Wednesday, May 13, 2015

New beginnings- virtue or betrayal?

In the next generation, traditions and knowledge are lost and connections to the past are severed. 

Is it bad? Is it the shedding of family bonds, of rituals that have been built over centuries and with purpose, of secrets, of connectiveness and ultimately the chance of inner harmony? Is it possible to lose age-old wisdom within one generation? Is it arrogant, disrespectful, and ultimately self-destructive? 

Is it good? Does it allow a shedding of prejudice and a realization of a more conscuous enlightened society? Are new connections of circumstance possible across historic bounds, including ethnicity and religion? Can these be deep and meaningful, even as they are created within months and years and not through family upbringing and ethnic identity? Can new community be created or is the rejection of old a recipe for atomization and individualization?

The act of new beginnings is a revolutionary one. Is it a good revolution or a bad one?
 
It's fascinating to see where people come out on this, and deeply predictive of political leanings and civic involvement and more- of interpretations of history and ideology and right and wrong.

It's also interesting to check in and see- at least for me- that both of these narratives resonate to some degree, and sometimes the tendencies need to check each other (a community cafeteria for example to forge new bonds in an accidental community). And I'd add- there is nothing inevitable- a revolution can start good and turn bad or vice versa. 

Reactive forces against modernization are constantly emerging, but it's not always clear why. It's helpful to be able to take the balcony from time to time on these questions - and it explains a lot. 

And it's good to realize that our actions are also affecting that big picture. Are there ways we might moderate what we are doing or saying based on outcomes we'd like to see?