I agree, the simplistic division into one group or another on every parameter with nothing in between is nonsensical & counterproductive to civility. (Long gone are my days of seeking peace &/or bliss. These days I’m making do with civility.)
For the past year or more, I’ve been thinking about what a destructive, purposeful tactic it is to divide everything & everyone into two categories: essentially this or that.
I’ve been listening to many different cult & high control religion sagas from ex members, against the current political backdrop. And it is all eerily the same. It makes no difference whether it is a long established traditional religion, a creepy ass cult with a psychotic leader, a group of murderous teens in the woods killing someone for their made up beliefs, or a malignant narcissistic political stooge & his minions, it all starts the same way:
We are this, they are that.
We are good, they are evil.
We are right, they are wrong.
We are right, they are left.
We are the ones who will go to heaven, they are the ones who will burn in hell.
The players are different, but the playbook is the same. Someone or a group of like-minded someones makes a bunch of arbitrary rules to keep themselves in power & those who agree are the chosen special ones. And the rest are not worthy, imbecilic, non believing heathens who will be left to their fate, which usually is synonymous with death.
At its core, it all reminds me of kids in a clubhouse, keeping everyone out who doesn’t know the secret knock. It’s like living amongst a mass of toddlers whose growth was stunted immediately after they learned their deck of opposites flash cards. And for the rest of their lives they are filling in the blank cards at the bottom of the stack with their own ideas. (I realize this is a bit of a tortured metaphor, but I’ve no better at the moment, so let’s just pretend it fits right in with the era we are struggling to survive.)
Historically it leads to the demise of too many people. And for what? Power, lust, & greed.
I was raised in a fundamentalist high control religion & household & knew squat about anything else, until after I got married in the church I was raised in & then bid religion a fuck you adieu.
I’m not saying that everyone in the religion was bad or good. That’s too simplistic & not useful. But enough were wolves in sheep’s clothing including my father. My mother always says that “churches are filled with imperfect people” which is her excuse for justifying crimes as long as they call themselves Christians (preferably Southern Baptist).
At some point I decided that I was no longer willing to take spiritual advice from liars & people who abused children & then covered it up. But I do know that when you are immersed in a religion or cult (especially since birth), you are already primed & groomed to accept a “good people vs evil people” mindset. Everything & everyone is divided into Godly & Satanic.
What a fucked up way to live. If your religion facilitates helping others, loving others, etc. & has helped you in your life, more power to you. But in my experience these are the outward trappings of an elaborate facade for fraud & abuse.
I have no summarizing wisdom today. (As if I ever do. Who am I, a fucking prophet?!)
Making do with civility sounds okee dokee until you admit that there's precious little civility left to settle for.
Perhaps, the 'this-or-that' world view is overly generous. Maybe there's just lousy, rotten, evil shit. Having been born in Newark, NJ, that seems likely to moi...
Yes, we are swimming in a cesspool of lousy, rotten, evil shit. But I am reserving a small sliver of hope before we all drown. Not anything miraculous, just dumb luck probably. Like a Deadpool scenario. If not, see y’all in the great unknown.
Hey Don R. Separately from my other rambling, I just wanted to say thanks for consistently posting thought provoking pieces. I know it’s a lot to keep up with, especially when you’re busy. It helps keep my brain from turning to mush, stewing in my own thoughts. I appreciate it, sir.
Yep, all events likely have both and neg aspects. But often—maybe even usually—one aspect is irrelevant...imo, anyway.
Trump & Musk should have a good, old-fashioned duel—but not with pistols, with grenade launchers—in which both lose.
Have a grande weeke, Bud!
Yes, lol. The battle of wits between Thing 1 & Thing 2 is killing what’s left of my brain cells & I’ve likely not many to spare.
I used to have brain cells...now just ragged shreds of stuff...
Lol. Ditto. Shaggy Synapse Syndrome.
I agree, the simplistic division into one group or another on every parameter with nothing in between is nonsensical & counterproductive to civility. (Long gone are my days of seeking peace &/or bliss. These days I’m making do with civility.)
For the past year or more, I’ve been thinking about what a destructive, purposeful tactic it is to divide everything & everyone into two categories: essentially this or that.
I’ve been listening to many different cult & high control religion sagas from ex members, against the current political backdrop. And it is all eerily the same. It makes no difference whether it is a long established traditional religion, a creepy ass cult with a psychotic leader, a group of murderous teens in the woods killing someone for their made up beliefs, or a malignant narcissistic political stooge & his minions, it all starts the same way:
We are this, they are that.
We are good, they are evil.
We are right, they are wrong.
We are right, they are left.
We are the ones who will go to heaven, they are the ones who will burn in hell.
The players are different, but the playbook is the same. Someone or a group of like-minded someones makes a bunch of arbitrary rules to keep themselves in power & those who agree are the chosen special ones. And the rest are not worthy, imbecilic, non believing heathens who will be left to their fate, which usually is synonymous with death.
At its core, it all reminds me of kids in a clubhouse, keeping everyone out who doesn’t know the secret knock. It’s like living amongst a mass of toddlers whose growth was stunted immediately after they learned their deck of opposites flash cards. And for the rest of their lives they are filling in the blank cards at the bottom of the stack with their own ideas. (I realize this is a bit of a tortured metaphor, but I’ve no better at the moment, so let’s just pretend it fits right in with the era we are struggling to survive.)
Historically it leads to the demise of too many people. And for what? Power, lust, & greed.
I was raised in a fundamentalist high control religion & household & knew squat about anything else, until after I got married in the church I was raised in & then bid religion a fuck you adieu.
I’m not saying that everyone in the religion was bad or good. That’s too simplistic & not useful. But enough were wolves in sheep’s clothing including my father. My mother always says that “churches are filled with imperfect people” which is her excuse for justifying crimes as long as they call themselves Christians (preferably Southern Baptist).
At some point I decided that I was no longer willing to take spiritual advice from liars & people who abused children & then covered it up. But I do know that when you are immersed in a religion or cult (especially since birth), you are already primed & groomed to accept a “good people vs evil people” mindset. Everything & everyone is divided into Godly & Satanic.
What a fucked up way to live. If your religion facilitates helping others, loving others, etc. & has helped you in your life, more power to you. But in my experience these are the outward trappings of an elaborate facade for fraud & abuse.
I have no summarizing wisdom today. (As if I ever do. Who am I, a fucking prophet?!)
Making do with civility sounds okee dokee until you admit that there's precious little civility left to settle for.
Perhaps, the 'this-or-that' world view is overly generous. Maybe there's just lousy, rotten, evil shit. Having been born in Newark, NJ, that seems likely to moi...
Yes, we are swimming in a cesspool of lousy, rotten, evil shit. But I am reserving a small sliver of hope before we all drown. Not anything miraculous, just dumb luck probably. Like a Deadpool scenario. If not, see y’all in the great unknown.
Us Newarkers aren't big on hope. Probably why I was introduced to a new client as..."he can see the dark side of anything."
Hey Don R. Separately from my other rambling, I just wanted to say thanks for consistently posting thought provoking pieces. I know it’s a lot to keep up with, especially when you’re busy. It helps keep my brain from turning to mush, stewing in my own thoughts. I appreciate it, sir.