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V for Vendetta, Part 5
Symbols & People
Last year saw the release of the excellent comic book movie, Batman Begins. It traced the origins of one of my favorite comic book characters as he went from being an ordinary man (or, ordinary billionaire, that is) and became a sort of transcendent symbol (more about that here). This year, we see the same message being driven home once again courtesy of DC comics, with the new V for Vendetta movie.
And it’s a very powerful and important message - that individual humans falter and die, but the symbols which we invest with value go above and beyond anything we could ever do ourselves. Stories like this inspire you to live according to an ideal, rather than according to the whims and foibles and weaknesses of everyday life. And so they’re very inspiring. But when we start fusing ourselves with symbols, what happens to our simple humanity? Does it simply fall by the wayside?
When you can’t live up to an ideal, when you fail to be as principled as you should be, what happens? You feel bad. You feel guilty. You feel wrong, pathetic and weak. In other words, what you’re feeling is your humanity. You’re not a symbol. You’re not Batman or V or anything else but yourself. As much as I love these movies and these types of stories, the thought keeps nagging at me that what’s important about being a human is our ability to simply be human rather than our ability to transcend into a symbol. And it strikes me that in our world of symbols run rampant, maybe what we need is not more symbols of better symbols to follow, but more humans. Even if it means we’re flawed and messed up and ridiculous sometimes. We need more people to shake hands with, to hug, to drink with, to argue with, to love, to go fishing with, to curse at when they cut us off. Maybe trying to transcend that, to be somehow “better” than all that is just a cop-out. Maybe it’s a failure to simply accept life for what it is and enjoy it for all its quirks. Maybe transcendence is a trap, a way to get us to pick up and put on other masks and follow new leaders to new ends. Once those leaders and symbols and ideas leave us though, once we fail to live up to them, what are we left with? Simple humanity. It’s the only constant we have and might just be the only symbol worth clinging to.
March 22nd, 2006 at 2:03 pm
as i finsihed reading the last few setences of this post, the image that formed in my mind was of a hoarde of people following a leader in a very dark forest. this leader carried a very bright torch, the light of which mesmerized all who followed. as they walk on, the flame they’re staring at seems to become brighter and brighter. the flip-side of this becomes clear when the light goes out. suddenly, everyone finds themselves blinded by the darkness. the brighter the light (we glare at), the more gaping the surrounding darkness becomes.
what you said about “clinging onto a symbol” is right on. just the other day i found myself bummed that i had failed to “live up to” the standards i’d set for myself. i was being nagged by laziness, frustration, and indifference — all things i had sworn against. and then i realized it was like fighting a wave. what was i running from? myself — my humanity. so i turned around, stopped fighting, and let myself enjoy the current. it doesnt meean i have to be a slave to my lesser qualities. but to deny our impulses, (to quote the matrix), “is to deny the very thing that makes us human”
March 22nd, 2006 at 3:11 pm
i can think of another symbol worth clinging to:
seriously, i often think the most essential aspect of ‘basic humanity’ is our willingness to ask questions. of course, that leads us into the trap of dr. faustus (a double-bind!)…. faustus essentially is granted every success by mephistopheles until the point at which faust is completely satisfied. faust accomplishes great deeds, does some dirty work, hangs out with the devil but finally reaches a point where he no longer wants to ask new questions, at which mephistopheles claims his soul. but, in the end, he’s redeemed anyhow, because, “Whoever strives in ceaseless toil, Him we may grant redemption.”
March 22nd, 2006 at 3:13 pm
I haven’t seen the movie *yet* but I’m familiar with the story and I enjoyed your commentary on humanity vs. ideology. As a person who has chosen the path of single motherhood, I’ve changed my priorities so that my humanity (and the practical responsibilities that accompany it) takes the important front row. I however, do not “let go” of my ideology. I just wear it like a looser fitting cloak. I still practice and hone my thoughts. I challenge my own perceptions and dialog with others who will challenge me. I try to embrace my humanity by studying the dharma which is a path in which humanity IS ideology…
It is a delicate path to walk…but the elegance is in finding the balance between supporting my ideals and embracing my humanity. When it works, it is a beautiful thing. When I struggle…I go back to the breath. Thanks for your blog. I enjoy it immensely.
March 22nd, 2006 at 3:32 pm
“Batman Begins” Tackles Cults of Assassins
March 22nd, 2006 at 4:05 pm
Timinsf: I modified your link above to what I *thought* you were referring to…
March 22nd, 2006 at 10:38 pm
I think we’re starting to get into a crazy wisdom mind-space here, at least I am. The idea that we can’t be self-transcending heroic symbols for our greatest ideals, and at the same time be a stupid fucking monkey seems like a false dichotomy to me. There’s really no contradiction here if we have the sophistication to simply accept these extremes of being as “ourselves”, and allow ourselves to shift in and out of them with ease (or even occupy both simultaneously!)
This is what makes someone a hero, or even a Christ figure–both man and god.
March 22nd, 2006 at 11:38 pm
And maybe the reason we have sooo many symbols, and keep asking for more, is that those very symbols are what we need, what we want, what why aspire to as humans… For humanity, all we need to do is look around… It is well within reach.
Something to look up to, now, that’s motivating.