This post has coalesced millennia of thoughts and writings into one elegant essay. Perhaps the oldest, most controversial, issue of concern to man is the individual. To what extent must we, should we, participate and to what extent must our culture recognize our individuality. There is no 'one size fits all'.
But we are seeing a repeat of what has gone before, many times. Authoritarian powers are working to erase any sense of individuality. All must serve the state. Individuals see this with alarm. Conformists relish it and say, 'It's about time!'
As I was reading this, for some reason Kafka's 'Metamorphosis' came to mind...
You're touching on the crux of the issue - collective versus individual, and judging from your handle, I think we share the same side. What use is a collective without the individuals that compose it? I will check out Metamorphosis, I have unfortunately not read it yet.
Thank you for getting my brain started this morning!
I strongly believe that money is the key to controlling the individual. Those of us who aren’t lucky enough to be independently wealthy must make money. This generally requires us to give up our individuality to some extent that varies depending on the job.
By controlling the value of the money we earn, even a government in a “democratic” and “free” country has almost as much power over the individual as Stalin did.
You are welcome and you have an interesting point. "Free" countries have the power to control the value of our money, but, for the most part, have restricted their efforts because they know the population is not easily overcome. I think the greatest threat to free countries is not the government taking power, but the people giving it away.
No matter how much an individual has, the regime has power to take all away. Think Jack Ma of alibaba in China; your life or pay protection 💰 to the mafia. Many oligarchs in Russia felt invincible and lost their lives. I fear for Elon Musk. For now, the regime needs his SpaceX and Tesla.
Now you’re going to make me have to think! I believe money is at the root of the government’s ability to suppress the self or individuality. Those who aren’t independently wealthy must make money, which inevitably requires the sacrifice of some or all of our individuality. By controlling the value of our money the government is as close to control each of us as Stalin was even though we live in a “democratic” and “free” society.
You should note that the (largely) rural deplorables to varying degrees literally still have the forest at their backs. So, there might be something predictive to your observations.
All too many pre-state peoples were called variations of "deplorable" as well, never having seen a city or calcified hierarchies. That term says more about those using it than those accused of it. Your are right about this forest.
Thank you for your razor-sharp commentary. I ponder over your essays for some time afterwards. This one strikes close to an area of concern for me...our loss of the person. I mean a bit more than loss of individuality, more like the creeping loss of identity, of self. Reading today's essay made me ask myself, "what then?", but that's the point isn't it, to get us to see more clearly while walking in the dark. Your essay reminds me of Paul Kengor's book "The Devil and Karl Marx: Communism's Long March of Death, Deception, and Infiltration." It is a well-researched and sobering read. Thank you. Please keep writing.
You are most welcome, Sheila. I need to get Kengor's book - it sounds amazing. The "creeping loss of identity" sits with me as well, a problem that I keep coming back to with the radical changes we've gone through in the last few hundred years. There will be much more to think about.
I see what you meant about the changes. Unfortunately, only a few, like you, seem to be paying attention. We've removed history from public discourse and our schools, so the changes are happening without others seeing the incoherence of it all. We need our collective memory, our shared identity.
We are an ancient family. It is astounding what happens when the ancient meets the modern. It makes me value ten times over the people in my life who genuinely care, and not of a few of them I have had the pleasure of meeting here on Substack, including you, Dee. Thank you as always.
Hierarchy next to the information flowing forms a regime. This is why I don't support the hype of control heading towards communism. There is no profit there. There might be profit into scaring the mind we might head there.
The 21st century mind cannot be controlled like the 5th or 18th century mind. The information flowing our minds protects agaisnt primitive domination.
Hierarchy is a system from within. It will never cease to exist, it is how we were made, copies of a higher order. Hierarchy only takes the shape of what illumes it.
We have gone from the likes of Stalin to corporation control, not because we the people complained or fought and somehow won, but because allowing the individual to broadcast itself brings more profit. Our ancestors didn't know how to profit en masse. Today's merchant offers us a platform to pour our minds in and every head is lined up. This is where we are today, control from within. The inner hierarchy of the human soul is visible by free choice. It is entertaining.
I agree with you we were not meant to be in submission. We became such..., and from that time on we simply shape shift according to the information we go through. I am curious what comes next, since we are living in information glut.
How long is the rower going to keep himself from what lies behind him in the painting you show. Just a thought.
I believe sharing our minds and the amount of information flowing is the regime of the time. The rest on screens is simply a steering business.
Wow. What an early read to stir up 2 thoughts in me. First, some of us wearing a ”purple” thread can see the danger that our country, maybe the world is facing in the current events leading to curb free speech. Second, on a more positive note, I belong to a farmer’s club that is run by volunteers. The hardest workers become the leaders (officers). You can guess who has a cold beer after working on a hot day!
Yes! Many people still get it right, and it is much easier on smaller scales - farmers clubs, sports teams, military units, small business, family. That has been America's saving grace so far, I think, at least to a certain extent.
This post has coalesced millennia of thoughts and writings into one elegant essay. Perhaps the oldest, most controversial, issue of concern to man is the individual. To what extent must we, should we, participate and to what extent must our culture recognize our individuality. There is no 'one size fits all'.
But we are seeing a repeat of what has gone before, many times. Authoritarian powers are working to erase any sense of individuality. All must serve the state. Individuals see this with alarm. Conformists relish it and say, 'It's about time!'
As I was reading this, for some reason Kafka's 'Metamorphosis' came to mind...
You're touching on the crux of the issue - collective versus individual, and judging from your handle, I think we share the same side. What use is a collective without the individuals that compose it? I will check out Metamorphosis, I have unfortunately not read it yet.
Thank you for getting my brain started this morning!
I strongly believe that money is the key to controlling the individual. Those of us who aren’t lucky enough to be independently wealthy must make money. This generally requires us to give up our individuality to some extent that varies depending on the job.
By controlling the value of the money we earn, even a government in a “democratic” and “free” country has almost as much power over the individual as Stalin did.
You are welcome and you have an interesting point. "Free" countries have the power to control the value of our money, but, for the most part, have restricted their efforts because they know the population is not easily overcome. I think the greatest threat to free countries is not the government taking power, but the people giving it away.
No matter how much an individual has, the regime has power to take all away. Think Jack Ma of alibaba in China; your life or pay protection 💰 to the mafia. Many oligarchs in Russia felt invincible and lost their lives. I fear for Elon Musk. For now, the regime needs his SpaceX and Tesla.
Too true.
Now you’re going to make me have to think! I believe money is at the root of the government’s ability to suppress the self or individuality. Those who aren’t independently wealthy must make money, which inevitably requires the sacrifice of some or all of our individuality. By controlling the value of our money the government is as close to control each of us as Stalin was even though we live in a “democratic” and “free” society.
You should note that the (largely) rural deplorables to varying degrees literally still have the forest at their backs. So, there might be something predictive to your observations.
All too many pre-state peoples were called variations of "deplorable" as well, never having seen a city or calcified hierarchies. That term says more about those using it than those accused of it. Your are right about this forest.
"Like".
Top drawer work, brother.
Thank you, my friend.
Thank you for your razor-sharp commentary. I ponder over your essays for some time afterwards. This one strikes close to an area of concern for me...our loss of the person. I mean a bit more than loss of individuality, more like the creeping loss of identity, of self. Reading today's essay made me ask myself, "what then?", but that's the point isn't it, to get us to see more clearly while walking in the dark. Your essay reminds me of Paul Kengor's book "The Devil and Karl Marx: Communism's Long March of Death, Deception, and Infiltration." It is a well-researched and sobering read. Thank you. Please keep writing.
You are most welcome, Sheila. I need to get Kengor's book - it sounds amazing. The "creeping loss of identity" sits with me as well, a problem that I keep coming back to with the radical changes we've gone through in the last few hundred years. There will be much more to think about.
I see what you meant about the changes. Unfortunately, only a few, like you, seem to be paying attention. We've removed history from public discourse and our schools, so the changes are happening without others seeing the incoherence of it all. We need our collective memory, our shared identity.
Good one Sam. What are we if not a human family. How can one treat family as the enemy. Yet we do. Nature or state? 🤔
We are an ancient family. It is astounding what happens when the ancient meets the modern. It makes me value ten times over the people in my life who genuinely care, and not of a few of them I have had the pleasure of meeting here on Substack, including you, Dee. Thank you as always.
Back at ya brother 💪🏻☺️
Hierarchy next to the information flowing forms a regime. This is why I don't support the hype of control heading towards communism. There is no profit there. There might be profit into scaring the mind we might head there.
The 21st century mind cannot be controlled like the 5th or 18th century mind. The information flowing our minds protects agaisnt primitive domination.
Hierarchy is a system from within. It will never cease to exist, it is how we were made, copies of a higher order. Hierarchy only takes the shape of what illumes it.
We have gone from the likes of Stalin to corporation control, not because we the people complained or fought and somehow won, but because allowing the individual to broadcast itself brings more profit. Our ancestors didn't know how to profit en masse. Today's merchant offers us a platform to pour our minds in and every head is lined up. This is where we are today, control from within. The inner hierarchy of the human soul is visible by free choice. It is entertaining.
I agree with you we were not meant to be in submission. We became such..., and from that time on we simply shape shift according to the information we go through. I am curious what comes next, since we are living in information glut.
How long is the rower going to keep himself from what lies behind him in the painting you show. Just a thought.
I believe sharing our minds and the amount of information flowing is the regime of the time. The rest on screens is simply a steering business.
You bring up good points as always.
You have some excellent and wise points in here. Thank you as always for reading, and for your "copies of a higher order" comment.
Wow. What an early read to stir up 2 thoughts in me. First, some of us wearing a ”purple” thread can see the danger that our country, maybe the world is facing in the current events leading to curb free speech. Second, on a more positive note, I belong to a farmer’s club that is run by volunteers. The hardest workers become the leaders (officers). You can guess who has a cold beer after working on a hot day!
Yes! Many people still get it right, and it is much easier on smaller scales - farmers clubs, sports teams, military units, small business, family. That has been America's saving grace so far, I think, at least to a certain extent.
I think that was the intent of our Founding Fathers when they designed and formed a federal republic. It was to
serve a short time and go home to your regular job.
Their wisdom and ability to ensure future freedom when they could have set themselves up as tyrants never ceases to amaze.