The essential element of change is to be able to visualize the goal. It helps even more to begin to behave as though the goal has already been reached.
Then, when the real world situation doesn't conform to the new pattern it's easily recognizable as wrong. Everyone has already accepted the desired end state. No one needs to be convinced of anything, the situation simply needs to be corrected.
The pattern or template is just as important as the reality in this.
The end of slavery didn't come because people were determined to end it first and put equality into the Constitution later. The template and self-identity were there already and people said this is wrong because it didn't fit. It didn't fit their idea of Christian and it didn't fit their idea of American. The same with the civil rights movement. People had a self-image that they believed was true about themselves. Because of that they were able to see and change something that didn't fit.
Sometimes I use the word mythos to describe a sort of attendant fantasy world that exists in parallel to the real one. It holds all the idealism and identity and pattern that we conforming monkeys use or even *need* to transform the real and vastly flawed version of the world into something better.
Seeing honestly what exists around us and within ourselves is important but it's only half the picture. Without the other half we're stuck where we are.
So much of the conversation about race recently seems to be insisting that we're actually racist to give racism up.
Then, when the real world situation doesn't conform to the new pattern it's easily recognizable as wrong. Everyone has already accepted the desired end state. No one needs to be convinced of anything, the situation simply needs to be corrected.
The pattern or template is just as important as the reality in this.
The end of slavery didn't come because people were determined to end it first and put equality into the Constitution later. The template and self-identity were there already and people said this is wrong because it didn't fit. It didn't fit their idea of Christian and it didn't fit their idea of American. The same with the civil rights movement. People had a self-image that they believed was true about themselves. Because of that they were able to see and change something that didn't fit.
Sometimes I use the word mythos to describe a sort of attendant fantasy world that exists in parallel to the real one. It holds all the idealism and identity and pattern that we conforming monkeys use or even *need* to transform the real and vastly flawed version of the world into something better.
Seeing honestly what exists around us and within ourselves is important but it's only half the picture. Without the other half we're stuck where we are.
So much of the conversation about race recently seems to be insisting that we're actually racist to give racism up.
Comments
Until we all see the next person as HUMAN,and not add any other tag to classify them as someone of lesser deserving nature,and when we stop handing people questionaires requesting they state race and national origin.
Until then we might begin to look upon each other as equals.
And thank you for visiting my blog. :-)