Trepidation

The End of Reason

This morning I awoke at 4:30 am, which of itself isn’t entirely unusual. I have a few physical issues that affect my sleep, but this was different. In the back of my mind was, and is, this amorphous, soft, but deliberate and intrusive voice. It is never explicit. Subtle, yet consistent in its message of unease, of trepidation.

It isn’t anything to do with me per se, rather the angst is caused by the unknown. The unknown, yet knowing of the subconscious suggests that all is not right with the world. A fact that is almost laughable in its obviousness. But this isn’t about the physical world, climate change, or the loss of biodiversity, etc., as science is rational and usually somewhat predictable. Instead, it’s as though my sixth sense, that part of my brain that measures all things for consistency, that uses logic, reason and comparative analysis, doesn’t like something, as though there exists a substance in the atmosphere that one can sense but not see, feel, but not touch.

It’s more about intention than knowledge, as though a force one cannot define is creeping across the earth and into the psyche of people containing a message and some form of malevolence, of intention to do harm.

When one looks around this little blue orb and attempts to measure the level of maliciousness, hate, anger, and desire, even need for retribution amongst people, it isn’t an easily quantifiable measurement. People are deliberately obtuse and unwilling to state their true intent. Often this is as a result of some internal conflict with their state of emotions. I should not hate, or promote hatred, but I just can’t help myself. People are agrieved. They aren’t able to articulate specifically why they feel the way they do, – they just do.

Whether discussing politics, religion, the law, ethics, or morality, people fail to analyze their personal level of knowledge, their reasoning or even whether their thoughts have rationality. And today, the media, group-think and an affinity for not testing one’s assumptions and assertions has led entire masses of people, each with an umbrella of singular and often very simple thought processes to take exception with the mainstream, or what I would have deemed to be, mainstream thought.

Insular thought, protective of the core of its message is now becoming so entrenched amoung groups that there is no ability to break through into what should be individual intelligence and reason. People, not all, but certainly enough to create movements of entrenched and unreasonable ideas, now avoid any instrument, device or person who may well throw their ‘belief’, their position, their assertion into question or doubt. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, they are headed towards an objective that will only illustrate its full intent when the worst situation becomes reality.

Close-minded, narrow viewpoints, insular thought and untested and irrational suppositions lead these groups towards action that will further entrench each ‘side’ of a position or argument. It leads to escalation, distrust of the ‘other’, demonizing of ‘those’ who would disagree, and eventually hate that illustrates itself as prejudice, followed by discrimination, and ultimately, violence, even warfare.

Today, all of this is evident. One need only listen to the hate speech dripping from actors, often politicians, in almost every country and its political elites to experience fear and revulsion at where we as human beings are headed. Tolerance, hopefulness, reason, empathy, kindness and love are all in short supply and the shelves are bare.

I have historically been optimistic and forward-looking, but the future is ill-defined and filled with minefields to navigate. This leaves one disquieted. While not anywhere near full blown fight or flight, trepidation exists and I feel it whispering each day.

I don’t plan on going anywhere existentially challenging in the immediate future, but I do worry about what is over the horizon for my children and their children.

Be well, be present.

Ciao…