my heart sank in the fog today

"Individuals live in a society that provides them with ready-made patterns that pretend to give meaning to their lives. In our society, for instance, they are told that to be successful, to be a “bread winner,” to raise a family, to be a good citizen, to consume goods and pleasures gives meaning to life. But while for most people this suggestion works on the conscious level, they do not acquire a genuine sense of meaningfulness, they do not make up for the lacking center within themselves. The suggested patterns wear thin and with increasing frequency fail. That this is happening today on a large scale is evidenced by the increase in drug addiction, by the lack of genuine interest in anything, in the decline of intellectual and artistic creativity, and in the increase of violence and destructiveness."

Erich Fromm (via cultureofresistance)

this is very true for me - i am feeling let down by the world, that everything isn’t fantastic and that there is more to life than a great career - but at the same time, stop and think it over for a while. in all periods of history, there have been patterns drawn up for you, the world wanted you to lead your life in a certain way almost always, at least that’s how it seems to me. you can’t change this. you either adapt and follow a pre-made scheme, or you rebel, but you cannot rebel in an original way. originality does not exist anymore. collective happiness cannot be achieved.

(Source: socialuprooting, via neal-cassady)