Always thoughtful, always worth reading slowly, Gabe.
I particularly liked this: "when we look at ourselves and those around us we are intimately aware of the circumstances that constrain our agency and power." I think that's the key to letting go of blame. If I were in another's circumstance AND perspective, I'd do the same. I can try to change their circumstances or their perspective, but neither one is possible if I'm falling into blame.
And, as another member of the Apocaloptimist Club, I would add that along with never seeing yourself as inferior, never accept a superior position to anyone. Superiority is the Trojan horse that gets us to ride on top, only to find we're serving their agenda of conquest and usurping the sovereignty of others.
My Course meditation today, to be done the first five minutes of every hour, is that giving and receiving are the same. If I give inferiority to others, I receive inferiority for myself. I've accepted the paradigm of hierarchy and now I'm just finding my place in it.
The gifts extended to others that boomerang back include quiet, expansive time, certainty of purpose, meaningful encounters, joy, delight, beauty, calm, and the patience of inevitability. These are my gifts to you, with a wink from the Goddess ;-)
The demoralizing atmosphere is almost palpable at the moment. Across all walks of life, all industries, and it seems to be in every country.
If I didn't know better, I'd almost say it was being engineered "Tomorrowland" style😉.
Your piece was exactly what was needed to remind me, that this is the long game. We need to win the war...Not the battle, and we do that through hope, not hopium, and not by avoiding the hard discussions. But by keeping and sharing joy AS we embrace truth.👏👏👏🙏
Ta for the global pep talk, i think we needed that.😉
Of course it’s reversible. I never realized how nihilistic Bezmenov was. I guess when you escape communists only to find out no one’s gonna heed your warnings, you’d be a little sour. So, I agree that something can always be done.
But I disagree about the root cause of demoralization. I think it’s rooted in something much deeper than external circumstances. Most people don’t question their existence, it’s reason for it. And having so many purposeless humans, knowing that the gnawing inside them wont let them be, creates anxiety-laden docile or impulsive people incapable of taking accountability for themselves, total lack of agency.
Sure, TPTB leverage that information and further escalate the helplessness. But it’s up to us to assure our children know the score. We are still parenting our kids. We can instill autonomy early on. And hopefully avoid as many external toxins/circumstances that will usurp our endeavors.
It's very important to get it right at a young age, which I know first hand because of my own struggles with it.
I don't think Yuri is wrong that society-wide demoralization has ...consequences but I think it's productive to consider that we can always change course, even if it's very difficult.
Thank you for this insightful essay. Halfway through, I had to stop myself and ask, Am I demoralized? That's not what I want to think, but it didn't take me long to realize that the sore spot in my heart is the feeling of learned helplessness over the difficulty of establishing a readership for my more philosophical and literary fiction. I even named my Substack Posthumous Style to mark the fact that I have no real hope of being recognized in my lifetime. I'm so demoralized I don't even talk about that literary work much and when I do, I'm awkward.
As I kept reading your essay, I stopped a second time and I asked myself what I've been doing lately to seek out people who share my interests. It's not like my digital ecosystem is going to present people to me if I'm not looking for them. I'm going to make more of a concerted effort to find writers I like, read them, review their work and send them messages.
Thanks for the Margaret Anna Alice substack-made me cry, but I needed to. Our little doggie was killed by stealth by “them”-he needed an operation, but eventually the junk in whatever injectables gave him turbo bone cancer. Poor thing must have been in so much pain-we had to euthanise him. 11 1/2 years we had him for, it’s a very long time when one thinks about it. (It’s not our veterinarians’ fault, I’m sure they didn’t know)
Aussie here, our gov’t went just like yours, but I think more rigging, another Aussie described our P.M. as a limp wet tea bag, or some such. V. accurate.
Stay optimistic, laugh at “them”, and just don’t lose!
Always thoughtful, always worth reading slowly, Gabe.
I particularly liked this: "when we look at ourselves and those around us we are intimately aware of the circumstances that constrain our agency and power." I think that's the key to letting go of blame. If I were in another's circumstance AND perspective, I'd do the same. I can try to change their circumstances or their perspective, but neither one is possible if I'm falling into blame.
And, as another member of the Apocaloptimist Club, I would add that along with never seeing yourself as inferior, never accept a superior position to anyone. Superiority is the Trojan horse that gets us to ride on top, only to find we're serving their agenda of conquest and usurping the sovereignty of others.
My Course meditation today, to be done the first five minutes of every hour, is that giving and receiving are the same. If I give inferiority to others, I receive inferiority for myself. I've accepted the paradigm of hierarchy and now I'm just finding my place in it.
The gifts extended to others that boomerang back include quiet, expansive time, certainty of purpose, meaningful encounters, joy, delight, beauty, calm, and the patience of inevitability. These are my gifts to you, with a wink from the Goddess ;-)
Thanks a ton Tereza. I can definitely say there was a lot of giving to get in this.
Beyond just my reflections on the culture wars, I had been struggling with my own demoralization and that helped me piece this together.
I always appreciate your thorough feedback 🤩
A vital and spirit lifting piece Gabe. Thank you.
The demoralizing atmosphere is almost palpable at the moment. Across all walks of life, all industries, and it seems to be in every country.
If I didn't know better, I'd almost say it was being engineered "Tomorrowland" style😉.
Your piece was exactly what was needed to remind me, that this is the long game. We need to win the war...Not the battle, and we do that through hope, not hopium, and not by avoiding the hard discussions. But by keeping and sharing joy AS we embrace truth.👏👏👏🙏
Ta for the global pep talk, i think we needed that.😉
#goodjobcoach #reputationeconomy #follownone #mistakeswereNOTmade #getlocalised
I'm very happy you found this helpful!
It's absolutely a long game, and so much seemed focused on making it so hard to remember!
Of course it’s reversible. I never realized how nihilistic Bezmenov was. I guess when you escape communists only to find out no one’s gonna heed your warnings, you’d be a little sour. So, I agree that something can always be done.
But I disagree about the root cause of demoralization. I think it’s rooted in something much deeper than external circumstances. Most people don’t question their existence, it’s reason for it. And having so many purposeless humans, knowing that the gnawing inside them wont let them be, creates anxiety-laden docile or impulsive people incapable of taking accountability for themselves, total lack of agency.
Sure, TPTB leverage that information and further escalate the helplessness. But it’s up to us to assure our children know the score. We are still parenting our kids. We can instill autonomy early on. And hopefully avoid as many external toxins/circumstances that will usurp our endeavors.
Great points all around!
It's very important to get it right at a young age, which I know first hand because of my own struggles with it.
I don't think Yuri is wrong that society-wide demoralization has ...consequences but I think it's productive to consider that we can always change course, even if it's very difficult.
Thank you. Much needed today.
Thank you for this insightful essay. Halfway through, I had to stop myself and ask, Am I demoralized? That's not what I want to think, but it didn't take me long to realize that the sore spot in my heart is the feeling of learned helplessness over the difficulty of establishing a readership for my more philosophical and literary fiction. I even named my Substack Posthumous Style to mark the fact that I have no real hope of being recognized in my lifetime. I'm so demoralized I don't even talk about that literary work much and when I do, I'm awkward.
As I kept reading your essay, I stopped a second time and I asked myself what I've been doing lately to seek out people who share my interests. It's not like my digital ecosystem is going to present people to me if I'm not looking for them. I'm going to make more of a concerted effort to find writers I like, read them, review their work and send them messages.
Thanks, Gabriel.
This means a great deal!
I'm just as addicted to the dopamine rush of numbers as anyone else, but I truly thrive on that deeper understanding you're striving for there.
Despite all the conditioning baked into these systems, I'm convinced there is a great deal of potential to take part in a better experience.
Keep writing Gabe, you’re excellent at it!
Thanks for the Margaret Anna Alice substack-made me cry, but I needed to. Our little doggie was killed by stealth by “them”-he needed an operation, but eventually the junk in whatever injectables gave him turbo bone cancer. Poor thing must have been in so much pain-we had to euthanise him. 11 1/2 years we had him for, it’s a very long time when one thinks about it. (It’s not our veterinarians’ fault, I’m sure they didn’t know)
Aussie here, our gov’t went just like yours, but I think more rigging, another Aussie described our P.M. as a limp wet tea bag, or some such. V. accurate.
Stay optimistic, laugh at “them”, and just don’t lose!
Very sorry to hear about your poor pup.
With enough persistence I'm sure we can't lose!
Clarity and joyful stubbornness are the key!
Thanks so much Gabe, you’re a good man!
Reject the notion of equality, and suddenly you are freed from the hopeless quest.