Myths are a double-edged sword. They imbue every society with fear or with hope. One thrust perhaps leads you into a life of inquiry and intellectual development; while the other parry, defensively, may produce a life-long search for false gods: arguably money and power. Defensively because you can never accumulate enough of these entities: the other evening I watched an interesting speech given by a man by the name of Dylan Ratigan. The nexus of his speech was that we get the society that we deserve (1) and, subliminally, want. So, we ultimately must change our personal paradigm if we want to change the society. He goes on to cite the example of the American volunteer army. It comprises one percent of the American population. It does the nation’s bidding in a voyeuristic, video-playing way. We watch the news with a type of detachment that has no virtual placement in our day-to-day lives. We enjoy the paraphernalia of power, the flags, the uniforms, the ceremonies over dead “heroes,” etc., but only rarely is it related to our reality. If you consider the concept of creating your own legend, exciting and dangerous portals are opened. One quickly thinks of Pandora’s Box, (2) once opened, the old reality cannot be recovered. Certainly the most impressionable demographic is comprised of young people under the age of twenty-five or thirty. They have finished school and are now exposed to the “real world.” They have grown up in a technologically-oriented reality and have been exposed to a unique part of their psyche: the part of the brain that is stimulated by gaming. The Roman Empire kept the “mob at bay” through a system of bread and circuses. To watch a gladiator fight was time consuming and appeasing: my belly is full and my desires have been satiated, therefore, no rioting today. Is gaming a good or bad social phenomenon? A curious example: Many games are stunningly realistic, violent and bloody. They give us a version of the fight or mission that is sanitized and unemotional, the only sensation being whether I have lost or won. Who joins the American military (or any military for that matter)? They are either opportunistic or patriotic. Statistically, contrary to the popularly held belief, the US military is decidedly middle-class and ethnically diverse. By extension, they can afford the smart phones, the I-pads, etc.: life being a computer-generated game. The complexity of war, of course, is predicated on reality: when your buddy is shot in the head, he is dead. The suicide rate amongst soldiers and veterans is well above those killed in combat. I posit that the transition from game to actuality is too overwhelming for many individuals. (3) To sift to a new model of living will be adventurous but difficult. Every bone in your body is pushing you to buy more “stuff,” most of which is boring and quickly discarded. In our new world, we must find a unique way to live that placates our desires and yet allows us to grow spiritually and emotionally. At Regal, we promote two very elemental concepts: you are your own real teacher (and therefore have a deeply personal responsibility for your own life) and you are beautiful and unique (regardless of your skin color or body type). If we are willing, as a human society, to discard or ameliorate old beliefs, an aura of peace will come to each individual. How do I know that I am alive? Descartes (1596-1650) tells us: Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am). Each of us knows, however, that the question has much broader implications. The ancillary questions being: why am I alive and its concomitant partner, what is my mission in life? Many, many educators now promote the thought that yes you may have a meaningless job at the beginning of your career to make a living. Still, if you want to be that great dancer (and you keep your dream alive), it is achievable. And, like the remaining item in Pandora’s Box, there is always, always, hope. Singer and businessman, Jimmy Dean (1928-2010), leaves us with a thought: I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can always adjust my sails to always reach my destination. (Reprinted from July 6th 2013)
A closing thought: This week, I have read a lot about the concept of “personal brand.” Take some time to reflect on who you want to be in the world and use that as a basis to create the external you. For example, I have my shirts monogrammed with my initials “LL” for Leon La Couvee. It is a small thing but it says something to me.
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A small joke: A Canadian psychologist is selling a video that teaches you how to test your dog’s IQ. Here’s how it works: if you spend $ 24.99 for the video, your dog is smarter than you are.
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This week, please reflect on the level of myth in your life.
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Every day look for something magical and beautiful
Quote: Traditional models of living and thinking humbly minimize our thoughts and expunge our potentiality.
Footnotes:
1) This quote has been attributed to many intellectuals:
Sovereignty: We Get the Government We Deserve
2) Pandora’s Box is a myth from Greek mythology. Though warned not to, she thoughtlessly, opens the jar and all the evil escapes into the world, with the exception of hope. In modern parlance: “To open Pandora’s box” means to perform an action that may seem small or innocuous, but that turns out to have severe and far-reaching consequences.
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