The Summa Discordia

I put the Summa together because I was tired of people saying that Eris wasn't real.

I almost didn't put the Summa together because of the Principia. For a while, I was afraid that it would be too much like its predecessor, then too different. After all, the Principia set the standard. It created the Movement. It essentially created Eris from Nothing.

Or so I thought.

The Truth is, we created Eris from nothing. The original book was written, 'nuff respect, but that was thirty years ago. The world has changed now. For one thing, there are a lot more Discordians. We've spent time and energy taking Discordianism and running with it. We've had pointless discussions, written very bad poetry, made inappropriate jokes, embarrassed our loved ones - all in the name of Eris. We've also looked at things a little differently. Chaos got refiled from primordial evil to the ol' briar patch (just as we suspected). Obedience got moved from virtue to vice. And faith? Have faith your socks are where you left them. Unless the puppy got there first.

Another thing has changed in the past thirty years - our situation is definitely Greyer. The counterculture that spawned the Principia got repackaged to sell minivans, with the irony removed for Your Dining Enjoyment. And the youthkulturs that followed got co-opted before they could truly form. Looking for an identity? I just happen to have one here, and it's XTREME ($49.95, authenticity extra).

The Adultkulture, meanwhile, was even worse. Somewhere along the line everybody decided that megacorporations weren't bigger - there was just more of them to love. People seemed to file Questioning Authority between Peevishness (unnecessary) and Rude Music on the shelf of things best left to the young. The grown-ups had finally mastered the skill of Shutting Up and Doing What You're Told.

And that's where the crazy idea comes in.

What if a bunch of us got together and convinced some people that there weren't nearly as many rules as they thought? What if we told people that they could choose? That the drinking fountain you walk by every day was secretly beautiful, so why don't you just give it a really good look for once - go on, it's ok. That the little melody you've had in your head really wants to become a song, even if it's a crappy song, because music just wants to be made? That if something horrible happened, and you didn't end up making more money than everyone you can see from where you're sitting, that you still might be ok? That the world is a crazy, chaotic place that we can't fully control or predict no matter how much science we buy, and that's perfectly all right?
 

If someone told you this, would you listen?
 

Would you be brave enough to do what you're told?
 
 
 
 

And now, a message from our sponsor....
 
Please remember that the
Summa Discordia is Smriti.
Treat it as Sruti and I will do a number on your infidel ass.
 

 
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