“Stay vigilant. Pay attention. Get healthy. Get out of debt. Prepare for hard times ahead.” It’s devastating to slog through the day wanting to help, wanting to change people’s hearts and minds, and wanting to change the world. I feel best when I focus on what I can control. I would add to this list to restrengthen relationships with family and friends, and leave behind the hollow ‘relationships’ on social media. I believe there are very dark times ahead.
IF you look a little closer at the force of life and resilience of Israeli Jews, Arabs & Palestinian Folk right now, you will be inspired ...or at least uplifted for a moment.
Erik, thank you. I think we need to prepare our smaller worlds(families, communities) to react with love and humanity when the conflict comes knocking locally. A conglomeration of healthy cells can save a body from cancer, even a body politic. Especially, I hope.
I have been feeling for a while now, the need to gather in, close the doors, and somehow weather the approaching storm. I shudder at the magnitude of events happening now, and their repercussions, of which we are only beginning to hear. It feels like a time of deep introspection is upon us. How do we live? Or as Jane Hirshfield has said, what does it mean to lead a human life?
Erik, Thanks for summarizing what's been going on. I watch and listen to ZERO media. I've had this practice pretty much for twenty years. I pay attention to my community news and needs, and who's who in the election years. Yes, I vote.
A former journalist and media relations consultant, I am on a strict diet of what's only necessary. I work diligently to keep overwhelm and despair off my plate.
It's difficult to teach elevated consciousness, as the lessons start from within. I reach for gratitudes versus griping. Time and our (mental) health are the most precious of commodities.
One CAN take action in daily life, possibly the workplace (I am a writer and substitute public school teacher), and in one's circle of beloveds.
Love them. Appreciate them. Smile more. Call more. Write more.
Tragedy sucks...the life out of life, yes, it can. But we go on living, and hope floats. It does. Because it must.
In the Middle East, because of the length of this ever-changing conflict, there is a chain of cause and effect that permeates the lives of everyone involved. All Palestinians have had someone, or know of someone friend, brother, sister, mother, innocent child, killed by Israel. All Israelis, the same. It's blood on blood. It won't end. It's perpetual now. As horrific as that sounds. There's something that happens in war where people's emotions rise to a place they perceive as a realm of glory - the cause is holy, it's ordained, and in that anything can be justified. In fact, being in that fray can be the most heightened experience they've ever had. Joseph Campbell talks about this. Was is the two-headed beast - horror and glory. In all of human history, there's always been a war going on somewhere. It will continue until that love of glory, this idea of justice, eye for an eye, is purged from the human animal. Will it ever be? Only when every human person purges it from themselves.
The only thing I can see happening is a huge shift in life on the earth due to climate change. The necessary step is a few steps backwards, technologically. I don't know how that plays out, but a much smaller population that has brought a balance between humans and nature is the only sustainable future we've got. By then, hundreds of years from now, as you say, those wars will be forgotten stories of history, no longer pertinent to survival.
This idea of a smaller population no matter how seductive, resembling a panacea to all of our problems, hides a Trojan horse underneath it all. How will this reduction of population be done? Based on which criteria? The person or people pulling the strings become themselves executioners. You or me propagating this idea with a tacit approval, become ourselves wheels in this terrible engine of death. Many of us supporting this idea and what do you think it will happen? Another crazed puppeteer will throw another covid or something similar… as long as we devalue individual lives, our rulers will do even worse
I don't support the idea. I just think that the planet cannot sustain the people on it. From 1970 to now, we've added 4 billion people. From pre-industrial revolution, 7 billion. The green-house gases that are in the air now aren't going away from the atmosphere, even if we were to stop all carbon emissions tomorrow. So that means the weather patterns we're seeing right now will continue. For decades. Massive wildfires, 100+ degree summers, people dying of heat. Now, there's no indication we're close to stopping carbon emissions soon. So the results will be heightened, drastically worse than now. In this scenario, catastrophic changes are immanent. I'm not advocating anything. I'm just saying, in this forward progression of human beings on the earth, we've reached the unsustainable point. We've discovered that we aren't as clever as we thought. There's no magic solution to this. In the best of scenarios, a gradual adjustment to non-carbon energy, can you see a world-wide voluntary reduction in births happening? All I'm saying is, the earth's gone through many different climate adjustments and the earth will continue, no matter what we do, except if we were to have a massive nuclear event. Human beings won't have a sustainable long term - thousands of years - environment until there's a reduction in the number of people, and we live in balance with and respecting nature as an organism that must be nurtured and allowed to be its miraculous self. Because nature is the sustaining apparatus that we rely on for life. How the future will unfold, I sure don't know, and wouldn't pretend to make a guess. But, I do think that whatever the transition is, based on humans as they act today, isn't going to be pretty. And, the numbers of us have to go down.
I agree with you about what you say. But if you look at Europe there is a clear tendency there for people to choose to have less children. Key to this is actually education. I’m not thinking necessarily of making people living in zones with high densities understand why they should have less children but rather give them access to education. The rest will come naturally just as it happened in Europe, Japan and a few other places. But this takes time and is hard to implement, sure…
This is true, but Japan and Europe are not India or Africa. People have children for lots of reasons, and in poor countries, it's so they'll work as they get older and help support their parents. In that, education is not a factor. If education could actually be brought into those poor pockets in these countries and made to work. The problem is incredibly complex. In many periods of human history, we've been up against it, the plague, for instance. There've always been prophets of doom. But Shakespeare came out of a time of plague in England. I'd like to believe that somehow, this miraculous thing called the human spirit rides it all out and finds solutions. At the same time, to not recognize reality compromises one's sanity. My guiding principle is paying attention to cause and effect.
Thank you for this, Erik, and for the Jack Gilbert poem that you posted earlier in the week, which I've been forwarding around. Writing on this horrific conflict in its latest and most gruesome outbreak has, by the vitriol of the discourse that you point out, required navigating Scylla and Charybdis and you do this admirably here. I covered the 2006 Lebanon war, I've been to the region repeatedly, I've read a bunch on it, and I'm left with mostly knowing that I don't know. I have found myself unable to write an essay yet but I did today write a poem, and I think it's in the spirit of your essay. I'm curious if you agree. If you have a moment and the inclination, it's at: https://www.mostlymyth.com/p/night-steals-upon-us
very good and very right. I believe we are seeing various forms of "civilization" collapsing around us. Debt is toxic to a household and to a country and when it is ignored things get ugly. An empire in collapse will make a lot of desperate attempts and none of those attempts are for the common good.
Take time today away from all news and media to find some good sights, smells, sounds in nature to combat what all caring people are feeling. You’ve captured the essence of moral outrage and pain. That’s fatigue to the max. Get out your favorite comforting music and be with people you love.
It is difficult to put into words, and yet, I know how truly powerful words are right now. To illuminate truth. To bring together. It is horrendous to see what is unfolding, and the moral apathy from many just as much. But, at the same time, the traumatizing reality of this world has created so much dissociation that apathy is a casualty to that. I hope we all continue to step into every moment of our lives with ferocious truth and love. To stand for and with innocence, and to come together as the one heart that we are. There is a deep remembrance that must occur, but it's waves are moving. And I hope we take care of ourselves, our bodies, our nervous systems, and each other. Thank you for these words.
Thanks for this post.
I am too saddened and horrified to be able to articulate anything, and you’ve put words on my speechlessness.
We’re the soft wall against hate. Action and our voices, together diffuse it. Don’t lose heart.
“Stay vigilant. Pay attention. Get healthy. Get out of debt. Prepare for hard times ahead.” It’s devastating to slog through the day wanting to help, wanting to change people’s hearts and minds, and wanting to change the world. I feel best when I focus on what I can control. I would add to this list to restrengthen relationships with family and friends, and leave behind the hollow ‘relationships’ on social media. I believe there are very dark times ahead.
Well said. I don’t believe it could be said better. All the people who are cheering for war have no idea what war is like. Sad.
IF you look a little closer at the force of life and resilience of Israeli Jews, Arabs & Palestinian Folk right now, you will be inspired ...or at least uplifted for a moment.
Meanwhile, I agree:
Do one thing to brighten this dark world.
Then another...🕊
Erik, thank you. I think we need to prepare our smaller worlds(families, communities) to react with love and humanity when the conflict comes knocking locally. A conglomeration of healthy cells can save a body from cancer, even a body politic. Especially, I hope.
Couldn’t echo these sentiments more. Thank you
I have been feeling for a while now, the need to gather in, close the doors, and somehow weather the approaching storm. I shudder at the magnitude of events happening now, and their repercussions, of which we are only beginning to hear. It feels like a time of deep introspection is upon us. How do we live? Or as Jane Hirshfield has said, what does it mean to lead a human life?
Strong, excellent words. Doing wrong in the name of right will never achieve justice.
Erik, Thanks for summarizing what's been going on. I watch and listen to ZERO media. I've had this practice pretty much for twenty years. I pay attention to my community news and needs, and who's who in the election years. Yes, I vote.
A former journalist and media relations consultant, I am on a strict diet of what's only necessary. I work diligently to keep overwhelm and despair off my plate.
It's difficult to teach elevated consciousness, as the lessons start from within. I reach for gratitudes versus griping. Time and our (mental) health are the most precious of commodities.
One CAN take action in daily life, possibly the workplace (I am a writer and substitute public school teacher), and in one's circle of beloveds.
Love them. Appreciate them. Smile more. Call more. Write more.
Tragedy sucks...the life out of life, yes, it can. But we go on living, and hope floats. It does. Because it must.
In the Middle East, because of the length of this ever-changing conflict, there is a chain of cause and effect that permeates the lives of everyone involved. All Palestinians have had someone, or know of someone friend, brother, sister, mother, innocent child, killed by Israel. All Israelis, the same. It's blood on blood. It won't end. It's perpetual now. As horrific as that sounds. There's something that happens in war where people's emotions rise to a place they perceive as a realm of glory - the cause is holy, it's ordained, and in that anything can be justified. In fact, being in that fray can be the most heightened experience they've ever had. Joseph Campbell talks about this. Was is the two-headed beast - horror and glory. In all of human history, there's always been a war going on somewhere. It will continue until that love of glory, this idea of justice, eye for an eye, is purged from the human animal. Will it ever be? Only when every human person purges it from themselves.
Very well said! Good question at the end, not sure if that will ever happen, maybe through education in baby steps, centuries from now…
The only thing I can see happening is a huge shift in life on the earth due to climate change. The necessary step is a few steps backwards, technologically. I don't know how that plays out, but a much smaller population that has brought a balance between humans and nature is the only sustainable future we've got. By then, hundreds of years from now, as you say, those wars will be forgotten stories of history, no longer pertinent to survival.
This idea of a smaller population no matter how seductive, resembling a panacea to all of our problems, hides a Trojan horse underneath it all. How will this reduction of population be done? Based on which criteria? The person or people pulling the strings become themselves executioners. You or me propagating this idea with a tacit approval, become ourselves wheels in this terrible engine of death. Many of us supporting this idea and what do you think it will happen? Another crazed puppeteer will throw another covid or something similar… as long as we devalue individual lives, our rulers will do even worse
I don't support the idea. I just think that the planet cannot sustain the people on it. From 1970 to now, we've added 4 billion people. From pre-industrial revolution, 7 billion. The green-house gases that are in the air now aren't going away from the atmosphere, even if we were to stop all carbon emissions tomorrow. So that means the weather patterns we're seeing right now will continue. For decades. Massive wildfires, 100+ degree summers, people dying of heat. Now, there's no indication we're close to stopping carbon emissions soon. So the results will be heightened, drastically worse than now. In this scenario, catastrophic changes are immanent. I'm not advocating anything. I'm just saying, in this forward progression of human beings on the earth, we've reached the unsustainable point. We've discovered that we aren't as clever as we thought. There's no magic solution to this. In the best of scenarios, a gradual adjustment to non-carbon energy, can you see a world-wide voluntary reduction in births happening? All I'm saying is, the earth's gone through many different climate adjustments and the earth will continue, no matter what we do, except if we were to have a massive nuclear event. Human beings won't have a sustainable long term - thousands of years - environment until there's a reduction in the number of people, and we live in balance with and respecting nature as an organism that must be nurtured and allowed to be its miraculous self. Because nature is the sustaining apparatus that we rely on for life. How the future will unfold, I sure don't know, and wouldn't pretend to make a guess. But, I do think that whatever the transition is, based on humans as they act today, isn't going to be pretty. And, the numbers of us have to go down.
I agree with you about what you say. But if you look at Europe there is a clear tendency there for people to choose to have less children. Key to this is actually education. I’m not thinking necessarily of making people living in zones with high densities understand why they should have less children but rather give them access to education. The rest will come naturally just as it happened in Europe, Japan and a few other places. But this takes time and is hard to implement, sure…
This is true, but Japan and Europe are not India or Africa. People have children for lots of reasons, and in poor countries, it's so they'll work as they get older and help support their parents. In that, education is not a factor. If education could actually be brought into those poor pockets in these countries and made to work. The problem is incredibly complex. In many periods of human history, we've been up against it, the plague, for instance. There've always been prophets of doom. But Shakespeare came out of a time of plague in England. I'd like to believe that somehow, this miraculous thing called the human spirit rides it all out and finds solutions. At the same time, to not recognize reality compromises one's sanity. My guiding principle is paying attention to cause and effect.
Thank you for this, Erik, and for the Jack Gilbert poem that you posted earlier in the week, which I've been forwarding around. Writing on this horrific conflict in its latest and most gruesome outbreak has, by the vitriol of the discourse that you point out, required navigating Scylla and Charybdis and you do this admirably here. I covered the 2006 Lebanon war, I've been to the region repeatedly, I've read a bunch on it, and I'm left with mostly knowing that I don't know. I have found myself unable to write an essay yet but I did today write a poem, and I think it's in the spirit of your essay. I'm curious if you agree. If you have a moment and the inclination, it's at: https://www.mostlymyth.com/p/night-steals-upon-us
Thanks again.
very good and very right. I believe we are seeing various forms of "civilization" collapsing around us. Debt is toxic to a household and to a country and when it is ignored things get ugly. An empire in collapse will make a lot of desperate attempts and none of those attempts are for the common good.
Take time today away from all news and media to find some good sights, smells, sounds in nature to combat what all caring people are feeling. You’ve captured the essence of moral outrage and pain. That’s fatigue to the max. Get out your favorite comforting music and be with people you love.
It is difficult to put into words, and yet, I know how truly powerful words are right now. To illuminate truth. To bring together. It is horrendous to see what is unfolding, and the moral apathy from many just as much. But, at the same time, the traumatizing reality of this world has created so much dissociation that apathy is a casualty to that. I hope we all continue to step into every moment of our lives with ferocious truth and love. To stand for and with innocence, and to come together as the one heart that we are. There is a deep remembrance that must occur, but it's waves are moving. And I hope we take care of ourselves, our bodies, our nervous systems, and each other. Thank you for these words.
You read my mind - thank you