Many people believe that bureaucracies are filled with minions, addled by boring and repetitive tasks, simply filling in time, and living mundane and pitiful lives. In this view, bureaucracy, or government, is, therefore, a nonsensical blight on mankind and must be reduced, if not stopped altogether, though this is probably impossible. The anarchist, (1) Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921) is an interesting man to read in this area. If we adopt this view, then we must realize that its sycophants are unelected but wield enormous power. How do we begin to control these dangerous and ever-growing, national hydras? Firstly, we must refuse to accept pointless and nonsensical rules. My passport is Canadian but is issued in Taipei. I cannot use this document in my native country for certain undertakings, such as the endorsement of my sons’ passports. Why? It was not issued in North America: the thesis being, supposedly, that all other governments have the potential of being corrupt. Obviously, this is based on the American fear of worldwide terrorism and the agenda of the military-industrial complex (The Trump election will only reinforce this stereotype and further strengthen the image that Canada is a vassal state): it is, of course, totally absurd!
I first must have faith in myself.
To paraphrase: “Putting yourself first is to be a fully functioning adult. An adult has needs, wishes, and desires and knows the difference. An adult is firmly grounded in reality. An adult has a strong awareness of how she or he ‘fits into this world.’ An adult is aware of his or her relationships and puts them in their proper perspective. An adult gives his or her relationships the respect they deserve. An adult is able to balance competing issues and resolve conflicts. An adult knows that taking care of herself or himself allows her or him to take care of others. An adult loves him or herself unconditionally and knows that this is what allows him or her to truly love others.” These aphorisms were given to me by my friend Bill. (1) They contain pithy reminders that I create my world and I must be responsible for its negative or positive outcome. I see the world through my five senses. It is thus my perception of reality that is reflected back in my attitude to life and in my ambition to discover my personal mission or goal.
I create my own fear, don’t I?
I often open my eyes in the morning accompanied by a startling thought, given to me by my good friend Bill, to paraphrase: “I am awake, ergo, I must be alive – it is, therefore, another good day!” It is a jarring “reality check” because, at sixty, more so than more tender years, you quite literally might not wake up. Books have been written on this greatest of all unknowns: death and its attendant fear and paranoia. As I approach its door, I understand less and less why you would be afraid. When you are dead, well, you are dead. Whatever your religious interpretation of the hereafter, this phase of your reality has been transformed and transported somewhere else. I am much more concerned about being alive; in this capacity, I can act and react, or, as is usually the case, not act at all. It has to be one of the most disturbing realizations: if you don’t act — you have still acted — bizarre, and ultimately, unfair! If you want to crawl into your limited perceptual box at twenty years of age and never venture out, why can’t you be simply left alone to exist in your dull, unimaginative world? The short answer is because this is not how the universe exists: it is dynamic – always has been and always will be.
Freedom: Leaving wage slavery
In our blog over the last five years, we have discussed a myriad of issues from happiness and spirituality, to death and sadness. The intent of our site has always been to give people, especially young people, the chance to reflect on the machinations of life and its direction. Consciousness poses many key questions that, as individuals, we must reflect on. To paraphrase: “It does not really matter what we expect from life, but rather what life expects from us. We need to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who are being questioned by life—daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.” (1) Failure to do so can result in an unrequited existence, one that is not experienced until it is too late. We have often been asked to put our thoughts in a more straightforward format. To this end, in the next number of weeks, we are going to give form and context to our main intellectual and spiritual emphasis: “Don’t be a Wage Slave,” DBAWageslave.com.
What are you afraid of?
“Am I an empiricist: am I faced with knowing the world only through my senses and my experiences, is nothing innate (1)?” These are questions that constantly “buzz around” in my mind, juxtaposed with, “Do I then have significance: will the world I create through my actions have consequences? Will I die without my mission fulfilled?” (2) Fear is an emotion that seemingly comes to us far more easily than the feeling of love – though love, when experienced is tremendously more powerful. I have contact with many, many people on a weekly basis. More than a few, because they are young, share their negative thoughts about the world at large – how dangerous and evil it is. I inquire as to where this view comes from.