September 30, 2016
This morning I'm filled with sadness ... mingled with anger ... triggered by a sudden and unexpected death in the family ... a sister in law.
Yesterday my youngest sister told me about the tragedy ... my initial response was "at the moment I have no words". Seems this morning I have lots I want to share ... centred on the expression "Hedonic Treadmill".
I learned this expression a couple of months ago ... seems worthwhile to share the circumstances that brought this expression into my consciousness. A few months ago I met a young man from Texas at the local supermarket ... a very rare treat ... to meet someone whose mother tongue is English! We didn't say much at the time we met however we did exchange emails in the next several weeks. The intriguing part is that our personal philosophies are polar opposites. His last words ... in his last email ... August 6, 2016 were "Maybe you could tell me the Pilgrim Tom story?"
I provided the following answer ... and have not heard from him since. Hmmm! ... seems he didn't like my answer. Nonetheless, I am very grateful for having met him and having exchanged several emails. In particular, because of his inquiry, I learned the expression Hedonic Treadmill. Seems to support the belief that everyone we meet often has a hidden purpose. Here is my reply to his inquiry ...
The Pilgrim Tom story ... not much to tell ... spent the first 43 years of my life pretty much the same as almost all people ... in the "rat race" ... on the "hedonic treadmill".
About 22 years ago I was "pushed off the train" ... metaphorically speaking ... compelled by subsequent experience(s) to become a passive observer of life verses an active participant.
I'm still not clear whether my rather innocuous experience 22 years ago was psychological or spiritual.
Perhaps my abrupt and wholesale change in world view is behind my skepticism towards "白头到老 " ... "until death do us part".
I want to acknowledge two special friends before I continue writing ... my philosophy teacher St Augustine and one of my special role models ... for courage and determination ... St Joan of Arc. At her trial St Joan of Arc said ... "If I am in the Grace of God may He keep me there ... if I'm not may He bring me into His grace.
This morning I'm filled with sadness ... mingled with anger ... triggered by a sudden and unexpected death in the family ... a sister in law.
Yesterday my youngest sister told me about the tragedy ... my initial response was "at the moment I have no words". Seems this morning I have lots I want to share ... centred on the expression "Hedonic Treadmill".
I learned this expression a couple of months ago ... seems worthwhile to share the circumstances that brought this expression into my consciousness. A few months ago I met a young man from Texas at the local supermarket ... a very rare treat ... to meet someone whose mother tongue is English! We didn't say much at the time we met however we did exchange emails in the next several weeks. The intriguing part is that our personal philosophies are polar opposites. His last words ... in his last email ... August 6, 2016 were "Maybe you could tell me the Pilgrim Tom story?"
I provided the following answer ... and have not heard from him since. Hmmm! ... seems he didn't like my answer. Nonetheless, I am very grateful for having met him and having exchanged several emails. In particular, because of his inquiry, I learned the expression Hedonic Treadmill. Seems to support the belief that everyone we meet often has a hidden purpose. Here is my reply to his inquiry ...
The Pilgrim Tom story ... not much to tell ... spent the first 43 years of my life pretty much the same as almost all people ... in the "rat race" ... on the "hedonic treadmill".
About 22 years ago I was "pushed off the train" ... metaphorically speaking ... compelled by subsequent experience(s) to become a passive observer of life verses an active participant.
I'm still not clear whether my rather innocuous experience 22 years ago was psychological or spiritual.
Perhaps my abrupt and wholesale change in world view is behind my skepticism towards "白头到老 " ... "until death do us part".
I want to acknowledge two special friends before I continue writing ... my philosophy teacher St Augustine and one of my special role models ... for courage and determination ... St Joan of Arc. At her trial St Joan of Arc said ... "If I am in the Grace of God may He keep me there ... if I'm not may He bring me into His grace.
Prosperity ... wealth ... increases the number of "rainbows" we are able to chase. Yet ... my philosophy teacher ... St Augustine ... argues that prosperity ... wealth ... leads to depravity ... decadence.
de·prav·i·ty
dəˈpravədē/
noun
dec·a·dence
ˈdekədəns/
noun
de·prav·i·ty
dəˈpravədē/
noun
- moral corruption; wickedness.
"a tale of wickedness and depravity"
synonyms:corruption, vice, perversion, deviance, degeneracy, immorality, debauchery, dissipation,profligacy, licentiousness, lechery, prurience, obscenity, indecency; More- a wicked or morally corrupt act.
- CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
the innate corruption of human nature, due to original sin.
dec·a·dence
ˈdekədəns/
noun
- moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury.
"he denounced Western decadence"
synonyms:dissipation, degeneracy, debauchery, corruption, depravity, vice, sin, moral decay,immorality; More- luxurious self-indulgence.
"“French” connotes richness and decadence, and that's the idea of this ice cream"
- luxurious self-indulgence.
I agree with St Augustine!
The good news is I also believe we are more innocent victims than perpetrators of depravity and decadence. How so?
Collective unconsciousness!
Karl Marx explains it with these words "It’s not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness”
The question that begs to be asked is ... What determines our social being? ... What creates that human behavior that we observe around us every day?
The short answer is ... I don't know!
This morning it seems the human behavior we see around us is cyclical ... as empires rise and fall human behavior waxes and wanes yet always seems to return to the same place. St Augustine's argument "prosperity leads to depravity and decadence" was based on his personal observations and knowledge of the Roman Empire ... the empire of his time. The Roman Empire was crumbling during the life of St Augustine and many scholars of the day attributed the decline to Christianity. Seems to me one could make a serious case that today's "empire" is also in serious decline ... leading to the notion of "cyclical". Antiquity contains abundant empirical evidence pointing to the conclusion that depravity and decadence underlies the demise of the empire of the day.
The Chinese sage Lao Tzu ... circa 500 BC ... suggests that if you scratch the surface of someone beautiful you will find ugliness. Likewise if you scratch the surface of someone ugly you will find beautiful. Prosperity is considered "beautiful" by the vast majority of people ... observation supports this view ... yet scratch the surface of this "beauty" and you will discover the "grotesque". Listen to the news on any given day for evidence of this claim.
The good news is I also believe we are more innocent victims than perpetrators of depravity and decadence. How so?
Collective unconsciousness!
Karl Marx explains it with these words "It’s not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness”
The question that begs to be asked is ... What determines our social being? ... What creates that human behavior that we observe around us every day?
The short answer is ... I don't know!
This morning it seems the human behavior we see around us is cyclical ... as empires rise and fall human behavior waxes and wanes yet always seems to return to the same place. St Augustine's argument "prosperity leads to depravity and decadence" was based on his personal observations and knowledge of the Roman Empire ... the empire of his time. The Roman Empire was crumbling during the life of St Augustine and many scholars of the day attributed the decline to Christianity. Seems to me one could make a serious case that today's "empire" is also in serious decline ... leading to the notion of "cyclical". Antiquity contains abundant empirical evidence pointing to the conclusion that depravity and decadence underlies the demise of the empire of the day.
The Chinese sage Lao Tzu ... circa 500 BC ... suggests that if you scratch the surface of someone beautiful you will find ugliness. Likewise if you scratch the surface of someone ugly you will find beautiful. Prosperity is considered "beautiful" by the vast majority of people ... observation supports this view ... yet scratch the surface of this "beauty" and you will discover the "grotesque". Listen to the news on any given day for evidence of this claim.
How are the above comments connected to my sister in law's unexpected death? What is the source of my anger?
My younger sister sent me a message today as well. In part ... ."I think all of the family are going." (To the funeral)
Her comment makes me angry ... not with her ... with the society/culture she ... and the rest of my family ... live in. So many people find the time ... the money ... and the energy to visit the dead ... i.e. ... attend funerals. So few of these same people find the time ... the money ... and the energy to visit the living.
A few months ago in an email exchange with my youngest sister I expressed my hope that "all of the family" ... the same family that is attending my deceased sister in law's funeral ... would find the time to visit ... together as a group (family) ... my aging mother ... who is in her 90's and in failing health.