being actionable.
It’s almost as if someone who understood this looked at the masses 50 or 70 years ago and asked, “How can I put something in their hands so they do this for me?”
Today, regardless of whether you’re white, black, Asian, Korean, male, or female, everyone has a device in their hand. It’s plugged in, and you see the masses engrossed in their digital worlds. When you’ve been in your environment for so long, you don’t realize how the world is until you step into the real world. And when you do, it’s an eye-opener.
Recognizing the Dystopian Future: It’s Closer Than You Think
In this age of ubiquitous technology, I don’t think we’ve ever taken a step back to pause, look around, and see how technology affects our world. I’ve discussed this in my article, “Our Ocularcentric Society,” and how screen-based devices are affecting our mental health, but it is pleasant to hear that there are some growing concerns about the potential health risks associated with our devices. For instance, as I called out in my article on cell phones, there is a correlation between cell phone usage and cancer, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Today however, I want to delve into a more philosophical question: How would we recognize if we were living in a dystopian future? This is a concept I explore in my podcast on Menticide. The dystopian future isn’t going to arrive overnight. It will creep in subtly, using tools and techniques such as propaganda so we don’t realize it’s coming.
Our collective imagination often paints dystopian futures as dark, bleak landscapes bathed in a reddish-black hue. But what if the dystopian future is already here, and we fail to see it because it doesn’t match our preconceived notions?
Reflecting upon my past work in my analysis called “The Brave New World of 1984,” this is why Huxley was right when he mentioned to Orwell that his dystopian future would come to reality rather than Orwell’s. When we analyze dystopian books such as “Brave New World” and “1984,” we’re given the image that the dystopian future is supposed to look like that. But in reality, the dystopian future looks like this. It’s the exact same cages, just with a peaches and cream exterior.
In Huxley’s future, the people had no idea they were living in a dystopic reality; their drugs and sex lifestyle dociled them to the world around them. As I look around society, I ask: are we already in the reality that Huxley painted for us, or do we hold onto the notion that this dark future is supposed to be just that, dark with red skies and all?
The Clear Blue Skies: A Call to Action
One of the most profound realizations that come with travel is the sudden shift from your familiar society to a new one. At times, we in the West need to step outside our comfort zones to truly understand the world. If you’re planning a vacation, consider venturing beyond the West. Visit a developing country with some amenities for comfort but also with a lifestyle that is less intertwined with technology. You’ll find that their way of life, their food, everything is different.
What struck me the most during my travels was the clear blue skies. I say this because there was no geoengineering occurring in the sky. Living in the West, I often look up and see signs of geoengineering. But outside of the West, I found clear blue skies. This experience was the one takeaway I wanted to bring back to the States.
As we’re in an election year, the political climate is getting increasingly intense. While I want to expose the fraud that elections can be, I also recognize the power of captivating the masses. With that being the case, I argue that we need to start focusing on actual matters instead of being distracted by other issues.
One such important topic is geoengineering. Whether you’re vaccinated or not, if I can control your skies, we have a problem. I’ve written about this before, and I believe that if everyone’s running for office, one topic that needs to be addressed is geoengineering. This is possible, as we’ve seen in New Hampshire, where they were able to present a bill aimed a stopping this.
I challenge all of us to look into this, especially in your city and state. This win is an example of us banding together to see if we can make a difference. Can we stop the geoengineering in our air? We’ll probably run into some lobbyists, and there will likely be some opposition, but that shows us the reality of our world. If your politician truly wants to be for the people, this is what we need them to be. And if your politician doesn’t want to move on this matter, that tells you about your politician.
Whew! I feel like I wrote about a lot, but it’s been on the back burner for a while. Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoyed this article. I’m back, so you’re going to get more of this. If there are any questions or comments, please let me know. Until next time, Ase.
Welcome back! I must have found you while you were on vacation. Your writing was timely for me as we leave today for a long-anticipated trip. We have spent the last twenty months refitting a large sailboat. Today we head to the Bahamas to sail to the Virgin Islands, about six days off the grid. It will be my first long sail. While we have all the relevant nav equipment, and even Starlink, we are hoping to be as device-free as possible. It’s going to be an interesting week. Your question about dystopia is one I will be thinking about.
When I traveled to Chicago and had my cell phone stolen the first day I was there, I took a 4 day detox from my iphone. I could have had a phone sent within 2 days to my hotel, but thought it could potentially get lost and I would just go without and have it sent to my home. Those four days were transformative, and as I looked around, I realized everyone around me had no idea that I didn’t even have a phone! It was like I had jumped worlds and I did feel the withdrawal for a couple of days. Then I came to a place of acceptance and self sufficiency. Those 4 days changed my life for the better. I got off of social media as well, and have been free of social media for over 5 years. Substack is the only platform I interact with. I learn and grow daily, instead of compare and wither into a false reality of who I am.