Spiritual Gurus: Modern Superheroes — How Much Do You Need Them?
A critique of consumer culture and excessive reliance on easy problem solutions.
Have you ever wondered how many people whose posts you read and follow speak from the heart? Do you ever think about being used or lied to? Do they all share their own experiences with you, and most importantly, why do you feel this need for ready-made solutions?
In today’s world of fast Internet connection words spread like wildfire. Ephemeral fads come and go, but what we seem to read more and more are self-help manuals, now easily accessible in the form of blogs.
There’s some merit to these texts. Many are designed to help you overcome emotional difficulties. But there’s a percentage that focuses mainly on collecting revenue. Baiting you to click, waste your time reading nonsense, and leaving you frustrated and dissatisfied.
Even if you find something emotionally valuable in these texts, most of them focus excessively on the material. They are manuals on how to become millionaires just by being positive and not giving up.
It’s not the call to positivism and persistence in life that I object to, it’s the gross obsession with money that permeates every aspect of our lives.
The manuals themselves are written to make money. They prey on tender human emotions and exploit the vulnerability, all the while promoting the spirit of capitalism to the fullest.
Most readers won’t find anything wrong with this. It’s only normal wanting to be a millionaire in a world focused on money. Nevertheless, the focus itself is wrong.
The consumer-capitalist age that we live in burdens us heavily with countless obligations and loans. It generates new consumer markets by first generating needs.
You are manipulated into wanting what you don’t need, only to be obligated to get new loans and work excessively to pay them off.
It’s become impossible to surf the Internet without navigating through the plethora of adds. Big companies track and store your data on every move. Almost every site you open uses cookies.
You are slammed with commercials for both things you need and don’t need but you still end up wanting in the end.
This is how the mind works. The pictures get engraved into your subconscious. Marketing is becoming ever more sophisticated, and it permeates all spheres of life. The illusion of choice is greater than ever.
Among so many easily accessible information you cannot find the truth. You are constantly confused and anxious.
An ever-increasing number of people combat some form of mental illness, the so-called modern-day diseases. You’ve become an easy prey for spiritual gurus of all kinds — lost and afraid, willing to follow anyone whose words could provide you with some comfort.
In a sense, the so-called spiritual gurus are the superheroes of our age. Superhero figures themselves have become irresistibly popular, too. How many superhero movies and TV shows have been made in recent years?
I enjoy watching them, as well. The question is what is so appealing that makes us love them so much? And the answer is — the same thing that makes spiritual gurus appealing, too. It’s the superhuman quality of having all the answers and being able to rescue the rest of us.
Superheroes in the movies always face impossible situations from which they emerge triumphantly. They are strong, reliable, noble.
Similarly, spiritual gurus have answers to all the difficult questions that bother you. They give you hope, sometimes strength to cope with your problems. But both are the products of our collective need to be saved.
The weight of modern existence makes you feel weak and helpless. Too much is expected of an average human being.
You are expected to invest the same amount of energy and dedication to your work every day as if you were some kind of robot.
There are days when you feel energetic and eager to work when you can give your best. But there are also other days when you won’t be able to give your absolute maximum.
The worst thing is that an increasing number of employers expect you to work with the same diligence and dedication daily. They often say: “If you won’t work, I’ll find someone else who will.”
The stress is growing, becoming more and more unbearable. When you add the realization that you do everything just to earn more money for the employer who doesn’t care about you, things get even worse.
Modern human beings are torn to shreds. Most cannot cope with the pressure and succumb to self-medication.
This self-medication appears in various forms — drug abuse, alcoholism, media and entertainment programs — anything that will get you away from reality even for a little while.
This is not a healthy coping mechanism — enter spiritual gurus — the ones that actually want to help you, that is. You must learn to recognize the fake ones.
Following someone else’s words blindly is not the solution. I’m not saying you shouldn’t read. Nice words can be a remedy for your emotional distress. But think of them as exactly that — a remedy, not a life-manual.
What works for someone else, doesn’t necessarily need to work for you, too. Instead of relying on someone else to give you the answer, you should start thinking critically.
“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” Bruce Lee
Realize what’s the root of your problem! Inform yourself and try to find the solution by yourself. You’ll find often that the problem is more deeply rooted than you thought.
There are no magical solutions to problems. You need to work on them because only you can help yourself. Nobody can do it for you.
For example: if your problem is not enough money, instead of following some step-by-step manual on how to become rich overnight, try evaluating your situation.
If you are unable to make enough money for all the things you need and you make yourself miserable by overworking, think again. Are the things you need really that necessary? Do you need them at all?
What you need to do is take a step back, calm your mind and realize what is important. With a little critical thinking, you can still help yourself, without the superhero’s intervention.
What do you think?
