These are the minutes of The September Second Society, a league of engineers, scientists, artists, philosophers, and others who meet in defiance of the Council of Quiet, Lethal Gents (and a few girls) to take again possession of the world for the person.
“Some individuals simply will not pay attention, so that you settle for that and transfer on.”
It was recommendation given to a member who had noticed that many individuals in his circle are victims of beliefs.
Beliefs that offend logic.
Beliefs with no rationale or origin.
Beliefs they don’t want to clarify, even to themselves.
Beliefs which have THEM, quite than the opposite means round.
What beliefs?
That they’re protected by a divine wind from Sweet Mountain, that they’re entitled to reside in full security and on the expense of others, with free well being care, free schooling, free meals, free housing, a brand new automotive, cash to waste, place, respect, no matter anybody else has, proper now.
It doesn’t assist that college students are inoculated in opposition to purpose in public college, and in lots of non-public and parochial faculties as properly. A social experiment by a member of Faculty Republicans on the College of California Merced (Oliver Darcy, a latest graduate) proposed redistribution of grade factors, which “A” college students have been in opposition to as a result of they labored for his or her grades. Nonetheless, the scholars have been unable to make the connection between that and the redistribution of wealth, saying they’re various things. With a shudder, I recall studying within the opening chapters of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Adolph Hitler’s message to German dad and mom, 1933: “We have already got your kids.”
Somebody urged that affluence creates indifference to the concept of freedom (individuality, self-determination, and associated ideas). Perhaps, however a mechanism for that’s troublesome to think about. It’s doubtless that many individuals merely worth affluence above freedom of motion, or mistakenly consider they’re the identical factor.
One other one posed the query, “What can I do proper now, at present?”
On the subject of delivering a message over the noise and pressing considerations of day-to-day existence, that message have to be as penetrating and directed as a rifle shot, “one particular person at a time”, as somebody stated. You can not get a crowd to suppose. Solely the person issues.
Governments development to corruption. You’ll be able to’t depend on them. And every little thing appears to devolve into politics. It is like “warmth loss of life” in astrophysics, the state wherein the universe should finish.
“It solely takes a minority to show issues round,” stated one, proposing politics as an answer. “Christians are on our facet.” (The enemy of my enemy is my pal.) In any other case affordable individuals consider the earth may be sustained indefinitely and made free by politics alone.
However none of that’s DOING one thing.
We attempt to derive some use from social psychology utilizing laboratory animals, particularly John B. Calhoun’s experiments with rats, however hit a snag when considered one of us says that psychological research with animals imply nothing as a result of animals should not have free will. Why not? It appears unlikely that animals, who’re so like people genetically, mustn’t have every little thing people have in a point. Animals I do know appear to have loads of free will. In any case, it’s clear that rats an different residing issues don’t do properly when escaping their surroundings, whether or not enclosed by metropolis streets or by gravity, is an impossibility.
Conclusions about DOING one thing:
Don’t abandon your rules. Act on them at all times. For instance, should you suppose that politics is a street to something, promote bumper stickers and tee shirts. One other means of claiming that has celebrated origins (JFK in 13 Days): “There’s something immoral about abandoning your individual judgment.”
Suppose, however not about your enemies. It is a waste of time.
Persuade one particular person at a time when you possibly can. Don’t fret an excessive amount of concerning the lots.
With exceptions, persons are unmoved by logic. Nonetheless, they’re extremely attentive to emotional stimuli. Nobody believes a real factor except their coronary heart believes it first. For those who can, use artwork to convey your ideas (write, draw, movie, sing).
Determine friends and mentors when you possibly can, and cahootanize with them on experiments that are likely to actualize your mutual philosophy. Strive Burning Man, a desert artwork journey that creates a venue for actualization.
Finally, set your sights on an goal that you just suppose represents an answer, and do what you possibly can, when you possibly can, to advance towards your purpose. Keep the course. Do not concern your self an excessive amount of with the top sport. Simply take the subsequent step, and “go confidently within the course of your goals; reside the life you’ve got imagined” (Henry David Thoreau).