LOOK UPON MY WORKS YE MIGHTY, AND DESPAIR

"Ozymandias" is among the most powerful of poems I've had the privilege of reading. The vivid imagery and powerful diction creates an eerie sense of the eternity of pride, the main theme of the poem.
The scene is a barren dessert, with "lone and level sands that stretch far away." And in the center of such immense emptiness lies a crumbling idol, a testament of power long since eroded by the sands of time. And yet, despite this mysterious civilization and it's ancient death, the pride of the ruler, of Ozymandias, of the king, lives on.
As humans, we lose many things with age. Mobility, creativity, happiness, but one thing people are desperate not to relinquish, is their dignity, their pride, as once those qualities are relinquished, there's really nothing left.

In human history, women have always pulled the short stick since we became "civilized."

In standard hunter gatherer communities, sexism just didn't make sense. Though men typically endeavored the more treacherous tasks, such as hunting, women really did most of the work. Pregnancy/childbearing, crafting of clothes, tools, homes, and utensils, nearly always fell on the back of the women. In many communities, the wife of the leader was respected just as much if not more than the male leader. So when did this enormous fissure between the sexes begin? Essentially since we became a sedentary species, choosing to stick in one place farming, rather than living the dynamic life of nomads. 

As technology advanced, the sheer amount of necessary labor reduced, leaving free-time in the people's lives for the first time. 

Now, here's what I don't get: where was the decision, conscious or not, that women ought to be the ones to sit out? From then, the fissure has been growing immensely rapidly, where today we've formulated some sort of sick algorithm which defines women as women. Your pants must be this tight, your hair this long, your teeth this white, oh and if you don't wear these shoes, you might as well grow a mustache and change your name to Demetri. 

In my opinion, things won't change unless we are able to entirely shatter these misconceptions of what a man is, or what a woman is. Hell, why is a man considered a 'little bitch' if he sheds a tear in public, or a woman a 'slut' if she enjoys sexual contact more than your evangelical neighbors?

Until we decide to place down these ridiculous preconceptions of gender and simply view people without a hundred societal filters clogging our minds, the fissure between the sexes will grow deeper, larger, until all our confused accusations and queer assumptions overflow, drowning in our own ignorance.

Isn't it the most curious thing that a thousand people can witness the exact same event, and yet every individual will have a unique experience, a series of thoughts never thought before? This is so because of our perceptions. Though we may witness the same events, eat the same foods, watch the same television, the feelings, thoughts, and actions it provokes are as unique as the audience. 

Everything we believe, detest, adore, has been formulated in our minds through a series of filters; culture, upbringing, environment, allows people to view the same events, and while some may vomit in disgust, others might bring their hands together in celebration.

In the beginning of Tess of the D'Ubervilles, we encounter a man who many view as sodding rubbish. A drunk vagrant, from his description. He himself believes the perceptions of others. However, once he came into knowledge of his royal background, his entire perception changes. Alas, no longer is he a drunkard, nay, he is but a king in celebration. No longer is he a vagrant, he is a kind lord attempting to relate to his people. 

Nothing really changed after his discovery of his lineage, however. He is still a drunk pauper on the side of the streets, in worn and tattered clothing. However, none of that matters now. The vagrant now views himself as royalty, and since perceptions are truly our only fashion of understanding, he may as well be a great lord in some high up castle. 

The point is, everything we believe is affirmed only through our perceptions. Therefore, if one can assume control and consciousness of their perceptions, they are nearly limitless. Without pre-conceived notions of what we should be or what we are, one attains the only true freedom; freedom from self.