The most interesting thing that I can blog about are reality and people. Posts that go into what people think about other people is where thought provoking details lie. This was made especially evident to me while watching the Change Up with Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. The two characters switch roles ala Parent Trap and live the others life. It’s not a particularly great movie, but the parts that I thought were the best were when other characters were speaking the truth to the switched up Bateman and Reynolds without realizing it. Bateman and Reynolds always left those conversations with a clearer perspective of who they were that they couldn’t have gotten by being themselves. It showed how people talk truthfully about other people behind their backs and how one might feel if they heard these types of discussions forthrightly. It was almost like a light bulb for me and what types of information excites people.

I didn’t touch on the reality point above but I will show how that aligns with people. People crave reality. It’s why I’d rather watch a live game of croquet instead of a baseball game which I already know the results of. The idea of bringing reality to people sounds simple but it’s much more challenging than you think. I read the fictional book The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman and he understands the reality aspect far better than myself. The Visible Man is about a scientist who created a cloaking suit and would spy on people without their knowledge. The essence of the suit is so he could watch people without them acting any differently than they would if they knew they were being watched. It’s obvious that reality TV isn’t reality TV once people know they are being filmed. This book yearned for that realness of people. This understanding that people act differently than who they are is what I think is the significance of this post.

Does everybody act inconsistently? Are you molded by what people say? Are you really you or someone who you conceived? I was working out at the Art Museum steps the other day and an overly strong Asian man rode up on his Yamaha bike, parked it in front of the steps, and sat down with his head phones on. I must note that the Art Museum steps are rarely empty and there are hundreds of people walking up and down on an hourly basis. He didn’t move for the duration of my work out and two thoughts entered my mind: 1) Is he being himself and parking his bike there hoping people notice him because he’s an insecure person looking for attention or 2) Does he not give a fuck. Then I asked myself why did I feel the need to work out in front of tourists? Did I need the attention? After some deliberation I honestly believed that I was there strictly for the workout. My life philosophy is to be me.

If you are shaped by trying to impress other people or acting under a false persona, you won’t know yourself. Is that one of the most important meaningful keys to life? I do think it’s up there. People need reality. They want to know the truth. You can’t trust people who aren’t truthful to themselves. The truth is what sells. I’ve even started to find history books fun to read. Understanding reality separates good ideas from bad ones. The next part of this discussion is action.