Hi Diana, Glenn, Cory and MF
Thanks for the great reading experiences you have given me up to
now. Perhaps the MOQ connection is rather thin, but it's good to
have a break from the dizzy "high philosophical ground" we have
wandered on the last couple of months. However good Diana's and
Glenn's entries are I will dwell on Cory's reminiscences from his
childhood because it moved me deeply - much like Jon's "Peace
of mind" piece from a time back. It surged forward on an emotional
wave that brought it to a great height. I don't know if Cory will agree
with me when I say that it conveyed a great resentment over - what
I call - a SOM existence. There seemingly being no end to the rush
"forward".
By SOM existence I mean an one-eyed focus in the intellectual
level with no awareness of the any greater (quality) context. If you
allow me an overview of this growing rate of change lifestyle I see it
as a graphic curve that for centuries was almost flat, but passed
some critical mass some time ago - it sort of matches with Pirsig's
assertion that the Intellectual level came to the fore after the first
world war and have since dominated the Western world. For
instance imagine a person from a hundred years ago visiting our
time. She or he would be completely disoriented: Except for the
biological needs everything has changed. If this hundred year shift
is carried backwards in time less and less change is experienced.
For a visitor from - for instance - the year 1699, all technology and
procedures of 1799 would have been familiar (except for the
political upheavals in France :-)) and carried all the way back to -
say - the 999/1099 shift, no perceptible change at all.
Such sinus curves cannot keep on rising. Infinitely change over no
time is impossible, but we are approaching that stage. People in
some advanced fields are outdated after a long sick leave I've heard
and you better be under 15 to keep up with the last
computer/digital technology. My mobile phone of two years ago is
"stone age" already. With our short memory span, we believe it
has always been this way.Some refer to Platon (?) complaining
about the youth to prove the case of the constantly shifting times.
Yet this last example has nothing to do with the relentless rush
that Cory speaks about or the rising curve of change-over-time that
I see it like. Or in the MOQ view: the increasing shift of focus from
the former socio/intellect into - solely - intellect. Progress,
innovation; new gadgets, procedures....you name it, is required.
Any slackening of the rate of change is stagnation, the next thing
is decline and before you know it your society has lost its
competitive edge and the next moment you are sitting in front of fire
outside a cave.
The SOM-steeped - or Intellect-focussed - have no theory to
access this reality and feel like the proverbial leaves in a storm:
follow the rush or be crushed. Again the MOQ shows its power by
opening up beyond intellect and letting us see its prominent yet
limited place. In this way I believe the MOQ can help the curve
flatten into a new plateau without the usual (mathematical)
tendency to fall abruptly after rounding the top.
Cory will possibly protest my vision. What's the use of a
stabilization (flattening) at this already restless stage? But that is
no problem. At any stage, if change stops, it will soon feel like
tranquility itself as people get used to the technology and
procedures and don't have to learn new ones at the end of each
day. How exactly such a MOQ-induced relaxation will take place
relates to David B's topic suggestion about political ramifications.
Will we ever dare to enter that arena?
Bo
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