Control. Faith.
If I had to conclude my argument for the necessity of having faith, it's to feel in control of the countless external variables contributing to your life. Variables that you have no control over but believe are working in your favour - faith in the external locus.
I wish to explore this idea further.
Let's conduct a thought experiment. What if you had complete control over how your life unfolds? Would you need God in such a situation?
Most of us had experienced prolonged periods when we were in complete control of our lives: our childhoods, and I can't remember a more peaceful time than that. I was in complete control and thus didn't see the need to have faith; why spend the extra energy having faith over my future when I knew first-hand how things would unfold? Looking back, this was the driving force behind my schoolboy atheism.
So what if this is the North Star? What if a "sense of control" is the answer to the question of life?
Politicians wish to control the masses and their narratives. Businessmen wish to control markets. Teachers wish to control their classrooms. Students wish to have control over their time. I can keep going.
People closest to me know I've been toying with the idea of creating my own religion, and I've found the North Star: it is control.
Drum roll, please. For the first time ever, let me introduce you to Controlism, the brand-new religion on the block.
I cannot stress how much I need suggestions for what it should be called.
Anyway, let me jot down a gist of what I have in mind.
I've considered approaching this as a case study given to a product manager. How would you structure a religion around the idea of ultimate control over one's own life?
I still need to come up with a central dogma. I have an outline of what it is going to be like: the central dogma of controlism would be a guideline on what the follower must consider to be able to craft their way of approaching the problem, give the people control over how they wish to tackle life but with the added foresight of every religion, cutting edge science and public experience.
I imagine an app-like interface where the follower gets to walk through the thought processes of the people before them. A drag-and-drop interface to choose systems that they are willing to inculcate in their lives. A list of thousands of superstitions to which they can subscribe. Countless scientific articles and papers backing critical points in the religion's argument.
I imagine a religion capable of evolving yet firm on its core beliefs. A religion that not only allows but welcomes criticism, as I see it being to religion what survival is to evolution.
I've also started looking at emotions in a different light. Emotions are not end goals but rather an indicator of where you are in life. I've introspected a lot on the various ways I've felt in the last few years in college, and I can see a heavy correlation between anxiety and lack of control. Emotions are only indicators and should be treated as such. How you ask, I'm not sure yet.
I'm writing all this at 3 am because my horoscope for today is
"When clarity hits you, make every attempt to write down what you see."
Until next time :)
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