where to start? i don't know, i need some more mental ordering. yoga. hip-hop culture. instagram. fucking evangelical christianity. it's all swirling together into this mess of hyper-capitalist narcissism.
this may be a developing theme here, as i encounter further examples and can unravel it in more detail.
but, expect to encounter this, i think: a hierarchy based on appearance (instagram followers?), and people that expect to be treated preferentially based solely on their looks.
i don't want to say it's a rejection of merit altogether, so much as it's a perversion of it. in their minds, looking good is hard work. that's really the basis of their thinking. they worked hard at the gym and expect some kind of reward.
it's more of a rejection of market exchange in favour of...god? i mean, who or what is doling out the rewards, here? the universe?
the actual truth is that i'm not sure you'd get a coherent answer if you tried. all you're going to get is the idea that hard work should be rewarded.
it doesn't matter if that work has any social purpose or greater good.
so, it's also a perversion of calvinism.
it's almost more like the idea of sacrificing something to the gods. the gym (or the yoga studio) is the new temple. the workout bench is the new altar. in return for hard work in the gym, they expect the gods to look favourably upon them.
like sacrificing a fucking goat...
i'm an atheist. don't misunderstand me, this isn't a moralistic rant - it's a sociological observation. i'm just describing shit. i'm not judging. if i am judging a little (we can't help it...), it's from a communist slant. but i just for the first time understood the social utility of monotheistic attacks upon paganism. this behaviour is anti-social.
like i say: expect this to probably develop more over time.