Control and Power

Having no time to think about what is happening or why leaves one without the ability to recognize when things are out-of-kilter. Everything seems to be as it should, yet one has no way to judge since the entire basis of understanding the world that one uses is skewed-there is no other frame of reference. Being immersed in a situation can make it impossible to really understand the situation itself. There are many examples of flawed thinking being accepted, my favorite being the "flat-earth" theory that most people and cultures ascribed to until the 'Middle Ages', whereas we now know (believe) the Earth is spherical. Some tribes believed that a person with an image of another (such as a photograph or doll) allowed the image-holder to exert their will over the person in the image; if one grew up in that culture, one would think that is true. All these beliefs limit what a person can accomplish, after all it is impossible to sail around the world if it is shaped like a platter rather than a globe. Similarly, there can be no rebellion against the person who has power over you, whatever manner you were raised to believe it is exerted through: by having your image, maybe that children must obey their parents in all things, or that one must do whatever is necessary to win. Yet, just like the world we live on being a sphere and not a disk, the fact remains that the individual retains control even when they think someone else is in control of them. Whatever the method, it is used to hold one back from realizing that fundamental truth: that each individual has the power over themselves, no one else. Even in the most rigorously controlled environment we know of, and here I speak of the military, where every action is directed by a 'superior' and it is understood that 'subordinates' are compelled to follow 'orders'. Simultaneously the 'subordinate' is responsible for determining the validity and/or moral correctness of those orders and is expected to disregard any that are improper. The power of those who control is exercised through the simple, regular folks that do as they are told, the people who delude themselves with "I'm just doing my job", and those who are so busy "making a living" that they have no time for a real life. It is a subtle form of control that insinuates itself into one's thinking. The goal of the system is that one not be given the ability to understand one's subservience...to be kept in ignorance of the very fact of one's enslavement. These controllers know that if we no longer follow nor allow ourselves to be their pawns, their control will cease and they will no longer have their power. We suffer to support them, not the other way around; the overbearing parent who constantly reminds the child that (s)he has, "sacrificed so much so that you can have everything!", the worker who is paid nearly nothing for laboring and tolerates the abuse of a boss who berates him/her, "you better be grateful, if you don't there are ten others who will take your place!", and the regular citizen who is dying from pollution yet is told, "we can't make the polluters stop or clean up their mess, they have so many other responsibilities." Which is the greater inconvenience: one less unique individual (a father/mother/son/daughter/sister/brother/etc., a person with real positive impact on others' lives) or one less business entity (which cannot produce its wares without killing actual people)? Even I can recognize the contributions of corporations, but I still don't think their existence entitles them to destroy the lives of others-they aren't even alive. Realize that the company doesn't provide and care for the workers' family, the worker does. Without the corporation, the worker does survive, but without the workers, the corporation is no more. Who has the real power here? You should know the answer here: the complaining parents' child, the slave-driving company's worker, the suffering citizen, and the lowest-ranking member of the military-because they all do. Buying into it and excusing it "because it can't change, it has to be this way" is inexcusable; denying ones' own power to serve those who cause your suffering isn't noble or righteous, it is stupid and ridiculous. This is not to blame individuals nor-especially not-true victims, what I discuss here only applies in everyday life, not that one special situation where an individuals' power is taken away by force, such as a rape or tornado. Even then the person is not powerless, even if they cannot stop the events from happening-generally they still retain their mental powers. Being able to think is the greatest power one has and it is the most constant. Which brings me back to my original point, which is: having that mental capacity subverted from the beginning to allow control by others can be the most insidious form of manipulation. Any situation or series of events which is designed to keep one from thinking about what goes on is suspect and should be regarded warily. Not that you'll necessarily be able to tell when that is.

Signs of Intelligent Life

What is it that defines intelligence, and I defy you to answer, "...being smart." The answer I will use here is that intelligence is simply the ability to think: to learn, reason, and theorize; it is not satisfactory in an academic or scientific manner, but serves the purpose we need it to here. The problem with the question is that once answered, it only leads to another question: what is intelligence for? Once we do know what intelligence is, we need to understand what it means for us. We do not have only enough brainpower to move our bodies and react to situations, that is to say we do not operate simply from instinct, although we definitely have predetermined responses or reflexes, both physically and psychically. The ability to think leads to the development of many technologies, certainly, but what else does it offer a species? It must serve a purpose aside from allowing one to solve problems and make tools. Isn’t the surplus simply wasted if that is its only function? Is intelligence something outside that, something intended for different uses which is wasted on those pursuits? Just as we don’t have hands solely to carry things, cogitation is not simply to imagine weapons. Each of these tools serves multiple purposes. The purpose of hands is not only to strangle and strike, but also to caress and hold gently. The ability to think demands the use of that ability, we can’t avoid it. So, when we use this ‘intelligence’, what should our goal be? Since we have it, and it can be used for so many things, what are the areas we should be investigating and focusing on? It seems that each new level of understanding leads to further questions, just as most pursuits in life may have no ultimate answer. Yet, if we aren’t to just blunder through life reacting and living as chance should have it, what does this ability allow us to do? Humanity’s prodigious ability to think is one of very few things we have going for us. Comprehending and understanding ourselves and our environment are the keys to our survival individually and collectively. We are not meant to live as salmon do, nor as bees; not that we are more or better than they, just that we have abilities they do not. Finally, an answer! However, one which only opens up another line of inquiry: which solution will allow us to survive? Once we recognize its purpose in our existence, we still need to agree upon implementing a response to our problems. For that we all need to agree upon the information we’ll use to formulate our answer, which is a topic for another time.