“Freedom” is a very relative term these days. After 9/11, Americans redefine it into a timid, fear-based concept whose highest values are subjective (and individual) definitions of “comfort” and “safety.” This ersatz “freedom” is what novelist Mary McCarthy best described as “the lamb’s freedom.” According to McCarthy, the lambs’ fear of being eaten by predators relegates them to a life of submission—getting nipped at by dogs, eating when the shepherd says so, and making the most of the numbered days until the inevitable pre-Easter slaughter. The lion, McCarthy pointed out, has a much more robust definition of freedom that works off the assumption that true freedom is inherently dangerous. Even the biggest, baddest male lion gets ripped limb from limb by the hyenas if he breaks a leg. Sadly, most Americans traded what remained of the lion’s freedom for the perceived comfort and safety of the lamb’s freedom. In the end, we got neither. Instead, we got a Techno/Pharma Authoritarian future and this is our bitter harvest.
This is an epic and fitting analogy. My sense is we are witnessing a pendulum at its apex. It will come swinging back at some point. The question is when and if we will be able to prevent it swinging too far the opposite direction.
I concur with your pendulum analogy, but fear that we Americans do nothing in moderation. After 9/11, it was God, country, support the troops, and John 3:16 coins. Two decades later, after Corporate Cultural Revolution of 2020, it was pure nihilism--weaponized white guilt, gender games, hate thy country and above all, hate the police. Now comes Trump’s counter revolution. While he may have an presidential agenda, but as GW Bush’s presidency demonstrated, this rarely survives first contact with political reality. If nothing else, Trump is a transitional political actor. Will he be the American Gorbachev who oversees the decline of an overstretched empire? Or will be the American Caesar? Only time will tell…..
We are meant to do hard things and find joy at the end of them. To laugh perhaps even in the face of death, or suffering that we survive. There are times to enjoy the fruits of the labor, and times to do the labor, and you have really described the labor; it is to work on ourselves as we confront the bullets, or a mountain, or some other hard problem. I accept that most people will seek 'self-care' rather than self-growth, as you wrote the other day. They will stop early on the journey of growth. When a friend of mine who was a kind of academic and life 'battle buddy' passed away a couple of years ago, my epitaph to him came from the Epic of Gilgamesh: "We entered the mountain gates, we slew lions"
I have to say the epitaph you chose is powerful not just for its poetic value, but how it connects us to the ancient past. That is a point I tried to convey in the essay but your quote captures it in a single sentence. I'm grateful you enjoyed the piece, Anthony.
“Life without self-command is not worth living.” There were many gems in this piece, but I particularly like this one. Direct and a hard truth.
As professional warriors we practiced the art of anticipation in both planning and execution, and did it without anxiety. In planning, we built contingencies to combat surprise in the event of the unexpected. In execution, we practiced it with an active mind, constantly hunting for possible ambush locations or defensive positions in the event of one. It enabled focus. Primarily, on the things we could control, or “command”. Ourselves having primacy over all else.
Great piece, Sam. Your writing is on point and surgical. I love where this takes me in my mind.
Sam, you have explored my favorite topic in personal and business life: the worst case scenario as a tool to escape anxiety of failure. As I discovered, that exercise can bring amazing sense of calm exhibited by Sitting Bull. I learned how to use S.W.O.T. (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis in my professional life (www.varconsultant.com) to also apply in personal situations. It has the additional benefit of actually turning the anxiety into a system that provides positive options for growth and optimum performance.
Sam- In thinking about these themes of fear, anxiety, and the modern context, I wonder if we're currently living the challenge. In the time of Sitting Bull, did people then live as we do now-- falling back to the default of the time? They had to apply their learned nervous energy in a consequential way, but the path certainly was not laid out for them. Is our time not different: an unknown path where we either squander the opportunity or figure out how to rise to the challenge.
I think about this a lot. I believe their default was much different from ours. Where it is not possible to forget the value of a warm home in winter for not knowing extreme cold, snow, sleet, wet, etcetera, they were constantly tempered by hardship and therefore more grateful/appreciative/commanding. I've read hundreds of ehtnographies and been to multiple third world countries and this seems to hold true. It is sort of the backbone of all my writing. It might even be worth an essay in itself. Is this the direction your question was heading?
Yes. I have similar thoughts when travelling in both developed and developing countries. There is a command and an acceptance of fate that, to a large degree, is absent in America.
I love it. The purple dot problem comes to mind from the psychological literature of why, even when things get better, we fill it with less and less serious concerns.
"Anxiety is not so much an enemy as an ally. We catastrophize over something before it exists and we do this for a reason—to hone our attention on deadly threats so we can train for them."
This is brilliant Sam! 👏 My study of worrying/ruminating and PTSD suggests that our brains are designed to keep us in a constant state of readiness to deal with threats. But your words "so we can train for them" is key. The training makes us feel safer so we can worry less. Modern humans have lost all the training practices you write so well about. And so we worry without end.
Great piece Sam. I'm struck by how, on some level, humans know that this state of anxiety is both (to a significant degree) self-inflicted and changeable; we still possess, for example, an innate sense that it's not good to spend as much time as we do scrolling on devices. But it's hard to break habits, challenge norms, and at times persist through short-term disruptions were one to depart from convention....eventually the part of us that knows this is unhealthy gets quieter and quieter. I like that you give us powerful stories and ways of thinking for how to break this trend and access the part of us that knows how to find a fuller, more purposeful life.
“Freedom” is a very relative term these days. After 9/11, Americans redefine it into a timid, fear-based concept whose highest values are subjective (and individual) definitions of “comfort” and “safety.” This ersatz “freedom” is what novelist Mary McCarthy best described as “the lamb’s freedom.” According to McCarthy, the lambs’ fear of being eaten by predators relegates them to a life of submission—getting nipped at by dogs, eating when the shepherd says so, and making the most of the numbered days until the inevitable pre-Easter slaughter. The lion, McCarthy pointed out, has a much more robust definition of freedom that works off the assumption that true freedom is inherently dangerous. Even the biggest, baddest male lion gets ripped limb from limb by the hyenas if he breaks a leg. Sadly, most Americans traded what remained of the lion’s freedom for the perceived comfort and safety of the lamb’s freedom. In the end, we got neither. Instead, we got a Techno/Pharma Authoritarian future and this is our bitter harvest.
This is an epic and fitting analogy. My sense is we are witnessing a pendulum at its apex. It will come swinging back at some point. The question is when and if we will be able to prevent it swinging too far the opposite direction.
I concur with your pendulum analogy, but fear that we Americans do nothing in moderation. After 9/11, it was God, country, support the troops, and John 3:16 coins. Two decades later, after Corporate Cultural Revolution of 2020, it was pure nihilism--weaponized white guilt, gender games, hate thy country and above all, hate the police. Now comes Trump’s counter revolution. While he may have an presidential agenda, but as GW Bush’s presidency demonstrated, this rarely survives first contact with political reality. If nothing else, Trump is a transitional political actor. Will he be the American Gorbachev who oversees the decline of an overstretched empire? Or will be the American Caesar? Only time will tell…..
We are meant to do hard things and find joy at the end of them. To laugh perhaps even in the face of death, or suffering that we survive. There are times to enjoy the fruits of the labor, and times to do the labor, and you have really described the labor; it is to work on ourselves as we confront the bullets, or a mountain, or some other hard problem. I accept that most people will seek 'self-care' rather than self-growth, as you wrote the other day. They will stop early on the journey of growth. When a friend of mine who was a kind of academic and life 'battle buddy' passed away a couple of years ago, my epitaph to him came from the Epic of Gilgamesh: "We entered the mountain gates, we slew lions"
I have to say the epitaph you chose is powerful not just for its poetic value, but how it connects us to the ancient past. That is a point I tried to convey in the essay but your quote captures it in a single sentence. I'm grateful you enjoyed the piece, Anthony.
Your piece gave me chills it was so good. Appreciate you and your message.
I deeply appreciate it.
“Life without self-command is not worth living.” There were many gems in this piece, but I particularly like this one. Direct and a hard truth.
As professional warriors we practiced the art of anticipation in both planning and execution, and did it without anxiety. In planning, we built contingencies to combat surprise in the event of the unexpected. In execution, we practiced it with an active mind, constantly hunting for possible ambush locations or defensive positions in the event of one. It enabled focus. Primarily, on the things we could control, or “command”. Ourselves having primacy over all else.
Great piece, Sam. Your writing is on point and surgical. I love where this takes me in my mind.
Thank you for the hard hitting thoughts Cory. You have a gift for dropping us in the boots of a warrior. I'm stoked you enjoyed it.
Sam, you have explored my favorite topic in personal and business life: the worst case scenario as a tool to escape anxiety of failure. As I discovered, that exercise can bring amazing sense of calm exhibited by Sitting Bull. I learned how to use S.W.O.T. (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis in my professional life (www.varconsultant.com) to also apply in personal situations. It has the additional benefit of actually turning the anxiety into a system that provides positive options for growth and optimum performance.
It is a wonderfully powerful tool. Thank you, Barry.
Beautiful Sam 👊
Rock on, Dee, I appreciate it.
Sam- In thinking about these themes of fear, anxiety, and the modern context, I wonder if we're currently living the challenge. In the time of Sitting Bull, did people then live as we do now-- falling back to the default of the time? They had to apply their learned nervous energy in a consequential way, but the path certainly was not laid out for them. Is our time not different: an unknown path where we either squander the opportunity or figure out how to rise to the challenge.
I think about this a lot. I believe their default was much different from ours. Where it is not possible to forget the value of a warm home in winter for not knowing extreme cold, snow, sleet, wet, etcetera, they were constantly tempered by hardship and therefore more grateful/appreciative/commanding. I've read hundreds of ehtnographies and been to multiple third world countries and this seems to hold true. It is sort of the backbone of all my writing. It might even be worth an essay in itself. Is this the direction your question was heading?
Yes. I have similar thoughts when travelling in both developed and developing countries. There is a command and an acceptance of fate that, to a large degree, is absent in America.
I love it. The purple dot problem comes to mind from the psychological literature of why, even when things get better, we fill it with less and less serious concerns.
This is spot on. It's a paradox that I love exploring. I appreciate, Michael.
"Anxiety is not so much an enemy as an ally. We catastrophize over something before it exists and we do this for a reason—to hone our attention on deadly threats so we can train for them."
This is brilliant Sam! 👏 My study of worrying/ruminating and PTSD suggests that our brains are designed to keep us in a constant state of readiness to deal with threats. But your words "so we can train for them" is key. The training makes us feel safer so we can worry less. Modern humans have lost all the training practices you write so well about. And so we worry without end.
Thank you Baird!
Great piece Sam. I'm struck by how, on some level, humans know that this state of anxiety is both (to a significant degree) self-inflicted and changeable; we still possess, for example, an innate sense that it's not good to spend as much time as we do scrolling on devices. But it's hard to break habits, challenge norms, and at times persist through short-term disruptions were one to depart from convention....eventually the part of us that knows this is unhealthy gets quieter and quieter. I like that you give us powerful stories and ways of thinking for how to break this trend and access the part of us that knows how to find a fuller, more purposeful life.
I really appreciate the feedback, Dan. Let's continue the mission.
I’d forgotten I was reading an essay for a moment. Thanks for sharing part of this story.
You're very welcome, Tristan.
We know how good we've got it when our 'major issues' involve what restroom to use and what team to play on.
It seems to be good enough to allow a complete detachment from reality and hardship.