Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Describes Subconscious Fat
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Of course, I’m referring to the movie, which has won many awards, including an Academy Award for best film of 2022. Yet, I didn’t love the movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t worry, I won’t include any spoilers.
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 feet
Mr. Skeptical’s eyes squint at me. “You didn’t like the movie, but now you’re writing about it. Yet I’m unsurprised because you’re a confused, messed up person.”
My jaw tenses. “It’s the idea of Everything Everywhere All at Once. Despite not loving the movie, I can’t help but think that the title of the movie fits how Subconscious Fat affects humans.”
“Meaning you’re saying Subconscious Fat affects someone in Everything and Everywhere and All at Once?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Looking at broad sociological and environmental issues impacting humans like climate change, racism, imperialism, colonialism, communism, and capitalism, it affects Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
“Hmmm, give me an example.”
“When humans started using oil for energy many years ago, at that time, no one thought of the long-term consequences. If one is in the middle of a Hurricane Andrew-like event five years from now, it will affect that individual with Everything, Everywhere, and All at Once. However, no one could foresee the future when humans started using oil for energy. It was Subconscious Fat for a long time.”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 feet
Mr. Skeptical folds his arms, looks up at the ceiling, and says, “What you’re talking about reminds me of the law of unintended consequences.”
“Yes. One can look at an action we do today and see the benefit, but it’s often difficult to predict the unintended consequences of the future. One good example is the United States’ history of gun use. In the early creation of this country, gun use was made a right with the creation of the 2nd Amendment. It appeared like a great idea. After all, thanks to the average citizen having a gun, we kicked the British out and became an independent country with many freedoms. Yet, I’m sure the early drafters of the 2nd Amendment in 1791 couldn’t imagine an AR-15-style rifle. Likewise, I’m sure the early drafters never imagined a tragedy like the killing of 6- and 7-year-olds at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. If we look at the historical arc of gun use in the United States, we see times when it appeared to be a great idea and when too many guns appeared to be a horrible idea. For those who lose a loved one in a mass shooting, the Subconscious Fat of guns is hitting them with Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
“Yes, mass shootings are a horrible outcome of guns, but predicting the future is hard.”
“We can better predict the future by looking at the past. The past is important. The past can sometimes reveal Subconscious Fat to help us predict the future.”
“Well, that seems easier said than done.”
“I’ll give you a perfect example: opioid use for pain management. In the 90s, many doctors were encouraged to prescribe opioids for pain relief, believing they wouldn’t cause addiction. But everybody knows that many patients did become addicted. Deaths continued to rise even when the prescriptions were limited and decreased.”
“But shouldn’t the opposite have happened if they were prescribed less?”
“That’s what one would think, but there was Subconscious Fat there too. Users who couldn’t get the prescriptions then turned to heroin and other drugs, some of which had Fentanyl, which has killed many people, including Prince.”
“Yes, I like Prince’s music.”
“Me too. One could argue the same thing is happening but less dramatically with antibiotics. They worked for a long time and still do, but now we have the problem of antibiotic-resistant strains. The CDC website says,
Resistance to even one antibiotic can mean serious problems. For example, Antimicrobial-resistant infections that require the use of second- and third-line treatments can harm patients by causing serious side effects, such as organ failure, and prolong care and recovery, sometimes for months.
When science and medicine mess with Mother Nature by using opioids or antibiotics, always remember there’s a price to pay. So be careful, and don’t overuse and abuse. Too much of a good thing is exactly that, too much.
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
Mr. Skeptical leans back in his chair with his arms folded. “Alright, I get your idea of how Subconscious Fat can affect something in a way that goes with the movie title Everything Everywhere All at Once. But I want to hear a personal story.”
“Well, let’s look at a common personal story. It goes like this: a girl is born from one or two alcoholic parents. She then grows up, and when she’s 18 years old, she meets a man at a party. The man is passed out on the floor. She aids him. She becomes his nurse for the night, and she thinks, “He’s kind of cute.”
Mr. Skeptical smirks. “I get it already. She falls in love with the drunk man because it subconsciously reminded her of one or both of her parents.”
I act surprised. “You already know the story. But what do you think happens if you tell the young woman that? That the love she feels for the man is just a reflection of something she already knew. That it’s not true love but more like leaning into something familiar and comfortable. It could become true love with time, but it also may not.”
“She’ll likely find an excuse not to believe you.”
“Exactly. She’ll say something like, ‘But I do love him. And he knows not to keep drinking because he also has an alcoholic parent, so he understands the consequences and will avoid becoming one as I do.’ She’ll always be able to rationalize a reason for herself. She may never realize the Subconscious Fat that is going on. And it will affect Everything Everywhere All at Once for her.”
“Or she might realize it.”
“True, she might, but more often than not, by the time she does realize her Subconscious Fat in the relationship, some or a lot of damage will have been done. “
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
One tip is to ask oneself why. Always asking why before making big and small decisions can lead someone to uncover some Subconscious Fat, helping someone avoid a costly mistake in life. But it often means asking why repeatedly, going deep, which could be painful.
“Okay, enough with the life advice already.” Mr. Skeptical raises his hands, irritated. “So why didn’t you like the movie?”
He can never just let me give suggestions. He always wants more. “I thought it covered some deep issues, but there were silly parts that turned me off.”
Mr. Skeptical’s eyes enlarge, and he leans closer to me. “Silly parts? And you think this newsletter isn’t silly?”
I remind myself that I need to buy some big noise-cancellation headphones. I’m not enjoying hearing Mr. Skeptical talk right now.
I’ll leave you now readers, with the same advice as always, be aware.