An existence in which life, itself, is not at the center of all our acts and endeavors, is an existence misled, and a world which has failed to reflect our opportunities back at us is set for failure. Again, you’re unlikely to catch many people admitting to their misfocus so openly—especially when it is so often the case that they, themselves, are not conscious of how little thought is being given unto their existence when, in their view, all thoughts born from life are reflective of life—but through our acts are our priorities revealed. And note that by ‘life’ I am referring to more than the comforts and survival of the body and speak to the survival and prosperity of the spirit—which, in my usage, accounts for the abstract dimensions of our humanity and implies nothing religious. There is more to our experience than what our scans can pick up and what our pills can cure and anyone who tells you otherwise has flouted the bounds of reasonability.

We must commit ourselves to organizing and upholding the abstract dimensions of this life, wherein exists all the value to which we are beholden and all the cues unto which we are reacting. We live in a materialistic world which lacks all respect for that which cannot be measured. The spiritual welfare of our species is not being nurtured, despite a very large population which identifies as ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious’ (although, to be fair, most of them are naught but nihilists in their Sunday best and you’ll be far better off in life not depending on nihilists to respect and protect that which is meaningful to you).

We must not accept our suffering as ineluctable. That is the one true evil that yields to all of the evil acts that dance and bound and breed in our midst, for in being ourselves convinced that suffering, in any form, is necessary to this life, our attitude and response theretoward sees to a host of oft-unconscious mutations that will allow us to justify acts which bring harm upon ourselves and others.

We must stop targeting and capitalizing on the weaknesses and lusts of the people. We must cease the incessant production of mindless material which is not serving and strengthening our humanity. We must incentivize creativity and responsibility and healing—all things that the churches and governments and fast food chains have told us is impossible (simply because it helps to sell their product).

We must stop glamorizing and romanticizing acts and attitudes that promote our destruction. And it’s not going to be easy when the media is endlessly confusing the minds of the impressionable population for the attainment of profit. It is the sickest cycle of all, since it is from here that we gain our sense of reality, while the media corporations are dedicated only to putting out whatever they think will hook us, thereby creating for one of the most vicious circles ever before seen. We have two options, then, for escaping such a circle: the fish must stop biting the hook, or—more realistically—we must manufacture new hooks which do not harm the fish.