Jenseits des Lustprinzips

Beyond the pleasure principle is not, as one might tend to think, an ex negativo definition of the reality principle. Beyond the pleasure principle lies not reality, but death, or rather: the death drive. What Freud thus tried to circumscribe by negation - as if it were impossible to positively define the death drive by saying what it is, rather than what it is not -, with the formula "beyond the pleasure principle" is a drive that is pure negation itself; a drive that paradoxically persists on the complete extermination of life, and thus itself.

The German word Jenseits finally - and probably not coincidentally - is a synonym for the hereafter; or rather: it is a topographical metaphor (designating a space rather than a time) for whatever lies beyond death.

Growing up, sideways, past, or whatever other direction

So I've been doing a lot of thinking about this whole growing up business. You know, it's my big thing for 2010. It's like my concept, my project, whatever.

Don't get me wrong - this is NOT AT ALL about trying to live by yourself, take responsability for what you do, be reasonable, bla bla. Sometimes when I say to people "I think 2010 will be the year when I grow up", they turn their eyes in a slightly condescending way sighing "Oh, I wish I was only growing up now! You know, I had to be a grown up from way early on in my life..." Upon which, ususally, follows some variation of a deprived childhood or other really "bad" experience that made people grow up "the hard way" and "way before their time".

So let me get this right: I've had my share of bad experience; I pay for my life (in every way); I moved out of my parents house when I was 18 and have been living by myself since I was 23 - so in terms of responsibilty, getting my life straight, cleaning up and cooking for myself, I'm doing all right. Growing up, for me, is not about being reasonable or not going out every night or just getting old and somewhat middle-class. It's not about getting married or starting to have kids or all this other bourgeois bullshit.

What it means to me is mostly a kind of courage, maybe even audacity. It's about knowing yourself, being in touch with yourself and taking decisions about your life without either totally depending on the judgement of others or just fucking the judgement of others. It has, for me, a lot to do with serenity, and calmness - a kind of distance or difference to the world and to yourself, that does not mean you ignore the world and don't give a shit, but that you have a slight gap around you letting you breathe and letting you take your decisions for yourself - and most importantly, letting you take audacious decisions. No cowardness will do; no excuse; no extenuating circumstances.

Weisheit des Tages

Selbstmitleid ist der Narzissmus der Paranoiker.

Bilingual Exorzcism

You're not special, you're not individual, you're not even particularly original. What distinguishes you from all other people is really not that much and thereby not really worth mentioning.

You'd save yourself and everbody else a lot of trouble if you'd only finally, finally! realize that.

Du bist nicht individuell, du bist nicht besonders, du bist nichtmal besonders originell. Was dich von den Anderen unterscheidet ist bei weitem nicht so groß und schon gar nicht großartig, wie du glaubst.
Deswegen würdest du dir und allen anderen auch eine Menge Mühe und Leid ersparen, wenn du das nur endlich endlich kapieren könntest.

Alaaf Helau

Und wieder was gelernt...

... auch das hättest du nicht glauben können: wie sehr du jemanden, der eigentlich nur sehr wenig und sehr kurz (und/oder sehr virtuell) Teil deines Lebens war, vermissen kannst.

Ich denke an dich, und es tut mir einfach alles nur weh.

Na, das fängt ja gut an...

... dieses Jahr 2010.
Geht es nicht ein bisschen besser als das?

Man könnte gar nicht so viel Fressen wie man Kotzen möchte

Das fucking Wunderkind der Bohème

Tja, was soll man dazu sagen außer: waren wir jemals so hip? waren wir jemals so cool? waren wir jemals so Prenzlberg? Offensichtlich nicht. Mein Gott, für unsereins waren doch beschissene Holzfäller-Hemden und jugendliches Erbrechen zu den Gitarrenklängen von Nirvana das höchste der Gefühle. Ich wollte die Welt verändern, aber die beschissenen Erwachsenen ließen einen auch gar nichts machen, nicht mal die Haare färben, und wie willste denn da bitte die Welt verändern oder ein Buch schreiben oder ein Lied, wenn das ganze Unternehmen schon am Haarefärben scheitert?

In Summe bleibt zu sagen: Hoffentlich wird es nicht so schlimm, wie es schon ist.

Momentaufnahme

Die Feigheit; immer wieder die Feigheit der Menschen.
Dass es nicht klar ist jedem: Glück ist nicht bequem.
Das ist es, was uns die Psychoanalyse lehrt: dein Begehren hat einen Preis.