Relevance and Cultural Fetishism

Relevance in terms of cultural knowledge seems to be becoming a primary ideal in my life. My priorities seem to mostly reflect artistic and aesthetic concerns. I don't feel much lasting satisfaction from the continual "upkeep" of my cultural identiity. I strive to stay ahead of the curve, but for what end exactly?

I see cultural and intellectual input as a catalyst for my personal creations. The main thing I believe I need to keep in mind is that as I accumulate knowledge I must give myself time to digest and interpret that knowledge through my own creations. What are my intellectual and aesthetic goals? What is leading my quest for knowledge beyond a curiosity fueled dilettantism?

I need someone to obsess about. I need someone to think about when I'm alone. I'm writing you love letters in my sleep. I don't even understand why my brain chose you to focus on, but it happened and it's getting worse.

I hate you.

The characters I meet continue to fall into predetermined categories in my mind. The characters in this cheap novel, this b-budget film I call my life, are all recycled. The more I struggle to stand-out the more I realize the paradox I face: Continual change is fodder for a capitalist system. Capitalism in its present, globalized form does nothing to help individuals become who it is that they want and can be. Do I actualize myself and continue making products that the system can monetize or do i fight like a cog who struggles aginst the turning of the wheels around him?

Being socially conscious automatically burdens the thinker with a responsibility to recognize and respond to the identifiable problems of the world. I have believed for some time now that authenticity was an irrelevant and mystifying concept used, in effect, to keep cultural forms of hierarchical social stratification intact (artist vs. connisseur, writer vs. toy, professional vs. amateur, etc). I have failed to investigate the question of a person's response to the pressure of recognized moral duties. Doesn't this constitute some form of authenticity as well, at least in part to one's own consciousness?

the concept of relevancy is something constantly springs into my mind and iforms my conversations. the subject is brought up usually in the context of a cultural commodity. in essence it could be construed as being equivalent to "hipness" or "trendiness." i can`t help but feel that theorizing in this form is a pretentious act, buti insist on letting my thoughts flow uncensored so as to convey to myself the weight and depth of my thoughts....

(6/6) Other and hopefully as I expound on these ideas more my line of reasoning will become clearer.

(4/6) basic level all of our actions are proscribed by our need to increase our evolutionary fitness and by a survival instinct. Empathy is nature's way of