This is a Rohn Kenyatta masterpiece - he's got his finger right on it in this one.
How about this quote:
"You see, locomotion, movement, is not, necessarily, progress. If I continue to run around in a circle, I am moving, I am expending energy, but I am not going anywhere."
I've said it before, and I'll, unabashedly, say it again: "I bet you say that to all the guys, Big Jon."
The true and wise teacher knows that the greatest source of insight and knowledge, comes from his/her students. And, yes, Jane Hansen taught me that, too.
I only wish that I could express to you how perfectly your writings aline with my own perspectives on so many levels.
This piece in particular has an undeniable resonance to my personal experiences and my world view.
Another euphemism that I have used to describe our condition in this society is that we are sailing on a ship of fools, lost at sea without a compass, and the hurricane is on the horizon.
I suppose throughout the history of human societies that knowledge and intelligence has been superseded by greed and tribalism.
The evolution of humanity seems like a idealistic dream of my youth when ignorance was bliss.
Nothing lasts forever.
You my friend are a master of your trade and I will always be grateful for your gifts.
Brother Joel, none that read this thread know the genesis of our relationship. Hard to believe it's been a few years since we became acquainted, and for a man I have never met, you are a genius, an inspiration and, I daresay, the friend I have never met. Your bulletproof support often gives me pause on many, many levels.
If society were an individual organism. I’d actually agree that the organism itself keeps backsliding.
Are we in the aggregate one creature? Are we like a big ol’ slime mold of an actually aggregate “creature”?
I am actually formulating possible answers here as I write and ask …
Yeah, our “society” as a whole backslides like one big slime-mold creature — egad, does it ever! —
And yet, individuals bits in it {You? Maybe me? Maybe others who are not satisfied to let the atavistic Right Wing drag us backward …?} do learn and retain that learning and even pass it on to our progeny buts sometimes. Or to somebody’s progeny, even if not our own. And the learning remains. At least for a while.
The OBJECT of that learning then needs to be made primary, by being incorporated into the actions of our society—instead of being relegated to inconsequential by virtue of of the Unlearn-ned contingent taking over again and backsliding … [this is a slime mold that can turn on itself!]
Basically [finding a way to stay in the metaphors], individuals in our society do learn, and sometimes they are prominent, and they influence our slime mold society as a whole to move in the direction of that learning. To stop touching the stove. To become a better society for the mold in general.
And then the other bahstids who don’t learn {or who have learned a DIFFERENT lesson, which is that they benefit when the smaller or fewer or less powerful and less privileged bits among us touch the stove, because it leaves the privileged more able to scarf up more stuff, even though eventually it will bring the whole enterprise to abject ruin}. And the Unlearn-ned drag us backwards to behaviors we thought we learned to abandon. Behaviors like Racism and Inequality [on the basis of….whatever!…gender, wealth, ethnicity, race.. whatever]. Empire. Legitimized Violence [or at least legitimized threats of violence to get one’s own way…]. Rampant Unregulated Capitalism, Oligarchy. Destruction of our Environment… the list of “hots” goes on.
SOME of us learn and resist the movement of our slime mold backwards.
But, we’re not always able to. Maybe not enough bits of the mold really learned much, or passed much on to our progeny.
So, yeah. If we as a society are actually like some big ol’ slime mold making our way across the landscape … sigh … maybe you have a point.
{Maybe some bits, individuals that make up the slime mold, need to work harder to turn this mold around. That’s me, the Snarky old Pollyanna — a study in contradictions. Can we do it? Will we morph into some better version of slime mold, or just keep oozing along? We have a world to leave those children we don’t talk about. Oy, vey.}
I am one of those "Substackers" that will never get too big for my britches. As a result, I respond to all of our subscribers and their comments; though a lot of authors, for good reasons, do not engage in such a practice. However, I am too astounded by our subscribers, their intellects and insights, to be so arrogant and haughty. In fact, I am honored that anyone reads what I write or is interested in my perspective. My purpose (whether I achieve it or not) is to force the reader to think. And, matey, your comment here clearly shows thought. Further, you present queries that cause anyone, including yours truly, to think.
"We" notwithstanding, THAT is all that truly matters. As much as I adore my girls (my little one just took a walk for her Masters in Education...big surprise), had I known then what I know now, I would never have had them. I am constantly chagrined, and angered, at the shit that I have brought them into.
Mine are a generation ahead of yours {you are probably of a similar age to mine}, and we worried about the world WE brought kids into all the way back … then… But we thought we could make it work.
I’m worried. Have a thirteen-year-old coming up in the NEXT generation …
Much work to do for her …
{There can be a “we” — for what other world do any of us have? If there’s no “we,” do I despair?}
You and your as well, Ma'am and if I may be so forward, it appears as though they (both your children and grandchildren) have an edge as exhibited by apparent stellar familial intellect.
Which, considering the aggregate, will either distill into being a hell of a blessing/gift or...
As one writer reflecting on the comment of another — Oy, gevalt. Yea, verily. Vraiment.
The Reader is the Raison … {except when the writer is a compulsive word person who writes everlastingly into the void as a mass of literary nothingness… Oh, providence, preserve us … Onward … !}
This is a Rohn Kenyatta masterpiece - he's got his finger right on it in this one.
How about this quote:
"You see, locomotion, movement, is not, necessarily, progress. If I continue to run around in a circle, I am moving, I am expending energy, but I am not going anywhere."
Absolutely brilliant.
I've said it before, and I'll, unabashedly, say it again: "I bet you say that to all the guys, Big Jon."
The true and wise teacher knows that the greatest source of insight and knowledge, comes from his/her students. And, yes, Jane Hansen taught me that, too.
I laughed the first time, and I'm laughing again - but I'm also going to say "thank you" for your kind insight, Kenyatta.
Your ability to turn a phrase is highly enviable. That you do it while teaching us is a wonderful gift.
If the electorate tRumps again, it will prove severe retardation.
If it Bidens again, there is a good case to be made for just alarmingly stoopid.
Your comment...'Tis sublime.
Brother Rohn,
I only wish that I could express to you how perfectly your writings aline with my own perspectives on so many levels.
This piece in particular has an undeniable resonance to my personal experiences and my world view.
Another euphemism that I have used to describe our condition in this society is that we are sailing on a ship of fools, lost at sea without a compass, and the hurricane is on the horizon.
I suppose throughout the history of human societies that knowledge and intelligence has been superseded by greed and tribalism.
The evolution of humanity seems like a idealistic dream of my youth when ignorance was bliss.
Nothing lasts forever.
You my friend are a master of your trade and I will always be grateful for your gifts.
Joel Bartels
Brother Joel, none that read this thread know the genesis of our relationship. Hard to believe it's been a few years since we became acquainted, and for a man I have never met, you are a genius, an inspiration and, I daresay, the friend I have never met. Your bulletproof support often gives me pause on many, many levels.
Thank you.
If society were an individual organism. I’d actually agree that the organism itself keeps backsliding.
Are we in the aggregate one creature? Are we like a big ol’ slime mold of an actually aggregate “creature”?
I am actually formulating possible answers here as I write and ask …
Yeah, our “society” as a whole backslides like one big slime-mold creature — egad, does it ever! —
And yet, individuals bits in it {You? Maybe me? Maybe others who are not satisfied to let the atavistic Right Wing drag us backward …?} do learn and retain that learning and even pass it on to our progeny buts sometimes. Or to somebody’s progeny, even if not our own. And the learning remains. At least for a while.
The OBJECT of that learning then needs to be made primary, by being incorporated into the actions of our society—instead of being relegated to inconsequential by virtue of of the Unlearn-ned contingent taking over again and backsliding … [this is a slime mold that can turn on itself!]
Basically [finding a way to stay in the metaphors], individuals in our society do learn, and sometimes they are prominent, and they influence our slime mold society as a whole to move in the direction of that learning. To stop touching the stove. To become a better society for the mold in general.
And then the other bahstids who don’t learn {or who have learned a DIFFERENT lesson, which is that they benefit when the smaller or fewer or less powerful and less privileged bits among us touch the stove, because it leaves the privileged more able to scarf up more stuff, even though eventually it will bring the whole enterprise to abject ruin}. And the Unlearn-ned drag us backwards to behaviors we thought we learned to abandon. Behaviors like Racism and Inequality [on the basis of….whatever!…gender, wealth, ethnicity, race.. whatever]. Empire. Legitimized Violence [or at least legitimized threats of violence to get one’s own way…]. Rampant Unregulated Capitalism, Oligarchy. Destruction of our Environment… the list of “hots” goes on.
SOME of us learn and resist the movement of our slime mold backwards.
But, we’re not always able to. Maybe not enough bits of the mold really learned much, or passed much on to our progeny.
So, yeah. If we as a society are actually like some big ol’ slime mold making our way across the landscape … sigh … maybe you have a point.
{Maybe some bits, individuals that make up the slime mold, need to work harder to turn this mold around. That’s me, the Snarky old Pollyanna — a study in contradictions. Can we do it? Will we morph into some better version of slime mold, or just keep oozing along? We have a world to leave those children we don’t talk about. Oy, vey.}
I am one of those "Substackers" that will never get too big for my britches. As a result, I respond to all of our subscribers and their comments; though a lot of authors, for good reasons, do not engage in such a practice. However, I am too astounded by our subscribers, their intellects and insights, to be so arrogant and haughty. In fact, I am honored that anyone reads what I write or is interested in my perspective. My purpose (whether I achieve it or not) is to force the reader to think. And, matey, your comment here clearly shows thought. Further, you present queries that cause anyone, including yours truly, to think.
May we manage to leave a world our kids can manage …
There you go with "we" again:)
"We" notwithstanding, THAT is all that truly matters. As much as I adore my girls (my little one just took a walk for her Masters in Education...big surprise), had I known then what I know now, I would never have had them. I am constantly chagrined, and angered, at the shit that I have brought them into.
Worse, I knew better (academically, anyway).
I hear you.
Congratulations to your daughter, by the way.
Mine are a generation ahead of yours {you are probably of a similar age to mine}, and we worried about the world WE brought kids into all the way back … then… But we thought we could make it work.
I’m worried. Have a thirteen-year-old coming up in the NEXT generation …
Much work to do for her …
{There can be a “we” — for what other world do any of us have? If there’s no “we,” do I despair?}
Good luck on you and yours.
You and your as well, Ma'am and if I may be so forward, it appears as though they (both your children and grandchildren) have an edge as exhibited by apparent stellar familial intellect.
Which, considering the aggregate, will either distill into being a hell of a blessing/gift or...
A hell of a curse.
We have a lot of edges. Earned and unearned.
Yeah, blessings or curse … It depends.
What day is today?
Thank you for the articulation of your perspectives. Your writing is appreciated
A writer is an amorphous mass of literary nothingness without readers. I only exist because you do.
As one writer reflecting on the comment of another — Oy, gevalt. Yea, verily. Vraiment.
The Reader is the Raison … {except when the writer is a compulsive word person who writes everlastingly into the void as a mass of literary nothingness… Oh, providence, preserve us … Onward … !}
LOL