Ex mente orbis:"From the mind comes the world"
A couple years ago I was recommended two movies by my friend Ken Evoy. And they are indeed both wonderful movies:
Sexy Beast and
Life As A House.
I am rewatching them both this week, and it strikes me that they have something in common: one is about a man retiring from the Hectic Game of it all. And one is about a man who already did this, but the Hectic Game comes hunting for him.
I doubt I'll ever retire in lawn-chair sort of way, but this is resonating with me in another way: What are the rewards of the Hectic Game? Meaning earning big money, getting big status and influence?Say a man named Bill has been playing the Game like all-git-out for ten years and has made vice president and a big house and mortgage. But he has not had a minute of free time to develop his mind and spirit or think about his life. And say his old school pal Bob has spent the same ten years being unemployed, on park benches and in the library, not earning a cent, but making all kinds of changes and developments to his mind and spirit. Who is the most successful, Bill or Bob? Beats me.
"Who is the most successful, Bill or Bob? Beats me."
ReplyDeleteIt could be either one. We humans come prewired with a unique set of talents, preferences and ideals for value fulfilment.
There's nothing inherently unacceptable with making vice president and a big house and mortgage. If that is what you love to do (as some do), getting to spend your otherwise free time that way should be considered very successful. This kind of life style can be viewed as a strategy game, not all that different from the ones people play on their computer for pleasure.
The word hectic carries some negative connotations as in 'unwanted urgency'. But many activities generally considered pleasurable can also be pretty hectic. Some sports, for example.
You are confused if you assume that making vice president and living the lifestyle that goes with it would preclude "developing one's mind and spirit or thinking about one's life". In many cases it is only after serious self-development and soul searching that such success even ends up being possible.
It all comes down to your preferences. In order to assess which one, Bill or Bob, is more succesful you'd first need to interview both guys in order to find out how well their lifestyle is aligned with their true self.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
You are confused if you assume that making vice president and living the lifestyle that goes with it would preclude "developing one's mind and spirit or thinking about one's life".
ReplyDeleteOf course I don't. I just took two extreme situations to make a point.
I've seen the movie, Life as a House. Tremendous motion picture! AAAA all the way!
ReplyDeletettl said...
ReplyDelete"There's nothing inherently unacceptable with making vice president and a big house and mortgage. If that is what you love to do (as some do), getting to spend your otherwise free time that way should be considered very successful."
This is what Freudian theory calls "sublimation". The re-focusing of the universal human pleasure/sex drive (according to Freud), which motivates all our actions, into productive work. Some pro athletes practice strict abstinence for several days before a major event, believing it'll save their energy and keep it to a maximum, allowing them to outdo themselves.
Actually, average lovemaking (without unusual acrobatics!) amounts to as much effort as a moderate jogging. Nothing exhausting about it!
According to some theories, abstinence in priests (or shamans) since ancient religions already had a similar purpose, to "keep one's life energy", believed to be at the basis of their miracle-accomplishing power. "Sex niente Orbis"? No sex will give you the world? ;-)
It's similar to the focus on blood in religion : because the loss of blood brings loss of life, it was assumed that blood WAS life. Which promptly made it a powerful religious symbol, and eventually a taboo up to this day.
Me, I think a romantic evening with my beloved would provide just the relaxed physical and emotional state I'd need to be more focused. But it seems Freud was raised in the austrio-germanic notion that productive work is the supreme value...
And to think Japanese workers today are being ORDERED to take and enjoy their legally-deserved vacations! Rest makes them more efficient, but they're still ashamed of taking any, because "hard work equals noble duty".
Interestingly, this traditional focus on glorifying hard work and denigrating pleasure seems reminiscent of abstinence. You are expected to "give your life" to the community, and the more you give the more moble you are deemed. "Wasting" your life effort -or your reproductive energy- on individual pleasure is a big no-no. But wasting your blood and life in arbitrary wars is perfectly okay...
When I see people like Laurie/Signalroom, dedicating their life to simply feeling and giving pure love, and enjoying it along the way, I am hard pressed to find anything but praise in that attitude and choice. Many modern "hard-workers" will become selfish rich expoiters, who actually give very little to society.
Feels like we're right back at the "Value" discussion, and the discrepancy between actual effort and monetary reward. But I'm not even gonna start on stock-market "golden boys".
Working is fine if you love it, like TTL says. I just resent the semi-official obligation imposed on everybody to work their butts off all their life... which will efficiently prevent many from wondering while those who earn the most often sweat the least. Been there, repented from it.
Oh, and Eolake, you should pick your "fictional" names more carefully. I immediately recognized in "Bob" the well-known Robert Gates. And "Bill" is obviously Bill Marley! ;-)
Working is fine if you love it, like TTL says. I just resent the semi-official obligation imposed on everybody to work their butts off all their life... which will efficiently prevent many from wondering while those who earn the most often sweat the least. Been there, repented from it.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post Pascal (as usual).
I'd go as far as say that work is one of our basic needs. Work deprivation, for whatever reason, leads to mental problems.
Work needs to be fun, of course. Otherwise it's slavery --- even if you are only slave to your own mistaken beliefs, such as, for example, feeling the need to work for some 'higher' good.
You are most useful in the big scope of things, and you will be most successful in every meaning of the word, if you work on what you find most pleasurable and fun.
U.S. TV series' have good portrayals of this concept. Columbo takes great pleasure in cracking the murder mystery. Dr. Gregory House, in the TV series House M.D., breaks all rules of the hospital but loves to help his patients, and is very good at it.
BTW, the plot were the main character breaks rules and conventions but is otherwise very good at what he does is a common theme. Here the disregard of old customs symbolises the reassesment of our beliefs. The protagonist is a revolutionary of sorts, breathing 'fresh air' to an otherwise stale environment allowing a new kind of focus.
Well put, TTL. The urge to *systematically* do away with old norms would be a kind of reverse-conformism. Only the parts that are bad, obsolete or occasionally inadequate need to be disregarded, some of the "traditions" are also very good.
ReplyDeleteI love Columbo to bits! (^_^)