I learned a few new words which is a plus for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this article. My husband of 40 years recently passed away and I've been experiencing an awakening awareness of how important and holy every face to face human connection is. Seems so simple until you really get it and then one realizes the sanctity of in person interactions. Namaste 🙏
I especially appreciate the references to postmodernism as something to move away from. When I started my telegram channel Post Post Modern, this is exactly what i had in mind- a return to what is real and meaningful- if not objectively true.
Ironically, I got to a point where i put a pause on feeding my channel to opt for putting down the phone to feed real world experiences instead! I love your solution-oriented vantage point and I am with you on prioritizing connectivity as we build and usher in an new era together. ❤️
I feel like there will be a natural movement toward connectivity as, sadly, we are faced with so much collective grief and betrayal. This is the direction we're headed. Best to prepare ourselves in advance for what we are going to be facing.
Phrase ~ from one of your replies here 'collective sorrow and betrayal' - yes, it can be overwhelming. We do need to stay connected to others who are aware of the issue. And stay connected to nature and spirit.
I agree completely, and our connections can have the effect of keeping one another grounded, especially among those of us who understand this, see it coming, and have the opportunity to brace ourselves by bolstering those relationships and thinking ahead. A big part of that is going to be resisting any divisiveness, especially divisiveness at the micro level which is being injected into our communities in order to cause a lot of infighting and tear us apart. There's certainly reason to be skeptical of motive, especially when you are witnessing that kind of behavior, but if we know the goal is to break up our interconnectivity to make us more vulnerable, that's a good portion of the battle because we can keep that in mind and remain centered and focused when we witness this occurring. We can respond rather than react.
Thanks, Demi, for this lovely essay. "Curate your inputs; life is too short for meaningless noise." + "Create islands of coherence in the chaotic flood"—that would be a great maxim for living a meaningful life. As part of curating input, my wife and I stopped reading newspapers and watching the news many years ago. Life gets so much quieter. Noteworthy, global events will always reach you. FOMO is unwarranted. There are so many tools available today for filtering and curating your input.
Thank you so much. Yes, I feel much the same way about the news. Given what I do, I still follow it in my own way so that I can glean what I need to based upon how the narratives are being crafted and then report back here what I'm seeing.
But if I weren't analyzing the media, if it didn't serve an extremely specific utility for me in the reverse of how others utilize it, I can say with complete confidence that I wouldn't be following it at all. I'd have checked out on consuming media completely.
The perspectives are manufactured to create false fear in order to drive the acceptance of needless "solutions" to those conjured false fears. It's nothing more than a very well orchestrated trick to corral viewpoints that lead people into Pied Piper traps, and the majority of people would be happier (and wiser) without its influence.
I can relate to that. I'm a long time media analyst and critic. I wrote a thesis about it. So it usually enters my writing in some way. On the one hand, it's important to know "what's going on," but the level of manipulation has only gotten worse over the years. This is consistent with increased ownership concentration, the death of local news and other factors. Consuming corporate media (especially in high doses) gives you an impoverished version of reality. It's biased, sensationalist and diversionary, which makes it unhealthy for your mind. But the other side of the coin is that those who seek independent voices get bombarded online. It's not all good info either. So it becomes untenable and unhealthy in another way. It all takes away from actual human connectivity. Then there's texting, games (which I hate), streaming, even writing this...it's all too much. When is the human connection revolt? Sign me up!
Agreed. My background is in media as well. We're the canaries in the coalmine because we are trained on audiovisual grammar and its manipulation. We will see it first. So, in my opinion, there's an obligation for those who see it to expose it so that others can understand and make informed choices.
“The perspectives are manufactured to create false fear in order to drive the acceptance of needless "solutions" to those conjured false fears. It's nothing more than a very well orchestrated trick to corral viewpoints that lead people into Pied Piper traps, and the majority of people would be happier (and wiser) without its influence.”
Physicist, David Bohm has spoken about needless "solutions".
In the link below, Bohm speaks of handling false fear.
“…thought itself, consciousness is caught in certain irrational and in certain disorder, confusion. that thought is conditioned. you see, we ordinarily think that our thought is free that we can just be free to think what is true. right? but we're not that free because everything that happens is recorded in the brain actually materially or we could almost think of a tape recording and this record is replayed as a set of instructions. Similar to a computer program that makes us act in certain ways, to think, feel and act in certain way. so, we may think that a certain thing is true just because it's on the program. and we act accordingly according to that program. right? now see that program is put in very early not really the useful things like language and techniques and all that but also all sorts of prejudices and hopes and fears and beliefs. and now that program gives rise to many irrationalities. for example, there's desire you see we are moved by desires. Now desire Krishnamurti says comes from the program. now, we've distinguished desire and true passion which is a tremendous energy that is created. desire is programmed and what you really want out of desire is something, some sort of state of perfection of consciousness. you want everything to be happy and good and right and orderly and harmonious and everything just right. you see? and that's the ultimate aim of desire. now the object of desire is not really desired at all is merely a means to the end which is the state of consciousness. right?
so, we go through one object after another seeking this state and it doesn't work.
…desire creates self-deception. that is the quickest way to satisfy desire momentarily, is to engage in wishful thinking. that is to arrange your ideas according to what your desire. you see? so, I think that this self-deception I've observed is one of the major components of human thought. that is most thought is self-deception. in fact the dominant thought is almost always self-deception. however, rational you may be in applying your techniques the end is always determined by self deceptive thought.
Suzuki
can you give us an example of how that would work?
Bohm
yes, …here is an example of self-deception. first I take flattery. say a person may have been hurt as a child and loses confidence in himself. it's on the program the program is always demanding overcoming that. so, anybody who tells him he is good and right and so on is believed to be true.
he can do anything, right? and everybody is seeking flattery and becoming very annoyed with insults and getting angry. and also people get angry say for, not just for a second, as young children do, but for years and even say hundreds of years. with you know nations fighting each other like thing every night northern and southern Irish and so on. and it all goes on the program. you see, generation after generation.”
That's a great point. One of the tactics used to generate more sales is to disorient people. They buy more when disoriented. For example, this is why malls are constructed so that you cannot get from one store to another without traversing a maze of pathways, balconies, and escalators, none of which are designed to take you from point A to point B. The more confusing it is, the more disoriented you are, and the desired effect is to utilize that disorientation to propel sales. Similarly, if we are confused about meaning, context, and even existence, we're more likely to buy anything anyone is selling - especially if it seems to promise to alleviate that confusion. So this isn't just happening in brick and mortar shops - it's happening with the peddling of ideas as well. No matter how many times a politician makes a promise and then reneges on that promise when they enter office, most of the population will still opt to believe the new promises made during the next cycle and go for another ride around on the carousel of hope instead of realizing they are never receiving what they think they are buying with the purchasing power of the vote. (And that's not even getting into all of our issues with voting security.)
I learned a few new words which is a plus for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this article. My husband of 40 years recently passed away and I've been experiencing an awakening awareness of how important and holy every face to face human connection is. Seems so simple until you really get it and then one realizes the sanctity of in person interactions. Namaste 🙏
I'm so sorry. Sending my love.
So very sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry for your loss, sister. ‘Sanctity’ is a great word to describe it. Namaste. 🙏
I am sorry for your loss. You are wonderful.
I looked up omnism as well and promise myself to use it (that I might remember it by.)
i wish you peace.
You are kind
🙏🏻 I ❤️ Robert Heinlein 🖖🧠
TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE 💗 shocked me in the 70’s.
Serial monogamy was a new idea.
The love story in far off places was a treat.
I love this piece Demi! Thank you!🙏
I especially appreciate the references to postmodernism as something to move away from. When I started my telegram channel Post Post Modern, this is exactly what i had in mind- a return to what is real and meaningful- if not objectively true.
Ironically, I got to a point where i put a pause on feeding my channel to opt for putting down the phone to feed real world experiences instead! I love your solution-oriented vantage point and I am with you on prioritizing connectivity as we build and usher in an new era together. ❤️
I feel like there will be a natural movement toward connectivity as, sadly, we are faced with so much collective grief and betrayal. This is the direction we're headed. Best to prepare ourselves in advance for what we are going to be facing.
Indeed...❤️
Really excellent. Thanks Demi.
Phrase ~ from one of your replies here 'collective sorrow and betrayal' - yes, it can be overwhelming. We do need to stay connected to others who are aware of the issue. And stay connected to nature and spirit.
Thank you so much.
I agree completely, and our connections can have the effect of keeping one another grounded, especially among those of us who understand this, see it coming, and have the opportunity to brace ourselves by bolstering those relationships and thinking ahead. A big part of that is going to be resisting any divisiveness, especially divisiveness at the micro level which is being injected into our communities in order to cause a lot of infighting and tear us apart. There's certainly reason to be skeptical of motive, especially when you are witnessing that kind of behavior, but if we know the goal is to break up our interconnectivity to make us more vulnerable, that's a good portion of the battle because we can keep that in mind and remain centered and focused when we witness this occurring. We can respond rather than react.
Touche'!
I would have read this but my brain is about to explode...
Have you tried... NOT... exploding?
Oh. You're right. That's much better!
https://youtu.be/vCy9k_RWlvA?feature=shared
Thanks, Demi, for this lovely essay. "Curate your inputs; life is too short for meaningless noise." + "Create islands of coherence in the chaotic flood"—that would be a great maxim for living a meaningful life. As part of curating input, my wife and I stopped reading newspapers and watching the news many years ago. Life gets so much quieter. Noteworthy, global events will always reach you. FOMO is unwarranted. There are so many tools available today for filtering and curating your input.
Thank you so much. Yes, I feel much the same way about the news. Given what I do, I still follow it in my own way so that I can glean what I need to based upon how the narratives are being crafted and then report back here what I'm seeing.
But if I weren't analyzing the media, if it didn't serve an extremely specific utility for me in the reverse of how others utilize it, I can say with complete confidence that I wouldn't be following it at all. I'd have checked out on consuming media completely.
The perspectives are manufactured to create false fear in order to drive the acceptance of needless "solutions" to those conjured false fears. It's nothing more than a very well orchestrated trick to corral viewpoints that lead people into Pied Piper traps, and the majority of people would be happier (and wiser) without its influence.
I got into that quite a bit here:
https://www.starfirecodes.com/p/how-to-smash-the-overton-window
https://www.starfirecodes.com/p/the-modern-legacy-of-operation-mockingbird
I can relate to that. I'm a long time media analyst and critic. I wrote a thesis about it. So it usually enters my writing in some way. On the one hand, it's important to know "what's going on," but the level of manipulation has only gotten worse over the years. This is consistent with increased ownership concentration, the death of local news and other factors. Consuming corporate media (especially in high doses) gives you an impoverished version of reality. It's biased, sensationalist and diversionary, which makes it unhealthy for your mind. But the other side of the coin is that those who seek independent voices get bombarded online. It's not all good info either. So it becomes untenable and unhealthy in another way. It all takes away from actual human connectivity. Then there's texting, games (which I hate), streaming, even writing this...it's all too much. When is the human connection revolt? Sign me up!
Agreed. My background is in media as well. We're the canaries in the coalmine because we are trained on audiovisual grammar and its manipulation. We will see it first. So, in my opinion, there's an obligation for those who see it to expose it so that others can understand and make informed choices.
“The perspectives are manufactured to create false fear in order to drive the acceptance of needless "solutions" to those conjured false fears. It's nothing more than a very well orchestrated trick to corral viewpoints that lead people into Pied Piper traps, and the majority of people would be happier (and wiser) without its influence.”
Physicist, David Bohm has spoken about needless "solutions".
In the link below, Bohm speaks of handling false fear.
“…thought itself, consciousness is caught in certain irrational and in certain disorder, confusion. that thought is conditioned. you see, we ordinarily think that our thought is free that we can just be free to think what is true. right? but we're not that free because everything that happens is recorded in the brain actually materially or we could almost think of a tape recording and this record is replayed as a set of instructions. Similar to a computer program that makes us act in certain ways, to think, feel and act in certain way. so, we may think that a certain thing is true just because it's on the program. and we act accordingly according to that program. right? now see that program is put in very early not really the useful things like language and techniques and all that but also all sorts of prejudices and hopes and fears and beliefs. and now that program gives rise to many irrationalities. for example, there's desire you see we are moved by desires. Now desire Krishnamurti says comes from the program. now, we've distinguished desire and true passion which is a tremendous energy that is created. desire is programmed and what you really want out of desire is something, some sort of state of perfection of consciousness. you want everything to be happy and good and right and orderly and harmonious and everything just right. you see? and that's the ultimate aim of desire. now the object of desire is not really desired at all is merely a means to the end which is the state of consciousness. right?
so, we go through one object after another seeking this state and it doesn't work.
…desire creates self-deception. that is the quickest way to satisfy desire momentarily, is to engage in wishful thinking. that is to arrange your ideas according to what your desire. you see? so, I think that this self-deception I've observed is one of the major components of human thought. that is most thought is self-deception. in fact the dominant thought is almost always self-deception. however, rational you may be in applying your techniques the end is always determined by self deceptive thought.
Suzuki
can you give us an example of how that would work?
Bohm
yes, …here is an example of self-deception. first I take flattery. say a person may have been hurt as a child and loses confidence in himself. it's on the program the program is always demanding overcoming that. so, anybody who tells him he is good and right and so on is believed to be true.
he can do anything, right? and everybody is seeking flattery and becoming very annoyed with insults and getting angry. and also people get angry say for, not just for a second, as young children do, but for years and even say hundreds of years. with you know nations fighting each other like thing every night northern and southern Irish and so on. and it all goes on the program. you see, generation after generation.”
https://youtu.be/r-jI0zzYgIE?si=CnSS9KmEjzYKkUfM
That's a great point. One of the tactics used to generate more sales is to disorient people. They buy more when disoriented. For example, this is why malls are constructed so that you cannot get from one store to another without traversing a maze of pathways, balconies, and escalators, none of which are designed to take you from point A to point B. The more confusing it is, the more disoriented you are, and the desired effect is to utilize that disorientation to propel sales. Similarly, if we are confused about meaning, context, and even existence, we're more likely to buy anything anyone is selling - especially if it seems to promise to alleviate that confusion. So this isn't just happening in brick and mortar shops - it's happening with the peddling of ideas as well. No matter how many times a politician makes a promise and then reneges on that promise when they enter office, most of the population will still opt to believe the new promises made during the next cycle and go for another ride around on the carousel of hope instead of realizing they are never receiving what they think they are buying with the purchasing power of the vote. (And that's not even getting into all of our issues with voting security.)