OBSESSION December 1, 1999 |
I've been obsessed with the idea of writing about obsession for a long time. Because obsession has been interfering with my life, it disturbs me. A man being obsessed, as I observe, is like being incorrigibly possessed by a demon, under control, subdued, deprived of rationale and even losing dignity and self-esteem. No matter what one is obsessed with, it’s almost always dangerous and ridiculous. A scholar obsessed with books might seem more respectful and healthy than a computer game freak, but not necessarily so, because when it comes to living a full life, and retaining a full perspective of the world around them, both are equally destitute, equally pitiful. Look at the people who queued and camped and wrestled and jostled against each other on the street outside McDonald’s, just to grab a lifeless mass-produced plastic Snoopy doll. Look at the people who flown around the globe just to catch the mundane premiere of "Star Wars I - The Phantom Menace". It has light sabers and everybody says "may the force be with you", and what else? It’s even easier to see how millions of kids have fallen prey to the merchandizing of Pokemon. And even easier to realize the frightening degree to which teenagers are obsessed with their idols as if screaming hysterically alone can’t show enough sincerity, some even threatened their idols with the choice of love or death. Perhaps the most inspiring and climatic example would be that some mothers have chosen to pamper their fragile 8x8 pixel-sized pets called Tamagotchi, instead of their own children. Not only the fact that they feel proud to be preys of commercial masterminds humiliating, but also it shows how hollow and foolish human beings have become. By this I ask what obsession can bring us, but insensitivity and irrationality. |