Taking a brief break from our regularly scheduled bloviation, I want to share this video. It’s part of deceased comedian Bill Hicks’ routine. It’s maybe the most important message there is. Here’s the video, followed by a transcript:
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it’s real because that’s how powerful our minds are.
The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it’s very brightly colored, and it’s very loud, and it’s fun for a while.
Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, “Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?” And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, “Hey, don’t worry; don’t be afraid, ever. Because this is just a ride.” And we…kill those people.
“Shut him up! I’ve got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.”
It’s just a ride.
But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok?
But it doesn’t matter, because it’s just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It’s only a choice. No effort, not work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love.
The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one.
Here’s what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.Bill Hicks, Requiescat in pace
Here’s another snip. It’s buy one get one free today.
You never see a positive drug story on the news. They always have the same LSD story. You’ve all seen it: “Today a young man on acid…thought he could fly…jumped out of a building…what a tragedy!” What a dick. He’s an idiot. If he thought he could fly why didn’t he take off from the ground first? Check it out? You don’t see geese lined up to catch elevators to fly south; they fly from the fucking ground. He’s an idiot. He’s dead. Good! We lost a moron. Fucking celebrate. There’s one less moron in the world.
Wouldn’t you like to see a positive LSD story on the news? To base your decision on information rather than scare tactics and superstition?, perhaps? Wouldn’t that be interesting? Just for once?
“Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration – that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There’s no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we’re the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.”
A*M*E*N!
I’ve seen the first part like 20 times, luv it.
I think it’s interesting that some of most insightful people are “comedians”–just giving yourself permission to exist outside social norms not only affords you the luxury of pointing out obvious but uncomfortable truths, but it also encourages you to adopt the mindset that every assumption is wrong and should be questioned aggressively.
I guess it also helps that billing yourself as a comedian primes people to hear what you have to say in a positive, rather than defensive, light.
I absolutely LOVE Bill Hicks. Seeing as you’re also on the Steve Pavlina forums, I guess you found him through icutoffheads? What a legend that man is. :) Well, both of them.
Nice blog! Looking forward to reading more of you.
Andrew
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..Colours of consciousness, part II =-.
Nope, I originally heard of him via James Keenan of Tool. Thanks for the note 8)
Everything is good about Bill Hicks, save the language. It sounds rebellious to a teenager, but the only thing it does to the audience it might have really changed otherwise is make them shut their ears. As Kurt Vonnegut (who was writing about the same love and freedom all of his life) put it, “by using foul language you give people an excuse to not listen” or close to that.
On a different note, Peter, I am happy to have found your website, where the percentage of hogwash nears 0.
.-= Donald Shimoda´s last blog .."The 13-page paper by Jack Mintz of the University of Calgary’s school of public policy claims…" =-.