Ideologies are Irreconcilable

Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.

--George Santayana

image by Beautymist

I have to be careful not to assess actions as if there was some objective correlation between any deed and what I anticipate as its result. It is a bit of psychological shorthand, often inspired by the pace in which we try to process information/experience these days. However, the price of this convenience is that we might not look deeply enough into the act and its initiator to recognize their true character. After all, it is primarily the motivation/intention of any action that will determine its final nature or manifestation.


Look within the mind that conceived the goal if you seek the tools to judge the value or success.—Strike a Chord of Silence, CG Walters


Alan Watts is a philosopher that I have always enjoyed, mostly because of his combination of insight and unwillingness to take anything too seriously—at least that was the persona of his lectures. In an example of assessing the truest nature of one particular action that is easily categorized—political agenda—this eternally relevant quote from his book, “The Way of Zen” seemed particularly pertinent in the world today.


“It is a basic Confucian principle that it is [a person] that makes a truth great, not truth that makes [a person] great. For this reason, ‘humanness’ or ‘human-heartedness’ (jen) was always felt to be superior to ‘righteousness (i), since [people themselves are] greater than any idea which [they] may invent. There are times when [people’s] passions are much more trustworthy than their principles. Since opposed principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars (ideological or literal) fought over principle will be wars of mutual annihilation. But wars fought for simple greed (as opposed to ideological/corporate greed) will be far less destructive because the aggressor will be careful not to destroy what he is fighting to capture. Reasonable [humans] will always be capable of compromise, but [people] who have dehumanized themselves by becoming blind worshipers of any idea or an ideal are fanatics whose devotion to abstractions makes them enemies of life.”


In reading this, I was taken with several points:
1) There is at least some benefit to greed (and other ‘bad’ traits, etc.—if we see from a broad enough perspective)


2) Ideologies are irreconcilable, but not people


3) Blindly following an ideal is dehumanizing


Also, I would like to restate this great bit of Confucian wisdom:
It is [a person]--their true nature, and therefore their intention--that makes a truth great, not truth that makes [a person] great.
  ---working in the name of supposed noble cause will not alter the basic petty nature or intention of an self-serving absolutist


For those of you who would like a quick re/introduction to Alan Watts, try these videos http://deoxy.org/watts.htm

Blessings and wonder to you and all you hold dear, 

Celebrate What's Right in the World!

Strike a Chord of Silence, CG's  book of metaphysical maxims and essays.

Available in Kindle  ($.99 USD). International and US print sales, are available at  online bookstores and upon request from your local bookstore.

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CG Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives.