On Society #It'sOn

Society is inherently a bottoms-up organism. It is alive, sentient, and fractal. Similar to a branch that is just a smaller version of a tree, a tree within a tree if you will, a person is a localized encapsulation of the society that he or she occupies.  Our communities are a grassroots effort, created one person at a time. That is why you matter. We all matter regardless of our superficial outward appearances. It is our inner core, our innate value system that is at the heart of the issue. Just because we can't see the forest for the trees, doesn't dilute our minuscule or self-less contribution to society. It all adds up, even if the mathematical operation is not entirely clear. Our coming together to form villages, towns, cities, states or nations is a form of dancing. There are steps, moves, thoughts, wonder, rhythm and blues. If we keep each other, observe the scenery, notice the unassuming, we are capable of harmonizing into a tapestry full of  beauty. A gestalt where the sum is indeed greater than its constituent parts. We complement each other and then once seen from a suitable distance, we become worthy of a heartfelt compliment. Sincerity is the true measure of the polite society. It isn't about suppressing our base instincts or inappropriate thoughts underground, never to see the light of day. Rather, it is a natural process of deep knowledge or insight regarding one's own proclivities. An honest measure of a man. Today, we mistake saying things like people can make a difference as being hubristic or grandiose at best, or transacting in pleasant but hallow platitudes at worst. A form of empty gestures to lubricate the crowd or disarm the interlocutor with harmless charm. I can make the argument that this statememt is objectively true, more than we realize. We all know if not consciously but unconsciously, how our society these days is in the grips of the cult of personality. It is not headed in the right direction with nameless figures who build a solid foundation on which we stand. We are just captured in some sort of arbitrary team whether they are political, commercial or cultural through which we interact. Our sight ability is framed by them, these larger-than-life figures, irrespective of the health status of our eyes. This is most obvious, but least visible when it comes to money. The modern city-state is no longer a beacon of prosperity, a shining rock on the hill. Our urban metropolis is but a gloried piedpiper luring the children to sure death in the mines of fiat currency, the dollar-based economy. The longer you work, the harder you have to save; the better you invest, the worst the fall. For life to improve and our world to reset, we must wake up and see the water. Did I lose you, dear reader? Surely you have heard of the viral college speech by David Foster Wallace. In it, he told the now famous joke of the elder fish asking the kiddies, how the water is today? When the elders were gone, the young fish turned to his friends and asked, "what the hell is water?" How do you ensure you are swimming in clean water? How do you know if your environment is healthy? By this I do not mean environmental science and climate change debates. I mean, are you promoting an us versus them world? Is your "religion" zero-sum? In other words, for me to win, you have to lose or vice-versa. Or do you believe in an abundant future, forever better, perpetually additive like a number line set on a course to infinity and beyond? Are you a parent who doesn't run out of love when multiple children are born? Do you possess a never-ending pit of love? My worldview is best described as rising tides lifts all boats. I want a compounding sum total. I want la dolce vita. Not just for me but for the neighbors. In case your mouth has inadvertently formed into a “mother knows best” type of smirk, let it be known that I am not a hapless simpleton. This wish upon the star is not naive or misguided. No, I was not born yesterday or sheltered from the harsh realities of life. It is because of how tough my life has been that I am willing to confront the truth of our current age. We live in a nihilistic swimming pool which promotes a "live today, die tomorrow" mentality. The currency doesn't hold value. We toil endlessly for an un-gratifying weekend break or long overdue vacation only to find we need to earn more to cover our indulgence and makeup for extravagances. In the end, how can I really live well, if others are suffering? How do I enjoy life, if children are crying? How can there be goodness in the world, if evil reign supreme? How deep should we bury our collective heads in the sand to pursue false happiness?  I want true happiness. I want to swim in clean waters. Join me in my effort to clean the water. Switch off your TVs, throw out your newspapers, ignore the politicians. Sell your dollars. Buy Bitcoin. Hold it in your own keys for safekeeping. Only then can we finally see straight. Society on.