The world we live in
When Leonardo Da Vinci painted the last supper, he paid meticulous attention to the faces of the twelve apostles as they were painted from living persons. The figure of Jesus was first, and Da Vinci sampled hundreds of faces to find a face of innocence and beauty that is untainted by sin. Finally, after weeks of searching, Da Vinci found a face for Jesus and spent Six months painting that face.
Afterwards, one by one, the apostles were all drawn until the turn came to Judas. For weeks Da Vinci laboured to find a face that conveys the very essence of hypocrisy, deceit and betrayal. He wanted a face of a man that would betray his best friend. After weeks, word came to Da Vinci of a face matching this description in a dungeon in Rome where the man was held for a life of murder and crime. When the man was brought to Da Vinci in Rome, he was unkempt and shaggy. He had a look of viciousness and complete ruin.
For months, Da Vinci toiled on drawing this man's face. When he was finished, he told the guards "you may take the man away."
The prisoner broke momentarily broke free from the guards' grasp and rushed to Da Vinci. He said "O Da Vinci, do you not know who I am?" Da Vinci replied "I have never seen you before being brought before me in the dungeons in Rome." The prisoner lifted his eyes towards heaven and said, “Oh, God, have I fallen so low?” Then turned his face towards Da Vinci and cried, “Leonardo Da Vinci! Look at me again for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ.”
Evil can be defined as many things. In the dictionary, it's defined as profound immorality and wickedness. It can be committed for many motives such as personal gain, wealth, politics or simply, for fun. Niccolo Machiavelli once said "the will justifies the means."
We're all raised in a certain manner. We all have values that are entrenched within us by our families. Don't lie, maim, kill or steal.
As children, we view things in a very monotonous fashion; actions are either good or bad. The result of the outcome doesn't impact our judgement, even if it lead to personal gain. Part of me believes this is due to us watching literature in which there's always a hero, a beginning and an ending. Good always triumphs against evil and the hero lives happily ever after.
When you're an adult, your views change. The capitalist reality of being a cog in a system of economic enslavement surrounds you and your personal gain is all that's important. You're more reluctant to give a homeless person money if it's from your salary, not your parents'. Lending a friend a much needed ear after work is too troublesome. Volunteering in the weekends which are a time of rest and relaxation is too much of a hassle. It's just better to Netflix and chill.
Things after maturity take a grim turn. It's no longer just about the right thing. There's no Black and White, good and bad, heroes and villains. There's just ourselves in this materialistic world.
In real life, bosses bully employees, there are bad corrupt cops, people judge you because of ethnic or religious reasons, people die because of needless wars. Bad people get away with doing bad things. Superman, in all his glory and splendor, won't fly from Metropolis. Batman won't rest on a gargoyle watching the city he so relentlessly protect sleep peacefully. Spiderman won't swing from Queens to prevent a mugging, rape or murder. THEY DON'T EXIST. It's only us and the villains with no heroic capes in between.
Real heroes such as teachers, policemen, social workers and other government agencies are underpaid, understaffed and over worked as a part of a system that's only efficient in making sure that the rich get richer, poor get poorer and elections are for those who can afford it.
As the great Rorschach from Alan Moore's watchmen once said "Dog carcass in alley this morning. Tire tread on burst stomach. This city's afraid of me. I've seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters, and the gutters are full of blood, and when the drains finally scab over all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!" and I'll whisper "No."
We live in an age where Judas and Jesus are two faces of the same coin. Which one will you choose?
San Algamal
Afterwards, one by one, the apostles were all drawn until the turn came to Judas. For weeks Da Vinci laboured to find a face that conveys the very essence of hypocrisy, deceit and betrayal. He wanted a face of a man that would betray his best friend. After weeks, word came to Da Vinci of a face matching this description in a dungeon in Rome where the man was held for a life of murder and crime. When the man was brought to Da Vinci in Rome, he was unkempt and shaggy. He had a look of viciousness and complete ruin.
For months, Da Vinci toiled on drawing this man's face. When he was finished, he told the guards "you may take the man away."
The prisoner broke momentarily broke free from the guards' grasp and rushed to Da Vinci. He said "O Da Vinci, do you not know who I am?" Da Vinci replied "I have never seen you before being brought before me in the dungeons in Rome." The prisoner lifted his eyes towards heaven and said, “Oh, God, have I fallen so low?” Then turned his face towards Da Vinci and cried, “Leonardo Da Vinci! Look at me again for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ.”
Evil can be defined as many things. In the dictionary, it's defined as profound immorality and wickedness. It can be committed for many motives such as personal gain, wealth, politics or simply, for fun. Niccolo Machiavelli once said "the will justifies the means."
We're all raised in a certain manner. We all have values that are entrenched within us by our families. Don't lie, maim, kill or steal.
As children, we view things in a very monotonous fashion; actions are either good or bad. The result of the outcome doesn't impact our judgement, even if it lead to personal gain. Part of me believes this is due to us watching literature in which there's always a hero, a beginning and an ending. Good always triumphs against evil and the hero lives happily ever after.
When you're an adult, your views change. The capitalist reality of being a cog in a system of economic enslavement surrounds you and your personal gain is all that's important. You're more reluctant to give a homeless person money if it's from your salary, not your parents'. Lending a friend a much needed ear after work is too troublesome. Volunteering in the weekends which are a time of rest and relaxation is too much of a hassle. It's just better to Netflix and chill.
Things after maturity take a grim turn. It's no longer just about the right thing. There's no Black and White, good and bad, heroes and villains. There's just ourselves in this materialistic world.
In real life, bosses bully employees, there are bad corrupt cops, people judge you because of ethnic or religious reasons, people die because of needless wars. Bad people get away with doing bad things. Superman, in all his glory and splendor, won't fly from Metropolis. Batman won't rest on a gargoyle watching the city he so relentlessly protect sleep peacefully. Spiderman won't swing from Queens to prevent a mugging, rape or murder. THEY DON'T EXIST. It's only us and the villains with no heroic capes in between.
Real heroes such as teachers, policemen, social workers and other government agencies are underpaid, understaffed and over worked as a part of a system that's only efficient in making sure that the rich get richer, poor get poorer and elections are for those who can afford it.
As the great Rorschach from Alan Moore's watchmen once said "Dog carcass in alley this morning. Tire tread on burst stomach. This city's afraid of me. I've seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters, and the gutters are full of blood, and when the drains finally scab over all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!" and I'll whisper "No."
We live in an age where Judas and Jesus are two faces of the same coin. Which one will you choose?
San Algamal
التجارب التي تقود الانسان الى محطات من الاستفهام هي التجارب نفسها تمنحنا فرصة التأمل بالذات الانسانية ..الكثير من الاجابات التي تشكل أراء واحكام تصور لنا في مراحل معينه من الرحله قناعات وهي التي ترحل بنا الى رؤية الانسان وهي التي تعود بنا الى ذواتنا لنجد حكمة هنا وحكاية هناك ,,اجد في هذه المقال سعي صادق لهذه الرحله وتلك المحطة وجهد جميل لتأمل صادق بحال الانسان والحياة ..اتمنى لك كل التوفيق ..
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