The Necessary "Evil" of The World -- Shallowness -- Why I Try to Reduce It
Updated: Feb 21
This world will always be empty or hollow to some extent. The meaningless ads you see on T.V, the shallow programs and movies, and the things that run through people's heads are here to stay. Why? Because emptiness is an unbreakable part of reality, at least of reality's more "earthly" part, where many people live and work, and where many jobs are being held to make ends meet. People today lack a substantial amount of depth.
I have created this site with a clear purpose in mind -- to help combat this shallowness in our lives. However, I now realize that, as long as we are as material as the common animal, which we are, we will always have some sort of shallowness in our lives, whether we like it or not. We may prioritize hedonism over discipline, passion over social consideration, impulsivity over self restraint and so on.
There is something very spontaneous about being shallow. Something that does not require a lot of effort and is therefore more desirable. The problem however comes when it creates problems like existential loneliness. Problems like despair and losing faith in humanity.
We will remain shallow, also due to the inevitability of financial materialism, and the many pleasures it offers us, no matter how hollow they are.
I founded Philosocom under the hope that faith in humanity deserves to be restored, even if by a limited degree. I venture into the darkness of thought not always due to pessimism, but because I want to acknowledge the truth and find ways to solve these problems from a logical perspective. I did it, for example, when I covered the act of simping. I do what I do because deep inside I still somehow have light within me, despite all I've went through.
And it is through the uncomfortable research of the darker aspects of reality, that I am capable of bringing you much of the depth found in my article empire. After all, the practical purpose of deep thinking is problem-solving, along other important functions.
Fun by itself is absurd. Depth is best utilized as a means to an end, from the ability to avoid making mistakes to giving greater purpose to our own lives. You may found out that it is sometimes the dark that may lead to the light. That we may suffer on purpose in order to live a better life in the future. And for that suffering to be productive, depth is required. When we work we don't necessarily have to feel good. We may need to suffer under the burden of effort in order for that work to benefit either ourselves, others or both. And depth is also expressed by dedication to our craft.
And there isn't necessarily fun or comfort in aiming to become better at something. I may play Tekken, for example, to improve my resolve, not to have fun.
Despising shallowness due to the hole it created inside of me, I became a philosopher who rarely leaves his home. As written in previous articles, I already did things I wouldn't otherwise do, such as going abroad and drinking beer a few times, and yet, the pleasure in these feels very, very hollow. Those who are fine with it, will rarely have a problem with it, but I can't take it, and if it weren't for this site, my mental state would be much, much worse. I philosophize to stay sane.
While I realize I cannot completely overcome this world's shallowness, I can at least help reduce it, by providing articles such as this to anyone with an internet connection. In other words, the fact that I can't stop something completely, doesn't mean I should give up. We shouldn't appeal ourselves to futility just because perfection is highly unlikely. And we should still "reach for the moon" even if we will in the end "reach for the stars".
Like in law enforcement, there will always be criminals. It doesn't mean that we should give up on police stations, on officers, and on courthouses. This world may be unfair, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't stop fighting for equality, where it can be reached.
To further illustrate the idea I'm trying to convey, some video games have a feature called "survival mode". In "survival mode," the main purpose is to stay alive as long as we can until we lose. We can never win, because the opponents we fight against are infinite, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and enjoy while we can, correct?
Must we win a game to make the most of it? Must we be number one in our field of choice in order to be good and contribute to whatever it is that we're doing? The answer is, of course, no, because otherwise, we would only torment ourselves by aiming for a chance that might as well not exist at all.
This is why the shallowness of this world could be utilized by myself in order to motivate myself to write more and more, hopefully until I die. Like cats, one can learn that they do not need much in order to live and be fulfilled. And without this emptiness, I would have less incentive to be a philosopher, let alone, pay for a website, and make sure that it will be succeeded by a new "Master".
Of course, it would be much preferable that this world be a lot deeper than it is currently, but since no one can actually control the world, not even the rich necessarily, the wise decision would be, to accept it, and do what we believe to be best for either of us, others, or both.
Either way, shallowness is a necessary evil simply because it cannot be reduced completely. And it will not be reduced completely as long as we prefer ease over struggle. Some are okay with it, but I see it as a force that can corrupt our character by undermining virtues that require depth. And depth requires work, which requires struggle.
