Comfort

For the past who knows how long, this exchange from Huxley's Brave New World has been by itself in my facebook "Favorite Quotes" section:

"We don't," said the Controller. "We prefer to do things comfortably."

"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."

"In fact," said Mustapha Mond, "you're claiming the right to be unhappy."

"All right then," said the Savage defiantly, "I'm claiming the right to be unhappy."

I think its always interesting to revisit the information we put on our social networking profiles. From movies and television shows to quotes and about me's, we compile our profiles so that they reflect a certain individual, whether that be a real person or an imagined, "better" self. But what we don't always realize is that the James Golfo that's listed on facebook is a James from the past. Our profiles are time machines that take us back to a particular moment in which we sat down in front of a computer and decided "I'm going to summarize the person I am right now, and this is how."

How often do we go back and edit our profiles to make sure all of it still holds true? Do I still like that book? Shoot, do I even remember any of that book? I can certainly say that I'm a much different person today than I was when I last edited my facebook information. Hell, I'm probably a much different person than I was just a few weeks ago. Sure, I've slipped an extra movie or rapper to rest amongst a long list of movies and musicians, but the change is minute-- and let's be honest, probably unnoticed.

Before I go and revamp my entire profile, I think I'll just revisit one thing: the Huxley quote. Do I remember the plot of Brave New World? Sure, kinda. Do I remember the context of the quote? Yeah, more or less. Does it still hold true to me personally? Is this something I can really call my favorite quotation? To have only one quote under the word "favorite" can really say something. Out of everything ever said, this and only this is under my favorite quotations. Sounds like a commitment-- if it is to exist alone, it better mean something to me.

The answer is yes. Actually, it probably as true as its ever been.

P.S., to be completely honest, if I were less lazy, there would probably be more quotes there.