Before going further into explaining the Taoist view of how rigid moral practice and thinking suppresses natural desire, I want to cite one more example of pent up desire in our culture.
That example is the growing theory amongst modern adults that children and teens are unresponsive, spoiled, and infected with an undue sense of entitlement. The reasons why these things exist are many, but I think one big one is that the natural desires of the children are often times suppressed from an inability of different generations and family members, to understand each other. It just so happens that adults are the decision makers in a household, so therefore the children are often alienated by a system of governance in their own families that results in suppressed desires which leads to perverted actions.
This example, is one that shows rigid thinking is not necessarily a result of malice, but of attachment. Adults are the caretakers of children, and hopefully take that responsibility seriously. This responsibility often leads people into a difficult intersection, because we are faced with the prospect of balancing too tight and too loose of a rein over the livelihoods of children. What normally happens, particularly with younger children, is that they are instructed, and told what they "should" do, or how they "should" behave. This combined with the fear of the young getting in "over their heads" often times leads to a lot of restriction of the young, that leads to pent up curiosity for breaking social convention latter on in their teens.
I see this most tangibly in the actions of not only my piers, but people 5 to 8 years younger than me. I for one used to find an escape from a family and social system that didn't understand me (which is in no way saying my family didn't love me) in drugs and alcohol, and my mid teens to mid twenties was characterized by extreme excesses and a debacherous lifestyles, that got so out of control due to suppression at one point landed me in jail for 40 days. The more my parents tried to stop me, the more i'd get deeper and deeper into drugs and alcohol. My fascination with such substances is that they allowed me to experience a life free of convention, or personal worry. It at first was exciting, and adventurous for me to delve into substances as a form of escape, and it surrounded me with many friends who were very enjoyable to be with. However, it quickly transformed into a blockade for pursuing my own desires at which point I gave up drinking and drugs. In reality I outgrew them, and I had out grown them for a while, i was just locked in a social system that perpetuated their use. In the end my parents probably had a point, drugs and alcohol are not what I consider to be a worthwhile pursuit, especially if they lead one to excess. However, I had to learn that for myself. As my experiences in life played out, I changed, my desires changed, and the person I became at a latter age found happiness in a simpler life. The truth is that the person I am at 24 is not the same as the one I was at 18. They are two VERY different people, and alcohol was perhaps a necessary adventure in order to become the person I am today. In reality drugs and alcohol were really a manifestation of a more deeper truth I realized about myself, which is that I am an adventurous person. However, my adventurousness does not need to play out through the excessive lifestyle of the Party-goer
The point to all this is that mistakes are necessary, and not really mistakes at all, but opportunities to evolve. In the end your true self will shine through in the long run. By placing rigid and suppressive thinking, and purporting moral absolutes we preclude the chance for growth through experience, and make the process even more chaotic. Parents may think that if their child is drinking or smoking weed that they are going to ruin their lives, however it sometimes is beneficial to let things play out, rather than artificially go in and suppress someone's natural curiosity. Its good to have a little faith in people too;) If I had been more forcibly stopped from drinking as a teenager just imagine how much more I would have done it in college due to all the pent up desire (There were times I thought I wasn't gonna make it as it was already.) Even more scary are the things i see people ingest these days, particularly about 5 years younger than me,It shocks even me!
I'm jumping into the comments late; I actually have myself a little list of things I wanted to address. I could also be a pain and point out some grammatical things, but won't unless you want me to.
ReplyDeleteEven though we know each other, it has been some time and we can only know one another to certain degrees, so I think I'll introduce some relevant areas of myself with which you may not have been familiar.
First off, you and I both somehow have survived as non-voters in this world that shuns no to end the idea of not supporting the popular vote and its sibling politics. There were a couple times at SLC, I found it strenuous, nay disheartening, to support my choice not to vote, since there was such a strong belief in the power of that system.
When it comes to religion and culture, I am liberal, such that I take from the constructs of humanity what I have found to be the case, and am respectful of those I have found not to be the case -- for something merely not manifest has the potential to manifest, as strange or unlikely as it may seem. In this way and as a nod to the Hindu concept of the world atman (universal soul) I do not associate with a clearly defined or named system of belief or moral values. Of course, you may be quick to realize that such accidental negation implies a named religion of sorts, Zen Buddhism, which I find to be a very valuable one.
I am a lover of music, all music. It has been a long, bumpy road, on the journey to loving all music, and there are still some bitter rejects, but deep down, I even like Beanieman...Music has a powerful connection to humanity, one that can't really be articulated, but it can certainly be felt.
I'll post another comment soon with some questions about your recent entries, but for now I leave you with my favorite quote to live by:
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." - Gautama Buddha
LOL, totally agree man, and I've heard that quote before, it is a guiding principal in my life, cuz sometimes I am stubborn enough to think that I am right, and others are wrong! In terms of music, I agree 100% i generally love everything, only because I love the feeling of music, the energy is what I really appreciate.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I only use Taoism as an example because amazingly, it says a lot of things i really believe myself. I feel I understand it on a very primal level! But ultimately I don't believe in any religion, or set of ideas either.
The FIRST line of the TaoTeChing, is "The Tao that can put into words is not proper way-making" I believe this is a subtle reminder that the book itself is not what it speaks of, and to me that means its not something to get too stuck on, I just think the philosophy is really helpful for me.
Also, yeah i have a bunch of grammar errors, I need to correct them but I just don't have alot of extra time in my schedule, due to work, meditation, writing, etc etc!
But thank you so much for writing my man, I appreciate the time!!!
Josh
So here it is, Josh, a few things your words have made me think about and want to share with you.
ReplyDeleteFirst, there is the matter of the Free Range movement, a small minority of parents disenfranchised with the environment of childhood these days. This is only a tangent on your reflection about your own raising, but it really is current, and I thought I'd push it out there. Lenore Skenazy, from Brooklyn, was hailed as the worst mom in America a few years ago when she let her 9 year old ride the subway alone. Oh the horrors. Listen, you and I both know there isn't much to the subway system of NYC, just don't look too suspicious, and have a backup plan if you're in the wrong neighborhood. But Lenore was hounded. How could she do this to her child. Well, it just so happens, Lenore isn't like 90% of parents out there; she knows the facts (or myths) about stranger danger and has started a blog, after appearing on Oprah, all about how paranoia and media coercion have turned our world into the scary place is most definitely is not. Check the blog out sometime: http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/
In response to your words that terrorism "is a "grassroots" response to issues that are determined by larger political bodies."
To exemplify how much this is true, I cite an interview I heard the other day on NPR (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130492404) with a guy who studied suicide attacks and surmised that they were largely a response to occupation as opposed to religious differences or other reasons. Really great point. It's just something to think about that allowed me to remember that these people who choose such attacks have a point of view to consider, especially when he starts talking about altruistic suicide vs. egoistic suicide.
Lastly, you talk about how some may look at the KKK and be unsure if they could be called terrorists. "One may say "Well they're not terrorists, they don't bomb buildings in other countries" is not what I'd consider the defining concept of terrorism, which, you could say I take to much more of an extreme.
I'd define terrorism: "a social disruption as means to incite pandemic fear." I wonder how accurate that would be.
For example, one need not blow something up to incite pandemic terror. How about terrorists who use symbols that signal Domesday against believers in those symbols by placing them on their houses or bodies?
Another example of terrorism spirals back around to the beginning of my comments, fear in parents about raising children. Though it is a loaded discussion, and one that requires much explanation, said simply, aspects of American (as the best example) media incite fear into the minds of American families by repeatedly covering stories that center around how dangerous the world can be for a child. Nevermind that these stories are "enhanced" as to make them more shocking and interesting and to make you stay tuned. This, I believe, is as good an example of terrorism as any other.
Keep up the writing, man, I love reading.
Be well!
-Tyler