Showing posts with label john green. Show all posts
"Stop referring to yourselves as consumers. Consumers are different than citizens. Consumers do not have obligations, responsibilities & duties to their fellow human beings." -James Howard Kunstler
The United States has mastered the avoidance of social responsibility. In a move of stunning hypocrisy we are a nation of religious men and women who donate more money to charity than any other nation on earth, yet there is very little regard for our own neighbors. We have expanded so fast and so vast that our sense of humanity has become skewed in the process.
You can see this in our architecture.
In place of town squares and community centers we have cookie cutter
houses and mega-Walmarts that take up entire city blocks. Locations
have become defined not by what we do there, but by what we get there. I get gas at the gas station, I get food at the grocery
store, I get a movie at a Best Buy and then I return to my home
that is three-sizes too big where I can separate myself from the rest of
humanity.
This changes how we think, how we act
and the way we interact with other people. Humans stop becoming
unique and start becoming automatons that provide you with services.
Things don't happen to you but to "them." You are not at
fault, "they" are. You are not responsible. It disengages
us from humanity.
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| The workers all live in the houses behind this store. |
I had a professor at University that
repeatedly said many problems would be solved if people understood
the history of Pledge of Allegiance and the Oath of Allegiance. He
believed that instead of reciting the Pledge at schools or government
meetings, everyone should be taught and recite the Oath of
Allegiance.
Americans are familiar with the Pledge:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Many countries have similar pledges as
well. Something short, concise and repeatable. The history behind the
pledge is that it was written in 1892 and advertised by a
marketer in hopes of selling more American flags. It's a gimmick. A
slogan. It's the same as "Got Milk" or "Just do it."
An argument can be made that it has evolved to be more than that. I
suppose. But let's look at the simple truth: It doesn't mean
anything. It is a collection of words that neither make any promises
or require anything of the speaker. It is meaningless.
Immigrants are familiar with the Oath
of Allegiance, sometimes referred to as the Oath of Citizenship.
Every immigrant who wishes to become a naturalized citizen must
recite this Oath:
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
The Oath is almost the exact opposite
of the Pledge. Long, wordy and filled with things the speaker must
do. In fact, there are five things that can not change in the Oath of
Allegiance. (Wording can be adjusted, but these things must stay the
same).
1. Swear allegiance to the United States Constitution2. Renounce allegiance to any foreign country to which the immigrant has had previous allegiances3. Defend the Constitution against enemies "foreign and domestic"4. Promise to serve in the United States Armed Forces when required by law (either combat or non-combat)5. Promise to perform civilian duties of "national importance" when required by law
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| Internal debate: How tall is guy in second row? |
This responsibility is key.
There are too few today who feel responsible for their own, or others', actions. Perhaps, this is a repercussion of society extending beyond
it's biological abilities. As cultures developed they did so in
tribes. Rarely more than 100 people, every person had
responsibilities and accountability. Even when tribes formed into
communities, it was closer to a collection of tribes rather than a
different entity entirely. Individuals were still responsible to
their tribe first and then allegiance was given to larger and larger
groups.
Today, we live in a country of 300
million, in cities of tens or hundreds of thousands. Our neighbors
come and go, especially the closer to a metropolis you live. This is
the one, and perhaps only, area where small farming communities in
the West and Mid-West are more advanced than people along the coasts.
They still rely on the individuals around them to survive. Around
that necessity develops strong communities and close friendships.
They act more like a tribe with a common goal rather than individuals only linked by proximity.
The unfortunate truth is that whether
because of technological advances or exponential population growth,
all of us have begun to disengage from humanity. Author John Green
said,
"I would submit that all human lives are usually lived in a state of functional nihilism. Very few of us believe that life is devoid of all meaning and that all we should do is satisfy our base urges and fulfill our basic desires and try to distract ourselves from pain, or fear, or unpleasantness. But almost all of us act as if we believe that." -John Green
Each and every one of us has tremendous
ability to effect our surroundings positively. We can grow a garden,
clean up a park, visit our neighbors, or help the poor, sick, and
needy. There are opportunities every day to change our outlook on
life. We can become more socially responsible one step at a time.
Engage with humanity, take responsibility and live life as if it has
meaning.
Because it does.
DFTBA
DFTBA
We are all searching for something.
Often in life we feel lost or scared or confused, but what we are is
directionless. We've stopped searching. As we stop searching we begin
to feel confined, isolated and afraid. We are out-of-sorts, and we
continuously wonder why.
It is because we are not in our
Element. It is because we have not remembered our Authentic Swing. It
is because who we are in actuality is not who we are pretending to be
in reality.
These are all topics I've hit on
before. Topics I've hinted at and mentioned. My posts on Zen and the Art of Teaching are all about this, in the broadest sense. Yet, I've
never tackled the issue head on. Partly, because it is still
undefined in my own mind. Partly, because I know that my ideas are a
collection of Ken Robinson's and Leo Babauta's and Kevin Smith's and
Steven Pressfield's and Joe Rogan's and John Green's.
The names I mentioned are just the tip
of the iceberg. Each of those individuals were inspired by others
stretching back through time. Rogan loves Graham Hancock and Hunter
S. Thompson. Kevin Smith is motivated by Wayne Gretzky and his own
Catholicism. Pressfield studied Indian cultures and religions.
Everyone is a collection of other people's ideas. It may be that
there is no originality whatsoever, only the ether. Only the Element
where all possibilities exist simultaneously and continuously. Where
our Authentic Swings can be remembered.
I am mixing different terms which may
be confusing to those trying to pay attention. Let me be clear:
There is something beyond our own
internal bodies. Something outside the clicking clock that operates
our organs. It goes by many names; heaven, yin and yang, the Field,
the Element, the Middle Path, Nirvana, consciousness, the ether,
Alpha and Omega. Arriving at a name is problematic because it has a
tendency to alienate those unfamiliar with this new name. Or it
causes suffering because of preconceived notions and biases.
I realize these problems exist. Help me
circumvent them. I am calling this consciousness outside ourselves
The Element. It is what drives us in our searching. It is both the
destination and the path. The Element is where we all wish to reside.
We have been there before. When we are
playing sports and get into the zone our bodies seem to become
extensions of our minds, reacting at our slightest will, and
sometimes, without our will at all. Almost on pure instinct. When we
are writing and the words seem to flow from our fingertips. The pen
flies across the paper, our fingers dance across the keyboard and
beauty emerges. We are in our Element when we are in love and when we
are at play. I know we have all been there before. The key is how do
we remain there.
How can we be in The Element at all
times? That depends on who you are. Are you an athlete, a warrior, a
writer, a lover, a singer or a saint? To put it another way, what is
your Authentic Swing? The path you will take is not identical, in
fact it can not be identical, to someone else's. Your path is based
on who you are and the experiences you have. It is individual and
personal. Yet, it is still The Element.
The Element is universal. It is calling
to all of us, and we are searching for it. The more we realize this,
the more we become aware of the cues. We begin to see what leads in
the right direction and what leads us astray. Awareness is the first
step towards The Element. You must open your eyes before anything
else can take place. Yes, the light is bright, but we must embrace
it. We lose our way not because The Element has shifted the path, but
because we choose to shield ourselves from the light.
Take the first step. Open your eyes.
I hate lawns.
Possibly more than I've ever hated any
other thing.
This is partly because I just finished
mowing my own lawn and partly because lawns are so damn pointless. (I
live in a rented home, where I can't landscape).
They do not feed us. They are not great
at converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. They are incredibly taxing
on the environment to maintain.
Turf grass (that's your lawn) is
America's largest crop; we produce three times more of it than corn.
We use about a third of our potable drinking water to maintain our
turf grass, and about 70 million pounds of pesticides to keep it
alive.
Because nature wants turf grass to die.
Because it is pointless.
What should be in our yards are
gardens. Filled with a wide array of plants including- you probably
saw this coming- fruits and vegetables. We'd eat better, create more
oxygen to breath, and while it wouldn't solve the water issue, it
would be a more efficient use of our water; and we'd save money on
resources used to transport fruits and vegetables because now they
are grown in your yard.
None of this is likely to happen
because we, as a society, are obsessed with what other people think.
And your neighbors would think you were crazy if you pulled out your
lawn and planted a garden. One woman even got arrested for it.
I'm not a fan of doing things
because everyone else does them. That's why...
I hate lawns and you should too.
This is a funnier, more articulate version of what I just said. Nerdfighters!
"Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is." -William James
I will divide these thoughts into three blogs and link each here as they become completed.
Part One: Himself
There are six people present.
There is each man as the other person sees him.
This is really where our personal perspectives come into play quite heavily. We create the world we see through a complex system of incoming stimuli. When you receive similar stimuli to others around you, you are deemed healthy. If you perceive anything other than what those around you understand, you are outcasted and deemed ill.
Part of this stimuli regards people. How we see one another. How I see you. How you see me. As I wrote about last time, neither of these images is "correct."
I've created hundreds of people this way. Maybe thousands. Maybe hundreds of thousands.
Apologies, I just liked the word play of that last sentence.
I know my family quite well. I know my friends. I know my girlfriends (past and present, not concurrent). I know acquaintances. I know strangers.
I've created an image of them in my mind. I am able to recall that image at will or when they suddenly are back in my life.
In reality, I know next to nothing about any of those people. What makes us think that by passing encounters with an individual that we know them?
A sad poem from Watchmen.
I heard a joke once: Man goes to doctor.
Says he's depressed.
Says life is harsh and cruel.
Says he feels all alone in a threatening world.
Doctor says, "Treatment is simple.
The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight.
Go see him.
That should pick you up."
Man bursts into tears.
Says, "But doctor... I am Pagliacci."
Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.
I'm sure the doctor knew Pagliacci.
In a stunning act of creation, we create everyone we know. We update them, and file them, and shade in the edges, and sometimes erase and start all over.
I'm sure most have seen Inception. Remember at the end of the movie when Cob (Leonardo DiCaprio) tells fake-Mal that there is no way he could have re-created her from his memories. All her complexities, all her imperfections, all her perfections. There was just too much for him to ever get it right.
Embedding was disabled by request, but here is the scene.
Embedding was disabled by request, but here is the scene.
That's us. We are all Cobs. Building our own world's and filling it not with people but with projections. How could we ever truly grasp the complexities, the imperfections, or the perfections of another human being?
Yet, that is exactly what we try to do. It scares me. Even those I feel closest to can never be the "real" thing. What does my best friend think of when he is alone? Does he cry at night? Does he dance when no one is looking? What are his struggles and his strengths? Do I really know any of these things?
How could I?
And so -to simplify- our brain creates images of others. Shadows of the true self. It makes our lives easier.
It is a distortion we must be aware of. We can not fool ourselves into thinking we know anyone else for who they really are.
We must be humble when dealing with others.
"The great challenge of being a human is comprehending that everyone else is human and is stuck inside of their own brains just as you are stuck inside of yours, and that all of them are also frightened and excited and desperately searching for friends and lovers and everything." -John Green
"The great challenge of being a human is comprehending that everyone else is human and is stuck inside of their own brains just as you are stuck inside of yours, and that all of them are also frightened and excited and desperately searching for friends and lovers and everything." -John Green
Six people are present.