I'm a big fan of anime and one of the tropes or cliches of many of these animated series that target teens and young adults is this spirit of togetherness.
A lot of cute anime characters often say, teary-eyed with appreciation, "Minna..." which means "Everyone..." as they build a community and carve out a place for themselves in this group of people. These are concerns of a juvenile nature, of teenagers and younger people.
It is also the basis of political parties and the key to corporate and business achievements. This finding a place for yourself amid a crowd of people you call your own.
I see all this, and all I can think about is this: weakness.
You see, having a group of people around you and depending on them could also result in extremely bad things. The group, in an interest of survival, could rabidly defend its members, regardless of what they are defending. The individual ego is fortified by the group ego and individual common sense is often forfeited just for the strengthening of the image of the group.
I do not believe in families or groups. I recognise the benefits of separate entities pooling resources together to achieve a greater goal, but I do not subscribe to tribalism or circle-jerking. You know what a circle-jerk is? It's when all members of a group defends the actions of each other with no self-reflection or fairness. It is when false praise is heaped on each other just because one is in the same group.
Not to say I favour betrayals, which is to me the number one crime that can be committed by any human, but I believe that self-reflection and discarding the ego as well as image - both individual and as a group - to be vital in self-improvement.
In order to attain peace, one must embrace the truth. There is no truth in shallow circle-jerking groups.
I am not denying its power - whole nations are founded on circle-jerking as do profitable companies. It is simply something I personally do not prefer, as with all lies, it carries with it its own seed of destruction.
With lies, there can never be true happiness, which is a situation without want; an absence of want. Circle-jerking is founded on very strong desires - the desire to belong.
There can never be true happiness in circle-jerking each other.
