“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.
Bravery is not enhanced by size but by action.
We live in a world that is seemingly inundated with violence, both personal and societal. Most history books attest to the carnage of the First World War (1914-1918), for example, a war that eviscerated thousands of young soldiers on both sides: their remains yet to be unearthed. Individual scholars point to this conflict as normalizing our acceptance of murder and carnage. (1) I often ask my students who would they like to hit or abuse. The answer is invariably one of shock and disbelief. No one it seems wants to strike anyone. Who then is committing its most extreme state: killing? We all are guilty by accepting violence and murder as normal, and the way that human beings express frustration, ennui and pure uncontrolled anger. We must begin to turn to Gandhi’s Satyagraha philosophy for guidance. This was far beyond “passive resistance” and lent its power to non-violent methods. In his words: “Truth (Satya) implies love and firmness (Agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and I gave up the use of the phrase ‘passive resistance,’ in connection with it.” What Gandhi is saying is that we must speak with our family, friends and associates when we hear of violence and eschew its central tenet that “might is right.” The president of the NRA (1) was quoted recently as suggesting that the American government put a policeman in every school. This kind of sickness will do nothing to advance the concept of world peace.
Continue reading Bravery is not enhanced by size but by action.
Enlightenment awaits those who try
In North America, as is well documented, the industrial worker is quickly disappearing. The concept of quitting school in Grade Ten and securing a well-paid job now exists in the realm of fantasy. There is a large group of individuals, however, that have little to no interest in university life, the costs and time of tertiary training seemingly unattainable. What happens to them? They become wage slaves: DBAWageslave.com. It is safe to say that few become titans of industry like Steve Jobs (1955-2011). The ranks of the working poor have overwhelmed entry level positions. Visit any fast-food location and you will be shocked by the average age of your server or clerk: many are middle aged, trying to survive on minimum wage.
Gratitude: the first real gift
The other day, as I was driving down one of Taichung’s busy streets (carefully minding my own business, as the pundits like to say), a woman “appeared out of nowhere, driving like mad.” She drove across her red light as I was going through my green: you know the result! I struck her and we both tumbled to the ground. I have had, some would say, fortunately, very little exposure to the Taiwanese emergency services, and they are truly excellent. It was like a bad drama. As I began to strike the side of the woman’s vehicle, everything entered the twilight zone. (1) My reality slowed down: my body shuddering in apprehension as it was thrown to the ground. Then the fog slowly began to clear: I couldn’t move: pain radiated down my neck, shoulders and chest. “Gosh,” I thought to myself, “this is not good.”
Imagination must lead to experimentation
We are told that the disintegrating state of our mind and of our school system, for that matter, is because we lack imagination. Even further: this innate creativity is decaying because of the age we are living in, the Internet Age. “Has modern society really extinguished the creative spark among our youth? Experts say creativity is innate, so it can’t really be lost. But it needs to be nurtured. … The current focus on testing in schools, and the idea that there is only one right answer to a question, may be hampering development and creativity among kids, … But the situation is not hopeless, … In fact, there’s evidence to suggest that, worldwide, youngsters are very creative, particularly with their use of digital media, … And a recent study found that, at least in their playtime, kids are becoming more imaginative. Experts agree changes can be made in the classroom to cultivate creativity.”(1)