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Putting the "Disco" back in Discordian
Thoughts on Being a Discordian
When challenged to write an article on Discordianism, I was faced with a problem a lot of Discordians face. How do you define something which, in many ways, you take as seriously as any other group within Paganism as a whole, yet is largely misunderstood or stereotyped by many in our community? My answers, strangely enough, came from the very book that first made me realize I was a Discordian, the Principia Discordia (now published by Steve Jackson Games, which has made it a LOT more accessible than it used to be - I found it locally at Griffon Books in South Bend). This article will hopefully clear up a few misconceptions I've heard about Discordians and just what we are.
The simplest personal definition I've found that works for me is that Discordians are "children of Eris". Eris, the Greek goddess of strife, is our inspiration and guide. We are believers in the basic universal truth of chaos, that no matter where you go, or what you do, chaos will find you. We're believers in the cosmic banana peel, believers that "luck", like chaos, is neither good or bad, it just is. We're believers in the humor and joy that lies behind the chaos. As the Principia says, we're a band of madmen, clowns, and such who try to help the universe keep from taking itself too seriously. To us, once you understand that Eris is everywhere, and can manifest in any form she chooses, you free yourself from taking life too seriously, something the Principia refers to as "the curse of Greyface".
We have a very loosely defined hierarchy, since Discordians believe that any one of us is a "Pope" by their own right. Discordians take joy-bringing VERY seriously, and that's why so many of us tend to fall outside the norm. We're the ones who can find the joke behind anything that happens, that can bring a smile out of any tragedy. To me, that's the biggest part of what I do as a Discordian: I keep people from taking themselves, and myself, too seriously. Unfortunately for many of us, that means that others in the community don't take us seriously either.
It's one thing for me to write an article on what being a Discordian means to me, but I'd like to try and clear up any questions people out there might have about Discordianism. I am more than willing to include answers readers may have in a future article. Feel free to e-mail me at: fitzcairn@hotmail.com
- Billiam