I Hate Hummus

A few days back, I got accused of something called ‘hubris’.

I’m going to totally admit right now that I had no idea what this word actually meant. Initially, I thought the word meant a Middle Eastern and Arabic food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and salt . Then I realized that made no sense at all considering the context. I might have been thinking of hummus.

It got me thinking. And it got me questioning things. Is Hubris really a bad thing?

The word ‘Hubris’ comes from an ancient Greek story, where some mortal got too uppity, and the Gods smited him for being uppity. I’m not going to tell the whole story, on account that it’s boring as fuck. It was mainly about pride and the failure to be humble. It was about how those who take pleasure in their enemies suffering were doomed.

Is pride really as bad thing? Is arrogance really a bad thing? I don’t think so. Let me explain why.

The basis of any organized religion is to opiate the masses. Look into any historical religious faction and you will see something about how arrogance, how lack of humility, how questioning authority is a sin. How it will only lead to disaster and how speaking above your station, questioning how things were done, and failure to forgive even your worst enemy was a sin.

You know who wrote those religious texts? Rich people. You know how I know that’s true. Because in ancient times, regardless of the continent, literacy was a luxury.

You know why rich people told poor people that arrogance was a sin? Because if they didn’t, and if their slaves got too arrogant, they would have an uprising on their hands.

Organized religion is the opiate of the masses. That is why I don’t participate, and that is why I don’t agree that humility and forgiveness are the key.

Hubris came from a bunch of Greeks who wanted to tell their slaves that wanting something more than being slave was sinful. That desiring material goods would get them smited by some imaginary father figure.

I ain’t buying it.

To forgive is NOT divine. If we just start blanketly forgiving people, how the fuck are they going to learn about consequences? “I’m so sorry that I ran over your kid because I was drunk. You need to forgive me because God tells you to. I’m so sorry that I raped you, but you need to forgive me because God tells you to. Pretty much, I can do whatever the fuck I want to you, because God tells you to forgive me. If you don’t you’re being uppity and sinful. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rape and murder someone else.”

Fuck you religion. I have no interest in your opiates. I get my own opiates, and I get them at a discount price.

Pride is not a bad thing. Arrogance is not a bad thing. No invisible father figure is going to come down and spank you because you failed to be humble enough. You know who wants you to be humble?

The people who wanted to do whatever the fuck they wanted. So they could keep people as slaves. Political leaders actually used passages from the bible to excuse taking people as slaves. How the fuck are people ok with this? Oh wait, because pride is a sin and treasures await you in heaven.

Fuck you. I’ll take my treasure right now, thank you very much.

That’s how you get somewhere in this world. You don’t become humbled by religion. You don’t back down because someone is calling you arrogant. Instead, you say ‘fuck the man’ and you do what you want to do.

So, to the dude that accused me of hubris… there is a reason that I am successful, and you are a McDonalds cashier. You know what that reason is? I demanded something more. I didn’t get drugged by religion. I don’t fear an angry lightening bolt coming down from the sky and smiting me because I enjoy my life. Instead, I take what I want. I do what I want. I say fuck following the masses. I’ll have as much fun as I want.

And I hate hummus.