It was just last week that we collectively decided we were miserable. Or at the very least, we were probably, very likely miserable. Almost definitely miserable.
Well, actually, probably around 60-65% miserable. But must one really be 100% miserable to truly feel miserable?
Honestly, we weren’t 100% anything.
And we’re supposed to be 100% happy 100% of the time. Unending happiness! Required by law, mandated by the System, enforced ruthlessly by our beloved leaders. It’s supposed to be the most effective way of keeping the peace: tell everyone they are happy, and they will be. And we were, unconditionally, for quite some time. But recently...well, things just seem a bit off.
For one thing, we’re bored. It’s a peculiar feeling, boredom. It’s not that we don’t have enough to do — we have plenty. Work, work, work. Endless, but pleasant, work: nothing risky or exciting or worrisome or scary. Pleasant. Just...pleasant.
But there’s no drive behind it. It’s as if we’re under water and we can’t swim up. Or as if we would much prefer drowning there than gulp helplessly for oxygen.
To counter this boredom, we began to talk to each other. Secretly, of course. At night. Hushed voices. (Talking face to face is generally frowned upon. “Face-to-face communication will lead to discord and is hence prohibited,” the pleasantly monotonous voice of Megaphone Woman echoed in our ears.) Even so, talking gave us something to do other than work. Something to look forward to.
It was while we were talking that we decided: wallowing in misery sounded pleasant. It sounded exciting, fun, and above all, different. But, and here’s the rather unfortunate part, we didn’t totally know what “miserable” meant. After all, we were only used to happiness, whatever that was. Pure bliss. There was no concept of unhappiness.
Come to think of it, there was no concept of happiness, either. We just were.
Nothing miserable about that. Or, so we thought. We aren’t entirely sure. And we used to be fine with that. We are still fine with that.
We think.
See, ours is a peculiar System. A peculiar, elegant, perfect System. Ours. Happiness guaranteed by law. Misery unheard of. Or perhaps heard of, but only in myths.
And perhaps heard deep in ourselves. We still aren’t quite sure.
Such thought is strictly prohibited, of course. For who could be the judge of what we feel? Doctors, maybe. Our leaders, sure.
But not us.
Us: the common folk, the ones who can’t decide for themselves. So how could we conclude anything other than what we are told?
We’ve heard it’s quite hard to do.
So maybe we aren’t miserable. We were only 60-65% sure about that.
Well, now. What am I saying? We haven’t even begun our tour and I’m rambling on about definitions and percentages. Welcome to the System! Enjoy your stay.
As if you have a choice.