Category: Self

At some point, society almost inevitably gets to us – a point where we’re asked to do or not do something for the sake of others. This sense of consideration, compromise, constraint or contribution that essentially gets in the way of personal freedom. All the moments we want to act but need to decide against it out of communal obligation.

There are so many ways we’re asked to hold ourselves back out of consideration for the fact we exist within society: law, taxation, driving, how we behave in shared spaces. Rather than simply pursuing our own interests, we’re supposed to think of this wider social space and how all our conflicting interests need to somehow coexist there (Notes One).

It’s presumably the very foundation of human society? The sense of how to integrate individuals into social structures, the kinds of attitudes and behaviour patterns best suited to successful outcomes, and how we might best go about instilling those in people.

Society’s success surely rests on education? On understanding how things work and what’s required of us; initially, as children, then in an ongoing way as adults. On appreciating how values such as honesty, responsibility and altruism fundamentally underpin social realities. On seeing how individual choices and actions accumulate in constructive or destructive ways.

If we’re to be in a position to make all the decisions asked of us – be they interpersonal, financial, commercial or democratic – we must need to understand how things fit and what those choices ultimately mean? To make the best decisions for ourselves plus the broader realities we’re all now undeniably a part of, we need the ability to call up that “bigger picture” in our minds and let it shape our actions (Notes Two).

As individuals, we surely need quite a high level of social awareness? To see how we all fit, the roles we’re all playing, how others are served by our contributions and we, in turn, are served by the collective efforts of others. This sense for what a shared social system “is” and all that our detached, sometimes hidden, actions “mean” when they eventually converge to become “how things are”.

Because it’s fascinating to think how these things come together; all the habits, patterns and trends in our behaviour that effectively “become” our shared reality. It’s all these lines where the self meets community and something’s, often silently, asked of us: How are we going to act? Where are we going to draw the line of our personal and collective responsibility? Is that line to be local, national or more simply “human”? (Notes Three)

While modern humanity might be quite beautifully independent in many ways, society surely does both benefit us and need something from us all in return: that we fill it with our understanding and, based on that, limit our actions accordingly. Western society in particular – with its freedoms and marketplaces – very much seems to ask that we extend ourselves far enough to fully comprehend the implications of all we’re now offered.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Invisible ties
Note 1: Reading into social realities?
Note 1: Shared spaces & how things get done
Note 2: The sense of having a worldview
Note 2: Meaning within it all
Note 2: Right to look out for ourselves?
Note 2: Questions around choice
Note 3: The idea of think globally, act locally
Note 3: “Minding the Earth, Mending the World”
Note 3: The value of a questioning attitude?
Note 3: One thing leads to another

Ideas around the immense personal responsibility of freedom were also one focus of “Brave New World Revisited”.

All that goes into making each of us who we are is incredible to consider: all the relationships, words, messages, experiences, wounds, hopes, and other things that might’ve marked us deeply, shaping our views of self, life, society, others, and the worth of it all. It’s honestly amazing to think of all that human beings have been through; each person surely mattering, as one within the greater whole of humanity.

Now that there’s so many of us here, our lives so closely yet remotely intertwined through the wonders of modern communication, industry and transportation, the idea of all that’s going on must be bordering on the inconceivable (Notes One). We’re all impacting one another, all feeling the strain of traditional structures and relationships being wrenched apart as technology reconfigures our ways of being.

Yet, within all that, we’re still human. Society might be shifting around us, its imaginary tectonic plates forging this new landscape within which we’ll still have to live; but, inside, we’re presumably the same as humans have ever been? All of “that” is simply the world we meet, the place we find or craft ourselves in response to how we’re seen and what seems the best way of navigating things.

It’s truly fascinating how, as humans, this self-aware consciousness is poured into the world around us. This strange, reflexive process of meaning, thought, and all the decisions that shape our lives (Notes Two). How we interpret the world and seek our way within it surely “becomes” the self: the life we lead and ways we’re interacting with those around us. As humans, the world acts upon us and we respond.

How is “that” ever going to be easy? Who’s likely to have been surrounded by people, institutions and situations that contained unquestionable wisdom and, equally importantly, knew how to convey it meaningfully to others? We’re all so different, with different priorities, feelings, concerns, insecurities, and frameworks for understanding life. It’s hard to imagine “one sentence” we’re all going to grasp the same way.

Communication’s not easy. All you can do is try to put your understanding clearly into words and hope it carries, unaltered, to another. Yet, in reality, our worlds of meaning are surely so different? If life gives each of us our own, uniquely personal understanding of things then, despite living in the same world, our thoughts about it can bear remarkably little parallel.

And, in a way, isn’t “life” all about hoping to be understood, accepted, loved? Hoping to find our place, have our perspective acknowledged, and feel that we belong and hold value within the broader context of humanity. Hopefully we find that within family, community and culture, as, otherwise, it seems life can become quite difficult (Notes Three).

Really, it just seems we’re all going to be “complicated” and difficult to unravel; and, while we’re undeniably intelligent, knowing the causes mightn’t lead directly to solutions. Everything being so nested, reinforced and personal surely makes any kind of human resolution far from easy?

Notes and References:

Note 1: One thing leads to another
Note 1: The idea of think globally, act locally
Note 1: The difference humanity makes
Note 2: Culture as what we relate to
Note 2: What you’re left with
Note 2: Personal archaeology
Note 2: The struggle with being alive
Note 3: Do we know what stands before us?
Note 3: What it is to be human
Note 3: Love of self

Is our value absolute or relative? Is it a constant, despite our flaws and struggles, or something we have to work ourselves up to? And, does that value only lie in other people recognising it, understanding us, seeing our worth, and making space for us within their own existence? If others don’t appreciate who we are, does that mean our value’s not then a reality?

It’s something I find intriguing because, theoretically, someone could be bringing something immensely valuable to life while all those around them see it as nothing. If we only see, recognise or appreciate that which we know and understand (Notes One), then it’s entirely possible that many excessively worthwhile things might simply be passing us by.

And, finding this in equal parts fascinating and fundamental, it’s something I’ve already touched upon a few times (Notes Two): these ideas of human worth, social relationships, communication, and the attitudes with which we approach other people. Do we value people rightly? Are we viewing others mainly in terms of how they compare to us, ways they might assist us, and so forth? Does it matter how we view other people?

Surely, it’s fundamental to life? How we relate to one another, the worth we assign each human life, “is” this foundation on which both society and personal existence are built: this world of meaning that, hopefully, guides our behaviour and gives our lives purpose (Notes Three). To me, everything in life holds meaning and all our actions are “saying something” on that level about the value of what we see around us.

Often, though, it seems we’re tending to view things in that relative sense of “what things mean to or about us” rather than looking to the absolute meaning of any given thing, then relating ourselves to that. Is it an important distinction? That’s perhaps for us to decide.

It must make a difference? If we’re using ourselves as the benchmark – evaluating everything against our own experiences, identity and choices – then we’re presumably judging many things, criticising, labelling as wrong, or perhaps attacking in the hope they’ll come around to our way of thinking. What does that create socially or in terms of communication? What’s the interpersonal atmosphere that’s creating?

This post is seeming more exploratory than some, perhaps because I’m unsure what exactly I’m grasping for. Is it this sense of judgement? The ways we’re evaluating one other and seeing difference as something to be conquered? Is the concept of “overcoming” our differences a picture of “one viewpoint eliminating the other” or a picture of expanded awareness where differences all have their place?

As ever, there aren’t easy answers: life’s complex with much to be resolved (Notes Four). It’s just that, for me, part of that seems to lie in acknowledging the complicated truth of our personal and collective lives. Things impact us all, imperfection’s pretty much baked in at this point, yet somehow it seems important to see how, beneath that, there might be absolute value.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Seeing, knowing and loving
Note 1: Counselling, listening & social identity
Note 1: The way to be
Note 2: Relating to one another
Note 2: Value and worth in our relationships
Note 3: The power of understanding
Note 3: Do we need meaning?
Note 3: This thing called love
Note 4: The dignity & power of a human life
Note 4: Dealing with imperfection

Other ideas about the worth of life and the challenges we face were the focus of both “The Measure of a Man” and Finding flaws.

When humans are involved in something, it’s different. It might still be either good or bad, but it’s always different from when we’re not directly present or involved. It’s true of technology, of culture, of relationships in general: we bring something different, something unique, something perhaps unquantifiable to whatever it is we’re doing.

With live music, it’s a human being who’s brought themselves to that particular place to perform from the depths of their own being for those who are also physically present in that moment. It’s a human with all that they are: all the discipline, talent, belief and effort needed to personally be there and deliver what they have to offer. It’s a sound that’s emerging from a human reality, from within a complex personal journey.

And that’s just not the same as flipping a switch, clicking on a track, or having something queued up from goodness knows where. Not to sound archaic or overly nostalgic, it’s simply another level of intention and presence that goes into those two extremes of musical experience. When a human soul is present, singing out of the richness of experience, offering up hard-won insights, it’s just different (Notes One).

Much the same as a human delivering the news is fundamentally different from an artificial simulation of one. The human, hopefully, feels and cares about the meaning, significance and consequences of the words they’re having to say. It’s communication: conveying information, facts and sentiment to others. It’s a social reality, emerging from our human realities, being spoken into that community by one of its members.

Words originating from humans must be essentially different from those emerging from technology, and that seems important: what we add to mere sound, mere language. These days, so much is already mediated through text, through naked words we must then imbue with our own sense of meaning, feeling and interpretation – this veritable echo chamber of cold, hard, disembodied language (Notes Two).

Technology, artificial intelligence, all these things might be able to offer “more” than us in some ways, but can never truly replace us. It’s different when a human listens: contextualising your words and tone against the shared background of human experiences, struggles and dreams. Perhaps it’s the fact another person’s simply present, letting your reality into their space and, hopefully, responding with compassion and belief.

So, while so much in our lives is being stripped back – social infrastructure, traditions, patterns of relationship and communication being just some of them – it’s surely important to remember what it is to be human (Notes Three). Some of that might be “easily” replicable by technology and maybe we’re at the point where we barely notice what’s lacking, but might we be mistaken in discounting our own worth so easily?

The struggle to find the right place, balance and role for technology within human society is a fascinating and dark reality; but I would’ve thought that valuing the depth, complexity and feeling contained within us all might be worth keeping in mind.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Busking as a gift
Note 1: Music and its power to inspire
Note 2: Tone in public dialogue
Note 2: What’s neutral?
Note 2: Value in being informed
Note 3: Cutting corners
Note 3: All that’s going on around us
Note 3: How important is real life?
Note 3: Conversation as revelation
Note 3: Having boundaries
Note 3: The human spirit

For a different set of ideas about how we, as humans, might make peace with technology, there’s Matt Haig’s “Notes on a Nervous Planet”.

At times I feel a reticence around activism, mainly due to the kinds of social or personal conversation it can ignite and whether it’s possible to approach that respectfully while still allowing for all our different stories, experiences and priorities (Notes One). But then, what if – while we all see things our own way – what matters to us is all truly important and needs addressing?

What if all these things really shouldn’t be pushed aside as the world ploughs on as it has been? In all areas of life, improvements could be made, understanding deepened, and values brought to better effect (Notes Two). Which brings us back round to some form of activism: seeing the need for change and believing in it enough to take action in words or deeds.

We all have areas of deeper or broader insight: things we’ve encountered, looked into and come to see the importance of. We each see things our own unique way and, those perspectives having arisen out of all the moments of our lives, they’re often deeply felt. Presumably, everyone has such concerns? And, despite all life’s pressures and conflicting agendas, what if it all matters?

Surely, it’s a question of how we go about things? How we’re navigating conversations with people who don’t see things as we do. Because, looking at communication as a landscape (Notes Three), any sharing of concerns or changing of minds is going to be a journey. Is this to be a route march though, or more a companionable walk where we’re discussing the view and our thoughts about how things are playing out?

As, depending on the positions people hold in that landscape and the roles they’re having to play, their views of life there will likely be quite different. While we might hope others will see where we’re coming from and feel inspired to see the world a little more through our eyes, conceivably we’re all feeling exactly the same way?

Could we not somehow bring people around the same table without it being an aggressively exclusive place? Could we listen to each other’s concerns without one cancelling out the other? If everything’s essential in its own way, pitting one set of concerns against another must risk us not getting much further than simply resenting others for not truly hearing what we’re saying.

And then, in a world where everything arguably needs improving, it can easily feel like there’s too much to care about and few avenues for resolving them. Maybe, because paths aren’t yet there, we feel unable to care as much as we’d like or take on these additional areas of concern. It’s difficult to live in a world where everything’s imperfect and it all matters (Notes Four).

It does seem, though, that we do want to understand things and make them better. It’s just hard to care so much, and to know where to start or how to proceed. Hopefully we’ll find that space within society where conversations and coordination can happen.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Can others join you?
Note 1: Pick a side, any side
Note 2: Right to question and decide
Note 2: Can we reinvigorate how we’re living?
Note 2: Working through mind & society
Note 2: Making adjustments
Note 3: Who should we trust?
Note 3: The power of understanding
Note 4: Does anything exist in isolation?
Note 4: True words spoken in jest
Note 4: Dealing with imperfection

Related to this, The sense of having a worldview explored ideas around the bigger picture we each carry in mind.

Often it seems the idea of loving yourself is either an ego trip or a marketing ploy, some sorted of twisted narrative that’s underselling or overstating the importance of our personal existence for some reason. As if there’s no balanced, realistic middle ground of simple respect, care and concern that’s underpinning our lives – no undercurrent of fundamental self-worth guiding us.

Of course, it comes up when things drift more noticeably out of balance: when someone’s life begins to show the marks of a lack of self-esteem to the extent that their behaviour becomes damaging to themselves or others. At that point friends, family or professionals may well step in and ask questions about why an individual isn’t acting in their own best interests.

But, up to that point, it seems there’s so much leeway for people to drift off track and act in ways that aren’t really loving of themselves. All those subtle and not so subtle ways we might undermine our own worth through communication patterns, life choices, relationships, attitudes to health or mental well-being, and so on. The countless ways we might be undervaluing ourselves now or storing up problems for ourselves later.

There are so many ways we can be careless about our own value: accepting being treated poorly; not articulating how we truly feel; treating ourselves badly in terms of our physical, emotional, professional, psychological health. Whatever it is ‘we’ need in order to be happy or fulfilled, we can neglect it or punish ourselves by ignoring or exacerbating problems. Methods people turn against themselves can be astonishingly varied.

In that light, it seems that love of self might be essential in providing that foundation of care, respect and mutual concern on which our social relationships are all built (Notes One). That this might simply be about creating a solid base from which to operate: a basic requirement that strengthens us and our boundaries, creating the conditions for relating ethically to the world.

Because, if we don’t love ourselves, I’d imagine everything around us is affected? Relationships might become places we seek to feel better about ourselves and sure up the psychological wholeness we lack; or, places for punishing and controlling others for the same reasons. If we’re not acting caringly toward ourselves or our environment, then presumably others will feel it or have to pick up the pieces somehow?

People who feel whole, valued, and that they belong – that their presence, contributions, and very nature are appreciated – seem unlikely to hurt others or the collective systems we’re all living within. Love of self surely links straight into love of others? That idea of us all being worthy of love, respect, dignity, consideration, and concern. A warm undertone to our lives that’s sorely needed if things are to run smoothly (Notes Two).

Perhaps love is simply a firm centre from which to act? Something essential that shouldn’t be taken or toyed with, as it might well be the ground that’s holding all of our lives together.

Notes and References:

Note 1: The idea of self reliance
Note 1: How we feel about society
Note 1: “The Measure of a Man”
Note 1: In the deep end…
Note 2: Living as an open wound
Note 2: Seeing, knowing and loving
Note 2: The dignity & power of a human life
Note 2: Beauty in unexpected places

Related to this, ideas of what life might be were explored in Finding flaws and The power of understanding.

Building on the train of thought within What really matters, how should we feel about life? Thinking about what matters is arguably a cerebral activity, but the meaning of it all clearly touches into the area of emotion. Caring about what we hear – going beyond the words to imagine, and feel, the reality of it all – seems this daunting but important step.

Humans, undoubtedly, are thinking creatures. That’s effectively what defines us: processing life at the level of thought; seeing and understanding events through the eyes of the mind; deciding our course of action based on that logic (Notes One). But then we’re also social creatures, seeing through the heart as we empathise with the experiences of others and let that have its influence on us as well.

That life of emotion, whether it’s social empathy or our own personal responses, is a powerful reality. Logic might compel us at times, but feelings also exert an equally if not more potent force in our lives. Which is why I’ve found myself asking before whether there might be limits to how much we can care; limits being sorely tested by modern ways of being (Notes Two).

With this new level of awareness the internet’s creating, questions of human capacity are being pushed to the fore in a number of ways. What is it to be human? Is it that we see the meaning behind pure logic, operating on that level as well? Modern technology might place the world in our pocket, but can we bring that knowledge to life in meaningful ways?

Is meaning then perhaps tied into feeling, to caring how other beings experience life? And, is the insight offered by technology even capable of being imbued with heartfelt understanding or is that too overwhelming a picture? I would’ve thought we ‘have’ to care, otherwise life risks making us less than human – careless about what we know.

That’s not saying it’s in any way easy to care. It’s not. It risks depression, anxiety, apathy, confusion, anger, resignation. But what are we without it? To me, humans aren’t truly cold, calculating beings who take what they can and give no thought to the bigger picture. We’re delightfully complex, social creatures who tend to seek the best for ourselves and others, as long as circumstances allow it.

In that light, is it wise to lend out our emotions to anyone who wishes to play a tune on them? Be it one of fear, hatred, or even misguided optimism. If emotions are powerful, how we make use of them seems crucial (Notes Three).

This idea of human capacity just intrigues me. Knowledge, insight and connection have, in many ways, been sparked by recent technological advancements. We now ‘have’ that level of awareness. But what we do with it – whether we can rise to the challenge of caring about everything that’s going on, realising the parts we play in it all, bringing our humanity to bear in that space – seems so open to question.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Strange arrogance of thought
Note 1: What are we thinking?
Note 1: Convergence and divergence
Note 2: Testing times
Note 2: Does anything exist in isolation?
Note 2: Value in visible impacts
Note 3: Fear or coercion as motivators
Note 3: It resonates, but should it be amplified
Note 3: Working through mind & society

Do people deserve respect? These days we’re often actively encouraged to live our lives passing instantaneous judgement on others, evaluating their every move, but is that right? What does it mean when we lock people in with our criticism, rather than appreciating the fact we’re all on similar journeys in life – all working through our struggles to our own goals?

It’s really quite easy to tear people down. Everyone probably has an Achilles’ heel in some form: some flaw or point of weakness we might attack. Given knocking people down is apparently somehow satisfying, is it that relating more compassionately to another’s experiences seems a drain or burden? Or maybe this is a ‘tough love’ theory: that life’s hard and people should learn to weather such attacks from others?

I’m honestly not sure what the rationale is, and it’s probably clear from my writing here that I don’t see life that way (see Notes One). I mean, it’s so easy to throw words around, not thinking so much about where they land or how they might haunt people; but it seems to me we’re all to some extent working through our difficulties, limitations, suffering, or ignorance about life and how best to approach it. In a way, that ‘is’ life.

Maybe our paths and the choices we make do define us in some ways: shaping who we are as people; our interests, concerns and attitudes; our level of awareness; our identity, by way of image and relationships. And in all likelihood, there’s always going to be room for improvement: almost anything we do is probably imperfect, so we may well feel we’ve been mistaken in the past and could’ve done better.

We might all be imperfect, struggling on in our unique way, making mistakes as we go, but one of the great things about humans is that we can change: once we see things more clearly, we can turn them around. If we’d known better, we probably would’ve done differently. I honestly think we’re all just trying our best to the best of our understanding (barring extreme exceptions, obviously).

So, if people are stumbling, making mistakes, attempting things imperfectly, they’re probably learning. And really, what’s life if we don’t allow people to learn – to move beyond their initial limitations? If we’re demanding and policing ‘perfection’, are we locking people into ignorance for fear of interpersonal conflict?

It’s hard enough to risk something new, to unpack and rework the raw material of your life without that. Because, while I do believe there’s always freedom to change, it’s not easy to get to grips with yourself and decide what to do for the best: do you let the past define you, resigning yourself to that reality; or somehow find courage and insight to overcome what you find there?

Really, I just wonder if we couldn’t make slightly better work of being human – perhaps by extending our understanding of life to others through empowering gestures of empathy, rather than pulling one another down.

Notes and References:

Note 1: Does anything exist in isolation?
Note 1: Living as an open wound
Note 1: “Wisdom” by Andrew Zuckerman
Note 1: The idea of self reliance
Note 1: Value and worth in our relationships
Note 1: Counselling, listening & social identity
Note 1: Pick a side, any side

All of this very much follows hot on the heels of Starting over in life.

Often, I wonder how many people are needing to start over; either having to or wishing they could, because things fell apart or didn’t turn out as we might’ve hoped. All those times people find themselves needing the faith, courage and self-belief to somehow start again and perhaps chart different paths from ones they’d been walking to that point.

Life, in various ways, is inherently uncertain and fragile; demanding adaptability and resilience to navigate its paths, chart or correct our course, and pick ourselves up in those times things don’t go to plan (see Notes One). But, what might that even mean? To dismantle our lives, discard that which no longer serves us, give up on broken dreams, and begin again?

How can we pull apart those things that make us who we are, re-evaluate them, decide to leave some aspects aside, or perhaps develop new qualities we’ve never possessed? From what ‘centre of our being’ can we make such higher-level decisions about our existence? And, if we’re actively choosing to leave parts of ourselves behind, on what ground do we find confidence for doing so?

Because, in many ways, we live in a world that looks back to determine our worth, identity, capability, character, etc. We turn to the past, the picture it paints, to discover ourselves through the evidence we find there. If, in doing that, we see much we’d rather change, where do we find the courage or certainty? Can we conclude, despite it all, that we have more to offer? To believe in ourselves.

It’s so easy to look back, see evidence of failure, and decide to give up. Whether it’s relationships, dreams, projects, social ties, mistaken paths or other struggles, it may be we reach the point of reviewing our lives and see the need to give up or start over in some or all ways (Notes Two).

Yet our world often wants to hold people hostage to their past. Because, of course, our paths tell a story; but are we interpreting it rightly or perpetuating this limited understanding of human development and difficulties people can experience inwardly or outwardly? How open are we to letting people change? To believing in them, beyond the impression their reality might be giving us?

In very real ways, we cannot change the past. In equally real ways, we can keep it in hand and be forever bringing it into the present where it might serve to stop us diving into what the future might hold. Whether those processes are personal or collective, we can either nail people to the wall or gracefully allow them room to develop something new (Notes Three).

It’s interesting, the process of being human: we expect so much, in idealistic realms of thought, but reality’s another matter. Making our way through life – its practical, social, psychological intricacies – doesn’t seem as straightforward as we might make out. Letting ourselves change, letting others change, letting something new come about, seem exciting but challenging paths to walk.

Notes and References:

Note 1: We’re all vulnerable
Note 1: Living as an open wound
Note 2: What is acceptable?
Note 2: The need for discernment
Note 2: Is anything obvious to someone who doesn’t know?
Note 3: Need to suffer in order to change?
Note 3: Conversation as revelation

It can seem in life that we’re always looking for someone to turn to, to defer to as the more informed expert in whatever it is we’re grappling with. In many ways it’s as if we’ve unhooked society from all that once defined, constrained or regulated it and now we’re just doing as we see fit. Which I guess is the freedom of the Western world? Freedom to do as we please.

And it’s interesting in the sense that then we arguably need to be extremely well-informed about the complex nature of all the systems we’ve set in place (see Notes One). If we, as individuals, are to be able to correctly judge the right course of action in any given field then we really need to know how it all fits together and where potential problems might arise. Ploughing ahead blindly doesn’t seem the wisest option.

But then we end up in a situation where we need to maintain a great deal of knowledge, including monitoring the constant debates and re-evaluations of that collective body of understanding. All while society itself is proceeding at this astonishing pace, facilitated and driven by technology. This never-ending flow of opinions, trends, novelties, decisions, events, and so forth.

Maybe that’s simply the cost of freedom? That we’re responsible for all our decisions. But as Huxley disconcertingly observed in “Brave New World Revisited”, echoing the words of Dostoevsky, “in the end they will lay their freedom at our feet” – effectively wishing to relinquish that burden.

In many ways, Western society is built on this notion of individual freedom and responsibility. Within the marketplaces of society, culture, technology, lifestyle, or economy it’s generally down to us to understand enough to make the best decisions. Decisions for ourselves, of course, but also ones that reshape the global realities surrounding us.

Within that, the incredible significance of education, information, media, journalism and general awareness stands out in fairly stark contrast to the novelty, carelessness, and calculation that’s going on in those fields (Notes Two). While industries stretch the definition of what’s worthwhile and essential to human existence, we seem to be pulling at some fairly indispensable threads in terms of social cohesion.

Of course, many of these institutions are struggling to redefine their position within society and adapt to new realities. Beneath the many attempts to capitalise on opportunities and capture markets, I do believe there are many genuine people concerned about the place these essential functions need to maintain for a healthy society.

While that’s playing itself out, where do we stand? Clearly society as much as its individuals face considerable risks as our infrastructures respond to the challenges of technology. Clearly many parties, for whatever reason, are intent on distracting or influencing us for other ends. Clearly finding reliable information and being sure of what we’re doing isn’t as easy as we might’ve thought.

Who to trust within it all, where to place our hope for the future, is something we each answer for ourselves.

Notes and References:

“Brave New World Revisited” by Aldous Huxley, (Random House, London), 2004 (originally 1958).

Note 1: Power in what we believe
Note 1: Need to stand alone & think for ourselves
Note 1: Concerns over how we’re living
Note 2: Desensitised to all we’re told?
Note 2: Why listen to media that exists to profit?
Note 2: Technology & the lack of constraint
Note 2: Able to see what matters?

For a more beautiful take on a similar theme, Emerson’s views were explored within The idea of self reliance.