Friday, May 25, 2012

the bonfire of vanities



Sunday was "hubby day". On "hubby day", my beloved husband gets some well-deserved back rubs and he also gets to pick what we watch on TV or at the movies. As I promised him, we went to watch “The Avengers.” I happen to really like the super hero, comic book type of movies, but the one thing I didn’t expect from watching “The Avengers” was a deep philosophical look at life.

In one of the scenes, a big group of people socialize in an opera house. There was a string quartet playing while the beautifully dressed and coiffed guests drank champagne. It was right at that moment (a few minutes before things exploded and super-hero fight started) that I was taken over by the feeling that human nature is a continuum.

As I looked at that scene, I saw together two aspects of human nature that I find fascinating and disturbing: musicality and vanity. In that room, as the quartet played this beautiful composition, I grasped the full concept of human genius. The instruments being played (violin, cello, etc.) are human creations. We, as a species, somehow came up with the idea that pieces of string tied to wood would make beautiful sounds. In that same room, I saw people parading their riches as though their sense of self-importance was more important than anything else in the world. Their vanity was so raw to me, I could almost touch it.

I am not immune to feelings I find less than commendable. Although I am not a vain person, I sometimes feel rage and laziness.  As I realized the continuum of human nature, meaning that all these feelings are a part of who I am to one extent or another, I also realized that accepting this fact gives me the choice to change. If I accept that in me are feelings of rage and love, pride and humility, I become the captain of my life.

I can work to become a person my parents can be proud of. But most importantly, I can become a person I am proud of. Proud not because I acquired material things or possess a fancy title at work, but because I am a better person in my soul.

13 comments:

S said...

Two different sides of human nature- the duality , which we sometimes call the "dark" and the "light" -we continuously shift between these two extremes, and in order to choose more of the one and less of the other, one has to be aware of this duality first. Awareness leads to the freedom of choice of what we want to be, to be our best self !
Lovely post, and beautiful paintings !
love,
Sanghamitra

Å olanje na domu-Waldorf said...

Love reading your insights. :)Well said and well painted. :)

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Wow! You got a lot out of that movie! Good introverted pondering.

Introverted Art said...

;-) I know, even I was surprised.

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

Great insights from the ponderings of an introvert. I love 'hubby day'; that's sweet. Is it safe to assume that you get your own day, too?

Introverted Art said...

Hello! Oh, yes. I do get wife day as well. Actually, there has been more "wife days" than "hubby day" lately.

Sherri B. said...

I so enjoy reading your deep and insightful thoughts...and I love your paintings! I'm so glad you are enjoying Picfx - I laughed at your comment about your dog getting tired of posing. :) Have a wonderful weekend!

Arkansas Patti said...

First off, wonderful paintings. I too sometimes see something and wonder how on earth man had the thought to creat such an item. Who was the first to have the idea?
Your conclusion proves you are smarter than most who have many more years on the treadmill.
Love the idea of "hubby day" and I am sure he does too. If you do it every day, they would take it for granted and it loses its specialness.

foxysue said...

This is deep and meaningful, I read it last night but came back this morning with a clearer head :~), as Sanghamitra points out, awareness is the way to our truest Self, which of course was created in love, being the highest form of energy! x

Ariel said...

Great post Ana.We humans are never satisfied with the material things or fancy titles that we acquire. We are always trying to climb that side of the ladder and sometimes in the process many values are compromised.I always believe that our life is a journey where we constantly try to improve and turn into a better person. There, nothing is compromised only a deep sense of peace and happiness will preside.
Love your painting too. I believe you have used a dry bruch technique here. Did you use a fan brush/
Susan

Ana said...

Hi Susan, you wrote such wise words. I used a round brush for trunk and branches and a kitchen sponge for the leaves. Ana

Anonymous said...

Beautiful painting, and wonderful, insightful writing. Now I have to see that movie again!

Zena said...

Beautiful painting. Love your insight. The ability to make music has always amazed me (maybe because I think I don´t consider myself to be musically gifted), and also, how easily we are prone to vainglory which is often mistaken for self-steem... but humility seems to me a great virtue (even when is not very admired by many) and a way to separate pride which is a love of self perverted, from a healthy self-concept