When I poured my coffee this morning, I had an enlightenment!
I finally know who the Klingons are!
They are the ones who "cling on" to strict self-narraty!
HaHaHa!! What a brilliant idea of the screenwriter to create this term.
Get me right! I am also very often a Klingon.
But I also remember how irritated I was at the time when I bet on the folly that self-empowerment had something to do with money, with prestige and took part in a snowball system, fascinated by the charismatic and quite friendly speaker on stage, who opened my eyes for the first time. He said to us: "There is a large grey mass out there that earns on average two thousand marks in income per month." Immediately he had spotted me!
In the course of the long evening, accompanied by excitement and loud clapping, everything came down to the question: "Do you want to continue to belong to the grey mass? "No!", the hall shouted, and everyone set about organizing five thousand marks to participate in the great cake of happiness. So did I and my boyfriend at the time. I went home happy and cheerful and told all my friends about the novelty to escape the grey of everyday life and to put an end to the senselessness of life!
Hooray!
How astonished I was when my friends didn't want to agree with me. I thought: it is only money! Let's take it easy and just find three more people who have some money left and then we all get rich! I was alienated by the seriousness with which I encountered resistance. They really clung to their money. There was nothing to be done about it.
They already knew more than I did!
I was seized by a kind of humor where I realized that the whole serious money-making business was indeed a great joke. In fact, I thought, "What have I got to lose? How simple some things can be!"
But I hadn' t expected my friends and colleagues to believe the opposite! They thought that the sour earned bread rolls should not be thrown out of the window just like that. Moreover, they were more than sceptical that other frivolous people could be found who had adopted the same attitude.
To my great astonishment, they remained right!
My thought at that time was: "It is not risky at all! You don't have to do anything! Not even work! You simply get the money from the bank, give it to the system and get it back many times over!" Why didn't the others see that this was a mathematical phenomenon that had to be considered mathematically?
But I was wrong. Because the working ethos of my culture is quite different. Deeply, deeply rooted in the Christian view of work lies the belief embedded in the thought that one has to work in the face of one's sweat. Meanwhile I agree on the beauty of skillful working but not on the sweat. Except it's good smelling one.
In the following decades I changed my view from light-footed to melancholic, back to light-footed, back to melancholic. I resented people who had a "passive income", then I resented people who worked like berserks for their few toads. I thought: Why, there is money in abundance! It's mathematics! There are no limits, because zeros and ones can be multiplied at will!
1s and 0s - This, you'll agree with me, is a world-famous fact.
But of course people were not completely wrong when they rejected the whole thing as a crazy idea. They even hoped that I should get a bloody nose to learn an important lesson in life. Money, first of all, is a serious matter and money, secondly, is something that only the others have, but you better keep your hands off it.
So people! I have learned.
Life went on.
Funny substances
Next I tried all sorts of other things with the same attitude. I used mind-altering drugs in the easiness that seemed to be somehow intrinsic to me and often chalked up as naivety. From then on I thought, "Ah, so being naive is a bad thing".
That wounded me. Whenever someone gave me a good idea and I presented it to my people full of radiance and enthusiasm, there was something to complain about.
I didn't like the fact that these many fascinating ideas and projects in the world had been maggotized. Which didn't stop me from remaining open-minded and developing a certain amnesia to the effect that every novelty that I presented so happily also encountered adversaries.
My trademark, which became somewhat typical, was that I come around the corner with topics that my people reciprocate with loving benevolence or alternately with boredom or penetrating aversion. Or complete disinterest paired with mild head shaking.
Trying to become miserable on purpose
I had heard all warnings and all exhortations to caution have very well been registered by me. I also really tried to get myself on a horror trip. Once I ingested a substance, I went to the toilets to try to "get off badly". As I sat there on the toilet bowl and deliberately tried to become negative, I had to laugh at myself so much that I gave up this attempt and threw myself back onto the dance floor. Life in such moments was simply too beautiful.
Meanwhile I am a little too old for that.
Are you a Kling-on too?
What makes a Klingon so special is that he hears an idea and then quickly runs off to tell it to everyone else! He doesn't wait, but wants to finish the battle as quickly as possible to get into the Stovokor. That is on this side of the hereafter. The Klingon wants to be a teacher even before he has stopped being a student.
I know that those who gave me advice and said, "Beware," were Klingons too. Not many people meet you who are a Yoda. Probably nobody believes that there are Yodas anyway. But I believe that.
I like it when I see people expressing humor. I admire them and find inspiration in them. No teacher who didn't even laugh or turn a blind eye has ever fascinated me. But "spell" is also dangerous, of course. You quickly become a Klingon again.
Recently I watched a play. The actors delighted me! They were very young and partly very talented stage actors. In my eyes they are better teachers than those who write about meditation and fool themselves; including myself. If they could at least amuse themselves about themselves, but you think you have to pretend that all this is a very serious business.
But! Give Earnestness a chance, too
Now I don't want to overdo it. There are times when you earnestly devote yourself to studying. You are engaged in debates. Let yourself be challenged. Really, I wouldn't have thought that I would have to read so much to become aware that I am more of an average educated person with Klingon attitudes.
Below everything lurks the self-judgement: "You stay below your possibilities. You are undisciplined. You are a wimp."
... Oha, a lot of danger threatens from within. I see great evil coming upon humanity as one turns away from this creepy self-condemnation and blames others for it.
I call it "Trumpification".
A secret, unconscious admiration and acceptance to take oneself out of the human equation. To find a Klingon abbreviation to evade this tenacious consensus-finding, because one does not believe that one can do such a thing. Bad, bad. It is better to take a shortcut and not to be a diplomat in the first place.
Sigh. Laugh.
To find inspiration in the diplomatic service of others is truly something beautiful once one has managed it. But how difficult it is! But not impossible.
Fools we all are on different occasions. Let's have a common laugh about it, shell we? ;-)
It's true. Life is illusion. But of course it is not true.
For when I pinch my arm, I seem to be very real.
If I complain about my pinched arm it's an illusion. Can we agree on that?
Maybe it's a good idea to stroke my arm several times a day and do just that with everything I cling-on myself about that is done to me (No! "by me") through Trumpification.
I go now and finish my origami work.
And later I cook my son a meal. And you?
Have a good day. One advice to go:
Try to fool yourself on purpose at eight o clock in the evening. Than become really mad at yourself.
Maybe you'll find out that you can't. Keep that smile on your face which will get there. Remind you to giggle and the cosmos will giggle back.
Characters above done in powerpoint.
Photograph: Andreas Bauer Origami-Kunst - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1259695
"Don't be so sure that hearing or understanding an idea gives you any right to it, especially to treat it as yours. Possibility that you would come up with anything remotely good on your own is almost 0."
Had some time to spare and found gold as always ;)
So nice that I can count on you Erica !
Cheers
Hey, dear friend, nice that you swing by.
I do not understand the quotation. What does it refer to? Or I should say, I understand but not the context. Please, enlighten me :)
Do you mean by "counting on me" that I am still blogging?
What about you. What are you spending your time with?
Greetings!
It refers to the text as a whole, I guess I can use this example from your post:
"What makes a Klingon so special is that he hears an idea and then quickly runs off to tell it to everyone else! [...]The Klingon wants to be a teacher even before he has stopped being a student."
So here said Klingon hears an idea and immediately assumes he has right to it, in this case right to share it with others, but why would you assume that? Pretty good example of "ideas have people".
What's more you don't become a teacher when you stop being a student, you become teacher when you have something unique that actually works to share and you actually share. Probability of that happening is, sadly, quite low, so in order to be a teacher you need to pretty much stay a student your whole life.
I'm aware that by this definition most "teachers" are not included.
Unique that works, heh, dreams....
Also, yes, I meant that you are still blogging and that I can come here and read something worthwhile :)
Nothing much, just working on another crazy idea, as always.
Peace!
Good points with your further thoughts on teaching. In fact, I did some research for my next article and I give you the quotes I found and will publish:
Russel Ackhoff - TRANSFORMING THE SYSTEMS MOVEMENT
Yeah, it became very quiet here on Steemit. I hang on because it's what I like: Blogging. Not here for the money ;-) but when so many people fade away, audience also trickles away.
There is the problem with higher education that I noticed - not a single soul stayed there in order to teach. People who stay either want to do further studies, enjoy learning etc.
Teaching is treated like an unwanted duty - although some still do a pretty good job.
Let me know if you decide to write somewhere else ;) I will gladly read it there as I do here.
Cheers!
Haha, this must be me ;)
Just like you I admire people who make others and themselves laugh.
And I laughed a few times while reading this :D
To recognize yourself and to laugh about it is a healing experience, I agree with you :)
How is your house project going?
Our house project is going to take a while as expected. There are some long procedures in the municipality which will take a few months. Only after they are finished, we will be allowed to start planning. So, for now, we planted some tomatoes there :D
let them be round and fresh and juicy! :))
I love your exposition! You took me up the staircase and down again. You took me outdoors, and back in again. To foolishness, illusion and farce, to wonderment at my own folly.
Do you remember the play Candide? I kind of thought of that as I came to the end of your piece.
Life is an illusion, but oh, can it smart. Tell people who have no bread, who have no roof, that all of it is an illusion.
So where do we go? Chase money for security? Pretend it doesn't matter, when obviously it does. Or, seek that balance the greatest philosophers recommend.
One thing I know is to keep it small. Look around me. Am I doing harm here? Can I help, here?
Look further if I dare and can understand: am I being responsible or indifferent?
Then smile, because in the end, what choice do we have.
You seem to be in fit form. I love it.
My vote is going to be rendered tomorrow (when I get up) because right now it's worth nothing.
Nice to see you around.
Edit: Resteemed on @agmoore and @agmoore2
I'll take it as a compliment that you feel reminded of Candide. In fact, stubbornly accepting "the best of all possible worlds" provokes those on the plan who don't see it that way. Much suffering is self-made suffering, but some things are not. Staying out and interfering at the right time, an art of living.
Mentioning those without bread and roof is always a manslaughter argument against which no herb has grown. But I am glad that you are putting it on, because what someone thinks, but does not say, is present after all. In such cases I can only advise that you move actively and approach the homeless and the breadless, either in your own country or in a foreign country. Approaching misery often leads to the realization that you can do more than you think and that at the same time you clearly feel the limits of your influence. Those who still suffer should check their mental stability and the strength of their sense of guilt. In this atmosphere, I often see a great lament, but little personal initiative. Those who are loudest with the complaints about injustice have nothing but hot air to offer, or so they think. They may best take care of themselves and learn not to hate themselves.
The keyboard is a powerful instrument, but also one that is distant.
Pretending money doesn't matter isn't helpful, I agree with you. Pretending to pretend is never helpful. As always, my request is that these polar forces cannot not be solved once and for all, but that one moves situatively and creatively in this ambivalent field of tension. Riding by principles and fixations are stumbling blocks, over which one can learn to skilfully jump away instead of concentrating on stricken toes. In my opinion, avoiding difficult and frightening experiences is worse than experiencing them.
Here's a funny movie showing Candide with Playmobil characters. It's in German, but it just fits so well here :) thank you for this inspiration.
Thanks for the re-steem.
First thing I saw when I opened my eyes this morning was that delightful Punch n Judy rendition of Candide. I only watched the first 1/4 of it so far, but enough to laugh out loud.
Your piece reminded me of Candide because of the meandering search for elusive answers. Wisdom is a precious commodity. In my life, I try for compassion and balance. If compassion is the guiding principle, I can still go wrong but hopefully will do less harm in the mistakes I make.
I hope more people read this blog early in their day, so they may become thoughtful, but with a smile their faces. I'm off to have my morning coffee now, so my brain cells can start firing.
Cheers, Erika...what is the alternative :)
HeHe, happy that this little video inspired you to laughter.
Well, I hope too that people will get their humor tickled in reading this but I am afraid I lost my audience in the meantime when I was not blogging.
But that should not cause me trouble as it's also a good practice in dealing with little attention. LOL.
Cheers to you too, my distant friend :)
I got both answers. Steemit is quiet these days. Your audience will return as you start engaging with them. But you are correct...it's good to deal with little attention. Then we do the thing for itself, which is great fun.
I can only upvote (with agmoore) this answer now...the other response in an hour or two. The concept of thrift is alien to me. I spend money and votes and then discover I've none left. Good thing my husband keeps the checkbook. We'd be in big trouble :))
Hope to see you here soon.
BTW, discovered a new artist here: @borjan. I think you'll love his work.
:) I will have a look at @borjan. Right now you are my only audience, as though I engage with several steemit bloggers but they hardly are motivated to turn to my texts :) I wonder, why. LOL!! Actually, I am not.
In a minute my man will pick me up and we'll spend the afternoon outside.
Hope to have the chance to come back to you, either on discord or here.
Greetings!
Enjoy the day. I don't know what's wrong with the audience. Just write stuff that matters to you. Then you when no matter what.
They'll be back. Steem is a little off these days. Many people feel it. We'll heal it :)
Have the most wonderful day outdoors.
🌞
....What? That thing ate my response!
I have answered you and after I pressed publish it was gone!?
Alright: I am happy to have caused some laughter with that little movie and I hope too that some more people will get their humor be tickled. But I am afraid that I lost in the meantime my audience after such a long blogging break.
... another occasion to practice not getting the used attention. LOL!
Yes, my distant friend, what ist the alternative? :)
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