http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=fear-death-and-politics
SOLOMON: A large body of evidence shows that momentarily making death salient, typically by asking people to think about themselves dying, intensifies people’s strivings to protect and bolster aspects of their worldviews, and to bolster their self-esteem. The most common finding is that MS increases positive reactions to those who share cherished aspects of one’s cultural worldview, and negative reactions toward those who violate cherished cultural values or are merely different.
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Thus, invoking the fear of death can pander to people's bigotry, and arouse their hatred of the socially variant. This strategy has proved profitable for many groups; especially the reactionary religious ones. Further, by invoking the "death of culture" concept, this fear can be exploited even more adroitly.
By threatening the demise of concepts deemed irreplaceable to an individual's continued existence, the triggering of abhorrence occurs, and can be channeled into useful reservoirs of repugnance. Individuals that disagree with a cherished belief become life-threatening attackers; for which violence in kind is the only proper response.
Thus, the left-leaning morph into terrorist loving madmen; the gender variant mutate into horrific child molesters; and the poor distort into capitalistic crushing parasites; all inhuman creatures bent on cultural annihilation and requiring extermination.
Meanwhile, those espousing beloved viewpoints are canonized; their words and deeds a saintly inspiration by which to fashion life and livelihood. Absolved from the constraints of human ignorance and bias, the chosen ones don the mantel of omniscience; and thus are freed from the shackles of empathy or mercy.
A god adored becomes a comfort for mortals... and those aspiring to eternity through the elimination of the abominated adversaries.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
three r's
http://www.slate.com/id/2202303/
You could say our lives as social beings are ruled by the three R's: respect—the sense that proper deference has been paid to our status, reputation—the carefully maintained perception of our qualities, and reciprocity—the belief that our actions are responded to fairly.
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Indeed, these principles of education are the most prized within the academy of society; and inculcating them our most sacred task. Without due respect, there can be no self-esteem. Without a proper reputation, one's standing in the community is compromised. Without proportionate reciprocity, public intercourse becomes unbalanced and dysfunctional.
Managing these aspects of our lives becomes of paramount importance; calling us to expend all energy necessary to insure that our persona is properly cultivated and cherished by all pertinent people. Impressing others with our prominence should occupy a central position in our daily lives; insuring a stable and predictable pattern of interactions.
To achieve this worthy goal, both the powers of persuasion and coercion are vital, and need to be applied in copious portions to the festering sores of misperception that exist in the minds of others. Only when the infection of ignorance have been salved into submission can our proper station be restored and maintained.
This education needs to be continuing, for without constant reapplication; chances of a recurrence of reality are far too common; imposing the specter of infection and its insidious consequences.
You could say our lives as social beings are ruled by the three R's: respect—the sense that proper deference has been paid to our status, reputation—the carefully maintained perception of our qualities, and reciprocity—the belief that our actions are responded to fairly.
---------------------------------
Indeed, these principles of education are the most prized within the academy of society; and inculcating them our most sacred task. Without due respect, there can be no self-esteem. Without a proper reputation, one's standing in the community is compromised. Without proportionate reciprocity, public intercourse becomes unbalanced and dysfunctional.
Managing these aspects of our lives becomes of paramount importance; calling us to expend all energy necessary to insure that our persona is properly cultivated and cherished by all pertinent people. Impressing others with our prominence should occupy a central position in our daily lives; insuring a stable and predictable pattern of interactions.
To achieve this worthy goal, both the powers of persuasion and coercion are vital, and need to be applied in copious portions to the festering sores of misperception that exist in the minds of others. Only when the infection of ignorance have been salved into submission can our proper station be restored and maintained.
This education needs to be continuing, for without constant reapplication; chances of a recurrence of reality are far too common; imposing the specter of infection and its insidious consequences.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
hollowed be thy name
One of the most delightful procedures is the evisceration of faith through religion itself. Where virtues might be found to flourish, the application of self-righteous pride and ignorance allow individuals to forgo the tiresome burdens of charity, hope, and devotion; freeing them to tote whatever orthodoxy rides most easily.
By substituting the image of holiness for its reality, and focusing all attention and adoration towards such a graven image; there remains precious little energy allotted to the actual work of faith. Thus, the ostentatious display of pseudo-piety affords its devotees sanctimonious smugness without any corresponding responsibility; a perfect recipe for a feast of indulgent hatred.
Secure within the shell of conviction, belief in anything other than the justification of self seems remote, and one finds little danger in evoking whichever deity best serves that purpose- hollowed be thy name, wherever thou art.
By substituting the image of holiness for its reality, and focusing all attention and adoration towards such a graven image; there remains precious little energy allotted to the actual work of faith. Thus, the ostentatious display of pseudo-piety affords its devotees sanctimonious smugness without any corresponding responsibility; a perfect recipe for a feast of indulgent hatred.
Secure within the shell of conviction, belief in anything other than the justification of self seems remote, and one finds little danger in evoking whichever deity best serves that purpose- hollowed be thy name, wherever thou art.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
certainly wrong
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-certainty-bias
"the brain has provided us with a wide variety of subjective feelings of reward ranging from hunches, gut feelings, intuitions, suspicions that we are on the right track to a profound sense of certainty and utter conviction. And yes, these feelings are qualitatively as powerful as those involved in sex and gambling. One need only look at the self-satisfied smugness of a "know it all" to suspect that the feeling of certainty can approach the power of addiction."
"In short, please run, do not walk, to the nearest exit when you hear so-called leaders being certain of any particular policy. Only in the absence of certainty can we have open-mindedness, mental flexibility and willingness to contemplate alternative ideas."
--------------------------------------------
Indeed, the oh so admired quality of certainty bespeaks of a rather less cherished one: ignorance. Just as those dependent on chemicals derive pleasure from a source both dangerous and rarely sustainable; those who are slaves to self-righteousness wallow in a destructive and debilitating bliss.
The mental warping from the intoxicating effects of unwavering dogmatism prevent the lucid evaluation of any position; indeed, the requirements of feeding such an obsession demand a reckless disregard for reality, even at the cost of integrity and happiness.
When leaders crow about their ability to "stay the course", they boast of an inability to think objectively, or reason coherently. Such esteemed madness may be acceptable for the zealots of the faith; but for the rest of the population, it is simply a fanaticism unworthy of public office.
"the brain has provided us with a wide variety of subjective feelings of reward ranging from hunches, gut feelings, intuitions, suspicions that we are on the right track to a profound sense of certainty and utter conviction. And yes, these feelings are qualitatively as powerful as those involved in sex and gambling. One need only look at the self-satisfied smugness of a "know it all" to suspect that the feeling of certainty can approach the power of addiction."
"In short, please run, do not walk, to the nearest exit when you hear so-called leaders being certain of any particular policy. Only in the absence of certainty can we have open-mindedness, mental flexibility and willingness to contemplate alternative ideas."
--------------------------------------------
Indeed, the oh so admired quality of certainty bespeaks of a rather less cherished one: ignorance. Just as those dependent on chemicals derive pleasure from a source both dangerous and rarely sustainable; those who are slaves to self-righteousness wallow in a destructive and debilitating bliss.
The mental warping from the intoxicating effects of unwavering dogmatism prevent the lucid evaluation of any position; indeed, the requirements of feeding such an obsession demand a reckless disregard for reality, even at the cost of integrity and happiness.
When leaders crow about their ability to "stay the course", they boast of an inability to think objectively, or reason coherently. Such esteemed madness may be acceptable for the zealots of the faith; but for the rest of the population, it is simply a fanaticism unworthy of public office.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Bad credit risk
Currently, there has been a substantial amount of searching for a scapegoat in the financial meltdown. Indeed, there are many who have contributed to the difficulties, but one charge that I find particularly odious is the insinuation that loans to minority people crashed the system.
Somehow, the argument implies that those evil poor persons got too uppity; and started acting like they should be having mortgages like the real citizens of this great union. This, of course, transgresses the laws of God and man, and for such a violation of the natural order, a crisis of international proportions occurred. The architects of the global chaos were purported to be, as usual, the people with the least ability to effect beneficial change in their own situation; while the power brokers were again the helpless pawns of the paupers.
Watching the wealthy squander the economic future on their insane lust for present gain has become an American pastime over the last thirty years; with each disaster providing less entertainment value, and more hardship. As greater amounts of control are funneled into fewer and fewer hands, the wielders of influence become increasingly divorced from the mundane reality of average life; and grown progressively less sane in their dealings with politics and economics. The short term advantage has become an idol of epic proportions; worshiped with fervor equivalent to biblical malfeasance.
The golden calf of capitalism now requires sacrifice; the life blood of taxes and future prosperity should do nicely. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge the truth- the obscenely wealthy are the worst credit risks, and need to have their borrowing privileges revoked before they bankrupt us all.
Somehow, the argument implies that those evil poor persons got too uppity; and started acting like they should be having mortgages like the real citizens of this great union. This, of course, transgresses the laws of God and man, and for such a violation of the natural order, a crisis of international proportions occurred. The architects of the global chaos were purported to be, as usual, the people with the least ability to effect beneficial change in their own situation; while the power brokers were again the helpless pawns of the paupers.
Watching the wealthy squander the economic future on their insane lust for present gain has become an American pastime over the last thirty years; with each disaster providing less entertainment value, and more hardship. As greater amounts of control are funneled into fewer and fewer hands, the wielders of influence become increasingly divorced from the mundane reality of average life; and grown progressively less sane in their dealings with politics and economics. The short term advantage has become an idol of epic proportions; worshiped with fervor equivalent to biblical malfeasance.
The golden calf of capitalism now requires sacrifice; the life blood of taxes and future prosperity should do nicely. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge the truth- the obscenely wealthy are the worst credit risks, and need to have their borrowing privileges revoked before they bankrupt us all.
Monday, September 22, 2008
owed to joy
This is the land of debt, where the deficit of one's worth creates the sum of existence. The failure of capital to finance realistic self esteem leads to a flow of red ink washing any person caught in its wake to the gutter. For this then, praise sought and found by a lack of assets, compounds daily without interest in the principles of values. Give thanks for the shortfalls; in the long run, this gross is the only product equaling ecstasy.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
lgbt community
At best, we are more than the bearers of a common burden; we are united by wisdom and love born from a suffering of self.
The recognition that gender roles can not encompass the totality of our lives, and the fact that these tools of social structure have been used to try and chisel away those portions of personality deemed unsuitable to the community, have left us scarred but cognizant of the confines that limit the less aware.
The task before us lies in accepting the totality of ourselves and others, while teaching the balance of liberty and responsibility; we seek not to destroy those who would harm us, but to obliterate the ignorance that fuels their hatred.
This is not just a question of sex or gender; of intimacy, ecstasy, or indifference; of solidarity or isolation; it is a exploration of the equilibrium between society and self, and we have been made stewards of the standard most feared.
What unites us is not the pain, but its transcendence through wisdom; not common enemies but uncommon courage; not being despised but loving despite it. For many, the unwanted onus of self actualization in the glare of public eye would not be our first choice, but it is a responsibility we can be proud to bear.
We are the cast out stones that seek to build bridges with those who would discard us; and in doing so create foundation for a society built on strength rather than weakness. What binds us, in the end, are our virtues; not an adversary's vices.
If we can recognize and accept our variations as the individual decoration of the shared neighbor of values, we can live and work together in a community of inclusion and acceptance; thus inspiring others to leave the slums of unenlightened intolerance.
The recognition that gender roles can not encompass the totality of our lives, and the fact that these tools of social structure have been used to try and chisel away those portions of personality deemed unsuitable to the community, have left us scarred but cognizant of the confines that limit the less aware.
The task before us lies in accepting the totality of ourselves and others, while teaching the balance of liberty and responsibility; we seek not to destroy those who would harm us, but to obliterate the ignorance that fuels their hatred.
This is not just a question of sex or gender; of intimacy, ecstasy, or indifference; of solidarity or isolation; it is a exploration of the equilibrium between society and self, and we have been made stewards of the standard most feared.
What unites us is not the pain, but its transcendence through wisdom; not common enemies but uncommon courage; not being despised but loving despite it. For many, the unwanted onus of self actualization in the glare of public eye would not be our first choice, but it is a responsibility we can be proud to bear.
We are the cast out stones that seek to build bridges with those who would discard us; and in doing so create foundation for a society built on strength rather than weakness. What binds us, in the end, are our virtues; not an adversary's vices.
If we can recognize and accept our variations as the individual decoration of the shared neighbor of values, we can live and work together in a community of inclusion and acceptance; thus inspiring others to leave the slums of unenlightened intolerance.
Monday, August 18, 2008
sucker into saint
http://www.newsweek.com/id/151158
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"People can't stand the idea of being a fool; it's cognitively intolerable. So they mentally "reframe" the situation to make their behavior not only acceptable but superior: They moralize their spinelessness, transforming it into altruism, community spirit—saintliness. They become "holier than thou."
--------------------------------------------
For many, the specter of bigotry terrifies; the thought of appearing an ignorant, hate-filled fool propels them towards whatever cognitive contortions will sanctify their base impulses. Rather than take responsibility for the price of such prejudice, it feels much more pleasant to blame the objects of their intolerance; shifting the shame of hatred to those that are despised.
This is especially true for those that abhor gender variant people; whether by religious cant, or social convention, distorted rationalizations provide a convenient cover for loathsome behavior. Assaulting people in nonconforming attire becomes "upholding traditional social norms"; exploiting gay compatriots morphs into "exercising the will of God"- vices in any other context are transmuted into virtue simply by using fallacies bolstered by fear and dogma.
Cherished habits are not purified by time alone; it is a willful pride that prevents a reexamination of values in the light of affirming acceptance. The ability to change, especially when it comes from the recognition of ignorance; is not weakness, but a courageous strength much under appreciated in the realm of rigid mindsets. Loving one's self allows the extension of charity towards all, even those most feared. The importance of building realistic self esteem, and sharing this gift with others creates a society where hatred need not be hallowed, and allows each individual the opportunity to contribute their gifts for the greater good. Admitting to wrongs, and changing them is the path to righteousness.
--------------------------------------------
"People can't stand the idea of being a fool; it's cognitively intolerable. So they mentally "reframe" the situation to make their behavior not only acceptable but superior: They moralize their spinelessness, transforming it into altruism, community spirit—saintliness. They become "holier than thou."
--------------------------------------------
For many, the specter of bigotry terrifies; the thought of appearing an ignorant, hate-filled fool propels them towards whatever cognitive contortions will sanctify their base impulses. Rather than take responsibility for the price of such prejudice, it feels much more pleasant to blame the objects of their intolerance; shifting the shame of hatred to those that are despised.
This is especially true for those that abhor gender variant people; whether by religious cant, or social convention, distorted rationalizations provide a convenient cover for loathsome behavior. Assaulting people in nonconforming attire becomes "upholding traditional social norms"; exploiting gay compatriots morphs into "exercising the will of God"- vices in any other context are transmuted into virtue simply by using fallacies bolstered by fear and dogma.
Cherished habits are not purified by time alone; it is a willful pride that prevents a reexamination of values in the light of affirming acceptance. The ability to change, especially when it comes from the recognition of ignorance; is not weakness, but a courageous strength much under appreciated in the realm of rigid mindsets. Loving one's self allows the extension of charity towards all, even those most feared. The importance of building realistic self esteem, and sharing this gift with others creates a society where hatred need not be hallowed, and allows each individual the opportunity to contribute their gifts for the greater good. Admitting to wrongs, and changing them is the path to righteousness.
Between a king and jack
Gangsters and world leaders
Require the same protection from attack
From this distance it's hard to tell the difference
Between a king and jack
Between a poet and hack
-----------------------------------
All those besotted by power become indistinguishable, their forms are dimmed by the warp by which they are adorned. Legality becomes inconsequential, the morality abandoned far overshadows any vestiges of humanity bestowed by conventionality; distending the figures into caricatures of humans.
The pretense that assumes societal sanction prevents depravity provides a twisted amusement, but no real comfort for anyone possessing even the rudimentary powers of discernment. Adoration surpasses any judgment concerning virtue; notoriety becomes justification for existence, and allows depravity its own special acceptance.
The artists of the airwaves need only create a following to insure their passage to salvation; hacking to heaven denotes the norm of abnormality. The success of excess canonizes carnality; the paragons of anything but virtue are enshrined by rapt attention and indiscriminate adoration. What man has deified, let no one debase.
Require the same protection from attack
From this distance it's hard to tell the difference
Between a king and jack
Between a poet and hack
-----------------------------------
All those besotted by power become indistinguishable, their forms are dimmed by the warp by which they are adorned. Legality becomes inconsequential, the morality abandoned far overshadows any vestiges of humanity bestowed by conventionality; distending the figures into caricatures of humans.
The pretense that assumes societal sanction prevents depravity provides a twisted amusement, but no real comfort for anyone possessing even the rudimentary powers of discernment. Adoration surpasses any judgment concerning virtue; notoriety becomes justification for existence, and allows depravity its own special acceptance.
The artists of the airwaves need only create a following to insure their passage to salvation; hacking to heaven denotes the norm of abnormality. The success of excess canonizes carnality; the paragons of anything but virtue are enshrined by rapt attention and indiscriminate adoration. What man has deified, let no one debase.
poisonous light pours from the picture palace
While the poisonous light pours from the picture palace
And it flickers on, tries so hard to be scandalous
-E. Costello
--------------------------------
The unfortunate aspect that bedevils most modern media circles around the lack of shock and shame; the jaded skin of the public has become a nearly impenetrable armor that affords all to be viewed without any discernible impact. Any transitory emotions evoked by displays of horror, gore or vile cruelty dissipate like sweat, evaporating into the ether; leaving the observer a fraction cooler and a portion slightly less fragrant but otherwise untouched.
Feigned indignation has superseded actual outrage in common expression, and with it, has further corrupted the integrity of feeling that prompts interpersonal connections; empathy seems unobtainable when one is separated from their own emotions. The search for sensation becomes ever more desperate and elusive; from vicarious killing to indiscriminate intercourse, bemused indifference overwhelms even the extremes of behavior, and leaves the pursuer increasingly empty in the quest for fulfillment.
The graven self images created for consumers by the magic of the marketplace fit ill, and invoke illness; the offered objects of desire has little relevance for the targeted humanoids, and sicken those that don such shabby costumes. Like tainted cloth spreading disease into those cloaked in such unsuitable attire, the media-draped roles are incompatible with mental health; no matter how accessorized, these polluted vestments usher in an infection of self negation.
The pandering of palatable poisons has become pandemic, and this affliction can not be cured by the nostrums of contemporary culture; they are the toxins responsible for such ailments. The truth lies within the realization that the pursuit of power has caused corruption, and all the flickering pictures can't hide that fact; no matter how scandalous or from what palace the pour.
And it flickers on, tries so hard to be scandalous
-E. Costello
--------------------------------
The unfortunate aspect that bedevils most modern media circles around the lack of shock and shame; the jaded skin of the public has become a nearly impenetrable armor that affords all to be viewed without any discernible impact. Any transitory emotions evoked by displays of horror, gore or vile cruelty dissipate like sweat, evaporating into the ether; leaving the observer a fraction cooler and a portion slightly less fragrant but otherwise untouched.
Feigned indignation has superseded actual outrage in common expression, and with it, has further corrupted the integrity of feeling that prompts interpersonal connections; empathy seems unobtainable when one is separated from their own emotions. The search for sensation becomes ever more desperate and elusive; from vicarious killing to indiscriminate intercourse, bemused indifference overwhelms even the extremes of behavior, and leaves the pursuer increasingly empty in the quest for fulfillment.
The graven self images created for consumers by the magic of the marketplace fit ill, and invoke illness; the offered objects of desire has little relevance for the targeted humanoids, and sicken those that don such shabby costumes. Like tainted cloth spreading disease into those cloaked in such unsuitable attire, the media-draped roles are incompatible with mental health; no matter how accessorized, these polluted vestments usher in an infection of self negation.
The pandering of palatable poisons has become pandemic, and this affliction can not be cured by the nostrums of contemporary culture; they are the toxins responsible for such ailments. The truth lies within the realization that the pursuit of power has caused corruption, and all the flickering pictures can't hide that fact; no matter how scandalous or from what palace the pour.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Sophistication
With all his heart he wants to come close to some other human, touch someone with his hands, be touched by the hand of another. If he prefers that the other be a woman, that is because he believes that a woman will be gentle, that she will understand. He wants, most of all, understanding.
--Sherwood Anderson "Sophistication"
There is perhaps no communal experience that is more isolating than death. In its contemplation, with all the unknowable aspects to awe and frighten; there arises a need, primal in nature, to mitigate the horror by sharing the burden with another. Such sharing may take many forms, with many people, but love remains the most intimate, and meaningful manifestation.
Love forms from the trust built around exposed vulnerabilities; an appreciation of the complex and imperfect gestalt of personality as an artwork; not less desirable for its deficiencies, but all the more uniquely beautiful. To share our own weaknesses with someone who will both acknowledge and accept these shortcomings with candor and grace creates a relationship that can fashion a more complete person; one able to bear the responsibilities of conscience and charity required to fashion healthy society.
This bonding underlies the principle of betrothal; the foundation of human civilization. Such participation between individuals towards a common goals of unification, where a mutual goal outweighs private needs, must start on a personal level to afford everyone the necessary strength required for self sacrifice. Robbing individuals of this essence threatens the stability of the entire social structure, for depleted elements render the edifice unstable.
Thus, when society denies its people the right to bond with those who they love, it engages in self destruction. Each being needs the liberty to develop themselves and find others who will accept and cherish them. Government that defrauds it citizens of this process, whatever the motivation, degrades those it must seek to serve, and threatens its own integrity.
As the world becomes more interdependent, the price of ignorance and prejudice towards our neighbors rises. The antidote for the venom of fear that flows through the veins of an uncertain society is not a cowardly hatred, but the courage to learn and understand the differences in our compatriots. Accepting the humanity in others not only decreases the trepidation inherent in personal interaction, it also allows one to forgive the personal failings basic to all. Reaching out to touch another betrays not a weakness, but a strength too long underutilized. It is a sophistication to which everyone must aspire.
--Sherwood Anderson "Sophistication"
There is perhaps no communal experience that is more isolating than death. In its contemplation, with all the unknowable aspects to awe and frighten; there arises a need, primal in nature, to mitigate the horror by sharing the burden with another. Such sharing may take many forms, with many people, but love remains the most intimate, and meaningful manifestation.
Love forms from the trust built around exposed vulnerabilities; an appreciation of the complex and imperfect gestalt of personality as an artwork; not less desirable for its deficiencies, but all the more uniquely beautiful. To share our own weaknesses with someone who will both acknowledge and accept these shortcomings with candor and grace creates a relationship that can fashion a more complete person; one able to bear the responsibilities of conscience and charity required to fashion healthy society.
This bonding underlies the principle of betrothal; the foundation of human civilization. Such participation between individuals towards a common goals of unification, where a mutual goal outweighs private needs, must start on a personal level to afford everyone the necessary strength required for self sacrifice. Robbing individuals of this essence threatens the stability of the entire social structure, for depleted elements render the edifice unstable.
Thus, when society denies its people the right to bond with those who they love, it engages in self destruction. Each being needs the liberty to develop themselves and find others who will accept and cherish them. Government that defrauds it citizens of this process, whatever the motivation, degrades those it must seek to serve, and threatens its own integrity.
As the world becomes more interdependent, the price of ignorance and prejudice towards our neighbors rises. The antidote for the venom of fear that flows through the veins of an uncertain society is not a cowardly hatred, but the courage to learn and understand the differences in our compatriots. Accepting the humanity in others not only decreases the trepidation inherent in personal interaction, it also allows one to forgive the personal failings basic to all. Reaching out to touch another betrays not a weakness, but a strength too long underutilized. It is a sophistication to which everyone must aspire.
Slobber is fit badge for his breast
The abundant blasphemy which bubbles over the lips of many reactionary religious fanatics is a corsage most culled by the August Assembly; this self-donned adornment of subtle and gross depravity masquerading as embellishment remains an achievement of the first order.
Corrupting sanctimonious bigots has never been overly difficult; indeed, their ignorance and moral cowardice provide a fertile ground in which to plant the seeds of hatred and contempt. Cultivating such germs into the full flower of divine usurpation, however, takes careful tending; requiring the careful application of copious amounts of both flattery and condemnation to raise narcissistic self-aggrandizing to its full ripeness.
Only when the unctuous have deluded themselves into believing that their personal prejudice is synonymous with heavenly abhorrence will this sacrilegious bloom be pinned to the breast, and watered with the bile of disdain. By rejecting charity for the hubristic pleasures of proscription, the quest for righteousness becomes perversion; displayed by the drool encrusted blossom riding over the heart.
Thus, by careful pandering to intolerance and selfishness, a creature may be created; one who will not only vilify others for his own satisfaction, but will do so under the guise of aiding his fallen brethren. Such appropriation of celestial power without corresponding responsibility, concern and love corrupts delightfully; rendering the wielder incapable of helping others or himself. Should self doubt rear its head at the desecration that abounds, he need merely glance at his slaver-caked chest for affirmation that all is well. After all, this badge of courage is well fitted to such a noble breast.
Dr. Mordacious "Deceit as a tool of statecraft"
Corrupting sanctimonious bigots has never been overly difficult; indeed, their ignorance and moral cowardice provide a fertile ground in which to plant the seeds of hatred and contempt. Cultivating such germs into the full flower of divine usurpation, however, takes careful tending; requiring the careful application of copious amounts of both flattery and condemnation to raise narcissistic self-aggrandizing to its full ripeness.
Only when the unctuous have deluded themselves into believing that their personal prejudice is synonymous with heavenly abhorrence will this sacrilegious bloom be pinned to the breast, and watered with the bile of disdain. By rejecting charity for the hubristic pleasures of proscription, the quest for righteousness becomes perversion; displayed by the drool encrusted blossom riding over the heart.
Thus, by careful pandering to intolerance and selfishness, a creature may be created; one who will not only vilify others for his own satisfaction, but will do so under the guise of aiding his fallen brethren. Such appropriation of celestial power without corresponding responsibility, concern and love corrupts delightfully; rendering the wielder incapable of helping others or himself. Should self doubt rear its head at the desecration that abounds, he need merely glance at his slaver-caked chest for affirmation that all is well. After all, this badge of courage is well fitted to such a noble breast.
Dr. Mordacious "Deceit as a tool of statecraft"
Monday, June 16, 2008
Elasticity
There are only two mistakes that inhibit your success. One is a lack of initiative, the other is overstepping your bounds. Between these two poles of error, the entire range of failure is bound. Thus, whatever deficits of achievement occur beneath your watch, you and you alone bear full culpability for the negative outcomes. Those above you can not be held accountable for disasters caused by your negligence and incompetence, and will swiftly met out the most severe retribution that suits our needs.
Thus, the degree of ruthlessness with which you discharge your duties becomes of paramount importance; not only to future prosperity, but more significantly, to your present existence. Understanding this will prove invaluable in realigning your values; for if any principle should limit the effective attainment of the task assigned, it is to be summarily discarded, and subsequently dismissed as immaterial.
Maintaining the utmost degree of elasticity when dealing with moral imperatives is not a sign of degeneracy, rather, it bespeaks of a dynamic, practical nature; one well suited to the progressive mindset needed for the betterment of the social structure. Any atavistic factions that cling to such notions as duty, honor, truth, justice and/or love are thus reactionary to the most appalling degree, and must be dealt with in the manner appropriate for such evolutionary dead ends- extinction.
Dr. Modacious- Deceit as a Tool of Statecraft
(from C.S. Lewis)
Thus, the degree of ruthlessness with which you discharge your duties becomes of paramount importance; not only to future prosperity, but more significantly, to your present existence. Understanding this will prove invaluable in realigning your values; for if any principle should limit the effective attainment of the task assigned, it is to be summarily discarded, and subsequently dismissed as immaterial.
Maintaining the utmost degree of elasticity when dealing with moral imperatives is not a sign of degeneracy, rather, it bespeaks of a dynamic, practical nature; one well suited to the progressive mindset needed for the betterment of the social structure. Any atavistic factions that cling to such notions as duty, honor, truth, justice and/or love are thus reactionary to the most appalling degree, and must be dealt with in the manner appropriate for such evolutionary dead ends- extinction.
Dr. Modacious- Deceit as a Tool of Statecraft
(from C.S. Lewis)
The peculiar form of clarity
For most of my adult life, I have striven to mitigate my perception of isolation and suffering. The methods have been varied, as have my degrees of success, but the drive has remained constant and corrosive. At last, after nearly 48 years, the cumulative corruption has reached a point where a semblance of goal has been reached; I no longer have the ability to be fully aware of reality. Unfortunately, this has not lead to an alleviation of my pain; rather it has simply added a new layer of trepidation to the burden of dread I already carry.
I willed with all my being to be insensible to reality, and in doing so condemned myself to dwell in a realm beyond the grasp of sense. Here, the terror may be unreal, but not less terrifying for that; my growing horror unreasonable, but past the reach of reason. My apprehension lies slathered with just enough apathy to permit me to shamble between moments without being frozen by fear, but I lack the discernment to navigate towards any worthwhile destination. Eviscerating my soul has left me a shade that wanders through an indistinguishable labyrinth of shadow and illumination, substituting motion for progress.
In rare moments of insight, I retain just enough perception to ascertain the depths of desperation in which I dwell, and comprehend the utter hopelessness of escape. It is this peculiar form of clarity that remains my last link to humanity. Once it is severed, I know not what will be.
I willed with all my being to be insensible to reality, and in doing so condemned myself to dwell in a realm beyond the grasp of sense. Here, the terror may be unreal, but not less terrifying for that; my growing horror unreasonable, but past the reach of reason. My apprehension lies slathered with just enough apathy to permit me to shamble between moments without being frozen by fear, but I lack the discernment to navigate towards any worthwhile destination. Eviscerating my soul has left me a shade that wanders through an indistinguishable labyrinth of shadow and illumination, substituting motion for progress.
In rare moments of insight, I retain just enough perception to ascertain the depths of desperation in which I dwell, and comprehend the utter hopelessness of escape. It is this peculiar form of clarity that remains my last link to humanity. Once it is severed, I know not what will be.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Casting out the Kindly Ones
"Justice belongs to those who claim it, but let the claimant beware lest he create new injustice by his claim and thus set the bloody pendulum of revenge into its inexorable motion."
-Gowachin aphorism
Within the framework of society, conflicts between individuals must be effectively managed to insure a cohesion conducive to cooperation. The struggle to reconcile differing interests takes many forms; the most contentious and potentially disruptive may be that of addressing injuries among competing parties.
Unless all participants share a minimum of trust in the system of redress, the impetus provoked by emotional forces towards chaotic impulses threaten to rend the social fabric; as vindictive claws shred the binding ties of community. Fostering faith in such a process depends largely upon a perception of equality and impartiality; a projection of common good that overrides private concerns needs to demonstrate that the low and high share in civic responsibility, irrespective of their social status.
Thus justice compels an evenhanded distribution of punishment and rewards for those engaged in public conflict; an agreed upon framework of rules that limit acts of retribution, and supply a system of compensation for violations of communal law. When this exists, or at least is perceived to exist, maintaining social order remains a matter of application and adjustment; when such a perception fades, the maintenance becomes much more problematic.
For justice to exist, and moreover flourish, it must be valued; not merely with words, but by the allocation of resources in a manner shared by its benefactors and conspicuous in its application. Further, without a demonstration that individual power is subordinate to the demands civic interests, the burden of due process becomes untenable to those whose lack the influence to manipulate such a system.
Thus, an unwillingness to provide adequate funds to support justice or a lack of moral will to enforce justice lead to a erosion of public faith in the system, and portend a regression to more atavistic forms of redress. Taking the law into one's own hands means removing it from the social grasp, and shifting the grip from common good to individual benefit. Such a shift opens the way to the passionate clutches of vengeance, displacing the hand of due process with the claws of vindictiveness.
When reason is abandoned for a reversion to instinctual fury, the Kindly Ones are cast out from their place of honor, and condemned to roam afield; the spilled blood stains not only the talons they posses, but the digits of all who abandoned their homage.
-Gowachin aphorism
Within the framework of society, conflicts between individuals must be effectively managed to insure a cohesion conducive to cooperation. The struggle to reconcile differing interests takes many forms; the most contentious and potentially disruptive may be that of addressing injuries among competing parties.
Unless all participants share a minimum of trust in the system of redress, the impetus provoked by emotional forces towards chaotic impulses threaten to rend the social fabric; as vindictive claws shred the binding ties of community. Fostering faith in such a process depends largely upon a perception of equality and impartiality; a projection of common good that overrides private concerns needs to demonstrate that the low and high share in civic responsibility, irrespective of their social status.
Thus justice compels an evenhanded distribution of punishment and rewards for those engaged in public conflict; an agreed upon framework of rules that limit acts of retribution, and supply a system of compensation for violations of communal law. When this exists, or at least is perceived to exist, maintaining social order remains a matter of application and adjustment; when such a perception fades, the maintenance becomes much more problematic.
For justice to exist, and moreover flourish, it must be valued; not merely with words, but by the allocation of resources in a manner shared by its benefactors and conspicuous in its application. Further, without a demonstration that individual power is subordinate to the demands civic interests, the burden of due process becomes untenable to those whose lack the influence to manipulate such a system.
Thus, an unwillingness to provide adequate funds to support justice or a lack of moral will to enforce justice lead to a erosion of public faith in the system, and portend a regression to more atavistic forms of redress. Taking the law into one's own hands means removing it from the social grasp, and shifting the grip from common good to individual benefit. Such a shift opens the way to the passionate clutches of vengeance, displacing the hand of due process with the claws of vindictiveness.
When reason is abandoned for a reversion to instinctual fury, the Kindly Ones are cast out from their place of honor, and condemned to roam afield; the spilled blood stains not only the talons they posses, but the digits of all who abandoned their homage.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Grasping Relics
There are certain elements of the past that encumber our lives; pieces of a bygone era that threaten our ability to adapt and change. While we hold these fragments dear, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to come to grips with the present.
When we sanctify memory due solely to the nature of remembrance, we consecrate delusion by enshrining an surreality with in the temple of truth. The lack of reality endues the past with a halo most appealing in many eyes, but our worship of such images become graven in our minds, displacing the actual history with the idols of idealized yesterdays.
The room needed for change thus becomes crowded by tchotchekes, our mental attics cluttered with baubles no longer serving an function but that of nostalgia; prohibiting growth by binding us to the departed times and places. For experience to serve, it must not remain a hallowed icon, untouched by reinterpretation, but a material upon which to build a clearer and more truthful present awareness.
Lest we devolve into dust covered memento ourselves, we need to relinquish the cherished relics of the past, and bend our digits to grasp a more solid, if slippery contemporary existence.
When we sanctify memory due solely to the nature of remembrance, we consecrate delusion by enshrining an surreality with in the temple of truth. The lack of reality endues the past with a halo most appealing in many eyes, but our worship of such images become graven in our minds, displacing the actual history with the idols of idealized yesterdays.
The room needed for change thus becomes crowded by tchotchekes, our mental attics cluttered with baubles no longer serving an function but that of nostalgia; prohibiting growth by binding us to the departed times and places. For experience to serve, it must not remain a hallowed icon, untouched by reinterpretation, but a material upon which to build a clearer and more truthful present awareness.
Lest we devolve into dust covered memento ourselves, we need to relinquish the cherished relics of the past, and bend our digits to grasp a more solid, if slippery contemporary existence.
Of this time, of that place
The instruments of precision fail to serve when they supersede their designated purpose; the fear of uniqueness impairs the creation of the self that fulfills the deepest need of the individual. For the sake of conformity and acceptance into the society of achievement, machines degenerate the organic distinctiveness by denying soul spawned thought and feelings.
The enticements wailed by clockwork sirens befuddle all sense of navigation, sending the ship of reason yawing towards the shoals of desire; wrecking the voyage of self discovery. For want of certainty, for lust of security; progress is abandoned upon the rocky shallows of technology; the spirit left to bleach into a hollow carcass, bereft of beauty and life.
Here then lies the most terrible of all temporal and spacial junctions, the nowhere all-encompassing both self and situation; the negation defining existence that relegates humanity to an inanimate object, forever confined to this and that time and place.
The enticements wailed by clockwork sirens befuddle all sense of navigation, sending the ship of reason yawing towards the shoals of desire; wrecking the voyage of self discovery. For want of certainty, for lust of security; progress is abandoned upon the rocky shallows of technology; the spirit left to bleach into a hollow carcass, bereft of beauty and life.
Here then lies the most terrible of all temporal and spacial junctions, the nowhere all-encompassing both self and situation; the negation defining existence that relegates humanity to an inanimate object, forever confined to this and that time and place.
As dead as You
Mutually assured destruction is a form of madness both readily understood, and strikingly perverse. When applied to the field of thermonuclear warfare between nation states, this balance of terror menaces even the irrational into immobilizing their aggressive tendencies; but when such forces loom over ideological factions within a community, they may prove insufficient to curtail the havoc wrought by divisive worldviews.
When compassion and respect for alternative viewpoints becomes viewed as weakness; when empathy and understanding towards those who differ is cast as capitulation; compromise and accommodation are deemed as intolerable vices, suitable only for the morally depraved.
Pride infuses doctrine with unassailable righteousness, and arms its adherents with the weapons of hate and intolerance. When the cause itself becomes the end, no sacrifice becomes too great; even those that nullify the moral obligations supposed to be the basis of such action. To prevent violence; violence must be used. In the name of truth, deception becomes viable. To prevent the death of innocents, the innocents die. The price of victory necessitates the desecration of the values which initiated the conflict, and the combatants become as expendable as the principles they pretend to cherish.
The death of ethics may prove just as ruinous as a corporeal demise; when the cultural becomes irradiated by the release of animosity's armaments , the resulting toxicity ushers in a moral carnage both devastating in scope and indiscriminate in its victims as any atomic blast.
When compassion and respect for alternative viewpoints becomes viewed as weakness; when empathy and understanding towards those who differ is cast as capitulation; compromise and accommodation are deemed as intolerable vices, suitable only for the morally depraved.
Pride infuses doctrine with unassailable righteousness, and arms its adherents with the weapons of hate and intolerance. When the cause itself becomes the end, no sacrifice becomes too great; even those that nullify the moral obligations supposed to be the basis of such action. To prevent violence; violence must be used. In the name of truth, deception becomes viable. To prevent the death of innocents, the innocents die. The price of victory necessitates the desecration of the values which initiated the conflict, and the combatants become as expendable as the principles they pretend to cherish.
The death of ethics may prove just as ruinous as a corporeal demise; when the cultural becomes irradiated by the release of animosity's armaments , the resulting toxicity ushers in a moral carnage both devastating in scope and indiscriminate in its victims as any atomic blast.
Just a swallow away
The cartoon head gapes an open mouthed grin while sporting a large white tablet atop his cherubic head. Captioning the character, who is designated "Speedy", read the words -"Relief is just a swallow away." The tang of irony tastes bitterly metallic to one grown accustomed, and accustomed to groan at the burden of addiction.
The inability to regulate one's emotions without the use of chemical agents signifies more than just inexperience or innocent ignorance; it becomes indicative of an endangered individual. For some, organic causes indicate biochemical alterations; without which, the means to a healthy and productive life are elusive, if not most improbable.
For others, the use of such agents result in a pattern of maladaptive behavior which renders a worthwhile existence nearly impossible, and threatens those with which they interact.
Forces remain, however, that reinforce such self destructive habits; whether they consist of a lust for personal profit, or a need to foster a vulnerability to manipulation, the impetus towards cultivating pharmaceutical dependencies carves a swath of carnage across the body of society.
By limiting the analysis of this problem to that of the individual and their personal responsibility, one risks overlooking the benefits others may derive from such actions, and hinder the development of effective solutions. It is never a simple chain of weakness that binds the chemically dependent to their habit of degeneracy, but an web of interlocking gain and loss the that captures both society and its members in a sticky grip.
Relief is forever fleeting, no matter the number of gulps; hawking debasement remains a constant that the community should find increasingly difficult to swallow.
The inability to regulate one's emotions without the use of chemical agents signifies more than just inexperience or innocent ignorance; it becomes indicative of an endangered individual. For some, organic causes indicate biochemical alterations; without which, the means to a healthy and productive life are elusive, if not most improbable.
For others, the use of such agents result in a pattern of maladaptive behavior which renders a worthwhile existence nearly impossible, and threatens those with which they interact.
Forces remain, however, that reinforce such self destructive habits; whether they consist of a lust for personal profit, or a need to foster a vulnerability to manipulation, the impetus towards cultivating pharmaceutical dependencies carves a swath of carnage across the body of society.
By limiting the analysis of this problem to that of the individual and their personal responsibility, one risks overlooking the benefits others may derive from such actions, and hinder the development of effective solutions. It is never a simple chain of weakness that binds the chemically dependent to their habit of degeneracy, but an web of interlocking gain and loss the that captures both society and its members in a sticky grip.
Relief is forever fleeting, no matter the number of gulps; hawking debasement remains a constant that the community should find increasingly difficult to swallow.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The most incorrigible vice
The evil that is in the world always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding. On the whole men are more good than bad; that, however, isn't the real point. But they are more or less ignorant, and it is this that we call vice or virtue; the most incorrigible vice being that of an ignorance which fancies it knows everything and therefore claims for itself the right to kill. The soul of the murderer is blind; and there can be no true goodness, nor true love, without the utmost clear-sightedness.
--Albert Camus The Plague
The murder of Sanesha Stewart is more than an individual atrocity and personal desecration, it is a crime of collective malice and cowardice. Her homicide and subsequent debasement by the The Daily News indicate the abhorrent ignorance embraced by many of the general public, and the joy with which it is cherished.
Casting aside even nominal standards of decency and empathy, the killer becomes kindred in the eyes of onlookers; a pitiable victim ensnared by the web of fraud, overcome by a revulsion to act in an understandable fashion. Mindless fear and a craven aversion to those beyond their feeble ken lead the mob to gawk and snicker while mumbling incoherently about "retribution"; righteous outrage is reserved only for "real" people.
In asserting the right to kill, Sanesha's slayer lays claim to the most incorrigible vice; an ignorance that supposes it knows everything. The hubris in proclaiming to know the "true" identity of another, and thus invoking the right to exact the ultimate penalty from anyone transgressing such an immutable state bespeaks a blindness fetid with profanity.
Yet, such excremental views are spread across the tabloid press, and consumed with relish by those spineless individuals who cower at the thought of personal realization. Embracing such filth, besmeared by the putrefaction of moral responsibility, they seek to stifle the stench by burying the desecrated beneath mounds of derision and defamation; as if belittling the corpse would render the crime less heinous.
The exultations of the great unwashed may today drown out cries for justice; it will not always be so. Blindness, even one so cherished, leads into a ditch; leaving the road available for clear sighted to travel with goodness and love.
--Albert Camus The Plague
The murder of Sanesha Stewart is more than an individual atrocity and personal desecration, it is a crime of collective malice and cowardice. Her homicide and subsequent debasement by the The Daily News indicate the abhorrent ignorance embraced by many of the general public, and the joy with which it is cherished.
Casting aside even nominal standards of decency and empathy, the killer becomes kindred in the eyes of onlookers; a pitiable victim ensnared by the web of fraud, overcome by a revulsion to act in an understandable fashion. Mindless fear and a craven aversion to those beyond their feeble ken lead the mob to gawk and snicker while mumbling incoherently about "retribution"; righteous outrage is reserved only for "real" people.
In asserting the right to kill, Sanesha's slayer lays claim to the most incorrigible vice; an ignorance that supposes it knows everything. The hubris in proclaiming to know the "true" identity of another, and thus invoking the right to exact the ultimate penalty from anyone transgressing such an immutable state bespeaks a blindness fetid with profanity.
Yet, such excremental views are spread across the tabloid press, and consumed with relish by those spineless individuals who cower at the thought of personal realization. Embracing such filth, besmeared by the putrefaction of moral responsibility, they seek to stifle the stench by burying the desecrated beneath mounds of derision and defamation; as if belittling the corpse would render the crime less heinous.
The exultations of the great unwashed may today drown out cries for justice; it will not always be so. Blindness, even one so cherished, leads into a ditch; leaving the road available for clear sighted to travel with goodness and love.
Monday, January 14, 2008
soddenly, last summer
The sum of his artistry centered around his talent to draw a bottle empty. A common skill, and one not particularly beneficial, but practice did enhance his abilities, and he did embrace the task with ardor.
It provided a limited sense of accomplishment; accompanied by an increasing lack of inhibition, and/or coordination. One of the fortunate byproducts centered around his diminished capability to perceive his lack of perception. Painting a portrait in venom, he etched the flesh canvas with brush strokes of dissipation; determined in the delusion that this endeavor would stand the test of time.
Succumbing to the corrosive nature of his chosen media, the artist never fully completed his masterpiece, despite the endless hours of arduous labors within the brass-railed studio. Under the blaze of the intemperate elements, his flame was extinguished; leaving only the stone hewed review of some quarried critic --
Work in Progress
R.I.P.
It provided a limited sense of accomplishment; accompanied by an increasing lack of inhibition, and/or coordination. One of the fortunate byproducts centered around his diminished capability to perceive his lack of perception. Painting a portrait in venom, he etched the flesh canvas with brush strokes of dissipation; determined in the delusion that this endeavor would stand the test of time.
Succumbing to the corrosive nature of his chosen media, the artist never fully completed his masterpiece, despite the endless hours of arduous labors within the brass-railed studio. Under the blaze of the intemperate elements, his flame was extinguished; leaving only the stone hewed review of some quarried critic --
Work in Progress
R.I.P.
externalized self loathing
One of the major problems I see in many religious systems is the propensity for self esteem abasement. Hating the perceived imperfections present in the human condition becomes a precondition for entrance into the religious order, and the subsequent destruction of confidence produces a need to alleviate chronic anxiety.
Unscrupulous manipulators realize that dominating people becomes much easier where self loathing resides, but the side effects of a self-destructive mindset pose a significant problem. Thus, internalized individual abhorrence is directed outwards towards an endless parade of enemies, diverting the attention from the real problem; a lack of self acceptance and love.
Sometimes, the reluctance to face our own despised characteristics spawns the most virulent animosity toward others who display them. The reflection of our own imperfections arouse a violent revulsion; as if smashing the mirror can cure us of the traits we find repulsive.
I believe that many in the gender divergent community have struggled to obtain a realistic and compassionate understanding of themselves, and therefore have much to offer the misguided in respect to the importance of acceptance and empathy.
A house divided against itself can not stand, no matter how many props of hatred try and support it; perhaps only a foundation of loving embracement can build the people that our fractured and fracas-loving society requires.
Unscrupulous manipulators realize that dominating people becomes much easier where self loathing resides, but the side effects of a self-destructive mindset pose a significant problem. Thus, internalized individual abhorrence is directed outwards towards an endless parade of enemies, diverting the attention from the real problem; a lack of self acceptance and love.
Sometimes, the reluctance to face our own despised characteristics spawns the most virulent animosity toward others who display them. The reflection of our own imperfections arouse a violent revulsion; as if smashing the mirror can cure us of the traits we find repulsive.
I believe that many in the gender divergent community have struggled to obtain a realistic and compassionate understanding of themselves, and therefore have much to offer the misguided in respect to the importance of acceptance and empathy.
A house divided against itself can not stand, no matter how many props of hatred try and support it; perhaps only a foundation of loving embracement can build the people that our fractured and fracas-loving society requires.
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