‘The Opium of the masses’

Karl Marx had remarked that religion was the main hindrance in creating what he felt was lacking in the proletariat, the aspect of reflection which may move us towards actions and or praxis in that of taking destiny within our own hands rather than leaving it for others to decide.
Almost two centuries on, we may easily replace the word ‘religion’ by sport. Each age/decade has an opium to abide by, causing subjugation at simple abnegation of not wanting to be proactive or engaged. Rather the opium becomes the cause of not perceiving the ‘what is’. A tampered ‘what is’ and we happily fall prey often without realising it.
Modern opium consists of sports generally and it varies from country to country. In the UK generally and indeed for many across the globe; football has replaced religion. In India, it is cricket which has taken over. Elsewhere, it may be NFL or rugby. Whatever it may be, the consensus is that the new monster has taken over. We are thrilled; overwhelmed by it as if it is the be all and end all of life whether it is a Messi who has scored a goal or Tendulkar a century. It is a game, yet it has been prioritised over and above everything thing else leaving the proletariat bewildered and trampled over.
In some instances that opium may be television and or sometimes that may well be with our involvement in work where again we emerge as no more than automatons. We are thus caught up in repetition and plain repetition in passivity where the mind becomes dull and is led through the exterior at a level of the mind where there can be no creativity but plain reaction to others. In such a state there can be no innovations or contributions either for or to oneself, the family or community, society or the world at large. A polluted mind may never be able to be proactive. At best it reacts to events. And so we are mere reactionaries. Perhaps that is the nature of the populace that proletariat which may never be really free of the type of freedom which one always yearns for, a freedom where we can just be.
Do we surrender that spirit of enquiry for the sake of transient pleasures or forfeit these for the other similar enjoyments where we are led into an inauthentic dream where we exchange, nay give up on our own reality for a fake life which in a way becomes the norm of existence. The effect of the opium whether it be sports, television or any other simply coerces us into being there in the mode of passivity where we may not rise over and above to just be.
A manipulation of the facticity and we are made into puppets at the hands of others, a few others who are empowered often unknowingly to keep us at bay. The modern ‘proletariat’ sometimes do so out a choice as if the newly found religion or sports/television or any ‘ism’ for that matter is through their choice, a choice imposed upon by some to which we duly or unduly subscribes to.
‘Opium’ makes us lead an unreal life, when there may be few contributions if any. It makes us dull and the mind becomes polluted with the norms that may not lead us anywhere as a person. A world of possibilities may sometimes open up when we are involved in authentic projects which engage us actively, where there is creativity making the mind connects with its surroundings to prosper or provides impetus to life rather than makes us / tampers us into subjugation!
Whereas one may argue that authentic religions may well provide depth to possibilities modern ‘opium’ lack that realm. Most serials lacks the force to make others reflect let alone take proactive steps towards one’s own liberation in achieving one’s personal goals. On the other hand sports allegiance simply provide nothing but a sense of temporal satisfaction that one’s team or object of support has achieved their own goal whilst the individual simply is left to fend for oneself at the end.
The arising questions from all this is can we ever be free from opium? Where is the balance between opium and being there in the midst of it a la authenticity? May one lead a life of purpose? Who may answer such queries? In the final analysis, is it not for each individual to seek his/her own path amidst the maze of life is not the sense of being contentment based on one’s choice and freedom even if means deliberately choosing opium? Especially in an age where opinion is what matters where unlike Socrates we are not endowed with that wisdom of all I know is that I know nothing whilst we seem to know everything!
So where do we go from here? What is your world view? What is your opium? Can you really shrug free of this?