Six Ways

Author: DB

  • Define Success, Baby

    Nothing happens in a vacuum. Even if one were a castaway, all alone on a desert island, one would still have in mind the approval of people back in the civilisation.

    Imagine the castaway is fishing. Success would be measured in terms of proficiency, skill, manual dexterity, as seen through the eyes of people back in civilisation.

    If one became really proficient, one would be proud of how much more ‘real’ one was than the others imagined in one’s mind’s eye.

    Tell me it isn’t so.

    Except for sociopaths, in our heads we all live in a community of other people.

    So now, what is success?

    Is it one where each person sees the others as a springboard to success?

    Is it one where each person does not care about whether the others are successful – except insofar as a lack of success by others endangers or helps the individual’s chance of success?

    Is it one where success means a common success?

    A common success means each person feels that success is only success when everyone succeeds. It means each person feels responsible for everyone else. And together they all have each other’s backs, so to speak.

    Are we any good at community? Why should we be when the arc of human development over the past centuries has been for all of us to search for and find our individual voice. We may be polite, accommodating, civil, or rapacious and grasping – with all shades in between – but in truth we are all elbowing our way forward in the stream. If we fall behind we think we are failures.

    And how has it all being working out?

    We tried a big man in the sky and that kept us united under one roof for a while. But then some people invented an authority structure and the churches and the kings and those on top made everyone else feel like they were bound in place rather than enjoying the drumbeat of life. And in truth, how easily could we cope with true equality when each of us would have to expose our feelings and build on that?

    How many of us would rather hang on the coat-tails of others with more drive and settle in place for the duration without making too much of a fuss?

    Now we, or at least Google and Facebook, have access to big data from which we learn that our precious individuality is in large part a mirage. We are predictable. We give off signals all the time.

    Did you hear the story of how one American company sent out coupons for items it thought its customers would be interested in. The company then had to apologise because it knew more accurately when a woman was pregnant than she herself did. Or the company sent out relevant coupons before the wife had told the husband. And this was maybe ten years ago. We leave such a trail of data points that we have become exposed for the predictable creatures we are.

    So where is our individuality that we guard so preciously?

    When my choice is between pain and pleasure for me, I am like a bull with a ring through its nose sniffing out the good stuff and avoiding the bad. And what does that mean? It means that the choices before me are like a prison that hems me in. I choose between the possible. Follow my trail over the years, and you will know me.

    So, success – is my success even mine?

    To find the success you want, be among the people who inspire you.

  • Why Do You Write

    Why do you write?

    Yes, why? A quote (can’t recall from whom) came to mind about why do I photograph? It went something along the lines of ‘to see what the photograph looks like’. There’s something of that in writing – that when the writing is on the page it tells me something that is different that just replaying the subject in my head.

    The act of writing reveals the writer – I think that is a quote from an author. And it must be true and it rings true with me. And that’s another side of writing – like stand-up comedy – there is no faking it. As someone pointed out. you can pretend to be serious or sad or happy – but you can’t pretend to be funny.

    Funny is a communication that depends on both parties – so once you have written something, you have declared yourself. sure, you have said what you like and don’t like. But you have also said what you are like – you, in yourself. And that’s risky – like stand-up comedy. So it is exhilarating and that’s worth the price of admission.

  • Joy In Life

    The prompt for Bloganuary is ‘What brings you joy in life?

    Some observations:

    The things that are supposed to bring the deepest joy are hard work. Things we are drawn to are of two kinds – those of which we are ashamed, and those of which we are not ashamed. Some are just plain problematic, more so for some than others, but obviously a big factor for nearly everyone is sex.

    In an age of plenty in the developed nations, food and the relationship with it is a problem. Isn’t it hilarious that many people go into a supermarket looking at the food like it is going to do them harm? Indulge at your peril.

  • Real Photographs

    There’s a story in APERTURE magazine of a man, Lincoln Kirstein, and his recollection of 1942, a photo of him and the friend he called Jerry who didn’t want to be drafted.

    Reading it, it struck me that there are lots of photos that are ‘real’ – let’s say Nick Ut’s Napalm Girl photo – but what Jerry meant by ‘real’ was that he could see himself in that photo – and it was a dangerous place. Then ‘real’ becomes real when it is ‘relevant to the possibilities in my life’. And that’s a whole deeper meaning of ‘real’.

    We see photos of provincial life, stifled life – that strangle and repulse us. But that’s OK because we are free of that and we are not going to fall into that trap. But getting drafted and ending up ‘shot up’ as Jerry said – that’s real.

    And like firefighters who head ‘towards’ and not ‘away’ from the flames – the real that we have to portray is the one that gets to the heart of what we fear – because a photograph is a reaction-inducing object.

  • ChatAI on Viktor Frankl

    What does Viktor Frankl say about how we should respond to life as it confronts us?

    Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor who developed a theory of meaning-centered therapy called logotherapy. Frankl’s logotherapy focuses on the idea that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud believed, but rather the search for meaning in life.

    According to Frankl, the key to finding meaning in life is to accept the realities of life as they confront us and to find ways to make the most of them. He argued that we cannot control the events that happen to us, but we can control our attitudes and responses to those events. Frankl believed that the most meaningful way to respond to life is to face it with courage and to seek to find meaning in the suffering and challenges that we encounter.

    Frankl believed that each person has their own unique purpose and meaning in life, and that it is up to each individual to discover and fulfill this purpose. He argued that we can find meaning in life through relationships, work, and creative endeavors, as well as through suffering and adversity. Ultimately, Frankl believed that the search for meaning is the key to a fulfilling and meaningful life.

  • Universal Morality in Politics

    What do you think this sounds like? It has a kind of first year or introductory textbook sound to me – something to get students started. It’s perfectly valid and useful, but just a bit colourless.

    Asking ChatAI: Does a universal morality have a central place or any place in politics?

    ChatAI replies: Universal morality refers to principles that are considered to be morally right or wrong by most people, regardless of cultural, religious, or individual differences. These principles may include values such as fairness, equality, respect for human rights, and the protection of the well-being of others.

    In politics, universal morality can play a central role in shaping the policies and decisions made by governments and political leaders. For example, a government might be guided by the principle of fairness in developing policies that aim to reduce income inequality or address social injustices. Similarly, a political leader might be guided by the principle of respect for human rights in deciding whether to support or oppose certain policies or actions.

    However, it is important to note that different individuals and groups may have different ideas about what constitutes universal morality, and there may be disagreement about how universal moral principles should be applied in specific political contexts. As a result, the role of universal morality in politics can be a contentious and complex issue.