There are often (not always) several ways to look at a challenging moment. The two ideas I’ll present are opposed and non-political—unless you wear red or blue glasses and never remove them. But it might be interesting to give both non-political ideas some thought and perhaps find some overlap between them.
The first is the funnier but darker vision of things in general and mankind in particular. It comes from someone Wikipedia describes as an “Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist.” He was all those and had a surpassing wit:
So much for dark humor. Shaw lived to age 96, dying in 1950. During that time, he had witnessed many ups and downs, including multiple wars.
Now to the wonderfully wise “Story of the Chinese Farmer.” The tale is more than 2,200 years old. Below is an animated version told by Alan Watts. It is followed by a text slightly different but written by the same narrator. My thoughts begin after the written version in bold letters.
Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”
The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”
The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.
— Alan Watts
There are many lessons in the Chinese Parable:
First, we wish for certainty, but much is questionable. A marital partner betrays us, government policies change for better or worse, and climate events endanger and disrupt our lives.
And then?
Perhaps we find someone more honorable and loving. Doubtful government policies may help in the long haul, but not now. Some people move to higher ground after a flood. Unless the Big Guy decides it’s time for another flood of the Hebrew Bible variety.
Time will tell, and predicting the future with exactness is impossible.
Absent certainty over many things, it is best to reconsider our views. Research reliable sources to find out more. Talk to those with different opinions. You might change your mind.
For example, nineteenth-century surgeons performed operations with filthy hands, soiled surgical gowns, and unclean instruments. Infection and death often followed.
The physicians recognized no problem with this manner of doing their job, and new ideas about bacterial infection were resisted. Better practices finally prevailed, primarily due to the work and influence of Joseph Lister.
We are born with a tendency to focus on the short term and believe that the mind’s handy telescope can see over the far horizon into the future. We can’t, and living conditions are altering at an unprecedented speed.
The average 16th-century man had less information to process in his short lifetime than in a weekday edition of the New York Times.
For me, the essential point is not to despair or catastrophize unnecessarily. Take a breath, weep or rage, and then, when ready, lay your shoulder to the wheel and join others to repair the world and make it flourish.
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The Sun Flower is the work of Gustav Klimt.
I completely agree with this, and love the Shaw quote
Glad you got a laugh (I hope), Beth!
As ever, I appreciate your thoughts here. I bless the day I heard the phrase “unattached to the outcome.” Before that, I struggled against the ever-changing boundaries.
That last paragraph starting with “The whole process…” resonates greatly with me. Thank you for your thoughts.
The Stoics believe as you do, Susan. A measure of detachment requires practice, for sure. Congratulations on keeping in touch with the changeable nature of temporary outcomes.
I have dabbled in stoicism and like what I see.
Love the GBS quote. This was a very useful artic
Anything to please you pleases me, Lori. Glad to be of service and thank you for commenting.
Wow. Your two “last lines”, Dr. Stein. What a way to close your essay. I appreciate the invitation (as I interpret your message) to leave room for hope. “Perhaps” and “maybe” are powerful words in that they encourage middle ground. Possibly a place to deepen understanding before taking action; lay the groundwork for restoration based on my belief in the power of “flourishing”. Just as you said.
Thank you. 💕
You understood me very well, Vicki. We never know and even in a place of uncertainty, hope can fuel us to do what the Commander of Starship Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, often said: “Make it so.”
I’m smiling! Thank you! 🥰
The “maybe” of your dreams requires a very long approach. Hope you have the will to endure.
It does. We will surely hand off some of our problems to another generation. You are right, Joan, that it is likely you and I will not see the outcome in our time, but to my way of thinking that does not reduce our responsibility, nor our need to take action if we are able. Thank you!
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again!
Don’t give up, don’t give in because in the long run we will win!
Take time to do what you need to recharge and restore your mind and body. It was a tough loss but we gotta “keep on keeping on.”
Bravo, Steve. You’ve got the right stuff! Thank you!
Interesting and insightful post, Dr. Stein, at this crucial crossroad in the history of Western Civilization. Unlike George Bernard Shaw, I came to a different conclusion: Earth as Hell for the fallen on the fringe of the Milky Way Galaxy 🙁
I’m familiar with the wise and ancient story of the Chinese farmer and share Alan Watts’ interpretation. After all, the catastrophic extermination of the dinosaurs led to the rise of the mammals, including the hominids.
While we cannot know with certainty what lies over the far horizon into the future, we’re called on to stand firm when disaster strikes and knocks us to our knees. And, as you say, “lay [our] shoulder to the wheel and join others to repair the world and make it flourish.”
Hell for the fallen. Of course, that would include all of us, if I understand you — locked for the time in varieties of unhappiness due to the original sin of eating the apple. I will leave that to the faithful to think about and agree with you about what is needed for us to do. I hope I have the theology right. If not, please correct me. Thank you, Rosaliene.
Yes, in my vision the fallen are all of us, me included 🙁 How to escape this hell is another matter for which I have no answer. The billionaire class believe that they can do so with their spaceships and AI.
Glad to know we are all in the soup together, at least in the vision of one of the wisest people I know. As you say, now is the problem of getting out of that soup! Thank you, Rosaliene.
No one knows what will happen. True, disaster may yet happen, or it might not, we don’t know. We need to consider that a calamity has been averted with the election going the way it did. Had he faced a loss, I venture to say his disciples would have started a very violent period of protest, even resulting in the deaths of those on a list of undesirables.
You are wise, Tamara, but the possibility of calamity driven by a man who continually speaks in terms of retribution and claims that immigrants are spoiling the blood of the nation should not be dismissed. The reprieve you describe may be temporary. I hope, as you do, that it isn’t.
Repair the world — Tikkun olam. Thanks for this good dose of perspective, Dr. Stein!
It is our job, after all, Is it not, Wynne? Thank you.
It is!