It seems painfully apparent that there are structures within structures in our global society. The inner structures do not seem to have a real connection with the outer, bigger, structures that have a greater or more global influence. The whole system is designed basically on a “need to know” basis, although all structures are indeed connected, the actual connection is not really what it seems. Or, more accurately, the connection we believe they have is a false connection, for optics only, and the real connection is not easily seen.
The compartmentalization is, will continue to be, comped (complimentary). But there still & forever is NSTAAFL. Share that grok water, brother … then fill up the waterbed.
(The old speed shop sign: “Speed costs. How fast you wanna go?” Now sub in Opportunity costs. & inopportunes in the juke box slot machine, too.)
Because … although imitation otherwise may be the highest form of flattery, complimentary-complicity is the commonest form of flattening-annealing (which sounds just like a’kneeling) form of imitation.
Snip away & forget Vaihinger’s “idealistic” positivist leaning tower of Pisa stuff (same as the soft stuff logical positivist structures are built on) but do keep the “as if.” Keep it in perspective, too.
Because whilst compartments are indeed useful & necessary fictions, the non is the truth. As, but not limited to, Gertie Stein’s “There’s no there there” observation.
(“Space: the final frontier…” But alas, these are the voyages of the warship Centipede {get a load of all those segmented compartments, will ya!}. Its continuing mission: to colonize strange new worlds, to seek out new life & new civilizations to conquer, to boldly go where e. Pluribus unum has already gone soooo many times before.)
Edgar Allen Poe, some of it, outta Jimmy Caan’s old west mouth:
F. Scott Fitzgerald put it: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
As if there are compartments … when there ain’t. Even tho daddy’s El Dorado did have have a backseat you could live in & a trunk you could grow crops in.
Appreciate, enjoy, have fun times with those purty models. Just don’t marry ‘em. Or adopt ‘em. Or try to save them. Or specialize in one or a few. Entertainers is manipulators, ya know. Manipulated, too.
Devil will continue to take, drown, the Heinlein-most.
🎪 And this may explain why so many in our society remain in ignorant bliss within their smaller structures while others of us drive ourselves to near madness because we can’t ignore the larger structures, integrated throughout and ultimately controlling the entire global circus.
I find myself going, “Ah ha, I hadn’t thought of it in this way until now”, when I read many of your posts and, inevitably, I’m impressed with your analogous take on a given situation. I also wonder why I had never thought of it in such a way before!
Reading this today, I immediately thought of my children and what I feel is the enormous gulf of difference between that with which they consume themselves daily vs what I feel they are completely clueless and uninterested about. And it is so definitely about “structures”. They live within well-defined structures of their immediate home. Their daily actions and thought processes are centered around their house, their child/children, their work, much of which has been moved into their homes now, and immediate family and a few friends, all of whom live close by and are of physical/logistical importance to the maintaining of their immediate life structure. Their awareness of the larger structure of the country or the world; even their actual home town, is “out there”, but unless an event affects or intrudes on what I see as their “isolated structure”, it holds little relevance to their day to day activities. I’m always surprised, though not as much anymore, at something I’ll tell them in conversation, which I assume is common knowledge, only to find they’ve never heard anything of it. Granted, they are busy with child-rearing and work details and I’m sure are more astute on the intricacies of the real estate market and interest rates (DIL is an agent) or the most recent trending thing on Instagram, or the latest Disney movie. They speak of the obstacles to the renewal of the program grant at the school (D is a program director/professor at a local university), but even within these structures, I see how detached they are from the bigger picture/structure of the elements of their lives. They truly deal with only what immediately affects them. They seem to hold no real interest or are engaged in anything outside that immediate structure.
Over the past 24 years of my interaction with this family, I’ve often considered the actual geographical regional differences in my involvement with bigger, outer structures in my world vs their close, limited involvement with anything outside theirs. Could it be that due to weather and temps, folks living in warmer climates tend to be out and about more than those inhabiting colder climes? I did find, living up north for quite a few years, that people were generally more “closed” socially; not as warm, friendly and outgoing as my southern colleagues and acquaintances. This is possibly because it’s too cold for so many months to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. Or, are some people simply more family-centric and don’t have as much need for friends for fellowship and entertainment?
The difference is quite clear between how I grew up and the result I see in my partner’s family members. In the south, everyone is curious (nosy!) about what all goes on in our neighborhoods, churches, in town, at our work places, the stores in which we shop. We converse (small talk and pleasantries) with our postman, our grocery clerk we see daily or weekly, we have golf buddies and various club friends, folks we interact within charitable efforts in our communities, and generally it is touted that we don’t meet a stranger, at least until we’ve spoken to or held a door open for someone. That’s my view of my interaction within my world structure. I doubt my kids even know the name of their postman. Possibly they know the name of the key director and maybe one or two caretakers at their child’s daycare facility. But I’ve been to some of the children’s after school activities and I see no interaction between them with other parents. It’s in and out. A square checked on their daily list of “to dos”. I sense no engagement within even their small structures, so it makes sense there is no interest in the outer, larger, more globally integrated structures.
On a larger scale, and I’m sure because I have more time now, am a naturally curious person and I also read voraciously, I’m quite informed about national and global happenings and how the larger structures of our world trickle down to affect our more immediate structures. I’ve even found this minimizes, to some degree, my interest in the more mundane happenings of the smaller, closer to home structures. I find the smaller structure happenings a bit shallow and holding less meaning for me these days. This is perhaps a blessing and a curse.
Before the advent of today’s 24-hour media cycle, humans of yesteryear hardly knew that other humans over 50 miles away from them even existed. Much less in other countries across the globe. How necessary was it to know about different, larger structures? And even today, does this knowledge and/or connection to these structures truly benefit us or rather just cause us undue anxiety and generate feelings of helplessness and depression at a world so large, with such complicated challenges, that we are torn between a perceived need for connection to it all, yet an overwhelm at where this leaves us; totally unconnected to anything meaningful. Have we only learned how small and insignificant we really are in the grand structure of it all? Is there some truth and even some mental/emotional safety in the “ignorance is bliss” lifestyle?
Thanks, Todd; you always provide me a new perspective on important thoughts! I’m not sure I’ve come to any conclusions on this topic but it helps me better understand my own angst with myself and my thoughts about my place within the structures. Forgive the ramble; it’s how my brain works things into words.
This is an amazing comment. And I am pleased to no end that my essay made enough sense that it would cause you to write what you have written...to me what you say here IS the point I was trying to get across rather recklessly.
But wow it opens up a can of worms! I think I could write a book reflecting on what you have said here, there are so many points I would like to comment on.
I have, until these past few years, been reticent to publicly criticise the human course through modernization. Although I certainly had criticisms, I really could not focus on things like technology, science, world complexity, medicine, without appearing to be in denial of the attributes of natural "human progress"...however, I have come to realize that much that we see has been intentionally driven, and as such is not a consequence of normal human societal evolution, and certainly not beneficial to the human condition.
This realization does change the structure of the structured system, as I believe it is now more a result of malevolent intention. In years past, I do not think it was entirely wrong to not engage larger structures in the smaller structure circle, people of course have done that for centuries when conveying news further than a few miles was nearly impossible without a lot of time and effort. But today, with all the global deceit going on, if we are not aware of what is going on around the world, we will be screwed. And the agenda makes every effort to keep us in our little box and feed us, 1984 style, what they want us to know, "in their own words", about the "larger systems."
I think too that the "ignorance" of the masses is not only an "information" ignorance (i.e., information beyond their little bubble) but a soul ignorance. This may be a stretch to grok, but I firmly believe that what you describe about kids being only aware of simple, surface, things is a result of the loss of an awareness and interest in deeper aspects of life. Certainly I would say religion, spirituality, at the forefront of this missing depth, but it doesn't even have to be focused on God. How about a deep interest of music (not entertainment music, but art music) or art, or literature?...no one reads ANYTHING anymore, from what I see. How about discussions about these things, these more soulful things...crickets. There was a time when every day ordinary people rioted because some new symphony or music came out that was controversial (a riot ensued on the night of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" premiere in Paris in 1913--such passion about something that isn't materially focused is unheard of today).
I believe this lack of interest in "soul matters" causes a disconnect with the operations of the world around us. This may seem a stretch, as I previously said, but I think I could show this if I wrote a book about it!!
Thanks again for the post..it inspired me. I touched on maybe 1% of it with this response...hope it makes sense.
You make an excellent point; is anyone passionate about anything anymore? I don’t mean protesting or ranting in anger, but expressing oneself with vigor when one is so moved, be it about a beautiful song or piece of art or with righteous indignation at a clear injustice being permitted with no consequences. I find most people go through their days basically numb, with no real opinion and certainly little outward expression to would suggest passion or fire in their belly about anything. Perhaps the overwhelm of everyday information overload puts us all in a fog; it’s just too much and thus easier to coast along in dulled out neutral mode.
I’ve always been criticized for being too enthusiastic about things that excite me. I was labeled “too rambunctious” as a child. I express, sometimes too loudly, when something truly interests me or I’m for or against something, be it positive or negative. What happened to expressing ourselves? Whats the point of living life numb? Why were we created as beings with passion if it’s not a natural part of us? Without passion, our world is very gray.
I believe passion is definitely a natural part of us. We are designed to seek out and express the numinous. Our awareness of God comes from this place...if we have such an awareness.
And yes, it is largely gone in our culture, at least in Western culture. I see a lot of clients, and there are only a handful of them, if that, that have hobbies, or interests of any kind outside of the humdrum "instant gratification" world they are skating on. It is no wonder there is so much depression, and anxiety in the world...
Basically it is like this:
1. No hobbies, or fascination with anything in the world
2. No reading, or very little
3. No passion for their work
4. No romance
5. Focus only on money, success (maybe), play (sports, maybe, but certainly sedentary play) substances (most everyone I see smokes pot regularly...not excessively, but "to sleep" or whatever), alcohol
6. Very very very few have any interest in the arts or creativity. Few play an instrument, or paint, or "make" anything.
7. Basically zero interest in history, or other cultures, or travel (unless it is to have fun, drink, or do nothing...but not to explore other cultures.)
There's more, but I don't want to write a book.
I am not listing things I have observed in just a few people, this is pretty much across the board with the majority of people I see. And they are mostly functioning, well to do, "not too ill" people...just sad, anxious, unhappy, unfulfilled). It is quite sad.
Of course these are people that come to me with issues...it may not represent the majority of people out there...but I suspect it does.
When I am at our cabin near Minden, it doesn't feel like the world is going to end. When I drive along Lakeshore Boulevard under the Gardiner Expressway, it does.
The compartmentalization is, will continue to be, comped (complimentary). But there still & forever is NSTAAFL. Share that grok water, brother … then fill up the waterbed.
(The old speed shop sign: “Speed costs. How fast you wanna go?” Now sub in Opportunity costs. & inopportunes in the juke box slot machine, too.)
Because … although imitation otherwise may be the highest form of flattery, complimentary-complicity is the commonest form of flattening-annealing (which sounds just like a’kneeling) form of imitation.
Snip away & forget Vaihinger’s “idealistic” positivist leaning tower of Pisa stuff (same as the soft stuff logical positivist structures are built on) but do keep the “as if.” Keep it in perspective, too.
Because whilst compartments are indeed useful & necessary fictions, the non is the truth. As, but not limited to, Gertie Stein’s “There’s no there there” observation.
(“Space: the final frontier…” But alas, these are the voyages of the warship Centipede {get a load of all those segmented compartments, will ya!}. Its continuing mission: to colonize strange new worlds, to seek out new life & new civilizations to conquer, to boldly go where e. Pluribus unum has already gone soooo many times before.)
Edgar Allen Poe, some of it, outta Jimmy Caan’s old west mouth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsNtDpv1Ctw
)
F. Scott Fitzgerald put it: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
As if there are compartments … when there ain’t. Even tho daddy’s El Dorado did have have a backseat you could live in & a trunk you could grow crops in.
Eldorado
By Edgar Allan Poe
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old—
This knight so bold—
And o’er his heart a shadow—
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow—
‘Shadow,’ said he,
‘Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?’
‘Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,’
The shade replied,—
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Vaihinger
Appreciate, enjoy, have fun times with those purty models. Just don’t marry ‘em. Or adopt ‘em. Or try to save them. Or specialize in one or a few. Entertainers is manipulators, ya know. Manipulated, too.
Devil will continue to take, drown, the Heinlein-most.
Where is everybody???
In God’s time
Daniel 2:34-35
Good read once again. Will be linking as usual @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
🎪 And this may explain why so many in our society remain in ignorant bliss within their smaller structures while others of us drive ourselves to near madness because we can’t ignore the larger structures, integrated throughout and ultimately controlling the entire global circus.
I find myself going, “Ah ha, I hadn’t thought of it in this way until now”, when I read many of your posts and, inevitably, I’m impressed with your analogous take on a given situation. I also wonder why I had never thought of it in such a way before!
Reading this today, I immediately thought of my children and what I feel is the enormous gulf of difference between that with which they consume themselves daily vs what I feel they are completely clueless and uninterested about. And it is so definitely about “structures”. They live within well-defined structures of their immediate home. Their daily actions and thought processes are centered around their house, their child/children, their work, much of which has been moved into their homes now, and immediate family and a few friends, all of whom live close by and are of physical/logistical importance to the maintaining of their immediate life structure. Their awareness of the larger structure of the country or the world; even their actual home town, is “out there”, but unless an event affects or intrudes on what I see as their “isolated structure”, it holds little relevance to their day to day activities. I’m always surprised, though not as much anymore, at something I’ll tell them in conversation, which I assume is common knowledge, only to find they’ve never heard anything of it. Granted, they are busy with child-rearing and work details and I’m sure are more astute on the intricacies of the real estate market and interest rates (DIL is an agent) or the most recent trending thing on Instagram, or the latest Disney movie. They speak of the obstacles to the renewal of the program grant at the school (D is a program director/professor at a local university), but even within these structures, I see how detached they are from the bigger picture/structure of the elements of their lives. They truly deal with only what immediately affects them. They seem to hold no real interest or are engaged in anything outside that immediate structure.
Over the past 24 years of my interaction with this family, I’ve often considered the actual geographical regional differences in my involvement with bigger, outer structures in my world vs their close, limited involvement with anything outside theirs. Could it be that due to weather and temps, folks living in warmer climates tend to be out and about more than those inhabiting colder climes? I did find, living up north for quite a few years, that people were generally more “closed” socially; not as warm, friendly and outgoing as my southern colleagues and acquaintances. This is possibly because it’s too cold for so many months to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. Or, are some people simply more family-centric and don’t have as much need for friends for fellowship and entertainment?
The difference is quite clear between how I grew up and the result I see in my partner’s family members. In the south, everyone is curious (nosy!) about what all goes on in our neighborhoods, churches, in town, at our work places, the stores in which we shop. We converse (small talk and pleasantries) with our postman, our grocery clerk we see daily or weekly, we have golf buddies and various club friends, folks we interact within charitable efforts in our communities, and generally it is touted that we don’t meet a stranger, at least until we’ve spoken to or held a door open for someone. That’s my view of my interaction within my world structure. I doubt my kids even know the name of their postman. Possibly they know the name of the key director and maybe one or two caretakers at their child’s daycare facility. But I’ve been to some of the children’s after school activities and I see no interaction between them with other parents. It’s in and out. A square checked on their daily list of “to dos”. I sense no engagement within even their small structures, so it makes sense there is no interest in the outer, larger, more globally integrated structures.
On a larger scale, and I’m sure because I have more time now, am a naturally curious person and I also read voraciously, I’m quite informed about national and global happenings and how the larger structures of our world trickle down to affect our more immediate structures. I’ve even found this minimizes, to some degree, my interest in the more mundane happenings of the smaller, closer to home structures. I find the smaller structure happenings a bit shallow and holding less meaning for me these days. This is perhaps a blessing and a curse.
Before the advent of today’s 24-hour media cycle, humans of yesteryear hardly knew that other humans over 50 miles away from them even existed. Much less in other countries across the globe. How necessary was it to know about different, larger structures? And even today, does this knowledge and/or connection to these structures truly benefit us or rather just cause us undue anxiety and generate feelings of helplessness and depression at a world so large, with such complicated challenges, that we are torn between a perceived need for connection to it all, yet an overwhelm at where this leaves us; totally unconnected to anything meaningful. Have we only learned how small and insignificant we really are in the grand structure of it all? Is there some truth and even some mental/emotional safety in the “ignorance is bliss” lifestyle?
Thanks, Todd; you always provide me a new perspective on important thoughts! I’m not sure I’ve come to any conclusions on this topic but it helps me better understand my own angst with myself and my thoughts about my place within the structures. Forgive the ramble; it’s how my brain works things into words.
This is an amazing comment. And I am pleased to no end that my essay made enough sense that it would cause you to write what you have written...to me what you say here IS the point I was trying to get across rather recklessly.
But wow it opens up a can of worms! I think I could write a book reflecting on what you have said here, there are so many points I would like to comment on.
I have, until these past few years, been reticent to publicly criticise the human course through modernization. Although I certainly had criticisms, I really could not focus on things like technology, science, world complexity, medicine, without appearing to be in denial of the attributes of natural "human progress"...however, I have come to realize that much that we see has been intentionally driven, and as such is not a consequence of normal human societal evolution, and certainly not beneficial to the human condition.
This realization does change the structure of the structured system, as I believe it is now more a result of malevolent intention. In years past, I do not think it was entirely wrong to not engage larger structures in the smaller structure circle, people of course have done that for centuries when conveying news further than a few miles was nearly impossible without a lot of time and effort. But today, with all the global deceit going on, if we are not aware of what is going on around the world, we will be screwed. And the agenda makes every effort to keep us in our little box and feed us, 1984 style, what they want us to know, "in their own words", about the "larger systems."
I think too that the "ignorance" of the masses is not only an "information" ignorance (i.e., information beyond their little bubble) but a soul ignorance. This may be a stretch to grok, but I firmly believe that what you describe about kids being only aware of simple, surface, things is a result of the loss of an awareness and interest in deeper aspects of life. Certainly I would say religion, spirituality, at the forefront of this missing depth, but it doesn't even have to be focused on God. How about a deep interest of music (not entertainment music, but art music) or art, or literature?...no one reads ANYTHING anymore, from what I see. How about discussions about these things, these more soulful things...crickets. There was a time when every day ordinary people rioted because some new symphony or music came out that was controversial (a riot ensued on the night of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" premiere in Paris in 1913--such passion about something that isn't materially focused is unheard of today).
I believe this lack of interest in "soul matters" causes a disconnect with the operations of the world around us. This may seem a stretch, as I previously said, but I think I could show this if I wrote a book about it!!
Thanks again for the post..it inspired me. I touched on maybe 1% of it with this response...hope it makes sense.
You make an excellent point; is anyone passionate about anything anymore? I don’t mean protesting or ranting in anger, but expressing oneself with vigor when one is so moved, be it about a beautiful song or piece of art or with righteous indignation at a clear injustice being permitted with no consequences. I find most people go through their days basically numb, with no real opinion and certainly little outward expression to would suggest passion or fire in their belly about anything. Perhaps the overwhelm of everyday information overload puts us all in a fog; it’s just too much and thus easier to coast along in dulled out neutral mode.
I’ve always been criticized for being too enthusiastic about things that excite me. I was labeled “too rambunctious” as a child. I express, sometimes too loudly, when something truly interests me or I’m for or against something, be it positive or negative. What happened to expressing ourselves? Whats the point of living life numb? Why were we created as beings with passion if it’s not a natural part of us? Without passion, our world is very gray.
I believe passion is definitely a natural part of us. We are designed to seek out and express the numinous. Our awareness of God comes from this place...if we have such an awareness.
And yes, it is largely gone in our culture, at least in Western culture. I see a lot of clients, and there are only a handful of them, if that, that have hobbies, or interests of any kind outside of the humdrum "instant gratification" world they are skating on. It is no wonder there is so much depression, and anxiety in the world...
Basically it is like this:
1. No hobbies, or fascination with anything in the world
2. No reading, or very little
3. No passion for their work
4. No romance
5. Focus only on money, success (maybe), play (sports, maybe, but certainly sedentary play) substances (most everyone I see smokes pot regularly...not excessively, but "to sleep" or whatever), alcohol
6. Very very very few have any interest in the arts or creativity. Few play an instrument, or paint, or "make" anything.
7. Basically zero interest in history, or other cultures, or travel (unless it is to have fun, drink, or do nothing...but not to explore other cultures.)
There's more, but I don't want to write a book.
I am not listing things I have observed in just a few people, this is pretty much across the board with the majority of people I see. And they are mostly functioning, well to do, "not too ill" people...just sad, anxious, unhappy, unfulfilled). It is quite sad.
Of course these are people that come to me with issues...it may not represent the majority of people out there...but I suspect it does.
When I am at our cabin near Minden, it doesn't feel like the world is going to end. When I drive along Lakeshore Boulevard under the Gardiner Expressway, it does.