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Rationality.
Reason.

Whatever you call it, there's a problem: we've treated it as a luxury that can be taken for granted.

Whatever the historical, cultural, spiritual or psychological causes have been, our civilization has been an environment in which rationality, to some degree, is possible. So much so that we don't even think about it enough to recognize its waning.

So - please be aware - and nervous.

What is rationality? Here are its components, partly from dictionaries and partly my own summary:

Component #1: The will to search for and find our unconscious, habitual, comfortable assumptions and conclusions, to grab them by the neck, to place them outside of ourselves, and to examine them with some courageous objectivity.

Component #2: The courage to admit, and hang on to the admission, that everyone, at certain places in their mind, is very, very stupid. That includes me, and you.

Component #3: The will to suffer the emotional discomfort of questioning the philosophical foundations that seem essential to our sense of self.

Component #4: The will to state an important idea, in one's mind or (better) on paper, and to take a while to really examine it, to examine all the influences - good and bad - that brought the idea into existence, to break it up into its constituent parts, to compare it to other ideas - supporting and opposing, to analyze its impact or potential impact, to get help from other people or good sources of ideas, and to replace it with a better idea if necessary.

Component #5: The power to look truth straight in the eye, even if it makes you feel bad. The power to feel bad rather than cling to a thought that doesn't deserve your loyalty.

Think of that person you love to despise. (Don't play that little delusional game that you're not the kind of person who despises another person. BS!) Let me help you out:

-That mate, son, daughter, parent or other relative you have written off.
-That current or former president that you love to criticize.
-That teacher, student, boss or employee that made or makes you miserable.
-That guy in the bar, woman behind the counter, jerk in the car, whatever.

Now, do you see how insane or stupid or wicked or useless that person is - and yet DOESN'T KNOW IT?! That person seems to walk around all confident and self-satisfied and proud of his/her opinions. How blind! How despicable, right? How can someone be SO WRONG and not have a clue about it?

Exactly.
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you were a tiny chigger of a child
you cannot even imagine it now, but you were innocent then
you were innocent then
you were a tiny child

whatever corruption was there
was still buried so deep inside
that it was mere string theory
not noticeable, not impacting anything, therefore unworthy of notice
or explanation

when your mother nursed you
you knew it was because of your hunger
when your father made a face at you
you knew it was because he wanted to make you giggle
chigger giggle

when they slapped your hand
you knew it was because your hand was going to a bad place
when they moved to a different place
you knew it was a better place

when they left you alone with mrs. miserable
in the classroom
you knew it was good in a way you did not understand
and that's why there's education

when they screamed at each other
you knew it was about justice and fairness
and therefore, goodness
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We were exactly the same: we worried.

We were polar opposites:
I worried about myself in order to avoid other people.
She worried about other people in order to avoid herself.
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As hard as he tried Roger couldn't get that bottle out of his head

You should visit Lascaux!

If you are interested in a virtual tour, here's my favorite:

http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/en/00.xmlhttp://www.lascaux.culture.fr/

Go ahead and order "original"

chumosquegogue ("chu-MOSK-uh-gog")

In the spirit of American tolerance and diversity, why not build a center for interfaith unity at the site of 9/11?
We can call it a chumosquegogue.
After all, every religion teaches basically the same thing and leads to basically the same place, right?

*

I heard him, her or it exclaim

as he, she or it ate a great feast,

"Happy Ramachristmaquansanukkah to all

and to all a sweet peace

on earth, goodwill toward

everyone but those damned teabaggers."

I pick the raspberries that grow over the fence on the side of my yard. A few days later, new raspberries have grown right back in the same places and are ready to eat.

The first principle of economics is that resources are scarce. That is a stupid assumption for a "science" that gets taken so seriously.

God is love.

Status Report

-I dream about Sound View almost every night.

-Kathy gets to go on a brief trip to Cal, which means I get to make a huge mess in the house.

-Went to the reception of Andrew and Anna. AWESOME. Ate, drank, danced, celebrated good things and good people, with good people.

-I love my new relatives and their friends.

-I've been sick. My body is showing the signs of several poor lifestyle decisions over the years. A body is like a car: you should take care of it while you've got it, but no matter how much you do, all of them eventually get thrown away.

-Trent has a new laptop, so you should send him an email with an inspirational message and picture, like "You are living proof of the truth of Solipsism" - with a humorous photograph of dumplings.

-Sometimes its hard for a grandfather not to intrude.

-I just wrote another song for the file cabinet. I've written more than 400 songs, and I think they're going to die with me. I love doing karaoke with Rick, but there's also a sadness in it.

-I like teaching the Humanities. A good student is a great blessing. I'm sure glad I have a job right now.

-I don't like to have pretend friendships with people who don't really like my company.

-It was so awesome to go to Whitworth to recruit summer staff.

What kind of kingdom is this?

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What kind of kingdom is this?
What sort of hair-brained scheme?
What manner of doting, eccentric palooka
thought up this silly sweet dream?

What kind of kingdom is this?
Without banner, anthem or vote?
Whose king is a daddy, whose soldiers his children,
whose castle has no walls or moat?

What kind of fortress here stands?
What battle could it ever win?
They conquer the enemy outside the gates
by simply inviting him in?!?!

What species of subjects are these
who bow to no visible chief?
Where patriots die, but its not for their country -
They die to themselves, for relief.

This is no banana republic;
There is no oppressive restraint;
There’s some kind of freedom and some kind of law,
but democracy it surely ain’t.

Explain please this war they are fighting,
With weapons you can’t touch or see?
Against just what army? Being fought on what hill?
And why should it matter to me?

What kind of kingdom is this?
The reasons can hardly be missed
why its citizens don’t seem to show themselves much.
Do they have to pay taxes for this?

[1989]

A Fragmented Mind Confuses Favorite Movie Scenes

Very few of our beliefs have come about through honest and objective exploration of data followed by rational analysis.

We believe what we believe because, for one reason or another, good or bad, we are convinced that we HAVE to believe it.

Then arguments, which we convince ourselves are rational and objective, are manufactured to defend the decision.

Thanks to Rick for taking the Failure Through Excellence Tour on to the high seas

Step 1: Conscience is ignored
By an act of will - which through repetition will become unconscious habit - the legitimate voice of conscience is brushed away or drowned out with something else - mental shallowness, activity, a relationship, alcohol, sex, fantasy, etc.

Problem 1: Conscience steps up the intensity of its voice.

Step 2: Conscience is denied
The uncomfortable feeling of conscience can not be avoided, so it is re-labeled a "poor self image" or "depression" or "the blues" or some other label that acknowledges the feeling without acknowledging its moral authority.

Problem 2:
No effort to relieve the feeling works because the feeling is never allowed to be connected to one's own personal moral failings.

Step 3: Conscience is projected
Other people or external circumstances are blamed for being the cause of the uncomfortable feeling. Thus conscience increasingly is metamorphosed into hostility (scapegoating), leading to more of the feeling, leading to more projection. Except as mere rhetoric, "loving your neighbor as yourself" becomes a practical impossibility.

Problem 3: Increasing isolation from any deep, meaningful, satisfying interaction and relationships (mate, children, friends, etc.) - since all such relationships must by definition bring pangs of conscience. Yet the sense of isolation is unbearable.

Step 4: Conscience is globalized
The feeling has become so great that the only conceivable cause must be global ______ (capitalism, war, poverty, warming, biblical faith, patriarchy, etc.). Increasing interaction only with people who are at the same stage and whose comradery can only be based on a common cause: to solve the "Big Problem(s)." Though filled with hatred, their sense of isolation is relieved by gathering together over the the commonly reviled scapegoat.

Problem 4 (Final): One such group eventually takes over the government and democracy is swallowed up by tyranny.

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Objectivity by definition demands some sacrifice of one's subjectivity.

Therefore, in order to be as objective about facts as most people like to think they are,
means some sacrifice of the self: one's psychological moorings, one's "self-image,"
in a word, one's ego, for one's ego and one's subjectivity can not be separated.

Such a sacrifice is something very few people are willing to do,
especially when faced with a person, experience or idea that does not naturally attract them.

Therefore, the more objectivity that is is needed, the less likely it is to be chosen.
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If the sky was a wood thing -
the color of grain -
most folks would just laugh if you said it was blue.
If sanity's a good thing
and most folks are sane,
then somebody's got some explaining to do.
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How Jesus Christ finally got into a church business meeting

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"The rich should pay their fair share."
"It's not right for some to have too much while others do not have enough."

Here's a lesson in economics from human history:

Most people, regardless of facts or free choices made, believe themselves to be on the unfair end of the wealth spectrum.

In virtually any context, human nature is essentially ungrateful - assuming itself to be less fortunate than "those other guys." That means that while YOU are looking "up" at those who have more than you, and ignoring those who are "down" and have less than you...

...A whole lot of people - surprise to you - are looking "up" at you with that same envy.

When the rhetoric reaches a fever pitch, and to envy is added sufficient doses of self-righteousness and rage,
while YOU fight to get YOURS from the ones you envy,
someone else is going to be coming after YOU.

There will be change, all right. You can bet your mansion, house, apartment, car or refrigerator box on it.
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