Today's MOZEN: To Be, Or Not To Be.

F LoBuono

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
The Heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life:
For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,
The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely, [F: poor]
The pangs of despised Love, the Law’s delay, [F: disprized]
The insolence of Office, and the Spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who would Fardels bear, [F: these Fardels]
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn
No Traveller returns, Puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of.
Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all,And thus the Native hue of Resolution
Is sicklied o'er, with the pale cast of Thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment, [F: pith]
With this regard their Currents turn awry, [F: away]
And lose the name of Action. Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia? Nymph, in thy Orisons
Be all my sins remembered.^[4]

This is the full text from Hamlet's soliloquy in Shakespeare's play of the same name. I have highlighted what I believe to be the key passages. The first, To be, or not to be, that is the question, is certainly one of the most quoted phrases in the English language. But, how many of us REALLY understand what it means. It has been quoted so many times, in fact, that we seldom think of the implication of the words. When heard in context with the rest of the soliloquy, we understand that Hamlet is a man in crisis. He has been confronted by a great wrong and is so concerned about dealing with it that he feels the only way to solve the problem is to avoid it completely, even until his own death, i.e. commit suicide. He knows the road to resolution will not be an easy one. But, he also reasons that if he fights hard enough, he just might win. Ah, what to do?!

As he continues, he weighs his options and, in a sense, he comes up with the conclusion that the devil you know is better to deal with than the one you don't. He reasons that should he kill himself he has no idea WHAT lies ahead. And, the thought of not knowing what lies in that great void terrifies him to the point that nothing on this earth can frighten him more than the his fear of the unknown. Plus, he knows that sometimes dreams can become reality. And, he worries that if he ends his life too soon he may never be able to actually LIVE his dreams. So, we all strive to live a long live, putting up with all the trials and tribulations associated with it for the CHANCE to fulfill our destiny  - Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all - we often live without taking chances.

Of course, only Shakespeare could frame that argument so articulately. That's why he's SHAKESPEARE. However, I believe that we have all felt that way in our lives. Perhaps, we have not gone so far as to contemplate suicide but I'm SURE that virtually all of us, at one time or another, have said - SCREW THIS. I'M DONE! Considering the amount of writing that I do, especially on controversial topics, I'm bound to create conflict. And, I most certainly do. People take pot shots at me all of the time. I get it. In fact, I usually welcome it. It's important for my personal growth to be challenged. I remember an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger where he discussed the pain associated with his intense workouts. He said he does it because you can't grow without burning. Of course, he was referring to his muscles but the same philosophy can be applied to our mental state, as well. It's important that we stretch our minds by discussing topics with people who's opinions may differ greatly from our own.

But, there is more to taking on your critics than just for mental exercise. We must have the courage of our convictions - always. We must take arms against a Sea of troubles, and by opposing end them. In fact, I believe there is a moral imperative that we do. To not ACTIVELY speak against injustice, bigotry, and hate is as wrong as those who perpetrate those memes in the first place! We cannot sit idly by while others spew a doctrine of fear of loathing. At least, I will NOT!

Look, I'm not right all of the time. No one is. But, I have a strong sense of moral justice that I believe has a place in this world. And, I have no tolerance for intolerance! Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I respect that. In fact, I do more than just respect it. I would fight for your right to have one. Still, with that said, having an opinion does not bestow on you the right to spew hate, abuse, and fear. If you do, I will call you out over it - always!!

There are so many times when I would like to just quit - to say SCREW THIS - and just write happy horseshit all of the time. But, that's not my nature. I was not taught that way and I do not live that way either. I would never be able to dream - because I would not be able to sleep. And, I dream of a world that is free from the fear and loathing - and I'm willing to fight for it.

The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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