Voyerism

I met an interesting young woman at my friend's wedding this weekend. She's a Anthropology Ph.D. candidate at a prestigious university and charming company. Normally, I'm not that fond of academics but she isn't your average academic. She spent 24 months in Sierra Leone which is quite a feat. We talked about our experiences in Africa-- hers being much more intense than mine. It really made me question my right to talk about Africa. I've been there quite a bit but I've always been focused on my objectives. I was never particularly concerned with the locals except as being an obstacle to what I wanted to accomplish. It was really refreshing to talk to someone who knows far more about this topic than I do.

Anyway, we both got to talking about how much we hate it when someone come up and asks for a simple answer to some pretty complex questions. For her, it's when people walk up to her and say, "What's the deal with Africa?" as if Africa is some monolithic identity. The question is silly and it's insulting. Even if it could be answered like that, why would that person deserve it.

I think we're so used to getting things for free in our Country. In many ways, we have become the Cult of the Victim because we make it so rewarding to be a victim. There should be a cost for losing. There should be cost for sucking or even coming in second place. That's what makes you work hard. If there is no difference in standard of living or honor between achievement and failure, why should I work hard or risk to achieve? And I'm always amazed by folks who think they can achieve a great deal without risk. That's absolutely ridiculous. That's the whole sub-prime mess. People thought they could get rich speculating on real estate. They rolled the dice and they lost. Now they're expecting the Government to bail them out. The Government shouldn't be a wet-nurse or a nanny. That's not the foundation of a free people. It's really obvious. Take money from your parents and they have a say in your life. Take money from the Government and it's the same except the Government has the power to put you in jail if you displease it. Why would you want to give it any more power than is absolutely necessary? The idea that you can get something for nothing from the Government is modern day alchemy. It's a fool's errand.

But that's how our Country has devolved. Look at our fascination with horror films. Fear is no longer a real thing. We can rationalize it away. There is no consequence for the fear we experience. We're just spectators and never have to pay a price beyond the ticket. That's all fine but what happens when we come up against a real fear? People don't believe that there's anything to really be afraid of anymore. We've collectively become like the idiot who tries to feed the bear at Yellowstone Park. Wild animals are not cute. They will kill you whether you're scared of them or not. Scared people live. People who don't think there's anything to be afraid of get selected out. Look at terrorism-- specifically Islamic terrorism. People here in San Francisco love to say that there's nothing to be afraid of, that we're making it all up. I was in NYC during 9/11 and I find that sentiment extremely insulting. I think these same people cling to conspiracy theories because the option is simply too terrifying for them to contemplate. Better to think that it's a monster you know than one you can't possibly fathom. So all these people have confused their movie, voyeuristic understanding of fear with something that should really inspire it. And deserves to inspire it. Try to walk down the street in Saudi Arabia holding your boyfriend's hand and you'll see what kind of world is the option.

But back to my friend. She paid dearly for what she knows and understands. She has earned the position she is in and the beliefs she holds. She can back them up with thought and experience. Even if you repeated what she said word for word at a cocktail party, it wouldn't have the same effect because you wouldn't truly understand. Truth exists and can only be experienced. Language-- any language-- is only an approximation. The better we get with language, the more acute our perception, the closer we may get but there will always be a gulf between the Truth and any approximation. "It is like a finger pointing at the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory."

Bottom line, you don't know unless you've been there. Even then, you might not be able to make sense of it for quite some time. That's why I think folks should do stuff before they go to school. You should accumulate experience before you learn to make sense of it. Otherwise, all that school will develop for you are lenses with which you may view the world, making you miss something you might have seen without them.

Again, it's like the martial arts. There are Truths contained in the arts which I cannot verbalize. You simply have to experience them. There are no words to accurately describe concepts which much be felt to be understood. As I commonly say, "Understanding is the reward, not the prerequisite." I think all great truths follow this rule.