A few days off
Lots of good stuff on the blogs I'm reading the past week. Ran generated a bit of hub bub with a post about the refusal of tribes to engage in purely utilitarian engagements.
I almost quit this blog because I'm not used to writing on a regular basis, and I'm often not sure what to say. But thanks Dan for linking me and thereby encouraging me to keep on.
I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to 'catch up' with all the anti-civ stuff out there. Maybe I should take the advice of Zachary Nowack and quit after three books, so to speak.
My partner asked why I spent so much time reading this stuff which in many ways just affirms what I already know and suspect. Could it be that I'm not really sure of this, my posturing and explicating notwithstanding? I don't know.
But Dan mentioned a sentiment I'd seen from a while ago in one of Johnny Z's pieces that language is about deceit, not truth, because truth is typically expressed unconsciously by the individual. Maybe I plow through so much language looking for truth? I dunno if that makes sense. Another part is probably just trying to find affirmation of sanity in an insane world, and wanting to spend time around people and ideas who understand where I'm coming from. I think it can be really hard for radical-type people to stand tall in the face of criticism, especially when they honestly are not sure of themselves.
I went through a time where I re-examined a lot of my ideas. I considered the possibility that the dominant culture is dominant because it's the most sane, most effective, most just one. I thought about being a police officer, or a real estate agent or going into the military. I considered the idea that, yeah, there are excesses and problems, but maybe these are surmountable and not indicative of anything systemic.
I'm pretty confident they are, and ecological ideas continue to keep me grounded. As Derrick Jensen says, 'clean water' is a sufficient justification for the critique of civilization. That is, we can think ourselves in circles, but we can't deny the physical realities of our bodies.
I think also, that cities aid this disconnect. Jerry Mander says that we exist in a weird incestuous relationship with ourselves in cities. We forget that not all of existence is man-made, because most of what we experience is man-made. Getting out of the city is important, and something I'm going to more actively pursue, not just for primitive skill-learning which will, I hope, come in time, but also and primarily for my sanity.
I almost quit this blog because I'm not used to writing on a regular basis, and I'm often not sure what to say. But thanks Dan for linking me and thereby encouraging me to keep on.
I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to 'catch up' with all the anti-civ stuff out there. Maybe I should take the advice of Zachary Nowack and quit after three books, so to speak.
My partner asked why I spent so much time reading this stuff which in many ways just affirms what I already know and suspect. Could it be that I'm not really sure of this, my posturing and explicating notwithstanding? I don't know.
But Dan mentioned a sentiment I'd seen from a while ago in one of Johnny Z's pieces that language is about deceit, not truth, because truth is typically expressed unconsciously by the individual. Maybe I plow through so much language looking for truth? I dunno if that makes sense. Another part is probably just trying to find affirmation of sanity in an insane world, and wanting to spend time around people and ideas who understand where I'm coming from. I think it can be really hard for radical-type people to stand tall in the face of criticism, especially when they honestly are not sure of themselves.
I went through a time where I re-examined a lot of my ideas. I considered the possibility that the dominant culture is dominant because it's the most sane, most effective, most just one. I thought about being a police officer, or a real estate agent or going into the military. I considered the idea that, yeah, there are excesses and problems, but maybe these are surmountable and not indicative of anything systemic.
I'm pretty confident they are, and ecological ideas continue to keep me grounded. As Derrick Jensen says, 'clean water' is a sufficient justification for the critique of civilization. That is, we can think ourselves in circles, but we can't deny the physical realities of our bodies.
I think also, that cities aid this disconnect. Jerry Mander says that we exist in a weird incestuous relationship with ourselves in cities. We forget that not all of existence is man-made, because most of what we experience is man-made. Getting out of the city is important, and something I'm going to more actively pursue, not just for primitive skill-learning which will, I hope, come in time, but also and primarily for my sanity.
posted by Archangel at 7:27 PM
4 Comments:
"But Dan mentioned a sentiment I'd seen from a while ago in one of Johnny Z's pieces that language is about deceit, not truth, because truth is typically expressed unconsciously by the individual."
Not sure if you read this over at Anthropik a while back. Some great thoughts on language, that go a bit deeper than Zerzan's: http://anthropik.com/2006/08/a-brief-summary-of-animism/
"I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to 'catch up' with all the anti-civ stuff out there."
Haha, I know this feeling! It's become rather widespread among us lot, especially since Mr Godesky started writing! I tend to not worry what I might be missing anymore. Let it go, it'll pop up some other time, maybe even in "real" life!
I wonder why I write so much about something that's so obvious to me. I think I concluded that I still think education is so important right now, and that our problems affect us on such deep levels that we need a deeper look at cause and effect before we can go on to effectively create solutions.
Writing is also a personal thing for me - it's a way of releasing tension and frustration a lot of the time. I feel better when I can put down in words what's buggin me and the people around me.
You said: "I think it can be really hard for radical-type people to stand tall in the face of criticism, especially when they honestly are not sure of themselves."
That's true for me, but it's getting easier.
You wrote: "I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to 'catch up' with all the anti-civ stuff out there."
Boy, I'm glad I am not the only that feels that way. It's just so hard to stay away from. It all sounds so promising.
Hey everyone,
Thanks for commenting! I lost 22 comments in moderation for a while- my apologies!
One by one:
Dan- I loved that summary by Jason! It was so exciting to me to see a defense of language that as grounded in nature and ecology, rather than semantics. Especially that stuff about words being onomatopoeiac and mimmicking the animals they alluded to. So cool!
Casemeau,
Thanks for visiting! I wish you continued luck on your journey, and congratulations on your increasing self-confidence!
Curt,
No indeed! It is so exciting and promising, but I think Dan's onto something by suggesting to let it sit, and come back to it in person or online another time.
Thanks again, all!
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