Universalul "Om"

Cand ne uitam la un cadavru, am putea sa vedem in el un vas reciclabil care, pentru o foarte scurta perioada de timp, a fost umplut de un sistem genetic foarte complex. Prin intermediul acestui om "universal", conceptul universal de "om" a facut un mic, moderat sau mare pas inainte.. relativ. 
La invel ideologic, acelasi cadavru poate fi vazut ca un agent dezactivat, un soldat cazut in lupta pentru avansarea unui anumit sistem filosofic ce a avansat si el in functie de abilitatea agentului de a-l promova.
Aceste sisteme (atat genetice cat si ideologice) isi vor continua evolutia prin intermediul altor si altor agenti si al altor si altor soldati, de care sistemele se vor folosi si descotorosi in cursa lor catre suprematie.  

Tara paduchilor

Intr-un sat de la poalele unui deal, alunecarile de teren fac sa se darame cateva case din zona afectata. Se constata ca taierea copacilor de pe deal fusese o idee proasta. Consiliul judetean, care semnase si contractul cu firma de exploatare forestiera, promite sa se implice in rezolvarea unor asemenea probleme pe viitor. Primarii tuturor satelor din judet, le impun satenilor sa semneze un contract cu o firma de asigurari. Indiferent de pozitia caselor pe care le detin, satenii trebuie sa fie asigurati impotriva alunecarilor de teren. "Avem o comunitate foarte bine sudata.. oricand poti sa te afli in vizita la cineva care are casa la poalele dealului si pac, esti tocana!"

Dupa cateva discutii mai aprinse, cei care se impotrivesc sunt numiti satanisti si reprezentatii asociatilor fermierilor din judet, in frunte cu preotul, decid ca asigurarea trebuie sa fie facuta impreuna cu rugaciunea, fiindca "Doamne fereste, cate se pot intampla".

Firma de asigurari face o inspectie in zonele afectate si decide ca toti satenii, pentru a fi protejati trebuie sa poarte neaparat casca. La magazin, la biserica, la sapa, la cosit, la birt, unde-o fi.. Se mai impotrivesc cativa, dar preotul organizeaza o campanie de vopsit cruci intoarse pe usile acestora si in curand, toate vocile care mai indraznesc sa spuna ceva, sunt unanime.

Dispar frizeriile si coafoarele, nu se mai vinde sampon, in schimb se deschid magazine care vand casti in diferite culori sau abtibilduri cu tot felul de mesaje care mai de care mai progresiste.

Tot mai multi copii si oameni cu capul mic, se impiedica de obstacole sau se izbesc de pereti din cauza castii care, fiind prea mare, le vine peste ochi.

O parte dintre satenii cu casca, continua sa-si construiasca case in zone cu risc ridicat de alunecari de teren, insa spre marea surprindere a acestora, unele dintre alunecari, inca le mai darama din case, chiar daca nu in intregime, iar daramaturile care le cad in cap, inca dor. Cazurile au fost putine, insa unora le-a fost rupt chiar gatul, cu toate ca purtau casca.. Firma de asigurari spune ca in aceste conditii nu poate sa reinnoiasca polita si propune sa fie purtata o a doua casca, cu curele mai lungi ca sa poata sa fie asezata deasupra celeilalte. Aceasta urmeaza sa fie o conditie irefutabila. Dupa un mini-vot formal, cei de la asigurari distribuie castile suplimentare prin intermediul firmei producatoare.

Dupa ce zonele defrisate sunt reimpadurite, casele afectate sunt reconstruite cu ajutorul fondurilor generoase ale comunitatii si dupa ce se constata ca nici doua casti nu sunt chiar super eficiente sub un tavan care are mai mult de 40 de kg, oamenii incep sa abandoneze casele de la poalele dealurilor, dar preotul spune ca la biserica nu se vine fara doua casti, brutarul nu vinde nici el fara, barmanu' nu-ti da nimic, bilet de tren nu-ti primesti. Prima firma de casti pentru bebelusi fusese numita "Prichindeal"

Valoarea de Post-Adevar

Am decis sa scriu acest text pentru a lansa o provocare intelectuala celor care sunt interesati, dar si pentru a-mi largi propria perspectiva cu ajutorul interactiunilor la care sper. 

As incepe cu o intrebare: Credeti ca traim deja intr-o era post-adevar, in care valoarea unei idei e direct proportionala cu popularitatea ei?
Sau ca adevarul exista doar daca e aprobat de constiinta?

Cum am aflat cu totii, omul modern care vrea sa socializeze si sa fie conectat la "realitate", trebuie sa proceseze informatiile intr-un ritm tot mai alert.  

Institutile care mediaza aceste informatii, stiu foarte bine cum sa le ambaleze in asa fel incat sa ne scoata din indiferenta si apatie.  Au reusit sa angreneze oamenii simpli in probleme globale. Cand zic oameni simpli, ma refer la cei care in general nu inteleg evenimentele din satul sau din blocul vecin, dar care sunt invitati sa discute despre ce-ar trebui sa faca marile puteri.
 
O alta conditie pentru a fi social acceptabil e sa-ti reglezi foarte rapid valorile, pentru a te plia pe noile realitati. Cei care petrec prea mult timp investigand un subiect, raman in urma cu celelalte. Creierul insusi a devenit o aplicatie care cere update-uri tot mai frecvente. Elon Musk cu al lui Neuralink o sa ocupe si de procesor. 

Suntem conditionati sa avem neaparat o parere, sa reactionam, sa devenim agenti ai unor idei pe care n-avem timpul sau capacitatea sa le digeram, dar care sunt servite zilnic de algoritmul care ne defineste si redefineste Realitatea. Tribalismul online si afinitatile ideologice tot mai cristalizate fac dialogul cu rezidentii unei alte bule informationale aproape imposibil, pentru ca nici unii, nici altii nu facem altceva decat sa reiteram agenda si propagandele la care suntem abonati. 

Prin urmare, incepem sa ne uitam unii la altii ca la niste pacienti de sanatoriu cu care trebuie sa fim foarte atenti ca nu cumva sa declansam o criza de isterie. Asteasta precautie e desigur apanajul oamenilor mai delicati.. militantii vor sa faca scantei, sa strige la opozantii reali sau imaginari, sa nege pana si valoarea umanitatii care nu se aliniaza cu ideologia pe care o servesc ei. 

Dialectica a fost si ramane o indeletnicire pentru filosofi, iar filosofatul e astazi sinonim cu a fi un pierde-vara intr-o lume alerta, in care primeaza dezvoltarea cu orice pret, fast food-ul emotional si intelectual, productia in masa si uniformizarea.   

Speculez ca Judecatile apriori si concluziile nascute din premise neverificate, sunt si ele efecte secundare ale unei suprasolicitari mentale. Aceste scurtaturi ne sapa insa o capcana in care se cade foarte usor: anume Sofistica.

Daca ar fi sa o stratific in stilul lui Aligheri, ar arata cam asa: 

Stratul inferior, care e si cel mai gros, e format de cei care efectiv nu au capacitatea pentru logica. Ei sunt nascuti cu proverbele si concluziile in gura si capata migrene sau devin recalcitranti daca cineva incearca sa le deschida perspectiva.   

Al doilea strat e format de cei care, desi au discernamant,  sunt hipnotizati de personaje carismatice ce le suspenda abilitatile critice; temporar sau uneori chiar permanent. Influencerii care vand majoritatea produselor si ideilor in ziua de azi sunt superstaruri din lumea muzicii si a sportului, dar si personaje care au talentul de-a castiga followeri cu diferite forme si talente de care dispun. Politicienii o fac mult mai putin decat in trecut. 

Al treilea strat e format de cei care se conving pe ei insisi ca 2+2 e 3 pentru a supravietui in sistemul care ii hraneste sau pentru a fi acceptati in cercul lor social. Acestia aplica tot soiul de axiome si truisme, in functie de circumstante si sunt imuni la ipocrizie sau disonante cognitive. 

Un ultim strat, e format de oameni care au suficiente chei, capacitatea de analiza, inteligenta necesara sa identifice tipare si sa faca analogii corecte in orice domeniu, dar care se folosesc de sofisme pentru a-si exercita influenta si puterea asupra celorlalti. Scopul lor e puterea in sine, dar fiind competitivi din fire, ar fi mai putin plictisiti daca publicul ar fi ceva mai inteligent. Initial, sofismele sunt pentru ei o strategie, nu o capcana, dar cu cat le exerseaza mai mult, cu atat mult sunt prinsi in acest joc, pana la punctul de non-return.

Idealistii care dau share la caricatura aia in care un politician sta deasupra prapastiei pe o barna care e contrabalansata de o multime, vor sa glorifice adevarata putere a maselor in relatia cu autoritatile. Ei bine acesti idealisti nu inteleg ceva: majoritatea cazuta la fundul capcanei sofistice e sufocata de alte straturi de sofisti care creaza o delimitare insurmontabila intre ei si adevarata putere. 

Avansul tehnologic din secolul XXI a fost incredibil. Ganditi-va doar de cate ori a trebuit sa va adaptati si redefiniti in ultimii 20 de ani. Bunicii nostri si cei dinaintea lor, cu toate razboaiele si crizele economice pe care le-au suferit, au ramas mult mai consistenti de-a lungul vietii lor. In interiorul comunitatii lor, au avut linistea necesara pentru a-si defini propriile valori, au avut credinta ca si punct de reper si lumina calauzitoare. Oare suntem mai fericiti decat ei sau am devenit cumva mai valorosi decat ei, acum ca lumea e deschisa? 

P.S. Astăzi, bucuriile sunt mai diluate, nevralgiile dor mai tare, stresul e mai apăsător, rezistența la suferință e mai mică pt că suferim împreună pe internet, toți pentru unul, unul pentru toți. Francis Bacon spunea ca un prieten bun iti dubleaza bucuria si injumatateste tristetea, dar expunerea bucuriilor si tristetilor unei comunitati globale, plina de necunoscuti, s-ar putea sa aiba un efect exact invers. 

Intermission

If you get caught up in the utter Absurdity of various political scenarios for the future, you will completely lose control of your own life.

You will become just as helpless as a dreamer who has no power over the dream sequence.

When people talk about "waking up", they mostly don't know what they're saying. Waking up doesn't mean that you can wander the dreamland in search of a better dream. There is a dream machine at work and it can keep you busy processing the endless visions and dreams that it's sending your way; these are very powerful spells. In fact so powerful, that by merely acknowledging their existence, you won't be able to wake up anymore. It's like binge watching an endless TV show and being so captured by the random scenarios that you forget to do the dishes, feed the cat, see your family, call your friends, live.

Also, if someone proves to you that you are dreaming and you feel that you woke up as a result, it means that you are still asleep. It's just that you've started a new dream..

The God trade

In about 500 B.C., Xenophanes (pre-Socratic philosopher), asserted that animals, like us, would also draw gods in their own image, if they had the ability to do so. 

This was a criticism directed at the Greeks who were acceptant of the anthropomorphised images of their deities. And this has been our privileged species' bias for many millennia. 

2.500 years after Xenophanes, the deities are starting to lose their grip on humanity (thanks, Nietzsche!), but secularism has pushed more and more people on their own little ideological islands, where they rarely trade in ideas with anyone else; but they are quick to go to war fluttering their own unique island flag.

A new belief is being pushed onto us which says that no amount of diversity is too much diversity, that there is no normality, that our identities are limitless and that our billions of cells function according to the laws of quantum mechanics. We are being told that morality itself is a construct, that all values are debatable, that we've been doing it wrong for many, many millennia. 

The internet and its storytelling is expanding at a rate which is faster than any of our forefathers could have ever imagined. For instance, YouTube alone uploads 100 hours of video every minute!! 

Does this endless dilution of content, stories and heroes coincide with a richer set of values or will it lead us astray, following a personalized maze that will ultimately end up in a mental asylum, were everyone is raving about their own little philosophies and special illusions? Has it already happened with the perfection of the algorithms which recommend content for our little bubbles? 

One could argue that a limitless diversity of choice is helping all disenfranchised individuals find an identity thus spurring them on in their pursuit of happiness. 

But there are also those who see the social fabric coming apart at its seams. The super-educated youth is encouraged to roam free, away from the herd; But isn't this also an unprecedented opportunity for all sorts of predators? 

For an inquisitive mind, all universal truths should be challenged and put under scrutiny. Many of the very intelligent people, in pursuit of their epistemological Zenith will use compelling arguments against the unifying ideas of religion, even against the idea of God. They will say that believing this story has only brought misery and intellectual stagnation for "the many". Are they truthful? Humanitarians?  I have the feeling that not many wise people will agree.. 

Welcome to my pond

Dear friends, I fear that I have gone mad, so I warn you that what I am about to write could have been tainted by the machinations of a f(r)oggy mind. Continue reading at your own risk of contagion.

I don't know exactly when this could have happened, but I think I have become a frog. I am able to recall a time before this current state I am in.. but to my disappointment, I was a simple man, never a prince. This might make it a bit harder to return to my previous human condition, knowing that my reversed metamorphosis would not promise a significantly better situation. 

Of course, I have learned to be especially alert around snakes and birds, I am still developing my croaking skills and catching insects has proven to be harder than I thought. But aside from all that, the pond is really welcoming and I don't pay rent. I especially like the crickets at night.. how often does your food sing for you? 

There's a enormously long list of things that I like, but my absolute favourites are jumping and croaking with my army in the dead of night. The stars aren't so bad either and I can still remember some of the constellations from when I was a little kid. 

I'm pretty old for a frog; while I was checking my reflection in the pond, I noticed that I share the features of maturity common to the group's elders. However, they have not invited me to join them, seeing how clumsy I was at the most trivial frog tasks. If they could speak, they would probably express their perplexity at how I had managed to stay alive for so long. The same day I had joined them, a youngster had to kick me into the water in order to save my life. My skin was dry and I was choking.. I had no idea what was happening to me. To this day, I haven't been able to learn how to communicate verbally with them, but I now understand the basic does and don'ts. 

As a human, I had always called myself a night owl, the other night I was snatched by one. It let me go when I used my human voice and as I was falling from the night sky, twisting and turning through the air, I was concerned that, having heard me, my army would finally banish me from the pond. I landed in the water, next to my Lily pad. I climbed on top of it and started croaking the best I could. 

It might have been my loudest and most confident croaking yet and the others soon joined in with the same level of enthusiasm. 

No, I don't think I'm going back to being a human.. sure, I miss some people, my REM sleep and some comforts here and there, but this life is mostly better. I don't miss my stupid human brain. I now believe that the capacity to understand freedom is directly proportional with the capacity to invent reasons for slavery. 

P.S. many people I know have also been transformed into frogs and some have accepted the invitation to climb into a very very large pot filled with water. 

I sometimes miss a hot bath as well..