hopelesshappiness.com

Arbitrary, whimsical, capricious, fanciful, discretionary, injudicious, erratic, offhand, frivolous, inconsistent, supercilious, irrational, superficial, irresponsible, unaccountable, random, unscientific, subjective, unreasonable, willful. We work so hard, through bureaucracy, convention, certainty, division, to not be these things, we work so hard to prove to others that we are not these things, and in this hard-working waywardness we become blind to Beauty, Truth, Wisdom, Justice. And despite how hard we work, in the end we are exactly all these things.

I see it daily. So many examples of old outdated arbitrary ways and rules and beliefs alongside necessary justifications by way of so many new outdated arbitrary ways and rules and beliefs all leaving us where we are and where we have always been. To break free, we must have the radical courage to never again do the same thing the same way. No habits. No tradition. No convention. If we sit in the same place, with the same view, we will see the same thing, think the same thoughts, act and react in the same ways. We must stand up, move around, close one eye, then the other, then both; we must think thoughts we've never thought before; we must say things we've never said before; we must do things we've never done before; we must shout out at the top of our lungs; we must explore our deepest, darkest corners; we must spend time in our most calm quiet; we must cry in our happy place; we must deny what we know and we must celebrate uncertainty; we must overthrow power; we must despise leadership; we must consider then seek Beauty, Truth, Wisdom, Justice; knowing it will never be found; knowing we will always be lost; believing we can come closer; acting as if we must come closer.

I believe we must.

We work so hard to maintain and justify our old and new outdated arbitrary ways and rules and beliefs because it would take a much greater, more concerted individual effort to do otherwise; to evolve; to save Humanity.

So how exactly does one corral and focus chaos, confusion, disorder such that it leads us away from bureaucracy, convention, certainty, division, and closer to Beauty, Truth, Wisdom, Justice. To begin to do this, each individual must choose then be led by principles of form, function, discipline, indulgence, that follow personal paths through peace, purpose, reason, passion, avoiding the siren call of one's ego.

Yes.

But am I asking for the impossible?

I acknowledge that perhaps for all of Humanity as a single entity, I am asking for the near-impossible. But this should not serve as a reason (excuse) for an individual human to:

• Not work past their ego and the comforts of bureaucracy, convention, certainty, division, to reach toward Beauty, Truth, Wisdom, Justice.
• Not seek collective peace, purpose, reason, passion.
• Not break free.

Though not a law or an expressly-worded right, it was certainly our intention that "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union… …secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..." Posterity: they were talking about us. And like they did then, today we have also forgotten that one day we will be forefathers. And like they did then, today we have positioned and posed the Blessings of our Liberty upon a stage built of old and new outdated arbitrary ways and rules and beliefs. Their intentions were good. Our intentions are good. Yet we still suffer, arbitrarily.

Resource: “a supply or source of aid or support; [a] means of producing wealth; capability, ingenuity, and initiative.”

Recycle: “to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse; to undergo reuse or renewal; be subject to or suitable for further use, activity, etc.”

To treat a resource as a recyclable is disrespectful and only serves to use it up more quickly.

No matter my potential though, I am not automatically a resource. One must work to become a resource and earn the sobriquet by contributing above-and-beyond value to the overall effort. Until I become a resource, I am a recyclable.

Calling everyone a resource, but treating everyone as a recyclable is inane, encouraging everyone to be a recyclable. Yet that is what we too frequently do and most individuals react accordingly. We treat everyone as a recyclable, first by calling everyone a resource, then by failing to ask questions, failing to listen, and/or failing to follow up; failures often accompanied by (depending on where you sit) reasons, justifications, excuses.

When treated as a recyclable and used up, a resource will (at least for a time) doggedly seek new opportunities for growth and improvement but if unavailable or unfound may slide into the role of a recyclable. When treated as a recyclable and used up, a recyclable will seek new or additional opportunities for self-gratifying justification and lacking (or not caring about) any ego or morale boost may move into a third possibility. When treated as a recyclable and used up, a cog is often allowed to wallow in the comfort of their simplicity.

I believe there may be more honor in being a cog than in being a recyclable. Yet I am fairly certain as a whole we would be better off if more of us aspired to be a resource; and even more so if we were treated as such.

Recently, when I moved from my role as a resource into a different department and role as a recyclable, HR conducted an exit interview asking what could have been done differently to have kept me as a resource. Talk about the proverbial barn door. They followed up asking if I had made my supervisors aware of my dissatisfaction. I had; repeatedly; for multiple years; politely and respectfully. The answer that always came back from my supervisors was that HR within their web of bureaucracy would not approve a just promotion and/or pay increase. HR believes justification is Justice. But Justice would actually require talking to the cows and agreeing to shut the barn door before we wander away. That is hard work (HR believes) requiring many additional layers of bureaucracy, (lots of new rules), covering every conceivable question, answer, response and reaction. HR pretends to be Human Resources. In practice, HR is Human Recycling.

And I am once again a recyclable.

Sure, I like credit, acclaim, notice that helps me to justify my existence. I am Human. But I also realize, especially in hindsight, that the Essence of Goodness has absolutely nothing to do with my existence. The best I might work to do is to not, (as much as the next person), contribute to or withhold from the Human Condition. The Human Condition, on average, sucks. And I am so tired of hearing about these rich and powerful people who give so much money to charity; to help others; to make the world a better place. Giving is only half the equation. How much are they withholding? Keeping for their self? I have much greater regard for those living paycheck to paycheck, giving everything they've got to keep their family afloat.

We live in a system that prohibits Essential Goodness. We live in a system that equates goodness with acclaim. We live in a system that encourages bluster over thoughtful understanding. We live in a system that works very hard to maintain itself as is. We live in a system in which the reality of us and them is obscured by a belief that all of us are segmented into overlapping, inauspicious layers, pockets, enclaves, tribes of them; a belief perpetuated (politically and socially) by the reality of power and wealth. In 1881 Leo Tolstoy said: “I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means---except by getting off his back. It is really so simple. If I want to aid the poor, that is, to help the poor not to be poor, I ought not to make them poor.” Yet the system insists.

I believe that a person at their best is neither good nor bad, but rather lost in a circumstance that tends toward either lucky or unfortunate. My job as a Human is to work each day to improve my self thus perhaps improving my circumstance and maybe making things a little better for those who are lost alongside me. The Essence of Goodness is (simply put) a community effort to improve circumstance for all of us sans credit or blame. This qualifier, (no credit, no blame), is extremely difficult for Humans. In the greater global political communities many of us, (all of us in the U.S.), unfortunately find ourselves lost in a circumstance in which far more effort is spent on credit and blame than on actual improvement. And as long as the driver is power and wealth, this will not change. Sadly, more and more smaller communities have learned to mimic this atrocious, structurally unsound behavior that not only negatively impacts our present-day well-being, but also threatens our long-term survival.

It is understandable that one who is lost would seek shelter, and it is true that a boosted morale helps to increase one's resolve providing some protection from the elements. It is also true that this has nothing to do with the Essence of Goodness.

When a breach is exposed, do we have a responsibility to see it? To shine a light and poke around? Search for what may have slipped through? Or are we better to let sleeping dogs die? And if not yet an actual breach, what is our responsibility to the potential? Do I look for cracks? Do I intentionally widen small cracks thus forcing power to see, in hope of repair and closure? Or by widening cracks, am I labeled an alarmist and do I lose credibility? In theory a breach is a breach. But what then if decisions are made (above my pay grade) to ignore the crack? To maintain status quo? To forego any search and rescue? Even if increased diligence results, is this enough?

This past week at work, in a new position, a potential breach introduced itself. At first management discouraged me from poking around because “it really isn't our job.” It was not the way things had always been done. I took initiative and started poking around anyway. And in my role as alarmist, I found multiple alarming examples of neglect; or worse. And once the wanton disregard was exposed, management was suddenly on board. In the context of the circumstance, there were casualties; people got hurt. Search and rescue will be a delicate, difficult operation. In theory a breach is a breach. Yet here in the early stages, I have the impression that I am the proverbial messenger.

There are parallels. Look at our nation (work) and our government (management). We have a long history in which wanton disregard begets wanton disregard. So many have slipped through the cracks. So many inequities in housing, healthcare, childcare, education; too many to really, adequately count. And perhaps this is why we allow management (our government) to ignore the cracks, forego search and rescue, claim that efforts are underway, maintain status quo. We are overwhelmed. We are accustomed. We are complicit.

System: (paraphrased from dictionary.com) – “an ordered, comprehensive, coordinated body of methods and/or a plan of procedure and/or a program of action.”

A system is created and put in place to accomplish an objective; so to create a system one must first grasp the objective. Nothing new. Per Stephen Covey, “begin with the end in mind.” But too often we conjure a system from the magic of past success with little or no consideration for present and future dissimilarities, resources, and/or circumstance, much less any new and/or evolving objectives. Complex systems are required to accomplish multiple, layered objectives.

In the workplace, I have observed the following, sometimes overlapping (categories of) systems utilized by individuals or workgroups to attain objectives:

• Do what I am told, (when I have to).
• Do it the way we have always done it.
• Willingly follow direction with a sense of responsibility.
• Squeaky wheel / put out fires / distracted / unfocused.
• Understand objectives working within a strict adherence to existing, approved, (often outdated) policy and procedure.
• Good intentions / possibly open to suggestions / rely on knowledge / rest on laurels.
• Understand objectives, listen attentively to stakeholders, and work to improve.
• Prolific uncertainty.

Prolificity and Prolific Uncertainty:

To be complete, prolificity must be more than productivity – (think of a prolific bureaucrat); it must also be fruitful, (i.e., good, beneficial). To be fruitful in one's efforts to be prolific one must also be thoughtful, one must doubt and question, one must evolve, learn, grow, and one must work to be prescient. This prolific uncertainty emphasizes quality over quantity; reason over acclaim. (8/5/23)

I want to believe, if given the opportunity, many (perhaps most) individuals and (especially) groups would gravitate toward prolific uncertainty. Unfortunately wielded power often squelches actual, beneficial progress and improvement by requiring one of the less flexible, less ordered, less comprehensive systems. Yet within a lesser system, I believe one should still thoughtfully (and according to circumstance, respectfully) doubt and question in order to personally evolve, learn, grow, and enhance the potential for Good. When one is trapped in a sucking spiral of sluggish buoyancy, one can choose to not suck.