How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization

by Robert J. Ringer

Identifies the force's shaping today's--and tomorrow's--world, describes the traits necessary for success, and explores specific areas of action that will ensure success and survival

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

As far as I can tell, Robert J. Ringer has scant authority to write a book. In this New York Times article, he all but admits that he has no qualifications. His philosophy, he says, should stand on its own.

Unfortunately, many of the topics on which Ringer opines are not philosophical questions. They are concrete, real-world issues, some of which involve predicting the future. Philosophy is not sufficient here, and Ringer provides little other evidence, with the exception of sporadic anecdotes about his friends. There's not a scientific study to be found in the entire book. (Though he drops a few statistics in the first chapter, the sources of these numbers are unknown.)

You simply cannot make broad generalizations about how people think and behave without conducting rigorous psychological research. "That's the nature of man" or "That's the way of the times" is not evidence; it's a poorly informed opinion.

Likewise, you really shouldn't make huge, damning predictions about the future of the United States dollar without consulting the appropriate economic statistical models, or about the future of Western civilization without some really strong, concrete historical support. You need something more specific than "Empires have fallen before, and they will fall again," because the question is not whether things will ever change but how rapidly they'll change. Ringer doesn't give a solid answer to this question, but he seems to believe that the complete collapse of paper currency will happen in his lifetime and writes the following:

"Though the subtle destruction of paper currency is taking place daily, the official burial is probably still several years off. I honestly cannot say whether that will be in three or four years, or ten or twelve years, because there are far too many unknowns to be certain." –Robert J. Ringer, How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization, p. 140

Written in 1983, the latest date that Ringer considers is 1995. Obviously, in 2018, with the United States dollar still very much in use, these predictions look foolish.

But here's, as Ringer might put it, the crux of the issue:

It's not that everything in the book is wrong; it's that if it is right, it's right by accident.

Without a scientific approach and concrete, legitimate evidence, anything that Ringer happens to get right is just coincidence. And most of the time, he's wrong.

There is one important thing that Ringer gets right, which has since been explored by pioneering psychologists like Jonathan Haidt: Morality is at the core of most political debates. Ringer writes,

"...people would have to ask not, "Is majority rule best for the greatest number of people?" but, "Is majority rule, as it is now practiced, moral?" They would have to ask not, "Does the present tax structure really help the people it is intended to help?" but, "Are taxes moral?"" –Robert J. Ringer, How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization, p. 240

In the United States, there seems to be a fundamental divide between those who self-identify as liberals, leftists, or democratic socialists and those who self-identify as libertarians or conservatives. Liberals are primarily concerned with outcomes, while libertarians and conservatives are primarily concerned with rules. To a liberal, a rule is only good so far as it produces positive outcomes, but libertarians and conservatives see the rules themselves as inherently moral or immoral.

Likewise, liberals are concerned with "freedom to"; freedom to live a good life. Libertarians are concerned with "freedom from"; freedom from government intervention.

It's scary to live in a world where two groups of people both see the other as morally backwards (though, if this book has taught me anything, it's certainly not new). Both sides see the other as irrational. Both sides condemn the other's education as just brainwashing.

But I believe in science. I believe in epistemology. If we search earnestly for the truth, using the best methods that we have (randomized, controlled trials, peer reviewed research), I believe that we'll come somewhat close upon it.

More than that, unlike Robert J. Ringer, I believe that people are intelligent and able to learn. If we approach people in good faith, listen to them and make sure that their concerns are addressed, and explain things in an accessible way without being condescending or bogging them down in academic jargon, people will listen, and people will change.

The world is getting better, in many ways, albeit slowly. I know so many people who are working tirelessly and scrupulously to make it better. And hopefully, unless we all die from climate change, we'll get there.

[Michael David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although some parts of the book have been debunked, many tenets of this Robert Ringer work remain timeless. These tenets, if used as guidelines for living, remain to be relevant and useful.

To Ringer, self-discipline consists of four major parts:
1) honest evaluation of costs;
2) future oriented thinking;
3) consistency; and,
4) determination. (p. 106)

Payment in advance is required for anything in life that produces a benefit, and Ringer minces no words with regard to the ever-inching specter of reality. He also, quite bluntly, exhorts honesty and transparency in all relationships: "Because actions have consequences, there is only one thing more important than to be perceived as an honest person, and that is to be an honest person." (p. 77)

I can say that, quite frankly, the costs of this honesty are great, but I have also preserved the quality of my relationships precisely because I approach my relationships with sincerity and honesty. Ringer exhorts: "ask yourself whether or not the omitted information will cause the other party to make decisions to be harmful to himself. Beyond that, an even more important rule is: When in doubt, don't leave it out."

Ringer espouses consistent honesty in all significant transactions, even if it is temporarily unpleasant, because people should be playing the long game: rather than the number of years, the quality of our lives is more important.

Overall, the book is uneven, with many chapters having become obsolescent (despite its persistent relevance). Nevertheless, the timeless advice Ringer provided will still do us good, now and in the future.

[Lenny Husen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this did look through the entire book and read sections. I like RJ Ringer and he writes well and is often amusing. This isn't his best book.
Fans of Rush Limbaugh would love this. It is all about how one can accomplish anything with enough self-discipline and the world is going to Hell in a Handbasket because of those lazy greedy Liberals and because of teenagers with Boom Boxes who play loud Rap Music while the author trying to mind my own business and buy Ice Cream.
Yah, I know, this was written in the 1980's.
I was bored by it and moved on to more interesting tomes.

[Miguel Braga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it is what the title says. Robert Ringer is not only a deep thinker as it is simultaneous a pragmatic capitalist business participant.

Is so refreshing to meet someone that at the same time is an observer, careful thinker and has real daily notion of business. Not a pseudo intelectual or theorist but a player in the game.

And this book delivers, in my opinion, that.

[Andrew Hodgson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not what I was expecting. I thought it was a comedy or philosophy book. Picked it up used for a dollar. Shallow, dated, and hate filled. About ten percent of it is not trash, but there is little insight here from a rich old crank.