Category: culture

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Warmongering – Benefits and Losses… or: Means to an End – or: *War* is Avoidable!

Two images side by side, one still from the movie one girl in front of a sunset watching doves fly.
Images from the movie’s webpage and licensed via Adobe CC, my graphics – Documentary by John Houston, award-winning director, “Le There Be Light“, 1946

When you look into news and messages you will find that around war there still is a sort of halo or glow being created: As if it actually was about heroes, about being brave and strong and resilient in the face of adversity.

It’s not. It’s a means to an end. Sometimes more than one end.

Oil. Power. Money. … You name it.

Especially in these days, where more than half the world is online and rather better educated than ever before. Patterns of human behaviour are age-old and they repeat. But war is young in history, compared. And that’s a fact, stated by scientists and archaeologists of long standing.

Think of the hundreds of thousands of years that humans have been part of this planet.

Around ten thousand years are a pea on a hot plate in that respect.

There are a few very easy to follow arguments that support this view:

People who come back from war, alive, are scarred in their feelings and emotions, their souls, for the rest of their lives. One proof of that fact is shown with widely recognized precision and compassion in the documentary from 1946, created by John Houston about WW II soldiers, coming back.

But also in former times soldiers who came back would behave differently. Would be uneasy in everyday life and often become furious at any little thing. Turn to be alcoholics. The reports are legend. In literature and in chronicles.

In other words: If war was so natural, would people mind?

Again:

Conflicts are natural. Wars are not!

We can resolve conflicts, if we really want to, because there’s always another road.

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Music, Emotions and Cultures: Persian Traditional Music

Image showing violinist and artist Farid Farjad playing his violin, from a CD cover.
Image courtesy music.apple.com – Click to listen to music on music.apple.com

Music is special. It seems that the earliest ways to express sound may be even older than human speech. Human speech developed over time, thousands of years at least, from earliest ways to express simple sounds through strings of combined sounds as first words, eventually shaping the first sentences.

Speech is nothing short of a miracle. So is human understanding. Because there are languages and cultures.

Music, in turn can sometimes help to bridge gaps. In understanding and realization. Music is actually another miracle, if you look at it closely. All across the world music has become a way to express feelings, emotion.

Love, friendship, sorrow and  joy, fear and sadness, anger or fury; images that float through our minds can be  triggered by listening to music. Some types of music have become universal and indeed can make people in concerts feel connected just by listening.

In recent decades the research into the helping and healing aspects music can have and thus be used for, have been made and recorded in the science of music therapy.

The above is one of my favourite albums of Persian music: Few types of music to my mind convey this close connection of sadness and joy actually at the same time: In traditional Persian music, possibly due to a very moving history, joy and sadness are presented in the tune as well as the rhythm, interchangeably.

So you can have a joyful rhythm and a sad tune that can render it perfect to help connect to those parts of our souls that cannot always be joyful; and yet remember that sadness and joy in life can be there at the same time and thus help. Be resilient.

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Where Amount of Money = Self-esteem or: The Tragedy of Profit as Life’s Basis…

Image of two people looking at money on a scale
Image courtesy freepik.com, free license

“Zum Golde drängt, am Golde hängt doch alles
ach, wir Armen.”
“Towards gold all push, all is suspended by,
oi, wey our souls.” (Gretchen, Goethe, Faust I, my translation).

It’s the quintessential phrase in regard to many people’s image of their own value, their idea of their self-esteem: “The more money I get, the higher salary I receive, the better person I am.”

I feel lucky personally not to have been raised by such standards: Our parents from early on made clear that things are like this in a system that is based on ‘capital’:
That due to the human phenomenon of a system pervading the whole of life over time, many people feel like that:
More money = more self-esteem.

But, perspective is key: If we get the chance to ask further and develop our thoughts we can rise above that rather cheap concept – and find ourselves more than the sum of our parts – or the money.

The only thing remaining and rather important, alas, is to watch out for all those that don’t – or haven’t realized this. At times I pity them for the emptiness their life must present.

But looking after ourselves and protecting us from greed and selfishness where present is still the order of the day – too.

All the happier I am when I meet with the good ones…

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Pick Your Battles – Or: Focus on Strength

Image of woman on mountain top before sunrise
(Image licensed via Adobe CC)

I have posted about wars. This is about the smaller ones in everyday life. We can make an issue out of every little thing. Sometimes, people will misunderstand it if we don’t. I had to fight a lot in the course of my life. I learned one thing for sure:

Many things can become big, even huge in the eyes of the world ‒ or our own ‒ if we make them that. Fighting is proven to ‘take it out of you’: You can become angry, even furious once you have chosen the issue. You start an argument, perhaps. Things even may escalate into a full-blown conflict that rages for years.

And for what, really? So often we will come to realize that a lot of things are not worth the energy, because:

Fighting saps one’s strength.

I am not talking about becoming angry ‒ and letting off steam. That’s important in a healthy way and done safely in order to not hurt others.
But fighting?

Fighting takes it out of you, the effects can become really dangerous to our system. Because, the way we deal with anger or even frustration is something we can learn ‒ and manage. So much in life depends on how we look at it. Strong emotions are part of our mindset ‒ that is also: part of how we evaluate what happens to us.

The first flush of anger may be involuntary ‒ but after that, it’s a choice. To save health and nerves and keep frustration at bay.

Because, also, so often looking back, we may regret unnecessary fights, especially with people we like or love.

That’s why I make it a point in my life ‒ and a plea here for all who are wondering: Pick your battles. The next one may be really worth it.

 

Author’s Note:
I write about such things because I learned early in life how easily we all tend to make our life difficult or even hurt the other’s feelings without meaning to. Misunderstandings too, are easy.  I have a strong background in workplace psychology, among many other fields of interest, be that history, philosophy ‒ or politics. I also have come across many misjudgements in life ‒ in private life or in business.
Enlightenment is a philosophical approach and subject ‒ to me it is essential to understand ‒ and make understood.

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Emily Dickinson: “Hope is the Thing with Feathers…”

Image of two feathery birds singing and looking at spectator, each inside a vignette, illustrating the poem
Images licensed via Adobe CC, my graphics
254

“Hope” is the thing with feathers–
That perches in the soul–
And sings the tune without the words–
And never stops–at all–

And sweetest–in the Gale–is heard–
And sore must be the storm–
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm–

I’ve heard it in the chillest land–
And on the strangest Sea–
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb–of Me.

Emily Dickinson

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It’s a Wonderful Life – The Counterpoise Lights

This movie is considered one of the best-loved movies ever to come out of Hollywood. Frank Capra has a gift to focus on the essentials in life and make them visible – with emotion and brains. The forces of all those that don’t care a penny for other people – or their lives, who do anything to win – and be rich – are there. They seem to always have been in the history of mankind – and will continue to do so. Only the counterpoise of the wary good makes this world a place with smiles and love every day.

The modern society – perhaps even generated in the US with the idea that everybody is responsible for their own luck and ultimate ‘success’ – has created an image of life that is difficult to overcome.
Some fairy tales of old times seem to state it just like it:
Heroes overcome obstacles, tackle the bad guys – and ultimately win the cup, the jewels – and the princess.
These days it may come in more toned down colours, in a manner of speaking.

But everyday life is full of the little wonderful things, if you care to look closely…

Let’s make it a point: Be a counterpoise, each in their place, to the best of our ability. An African proverb is said to go like this:

If many ‘little’ people in many ‘little’ places do many ‘little’ things every day – they can change the face of the Earth.

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Peace — Power Games — Chances — Talks and Negotiations

Image courtesy Erik Karits on Pixabay

There’s no doubt about it, war is always a means to an end…which is tragic and cruel, no doubt about that either.

Yet, war has some striking differences to other kinds of conflict in human life!

It practically never happens over night, without any warnings or talks in advance, usually power and money are involved.
At the same time, in practically any case you may want to look at in recent or ancient history, the fame or the dignity of a country or its leader(s) was a ‘bone of contention’ as well.

The diverse political societies and international organizations show the will to ‘power games’, and also the need for a sort of balance in power.

There’s always a way, if we keep talking and negotiating, in politics — as well as in every day life. The recent problems apparently occurring between Iran and other nuclear power-holding countries could have been avoided, if under the last but one US-government the contracts with Iran hadn’t been cancelled — completely irresponsibly. Where it had taken close on ten years negotiating those in the first place.

One very deciding aspect of eventually successful negotiating is ‘putting yourself into your opponents shoes’. Try imagining what it would be like to be on their side, even if only for a while.

Alas, it seems, every generation has to learn all the lessons of the past all over again. That’s why proper and enlightened education is so crucial for our children! And grandchildren and great-grandchildren, because:
As long as this planet and its peoples are revolving, living, breathing, I refuse to call any generation ‘the last’!

In other words: Where’s life, there’s hope!

So many of the forecasts of also recent as well as ancient history proved to be wrong!

To ‘throw in the towel’ long before anything is desperate or dead, really, is no option.

Let’s keep to it – and remember about the breaks!

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Life – People – Kaleidoscope – or Black and White?

Image by un-perfekt from Pixabay

“My way – or the highway?” In many parts of the world we can see people believing that there is only one way – or another. That other people or their behaviour or their ideas are one of two things: Black or White. A duality concept.

In truth, life and situations and people are colourful, like a kaleidoscope. Sometimes, when you are full of emotion, such as anger, wrath or a loving passion, the emotion has no ‘colour’ in the mind — it’s more of a temperature, perhaps, rather cold, or rather hot… and if you would start thinking and getting to know yourself or your emotion(s) better you would find out more details – and start finding words for them.

To think that there are only two sides to a coin is a rather narrow concept. You wil miss out on all the other possibilities – or colours.

Sometimes, when we are very sure that only one way or solution is right — at least for us — we tend to judge harshly.

That way we will overlook all the other — even beautiful — colours, in a situation, a solution to a problem — or a character.

Even peace or peaceful coexistence become easier to find, if we allow for alternatives, see the ‘other colours’, the full picture.

The big idea.

And should you wonder if that was too much bother — you may want to think again: Is peace really so much more difficult, than war — or conflict? And when was it written that the good or the better things always are easy…?

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Heart and Soul and Body – Or the More the Merrier…?

painting of a colourful heart shape beside a flowering tree and a bush
Image licensed Adobe Stock

Sigmund Freud in many countries today is known to be the harbinger of truth as regards (among other things) sexuality or passionate love or bodily love, whichever term you prefer.

Contrary to traditional (religious) messages, he taught us that it is quite natural to feel the urge – even for women (!), “lo and behold”, it was, at the time – for a loving relationship of bodies…

Surprisingly, this took a while to get started for real as a general idea; around 50-70 years until the larger part of the population caught up with it; and until the idea found its way into marketing and movies… ’cause ‘sex sells’ (too).

The consequence seems to be that people get it confused with the fundamental human needs: those are the need for food and water, clothing and shelter. They are the basic needs we have to fulfill in order to survive.

Sex is not that type: It’s an urge, an impulse perhaps, less scientifically put – but not a need. You won’t die not having it, nor perish – and you will not become crazy – as long as you can feel it yet.

One or the other of my readers may feel disappointed: What, after all these years of hunting for and after it – no need?

Yes – or no. It’s not.

Of course, one may feel frustrated at times for the lack of a meaningful relationship of that kind: Passionate.
Sad, perhaps.
But, believe it or not 😉: you won’t die.

To me that’s another part of personal freedom: I can decide, every day. It’s not a need, an obligation or a gap to fill… it’s the snowy, fluffy top of a sweetmeat in the shape of whipped cream…  😉 or the icing to the cake… ‘nice to have’, but to me neither casual nor arbitrary nor to be had in any kind of ‘numbers’.

If you love for beauty

If you love for beauty,
O love not me!
Love the sun,
She has golden hair.

If you love for youth,
O love not me!
Love the spring
Which is young each year.

If you love for riches,
O love not me!
Love the mermaid
Who has many shining pearls.

If you love for love,
Ah yes, love me!
Love me always,
I shall love you ever more.

Friedrich Rückert, 1902 – Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005), provided via Oxford International Song Festival, (oxfordsong.org)

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7001 Languages: Body Language and It’s Impact

Image creative commons license via Ecosia filtered search

“But he’s lying, it’s so obvious!” Apparently a group of deaf-mutes signed that when watching an interview of the then president of the United States Bill Clinton who had been publicly accused of having an affair with a visiting girl at the White House.

Body language:
The most powerful tool we have – and use so often unbeknownst to ourselves. Some numbers say that we communicate over 70-80% of all social exchanges through our bodies.

The world is full of languages, over 7000 are said to exist.

Apart from knowing with our hearts, learning this powerful way of expressing emotions and thoughts could be helpful.
It’s not easy, because culturally dependent. Yet, for more  peace and mutual understanding – this could be one way.

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