People's Man

Our great former president (whom we affectionately called the "People's President") has declined to contest for another tenure and he has written a sweet letter about it too.
Yes I have seen the letter and it's tragic, not sweet.

Oh yes, it is tragic that he couldn't be our next President. The country needs him. 
No, that's not the tragic part. In fact, that's a commendable decision he's taken.

So what is tragic?
That he still wants to be a "People's man". Even after this decision that he has taken, he thinks being a "People's man" is the ideal. That's ironical.

How so?
What people WANT and NEED from you matters squat when it's your ass on stake. That's the fact. That's Nature's law and that's how a Man (and an animal) would act, acts, is supposed to act. But "OFFERING YOUR ASS BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED IT" is still considered to be the greatest virtue! That's how.

But how does this apply in this context?
This applies to every context. In this particular case, this is where lies the dilemma of our ever so humble missile-man.

How?
Here's how:
"People want my ass to save their asses. And since I'm such a "People's President", it's my duty to put my ass on line, i.e., to get into this whole shitty politics thing because people NEED me! Then why the fuck I'm not feeling like doing it?!! Man I don't know, I love these people and all but still somehow this "love" is not enough. What the fuck is wrong with me??!! Damn I want to serve them, I love them, they love me, they need me, screw them...I love my ass more and it already has enough shit to deal with! But they are crying...they NEED me, to guide them, direct them, to lead them towards "progress" and out of this shit they've gotten themselves into. Just look at the huge number of comments on my post, crying for me to change my decision to save their asses instead of my own! Oh man, what do I do?! Here's a chance for me to achieve that supreme ideal, but what about MY ASS in which they are the ones who are the biggest pain!!"

So, in a nutshell, our poor rocket scientist, who can understand the complexities involving sending out payloads on rockets into the space, can't understand the simple fact that you just can't beat your Nature, whatever bullshit you've been believing to be "Virtue". Because virtue is not being a humble (another way of saying bending-over-for-next-person's-pleasure) "People's Man" but simply being a MAN. That your (and everybody else's) basic Nature is not and can never be to live for the sake of others, but for your own.

But anyhow, our favourite presidential candidate (along-with 99.99% of the world) being one of the staunch subscribers to the above school-of-thought(lessness) is what if not the biggest tragedy that's ever happened to the mankind? As long as our so-called role-models continue to subscribe to this "ideal", the world will keep heading where it's headed. Towards doom. How? Because this "ideal" is impossible and aspirations to such an ideal only leads to dilemmas and frustrations. If all your energies and efforts are channelized towards
such an ideal, i.e., to serve others, to make everyone happy, to be a People's Man...you're in for a severe shock. You can never achieve it and even if you can and do, you'll not find happiness and joy but only pain in your ass and a bad taste in your mouth.

:|
:D

"Spreading awareness"

Who admires a piss-stain on the wall or an empty plastic bottle, a chips packet on the road or an ugly stinking dump of garbage on the roadside? Do you think people who do this, they admire it? I think not. Then why do they do it? But more importantly, what is it that you're going to tell them that they don't know already? Are you going to lecture them on "duties, responsibilities, aesthetics, civic sense"? Are you going to appeal to their sensibilities? Or are you going to appeal to their sensitivities and their "Love for Nature"? Or are you going to threaten them with law?

...Just what is the grand plan and what do you expect to achieve from it?

Smoke:2

You find yourself lonely in the dark jungle of your mind. Lost in dismal thoughts, fearful of approaching shadows, surrounded by nothing but cold gloom and pressing on from above like a giant burden, a dull dusky sky. What do you do? You light up a fire. Replace the gloom with a glow. That's what they do, the smoke rings you blow...

...False assurance, one might say: Deferring the fear, bringing closer the Death. But an assurance all the same. And then the reassurance: To have your death (and life) in your own hands and in your sight rather than in the hands of some unknown, unseen chance comer...

...So you light up. Lighten up. Such momentary relief from griefs is all that you have and need, as the night gets darker. The fire carries you through to the dawn of yet another day which might have a similar end, but probably with clearer skies and twinkling stars. But if not, you'll still have one in between your fingers. One spark will always be there.