A man visits a primitive country and is surprised to find when he arrives that everyone there is constantly fighting, throwing grenades at each
other
Thinking that he could help these people he approaches one particular group who seem to throw less grenades than the others and gives them a special
book all about why people shouldn't go around throwing grenades at each and why they shouldn't fight. About how the world and universe work, the
numbers and letters work, the meaning of symbology, philosophy, everything they could ever need. Most importantly, why they don't need to fight or
throw grenades
He told them to give the book to everyone else freely, like he'd given it to them
After he leaves, those he gave the book to decide they aren't going to give to everyone freely as it had been given to them
The fact they now understood more than all the others still throwing grenades at each meant that they became instantly quite powerful. Something they
didn't wish to share to any but those they chose, or who were willing to pay for it
They'd found something far more effective to throw at people than grenades which gave them status above Kings and Queens themselves
They couldn't give regular people the real version of the book, so they rewrote it. Changing key words into "names", so people thought the information
was stories about real people and the true meaning of the words would be lost (The Nominum Touch). They chose an inbetween language to translate into,
and bended the meaning of the language, so that nobody would know the true translations. Except for them
By sitting down and changing the perceived meaning of key words, what was written in the book still seemed to make sense. But, with this step
combined with changing words to names, nobody could possibly know what it really said, except them
And as they were no longer throwing grenades, they were convinced in themselves, that they were the best of those in their land and people
They were Gods chosen. The lucky ones
They convinced themselves they were good, just, loving and beautiful, even in their disregard of the very thing that made them and what they were
asked to do
The let others suffer, instead of giving freely to them, that which was given freely to them
One day the man returned to these lands and was surprised to find that everyone was still throwing grenades at each other and fighting. Not much has
changed
He found the men of willing inaction he'd given the book to and the place they'd assigned themselves
He found them basking in their riches, judging others with a certainty and authority that was never given to them
Opening others to meaning within a corrupted version of the book that wasn't there and was never given to them
Not only giving it, but believing it
"What happened to the book I gave you?" asked the man "what is this you've turned it into?"
In response the man threw the book at him, certain it would answer the question without answering it, as if it were never asked, just like with
everyone else
Why not? It works most of the time
But the man would not accept their answers, as one who knew better
He continued to ask where the book had gone and why it had not been given as intended. But they continued to try answer him contemptuously using a
corruption of the very thing that he had originally given them
Eventually, the man leading this group stepped forward looking down his nose at the man who would dare question them. So blind in his own
self-assurity he wasn't even aware he was doing it. Or that he was spreaking to the groups original teacher
"You don't like the book?" He said tossing a grenade at the man "then have this instead"
The man looked at the grenade that had landed at his feet for a moment ...
Then at the group of men he'd tried to help who threw it, as they stood there laughing about it
Laughing at him!?
Sighing, he picked up the grenade and took a few big steps back away from the group of men
Then he pulled the pin, becoming the first person in the history of the civilisation throwing grenades at each other, to know how to do so
"Nah, f@#k ya's" he said as he threw the live grenade back at their feet
"You have it"
edit on 16 6 21 by Compendium because: Corrections