Excellent point!!! Directionality is a very practical way to move forward given how we never can guarantee outcomes. We can only get ourselves oriented towards the right path and keep putting one foot in front of the other so that we keep making progress. Even when the obstacles to grand success seem formidable, the next constructive step is almost always possible.
I think this is where the right has so outflanked the left. Leftists have such a purity culture, and moderated Dems truly believe in something called “normal” that we just need to get back to—we end up being either stuck in a stagnant now, or worse moving backward with nostalgia. Our direction is always all wrong.
I think when we zoom out even more we can see that the static view of life/reality seeps into every aspect of our existence and shapes our brain development in how we interpret perception and orient attention. It creates the base of our culture where we fundamentally aim at perfection by creating models and comparing reality to them (really looking for how our experience fits with the model) often through right/wrong narratives.
In the early years it looks like how the family runs - bedtime routine, how emotions are expressed, what napping looks like, what happens when we run late, etc. The parents hold a model of how the day needs to go and it’s imprinted to the kids.
This extends to relationships and conflict and ultimately to politics. If everything in life has an optimal (static) model, wouldn’t this include the political system?
Your bringing up of directionality in this context gave me a new idea - It seems like directionality could mean shifting the model slowly to a different model. This seems to be what people mostly aim for. But it could also imply a shift away from static model all together.
The later feels more potent because it engages us at a personal level which is where most of our agency lies. It brings up a few questions for me…
Can we shift our culture by confronting our own rigidity by tuning in to the underlying motives influencing our behavior?
If we do, will we experience a different relationship to morality that harnesses less control of others?
I notice when I’m in this space in my own life that new things happen in line with my deeper intentions (like fostering community togetherness despite political beliefs).
I’ve been reading “We Are The Elite.” It’s about how the rich land owning aristocrats devised a system that was nearly impossible to change and would keep them in power. It was by them and for them. They were concerned that “democracy” in the political system would lead the people to want democracy in the work place.
It badly needs and update to make it more relevant to technology and current issues. It’s nearly impossible to change for better or worse and has only been amended 21 times in 250 years.
Federalist # 10 lays out the discussion on them keeping the people focused on internal divisions to distract them from inequality.
It’s the first real critique I’ve heard on the issue. Everyone acts like it’s the greatest thing ever and taboo to criticize. It’s a pretty interesting take.
But the Democrats aren't just useless, they have actively created the conditions under which this could happen. Dem presidents have long ignored the law and created and gone along with all kinds of oppressive laws and policies. I mean, Dem presidents have deported huge numbers of immigrants, aiding in keeping them tenuously employed and scared enough to work for next to noting. They've illegally killed untold numbers of people in other sovereign nations with drone strikes. They've spent enormous sums enriching defence contractors, most recently to aid in crimes against humanity. They've colluded with their corporate donors to hollow out the economy, then tell people there's no crisis because the stock market is doing well. And now they puzzle over why the candidate who acknowledged people's struggle and offered "solutions" beat them.
There seems to be some kind of bizarre notion in the US that the Dems, this right of centre party, are on the other side of this, when they actively paved the way for it.
Completely agree JP. I also feel that democrats and leftists did not feel the media crunch that the alt right did on twitter and facebook because they could not talk about covid conspiracies openly. A whole culture of community was created on alt-platforms, anti big-tech communication that probably resulted in more real community and power that we see today. Ironically I think the censorship made those movements stronger, and gave those truths validity.
Anyway, this is why I’m following the @findoutpodcast podcast nowadays. Maybe it will be one of the media in a new pipeline you speak of, getting people to question their base assumptions - though I expect you and your readers to be a few steps past that.
Very intelligent presentation. I agree, just didn't articulate it. I've heard, read and agree that big world's shifts and turmoil do have a pattern of occurring every 80 - 120 years, so we're definitely in one now. Thank you.
Excellent point!!! Directionality is a very practical way to move forward given how we never can guarantee outcomes. We can only get ourselves oriented towards the right path and keep putting one foot in front of the other so that we keep making progress. Even when the obstacles to grand success seem formidable, the next constructive step is almost always possible.
Thank You for this article. Well said and Received.
I think this is where the right has so outflanked the left. Leftists have such a purity culture, and moderated Dems truly believe in something called “normal” that we just need to get back to—we end up being either stuck in a stagnant now, or worse moving backward with nostalgia. Our direction is always all wrong.
From a fellow St Louis resister, thanks for sharing your ( and context to some of our ) lessons learned. Painfully received and insightful.
Thanks for this article. Definitely resonates!
I think when we zoom out even more we can see that the static view of life/reality seeps into every aspect of our existence and shapes our brain development in how we interpret perception and orient attention. It creates the base of our culture where we fundamentally aim at perfection by creating models and comparing reality to them (really looking for how our experience fits with the model) often through right/wrong narratives.
In the early years it looks like how the family runs - bedtime routine, how emotions are expressed, what napping looks like, what happens when we run late, etc. The parents hold a model of how the day needs to go and it’s imprinted to the kids.
This extends to relationships and conflict and ultimately to politics. If everything in life has an optimal (static) model, wouldn’t this include the political system?
Your bringing up of directionality in this context gave me a new idea - It seems like directionality could mean shifting the model slowly to a different model. This seems to be what people mostly aim for. But it could also imply a shift away from static model all together.
The later feels more potent because it engages us at a personal level which is where most of our agency lies. It brings up a few questions for me…
Can we shift our culture by confronting our own rigidity by tuning in to the underlying motives influencing our behavior?
If we do, will we experience a different relationship to morality that harnesses less control of others?
I notice when I’m in this space in my own life that new things happen in line with my deeper intentions (like fostering community togetherness despite political beliefs).
I’ve been reading “We Are The Elite.” It’s about how the rich land owning aristocrats devised a system that was nearly impossible to change and would keep them in power. It was by them and for them. They were concerned that “democracy” in the political system would lead the people to want democracy in the work place.
It badly needs and update to make it more relevant to technology and current issues. It’s nearly impossible to change for better or worse and has only been amended 21 times in 250 years.
Federalist # 10 lays out the discussion on them keeping the people focused on internal divisions to distract them from inequality.
It’s the first real critique I’ve heard on the issue. Everyone acts like it’s the greatest thing ever and taboo to criticize. It’s a pretty interesting take.
But the Democrats aren't just useless, they have actively created the conditions under which this could happen. Dem presidents have long ignored the law and created and gone along with all kinds of oppressive laws and policies. I mean, Dem presidents have deported huge numbers of immigrants, aiding in keeping them tenuously employed and scared enough to work for next to noting. They've illegally killed untold numbers of people in other sovereign nations with drone strikes. They've spent enormous sums enriching defence contractors, most recently to aid in crimes against humanity. They've colluded with their corporate donors to hollow out the economy, then tell people there's no crisis because the stock market is doing well. And now they puzzle over why the candidate who acknowledged people's struggle and offered "solutions" beat them.
There seems to be some kind of bizarre notion in the US that the Dems, this right of centre party, are on the other side of this, when they actively paved the way for it.
Completely agree JP. I also feel that democrats and leftists did not feel the media crunch that the alt right did on twitter and facebook because they could not talk about covid conspiracies openly. A whole culture of community was created on alt-platforms, anti big-tech communication that probably resulted in more real community and power that we see today. Ironically I think the censorship made those movements stronger, and gave those truths validity.
Anyway, this is why I’m following the @findoutpodcast podcast nowadays. Maybe it will be one of the media in a new pipeline you speak of, getting people to question their base assumptions - though I expect you and your readers to be a few steps past that.
3. 4. Dark enlightment
Politics is a distraction. POLICY is the direction. I hope I helped.
Very intelligent presentation. I agree, just didn't articulate it. I've heard, read and agree that big world's shifts and turmoil do have a pattern of occurring every 80 - 120 years, so we're definitely in one now. Thank you.
Excellent piece.
This is smart and made me think about a few things.