This may seem like a 'doomsday' forecast, but it's not. I come from a pragmatic Dutch culture and simply believe that it pays to know the truth, no matter how painful that might be.
Life is getting more frantic, aggravated and unfriendly - whether it's on the road, in the surf or on social media. There are many benefits to technology but it has also empowered people to fire missiles over the internet anonymously and use cars as weapons to vent their frustration. People are angry, stressed, greedy for good times, sex, food more stuff. Why? Because they are getting more and more desparate to fend off the inevitable. These are simply distractions, they do not satisy for long, they seek more and more and more. It is completely futile.
Why are we descending into this? Because everything eventually reaches a critical mass. Humanity has never confronted it's dark side, its Unconscious, openly, honestly, courageously or collectively. The Unconscious is a real entity, it is the 'evil' we are familiar with but only as it appears outside of ourselves. Because we refuse to confront it within ourselves, we simply projectile vomit it outward, in one form or another, onto the world, each other, the environment.
The sea is rising, and with it the Unconscious sea. This is no coincidence. These are the archetypes of humanity. The Unconscious is leaking through the economical and political facades that have managed to keep it somewhat under control in the West. Ironically but unsurprisingly, since the GFC the murder rate in New York has halved - what does that tell you?
I need to find a peaceful place to ride this out - not to run away from the darkness, because I have always had a commitment to knowing that aspect of myself, but from the anger and frustration of others who, in their attempts to cope with life turn to alcohol, drugs, consumerism, loud music - ego-gratification in general - and end up disturbing anyone near them. I cannot make everyone responsible for their own stuff but I am really tired of humanity's projections - I just need some peace and quiet.
These are fascinating times - from out of the collapse of capitalism and ecological systems will come chaos and change, extraordinary people and creative solutions. But it will not be an easy time.
2 comments:
Interesting. I was reading Covey's The 3rd Alternative and he says that the modern workplace is based on open plan and collective creativity. However, he suggests that this can be detrimental to the individual who is truly creative because the true artist or creative thinker needs to isolate him/herself behind closed doors in silence in order to think and create.
When you think about it the truly great people in history who were creative thinkers and artists did exactly that. They shut themselves off from the rest of the world in order to create.
You are not alone!
Another artist mate of mine made a similar comment based on something he had read re artist's and their need for isolation. I think sometimes if you have an artistic sort of brain that is 'trained' to take in information, it can be a nightmare in a world where there is just so much going on!
I am relieved to hear you say that - sometimes I think I AM alone in wanting to be alone so much, and fret about my inability to cope with so much of this crazy world. It is getting harder to find the quiet spots but they are out there and I need to live in one of them.
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