Some comments about our times

I plan to take this blog off-line starting October 31, 2017. The blog posts won't be lost, just not accessible. This is because I will be working on a project and don't want any interruptions, disturbances, or distractions of any kind, physical or psychological -- and maintaining a blog is all of those.

Here I want to give some observations about the times we are going through.

The world is going through some great transition that is hard to put into words. This is hardly a time conducive for Baba manifesting his message to "philosophers and celebrities."

First of all we are going through a transition from a uni-polar world to a multi-polar world, a major geopolitical shift, and we may expect skirmishes, successions, and much hand-wringing by the elites. The uni-polar hegemonic model has been with us since ancient Rome. Hence this will require a colossal adjustment, and bring about much chaos.

It is also a time of great deception in the media in the West, and a time of confusion and ill-clarity (obscurity). This seems to me to be likely what Baba called in the late-1950s the coming 'Dark Cloud.'

In addition there are some states of mind that are unique to this period and deserve mentioning. They are so pervasive, that many may not know that they are unique to this time period.

They are cynicism and the notion of hate as a signal of virtue. I will take each in turn.

Prior to the 19th century, centralized public education did not exist. It was an invention of the French in the 19th century, then passed to America and finally round the world as a model of modernity. Hence prior to this time, the ability to read and especially to write and reach a large public through publication was reserved for the privileged and fortunate. And this privilege, especially to write and be read by a large public, was treated with great respect.

Now today, cynicism is rampant in writing. To see an example check out the kinds of article, and especially the comments, on this trending site Zero Hedge. I can hardly give a better example of trendy cynicism, even if many of the stories are true and intelligent. There is almost nothing hopeful there. It is entertaining for its cynicism. We see this cynicism in books, in movies, in the news, etc. It is all pervasive.

But if you go back into the history of literature, you will be pressed to find a single smattering of it prior to the turn of the 19th century. Writing was often critical of the ages, but always sincere, never cynical. There was great sincerity in writing. Cynicism must have existed, but it was not what people used their privilege to write to convey. It was beneath the craft. It was an abuse of the privilege to reach out to people. The closest thing that existed prior to the 19th century was satire, which is very different. Satire is as ancient as the Greeks. It was meant for laughs (even to lampoon famous people), but it was not cynical. Cynicism is the state of mind where nothing is loved.

Now one thing that will strike anyone that peruses the writing of Meher Baba, is that cynicism is entirely absent. Even sarcasm is missing. I don't think you can find in all Baba's writing a single statement that is sarcastic.

Yet today this is pervasive.

Now one of the things that appeals to people about being cynical is that it seems 'smart' without having to be. By poo-pooing EVERYTHING we can seem to be above everything -- to being part of the smart pack, the ones that see through all the lies. And that seems smart. We never have to state what we love unequivocally, and defend that love. We can hide behind our clever mannerism of seeing past IT ALL!! It's all lies, we say, ever so boho.

Now the irony about this state of things is that these same people, who are oh so cynical and seem oh so smart, is how incredibly gullible and credulous they are about any conspiracy theory that is trending. They do not do any deep inquiry to check on these.* If some cynical conjecture is trending, everyone jumps on the bandwagon. There is a terrible lack of critical thinking. There is a difference between social critical theory (something invented by the Frankfurt School that is now trending in America's universities) and critical thinking.** Social critical theory is the cynical criticism of all that is common-place – family, gender roles, church, patriotism – as bourgeaux. Critical thinking is reconsidering your own assumptions, and testing them against possible objections. These two things, ironically given similar names, are indeed opposite. One looks within, the other attacks outward.

If, instead of seeing faults in others we look within ourselves we are loving God. (Meher Baba)

Now this brings us to the second trending state of mind. This one is an outgrowth of the cynicism, and like cynicism we see it everywhere in our culture. This is the very weird sympathy that one can only establish his virtue by way of stating that he can see the faults in certain others -- and to state without equivocation that he hates what is trendy to hate. And if questioned he must be ready to disavow that thing. Hate is thus the new public sign of your virtue. We judge a person's moral character by who he openly expresses hate for, whether it be groups, beliefs, or individuals, not by stating their unequivocal love for something.

This has become so bad that marriages break up and people lose their jobs over stating love (or even like) for the wrong people or wrong principle. Hatefulness itself is the new virtue. We see it even in the Movie Awards where celebrities line up to to prove their hate.

There was a time when sincerity was admired and the mark of intelligence, and love was the primary virtue. Today it is reversed. Cynicism is the new intelligence and hate is the new shout-out of your virtue.

All things must pass, and this too shall pass.

But it is incredible to me that Baba's own lovers have so often taken up these trends in these strange times. This is indeed the Dark Cloud. 

It will happen suddenly, from an unexpected angle, just like I have mentioned the sudden onrush of the cobras. You will not expect it from such an angle, and you will feel justified in leaving me. (Meher Baba, 1958, speaking in America of the dark cloud he saw coming)

Incredibly, people increasingly define themselves by what their group hates, rather than what they love.

Ukraine and Poland hate Russia
North Korea hates America
Israel hates Iran
Pakistan hates India
Baba lovers hate Christians, Republicans, and Southerners
Neo-Cons hate Iran and Russia
Antifa hates America
Black Lives Matter hates policemen
Liberals hates Trump
Wahhabis hate everyone but Wahhabis
Libertarians hate big government
America hates Iran, Putin, N. Korea, Assad, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iraq. What does it love?

Once men who were deemed great rhapsodized about things that they loved and stood for. Today people proclaim who they hate, and are greeted by thunderous applause!

A crowd cheers as someone vows to kill a person who it is popular to hate, gleeful at her reception. (retrieved Oct. 21, 2017)

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Endnotes

* I will give a paradigm example of this in a future post.
* Baba actually mentions critical thinking several times in Discourses, e.g. "...creeds generally, however, are as much a source of evil as of good, because in them the guiding vision is clouded owing to degeneration or suspension of critical thinking" (Discourses).