"Above all, don’t lie to yourself..." The Brothers Karamazov

"Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love." — The Brothers Karamazov

As the world progresses from villages and countrysides into developing / developed cities, this seems to be the most prevalent trait I notice in city dwellers during my travels.

What is the truth anymore to a person who grinds daily in a city, trying to keep up, to fit in, say, for the next job promotion or to simply feel socially accepted? The truth of his existence, the truth of what brings him life and happiness, vs what has been told to him as expectations and social norms.

I enjoyed my stay at the countryside because I found the people there more genuine in their treatment of others. Small sleepy towns give me life. I got to explore the area better while being brought around by a local, and that gave me a better understanding of how they live on a day to day basis. Through their eyes and constant conversations, the experience was rich and irreplicable. And yes, finally, guns were allowed to be carried on for protection. It made everyone toe the line and be nice.

When I came back to the city, all that surrounds me is the latest trends, the next couple of agendas that are being pushed through the government and by several groups of activists, a lot more "snowflake people" who have an entire list of to-dos and resolutions (but only manage to hit 30% completion at best) and very little truth or genuinity from a person. I keep hearing buzz words and hotly debated topics like "toxic musclinity", "women empowerment" and "LGBTQIA (the alphabets have since expanded by 2 times)" and the constant flaming and trolling towards the right-wingers / conservatives.

I wish city folk would learn to love themselves properly and thereforth be able to take care of themselves properly and live truthful and enriching lives.

(Overrun. Cutting short the journal entry. Will probably revisit this topic again at a later point.)