When I was less sure of who I was, I could get unsettled easily by people telling me I was stupid or because I had long hair and listened to metal, I was going to amount to nothing in life. Now I realize that life is what you make of it, and "amounting to something" is best measured in ways other than the ways they meant, although there's some overlap.
In short, I got used to be who I am. I am now confident in and know my abilities and most of my limitations. They don't shock me anymore. I have accepted the fact that I can't fold laundry, can't figure out a camera, find ballet baffling but really like the big powerful symphonies -- and selected death metal, black metal, doom metal, thrash and speed metal.
We are all what we are. We cannot change what we were born to be, and the sooner we accept it and stop struggling against it in some pretense of being God's own best gift to humanity, the sooner we enjoy ourselves again. The most obvious conditions are clear. Some are more beautiful, some stronger, some smarter, some more in touch with emotions and art.
For any ability, there is a sort of caste system to humanity and probably any other creature of high intelligence:
At the top are the Brahmins. These are the geniuses who invent new things and get us all pointed in new directions. I'm thinking Bathory, Celtic Frost, Burzum, Enslaved, Discharge, Graveland.
Below that are the Kashtriya. This is where the bulk of us who are smart but not super-exceptional are. We are the warriors who take the ideas of the Brahmins and make them reality. I'm thinking Morbid Angel, Deicide, Asphyx, Infester, Incantation, Obituary, Slayer, Dismember, Therion, Belial, Varathron, Gorgoroth, Emperor and most of the good, solid bands you can think of.
One level down are the Vaisya. These are the merchants and aesthetic designers. They know what looks good, or feels good, but they're not going to put together a system of thought on the level of Kshatriya or Brahmins. You know who goes here? Those who make things accessible to others as an easily-grasped idea. Cannibal Corpse, Mortician, Vader, Pantera, Metallica, and so on.
Underneath that level are the Sudras. These are people who need to be told what to do and when to do it, but without guidance, they collapse into inaction. These people don't produce bands except tribute bands.
The untouchables would, in my view, be anyone too dumb and distracted by their TV set to appreciate death metal.
It's odd how this pattern repeats itself in science, art, philosophy, literature and social groups. There's 1% who lead, 9% who implement that leadership, about 20% who sell crap based on the new direction, and 70% who hang out and do nothing until someone tells them to get back to work, and by the way it's on the new vision.
I wonder where most of the fanbase today falls in these categories. Worth thinking about.
http://metal-blogs.com/death/2007/10/30/the-metal-caste-system/
Cannibal Corpse are Sudras, but other than that, I can agree with a lot of this. I wonder where Cradle of Filth, Cynic and Havohej fall into this framework.
In short, I got used to be who I am. I am now confident in and know my abilities and most of my limitations. They don't shock me anymore. I have accepted the fact that I can't fold laundry, can't figure out a camera, find ballet baffling but really like the big powerful symphonies -- and selected death metal, black metal, doom metal, thrash and speed metal.
We are all what we are. We cannot change what we were born to be, and the sooner we accept it and stop struggling against it in some pretense of being God's own best gift to humanity, the sooner we enjoy ourselves again. The most obvious conditions are clear. Some are more beautiful, some stronger, some smarter, some more in touch with emotions and art.
For any ability, there is a sort of caste system to humanity and probably any other creature of high intelligence:
At the top are the Brahmins. These are the geniuses who invent new things and get us all pointed in new directions. I'm thinking Bathory, Celtic Frost, Burzum, Enslaved, Discharge, Graveland.
Below that are the Kashtriya. This is where the bulk of us who are smart but not super-exceptional are. We are the warriors who take the ideas of the Brahmins and make them reality. I'm thinking Morbid Angel, Deicide, Asphyx, Infester, Incantation, Obituary, Slayer, Dismember, Therion, Belial, Varathron, Gorgoroth, Emperor and most of the good, solid bands you can think of.
One level down are the Vaisya. These are the merchants and aesthetic designers. They know what looks good, or feels good, but they're not going to put together a system of thought on the level of Kshatriya or Brahmins. You know who goes here? Those who make things accessible to others as an easily-grasped idea. Cannibal Corpse, Mortician, Vader, Pantera, Metallica, and so on.
Underneath that level are the Sudras. These are people who need to be told what to do and when to do it, but without guidance, they collapse into inaction. These people don't produce bands except tribute bands.
The untouchables would, in my view, be anyone too dumb and distracted by their TV set to appreciate death metal.
It's odd how this pattern repeats itself in science, art, philosophy, literature and social groups. There's 1% who lead, 9% who implement that leadership, about 20% who sell crap based on the new direction, and 70% who hang out and do nothing until someone tells them to get back to work, and by the way it's on the new vision.
I wonder where most of the fanbase today falls in these categories. Worth thinking about.
http://metal-blogs.com/death/2007/10/30/the-metal-caste-system/
Cannibal Corpse are Sudras, but other than that, I can agree with a lot of this. I wonder where Cradle of Filth, Cynic and Havohej fall into this framework.
