As an individual, it would be a fabrication for me to label myself "typical." You may wonder why I refer to myself as the "exultant pessimist," or how such a paradox is even possible. I suppose I shall explain where this bizarre juxtaposition comes from, with the example of my view of humanity. I tend to feel that humans are the most selfish, egotistical, and dogmatic of all beings; we view lower forms of life as disposable and ourselves as infinitely superior. Anything that relies on instinct is simply deemed inferior. This is where my disgust for humanity is rooted. However, I am not an unhappy person; quite the contrary, actually. With the aid of caffeine and endorphins, it is rare that I don't have a smile on my face simply because of the fact that I am alive today, here in this moment. I enjoy lots of typical activities--parties, sporting events, movies, and the like. I truly believe every day is a gift, even though I have no God and scoff at any thought of supernatural experience. I consider myself exultant because my negative perception allows me to view most things as comedic, and keeps me from taking anything too seriously.
My pessimism is not apathetic; I truly believe that by refraining from eating animals I am helping save lives, as subtle as my impact may be. What disgusts me is how people can view such an image and still go out and scarf down a burger afterwards. Honestly, I can't look at it without tearing up a little bit. I chose this photo because it outlines my disgust for humanity and its idea that we can just kill everything in our wake with only our advantage in mind. What about the poor lost soul hanging upside down? I thought hangings were deemed illegal, and yet there is nothing wrong with hanging the ones we consume. How is this not hypocrisy? As depressed as it makes me, I chose this image because it conveys something about my character--the fact is, whenever I see someone eating meat, this image pops in my mind and my view of humanity takes another dive. As a result, I begin to feel that we, as a race, are all doomed--until I get my work out in, and a cup of coffee of course; only then do I remember, with a smile on my face, that I am alive today, here, in this moment. Unlike poor Elmer.
