Mark Gowan's Blog, page 13

Ignorant Wisdom

There is a pervasive attitude based upon pride and a hidden weakness that undermines the ability to be great and erases the path towards it. There must be a word for it as it comes in many forms. It is found in typical places, where the weak and the prideful mingle and hover.

It is empathy gone awry. It is a bloated sense of importance concerning personal endeavors and interests. It is both humble and braggart in the same voice and is spoken with a smile or a “concerned” look. It comes from those who do not do hard work or are not accustomed to discomfort. They are blatant in their ignorance but thinks themselves wise.

They are not lazy, and so the thing is not laziness. It is not the same as the arrogance found in those familiar places. It is, perhaps, fear of the unknown and a grasping at a self-satisfactory savior. But all things are fear of death in the end, even this thing. But it is more than that. It is a fear of ego. It turns away from the unknown and despises the difficult.

The strong often bow to it because it is easier to do so than to fight. “It” is unending and blind. It turns the world beige and normalizes the lowest common denominator. It is soil in which only the genetically modified, the typical, the unspecial and spoiled can grow. This is the empty-eyed stare of the future.

Listening

The art of listening is a giving and un-egotistical activity. But, we are all somewhat egotistical by our very nature. While we know the world exists and does not revolve around us, we wish that it did; at least to an extent. This is often recognized when we talk to others. We might wait impatiently to speak rather than listening while someone else talks. We might “zone” out if we are not interested. we might notice when others do these things to us.

We all probably do this to a lesser or greater extent. We see it all of the time. Those that “check” their phones or “multitask” while someone is trying to have an intentional conversation with them. This is not listening. Listening takes work if not interest in the person if not the topic.

To listen is to be generous with our time. It is to give something precious over to someone else. To listen is to be involved in what it is to be a person rather than just a human being with an ability. We understand by listening. We learn by listening. The world is aural and as we make our way through it we can listen to the universe sing if we so choose.

It is ironic that it is noise that keeps us from listening. It is everywhere, pumped in by lost souls and those that fear truth and silence in all their forms. It is the noise of our inundated lives, of bad decisions and lost causes. These things keep us from giving our attention to others because we are lost in our own lives.

But if we listen closely through the noise and the turmoil we can hear the beauty of a single songbird, or a friend who needs a shoulder, or the laugh of someone we love. If we listen closely we can hear the silence that we’ve needed in our lives as well as learn a thing or two.

Easy

Easy is not lessening pain or misery, nor is it necessarily to help lessen unwanted chores, work or mind-numbing repetition. To lessen these things is not always easy. To have more time for leisure is not necessarily creating more time for creativity or imagination because these things are not easy. So, what is it to make something “easy”?

The first possible explanation is that it does not take much effort or understanding in order to accomplish an easy thing. A second possible explanation is that one already has the knowledge and understanding to accomplish a task. However, that does not mean that it has always been easy to that person.

In the same way technology is not necessarily progress. It does not make life creative or allow uncreative people to be creative or imaginative. Technology, however, does make life easy. This has an interesting effect.

First, it would seem to have creative and progressive effect on a few creative and imaginative folks while lessening that effect on most others. Also, it seems to create the illusion of creativity and imagination for those that are actually not creative or imaginative.

In the worst-case scenario, wisdom becomes information and creativity becomes a cut-n-paste project. In the best case scenario, technology makes it easy to further the difficult task of actually being creative and imaginative.

The Art of Conversation

We can communicate with each other. Think about that. We can share ideas and understand subtle humor. We can ponder our own existence and philosophize about the importance of life itself. We created many languages grown out of necessity and culture, and desire, and passion.

We can tell someone we love them.

Think about the times in life that we have missed doing this, that we chose not to, and instead allowed ourselves to be carried away by trinkets and blinking lights or by laziness. It is almost as if we die from a thousand unthought decisions that slowly drain our souls from our bodies.

Time is infinite but we do not have infinite time.

Our time is short and although time seems so absurd, time is all we have.

Words hold power and we hold words in our heads, at the ready. To share. We can choose to pretend and simply bide our time with meaningless chatter and we can choose Truth. We can communicate these words in so many ways. And through these many scenarios, learn ourselves, about ourselves and even from ourselves.

Words hold no value but language does.

Words are art and we must share this art as a musician must share the notes on a page. We owe it to ourselves and to others not to waste this precious art form that we come to dismiss for so many toys and trinkets. We must learn the art of conversation before we lose our way through the forest of rhetoric and the rocks of the mundane.

Become an artist and have a conversation.

Choose Life Carefully

Choose your life carefully. It takes time. You will make mistakes and you will have regrets. You will laugh and you will cry. And sickness will come, and sometimes it will pass. These are all steps on a staircase. These are all moments which become memories.

There are always compromises that whittle away at the best of intentions.

They too will come and go. And what we are left with is the moment. And in that moment we will relive those memories and look for new memories to make. Do this consciously. Do not count your days or waste your time. Do not give your self up easily to ease and comfort.

Resist much. Obey little.

Do the best you can. Always look to learn. Be curious. Smile when you can. Know who to take seriously and what to dismiss. Do not sell yourself or the world short. Make instead of buy. Keep instead of sell. Experience instead of watch. Let the batteries run down.

“It is not as much what you are doing but how you are doing it.” (Epictetus)

And one day we will die. Mortality is the future for all. Do not forget this, but live in peace knowing this. Do not wish for fantasies. Do not believe otherwise. And one day, hopefully in the mountains, you can watch the sun set and the cold mountain air surround you.

Truth in Poetry: 15

Problem: Trump and the Republican Party

Trump and the 20% or so of the American population that adulates him is not a new problem in the United States.  Of course, there are racist issues, xenophobic tendencies, conspiratorial thinking.  But there is also utter sociopathy, paranoia, fanaticism, and just pure, unadulterated greed.  There is also stupidity.  There is not ignorance, because ignorance is self-correcting. 

            This brings us to the problem.  Trump was allowed to take office and those who support him, support him knowing who and what he is.

            In order for Donald Trump to have taken office, there was a decades long movement to undermine good government policies.  The undermining of these policies has allowed for a minority to take control of this country.  This is part of the problem.  In a functioning and fair, and healthy governing system, Donald Trump would not have stood a chance.

            However, there will always be the fringe minority, the “deplorables” of any country.  These people are the cost of a civil society but the majority must not let them overtake the country.  People who support Donald Trump have no place in a civil society, and yet to be civil, there must be a place for them. This is the catch-22.  However, all opinions must be allowed, but all opinions cannot be considered respectable, much less accepted.

            Religion, fear, and greed all play a part in the debacle that the Republican Party has become, and in the once unthinkable idea that someone such as Donald Trump could become president.  While we cannot rid our society of people who would stand in the way of social and political progress, we must never, ever let them become philosopher kings.

Solution: Civil Responsibilities, Individual Responsibilities, Realism

            It would be much easier to simply state that education is the answer.  It would be much more comfortable if we could just make policy changes in the government, or regulate the billions of dollars that unconscionable corporations and individuals poured into both political parties for dubious reasons.  But these solutions, however much they are needed, are short-sighted for this particular problem.

            A solution to Donald Trump is more opaque, less ideological perhaps.  The United States has something very good, worth fighting for.  But we must always keep that in mind.  We often get derailed.  We often lose track of what it is that is important.  With that in mind, we must concentrate on changing anything and everything that allowed for Donald Trump.  This ranges from accepting everyone’s opinion (which we mustn’t do), to “agreeing to disagree”.  This includes calling out and facing people who would undo those ideals this country supposedly stands for.  This includes holding people responsible, especially politicians and religious leaders who allowed this atrocity as well as those who would undermine the basic ideals of the concept of democracy.

            This also includes facing realities.  As a country we must face certain realities that are beyond ideological beliefs.  We must realize that ideologies fall short, and that reality is what counts.  While we may want “things to be different”, we must agree on a direction, how we want them to be different.  In short, we must decide on what kind of society we want to live in, and then work (not wish) our way towards that goal.  We must give up John Locke and look towards John Stuart Mill.

            Donald Trump is a wakeup call.  His followers have always been here and unfortunately those sorts of people will always exist.  The rest of us allowed this to happen because of apathy, or laziness, or indecision.  We allowed this because we were too caught up in our own personal battles.  We were too busy buying the latest gadget or checking our “feed”.  We turned our heads instead of facing reality.  We got what we deserved: the Republicans and Donald Trump.  The Republicans, Donald Trump and that ilk are correct about one thing:  freedom does not come free.  But none of us can be free from our responsibilities to never allow another Donald Trump.

Truth in Poetry: 14

Problem: Civility

As the population grows and people move to cities en masse, the vast majority of people live in close quarters to one another.  As this phenomenon continues to grow there becomes a “rat king” problem.  Also, as our society evolves technologically, we have less and less need for our “neighbors”.  This leads to the attitude that the “other guy” is getting something that I could have had, rather than the more healthy: there’s enough for everyone attitude.  Now with cellphones we can disconnect at any time, for any reason, and anywhere.  Furthering the problem of civility was Covid.

As civility wains in our societies, so do our societies.  It is perhaps a well-known secret that the formalities of government keep government civil; they are often what makes a good government.  The same applies to societies.  When the so-called formalities of a good society wain, the society becomes less good.  As we as a society disregard accepted norms and traditions, we often lose some that are actually useful, and good.

Although civility is an esoteric concept, it is also one which can be recognized.  There are many examples of the dissolution of civility ranging from the way we drive, to the way we dress but civility, in all its forms is a cornerstone of any society worth living in.  It is not easy, and that is a problem since ease has become more and more important to us as citizens.  However, we must remember that easy is often not the best motivation for doing anything.

Solution: Parenting, Education, Population Control

            Yes.  Good parenting is an essential solution to the problem of civility.  However, sadly to say, there are many bad parents in the world, but solutions to bad parenting come with their own set of issues.  We could take Plato’s approach, that in The Republic. Population control, however, is an issue that must be addressed no matter what.  And this would seem to help civility.  If we are to live in close quarters, the less of us there are, the better behaved we might be.

            Of course, the primary solution has to be the education of children in the importance of being civil.  This could range from utilitarian manners to lessons in basic ethical philosophy (sympathy, empathy etc…)  We could broaden the education to those in prison, and those charged with lesser crimes.  If we chose to go China’s way, we could punish people for slight infractions, although it is not clear that that approach actually makes for a civil society.

            The easiest and the most difficult is for us all to realize that we would live in a better society if we all acted civilly towards one another.  Several other issues that could be enacted have been mentioned above.  If we as individuals simply acted responsibly and courteously towards one another at all times, it would go a long way.  However, getting to that point seems problematic without some kind of education in civility.

Truth is Like Poetry: 13

Problem: Militarization of Society

Someone, somewhere, said something like: war is simple-minded, stupid, and immoral.  But sometimes it’s necessary.  The attitude behind such a statement is that military machines are necessary for society, but should not be central to the concept of society.  Eisenhower actually coined the phrase “military-industrial-complex” when he said in his farewell speech: “We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex.”

The problem is that the militarization of society has occurred.  In short, our societies have been unjustifiably influenced by the military industrial complex.  Partially out of fear.  Fear introduces profiteering, military build-up, the introduction of laws giving the military more and more power.  But also out of greed.  People with a vested interest in the militarization of our societies have a greater and greater say in its laws and policies.  Unfortunately, violence pays and there’s always someone looking to make a buck.

As our societies become more militarized they become more fearful, leading to xenophobia, and a larger fear of the world itself, often times of our own countrymen and neighbors.  This leads to further phobias about anything that seems ‘out of the ordinary’.  Boogiemen are seen everywhere and conspiracies become accepted and normalized. A vicious cycle starts.

Corporations use the military as a profit-cow, and governments use the military as an easy way to bolster support, and to veil actual issues that they do not want to or cannot address.  This leads to a less civil, less peaceful, less desirable society in which to live.

Solution: Close lobbying loopholes, change contractual laws, military powers given back to Congress

            The military-industrial complex was created after WWII when corporations realized there was massive profits in the war machine.  This realization and the deregulation of corporations by government through lobbying in particular (starting with Reagan in particular), has allowed for the massive military build up that we have today.  Closing military-based lobbying loopholes for all corporations is necessary.

            During another Republican’s watch, W. Bush’s failed stint as a president, Dick Cheney had vested interests in Haliburton.  Others had vested interests in other corporations that were feeding the military machine. Private “security” forces such as Blackwater arose.  Contracts with the government should be limited to individuals with no associated ties to the government or people in the government whatsoever and any privatization of military should be banned.  Contracts should be open to all companies, and not just a select few.

            Lastly, over the past years, the decision to put the military into action has been slowly been given to the executive branch and taken away from congress.  This must change.  The decision to go to war, or to enact the military in any way must be solely given to civilian officials.

            Perhaps and unfortunately violence is a condition of being human.  If so, we must remember that rational thinking is also a trait of humanity.  With that in mind, we must always ask: what kind of society do we want?  A peaceful, progressive, productive one, or one based in fear and ignorance?

Truth is Like Poetry: 12

Problem: Social Disconnect

While individuals have historically relied primarily on family and tribal ties, in modern societies we have been given the opportunity to broaden our horizons because of agriculture and economic systems.  From there, technology has further allowed us comfort and lastly ease in acquiring comfort.  Now modern societies and individuals seem to be slowly losing the historic ties to one another that we’ve had throughout history.

      Today it is not uncommon to see people with a cellphone in their hands almost all of the time, or seemingly talking to themselves (and not paying attention) while on walks with their dogs and/or children, or with friends.  This lack of connection with our environments and with each other is becoming ubiquitous and as it grows our very real need for each other is forgotten.  The problem is that we actually need each other in many ways.

      First, in order to have a civil society we must ourselves act civil.  To act civil we must be responsible and courteous citizens.  These are processes that are necessary not only for individuals, but for groups of individuals.  The internet, rather than actual discussion has taken over much social discourse.  Individuals text while in the company of others.  And the longer that this goes on, the more normalized it gets. The more normalized these slights become the less connected we become with the world around us.  While these seeming slights are seen by many as little nothings, they make up a large portion of what makes societies civil in the first place: our actual connection to those around us and the environment that we find ourselves. 

      As civility wanes because of social disconnections, we are slowly slipping into uncivil practices that then become more normalized.  It is a vicious cycle.

Solution:  Clubs/family connections, social mindset change, and tech company regulation

            The solution to social disconnect must start with individuals’ decisions to live their lives in healthy ways.  Individuals must understand that the “latest fad”, the “newest shiny object” in the arsenal of our consumeristic societies is not always worth the price we pay.  This will, perhaps, happen with time, but it will need to be pushed along by individual’s understanding that they are being fenagled, fed their opinions, and are to great degree, influenced by others, especially sales and marketing.  The decision to “think for one’s self” is influenced a great deal by technical companies.

            Recently most of the social-media giants have been found out to actually be the sellers and buyers of a us as products.  Many if not most of their dealings could be considered immoral at best, and illegal at worst.  For these reasons strict regulation of what tech companies can and cannot say and do must be enacted.  Again, the reminder that this solution is not about censorship, but about the capitalistic motivations behind tech companies.

            Perhaps another solution is to create a society in which the concept of family is once again put central to society.  The family unit in past decades has been the victim of poverty, drugs, consumerism, and general malaise caused by the infatuation of money by society.  This needs to change.  These solutions are not simple nor should they be.  We have allowed ourselves to be herded and corralled.  Now we must make the decision to be free once again.

Truth is Like Poetry: 11

Problem: Fascism and Dictatorships

Unfortunately, this particular problem is apropos to the times that we are currently living in.  In 2022 Vladimir Putin is attacking the Ukraine and Donald Trump seems to be gearing up for another run at western Democracy.  These two individuals are typical examples of what fascism and dictatorships are.  And a further unfortunate truth is that they are not, and have not been alone.  Throughout history there have been fascists and dictators that have wrecked and ruined otherwise civil societies.  That’s what fascists and dictators do; they do it to further their own, selfish ends.

The ultimate problem of fascism and dictatorship ought to be apparent.  But the problem that fascism and dictatorships stem from is deeper.  Typically, they take power by promising and fear-mongering.  The basis of fascism and dictatorship is the same: groups of people within society that are fearful, ignorant, or are generally unhappy with the society that they live in.  These people tend to be a faction of the minority (in a Democracy) in a given society.  They feel their “rights” have been suppressed in some way or that they have been unjustly represented (in a representative government)

The other side of civil unrest is civil apathy, and this too allows for fascist and dictatorial ideas to come to fruition and grow.  As apathy towards politics grows so do the chances for fascist and dictatorial ideas gain traction.  It is often in the dark, un-visited corners of our societies that these ruinous ideas are born.  And so it is with apathy towards the politics of one’s society.  If few pay attention, then a few will do as they will.

Solution: *Eradication of Poverty***, re-implementation of separation of powers

            The solution to government overthrow by those who would disregard civil societies is not a simple one, nor is it one that will last without close attention by citizens who want civil societies.  There must be, of course, consequences for those that would be dictators as there should be for those that would have fascist tendencies.  However, it is the strength of any civil society to allow for voices and viewpoints from all sides.  This is why it is important to allow even violent voices a place. 

            However, the true eradication of these tendencies would be in eradicating the reasons that they come to exist.  Poverty has been, throughout history, a breeding ground for revolution because poverty is often the result of unfair and unjust government policies, greed, over-reach.  With this in mind, the eradication of poverty is necessary in order to undermine the need for, or the belief that there is a need for a fascist and/or dictatorship.  With poverty eradicated, there must be a voice for citizens in the government by which they are a part of.

            Government itself can lend a helpful hand to undermining fascist/dictatorial movements.  But like these movements, government itself has been, or allowed itself to be, part of the problem.  The founding fathers of the United States borrowed concepts from their forefathers, and their forefather’s forefathers when they introduced the concept of a governing citizenry.  Whatever form of government that a society takes upon itself, that government must be able to be held accountable.  One of the best ways to do so is to separate powers, sequester the chance for a government to allow fascist ideas to breed, or dictators to manipulate.  Donald Trump is a perfect example of what can happen when powers are separated in theory only rather than in reality.  He is the dark and foreboding face of apathy and governmental greed and the ignorant masses that follow dictators and fascists.