Choice

Day of 9 Blue Solar Night

Tone 9 (Solar): Creative power to Pulse Intention, action of Realizing

Blue Night Seal (AKBAL): Dreams and emphasizes Abundance

There is this insidious quality of contemporary (and by contemporary I'm referring to, at least, the past 800 years) societies/World Society that effectually convinces many that choice is not a personal option. Instead, choice has been commandeered by institutional conceptions of "appropriate grouping."

Under this guise, choice is delineated first by Nation, then by Society, then by Community, then by Family, then by Educational Institution and eventually by Work Environment. At some point far at the end of these - at least in the USA - we also claim that individual choice is possible...when it comes to...shopping....and... buying things.

This is incredibly problematic for an array of reasons. I shall attempt to go through each "appropriate grouping" one at a time.

On Nations

It is very difficult for me to even translate the horror I feel about Nations into conceivable text. I am utterly disturbed by the flamboyant means by which our species decrees that other equal members of our species are not included in our conception of "humanity" and access to it.

Having been born on Earth as a member of the conceivably dominant species, it has always occurred to me that the Earth is my home. THE WHOLE OF IT. Undivided by trivialities like, "this side of the line is mine" and "do you have a book of arbitrary numbers and stamps that says you can be at this place on your own planet?"

This isn't even to speak of governments that compile endlessly self-indulgent and incessant divisions via paperwork that explain why Patch of Land A cannot conceivably trust, be open to, or employ individuals from Patch of Land B.

Nationalism is just Bureaucratic Fascism

Considering this, it is outrageous that government representatives tell you that you don't/can't know what's good for you when it comes to "National Security," when it is in fact "National Security" that effectually causes you to be unsafe.

If all "borders" on this planet were open for passage by anyone who desired to traverse them, why would anyone spend their time fuming over one area of the world and its culture when they could EASILY become a member or resident of said place WHENEVER they desired and effectually assist in redefining that areas culture????

If "Nations" didn't exist then individuals couldn't spend time attaching themselves to arbitrary social conditioning belonging to one province of the planet because all land would be a potential home to them and nobody would stop them from being and experiencing wherever they wanted to be and experience! They could just apply their nationalistic allegiance to THE PLANET.

So when ANY national government tells me the parameters of my choices - when it comes to the "appropriate grouping" called Nationalism - are being "patriotic," following the laws without question, turning in individuals who do not have passports and - essentially - considering other people on this planet to FIRST be "other" than what I am; I cannot help but feel violated down to the very core of me.

Governments, especially, love to convince individuals that Nationalism is "too big to fail," that bureaucracy makes Government near impossible to change in any substantial way and that without "Nations" the world would go to shit...but much of the world is already made quite shitty by National Governments themselves...and this is what they don't want us noticing. This is what they blame on "procedure" or "budgets" or "other governments" RATHER than on inappropriate grouping.

If "Nations" acted more like caretakers of the land on which they reside, instead of "owners" of the land they temporarily reside upon, then hostility would at least be at a greater minimum than as it currently exists. Most Native Americans could have told and could tell you this, but naturally they've nearly all been wiped out in the name of "National Security."

On Society

In order to avoid the many minor differences between the majority of "popular" forms of societies, I would like to address our World Society (as it is the largest group consciousness involved in our planet's current existence).

World Society, as it is currently underdeveloped, posits that choices first belong to Governmental Structures. Societies design "governments" with the same basic parameters: borders (and now, because of Western domination, passports), allegiance, laws, cultural recognition, familial frameworks, educational rearing, etc.

We are called the "Human Race" and yet it seems we're not content with such a unifying terminology. We must have Continents, Countries, Races, Religions, Gender, Age Groups and Classes (in many places one or more of these categories aren't even recognized outside of the dominant demographic).

Yet while these categories may appear to provide an individual with some kind of choice or mobility it is left (we have allowed it to be) up to individual societies and, essentially, their governments to determine the assigned meanings to these categories. They explain to you being "10" means this, and being "Asian" means that, and that being "Middle Class" actually means something relevant.

Society, at its purest, really just seeks to provide a basic (unifying) rubric to its participants so that each might know some basic paths they might begin to walk their lives down (before and so they can develop their own unique way/path of existence); but historical (and contemporary since half the world still lives in the past and ESPECIALLY their personal past) prejudice has made it so that certain categories - even if personally chosen with integrity...or not chosen at all - are deviant while other categories are prestigious.

Where Nations have taken on, and have been allowed to maintain, the position of "Ruler;" Societies have happily taken on, and have been allowed to maintain, the position of "Judge."

This is problematic because it is and has always been the responsibility of the individual to take on the roles of both Ruler and Judge for themself. And, where consent is continuously given/accepted, for groups of like-minded individuals to make basic rules and judgements for a collective of selves.

Knowing this, Society was never meant to overrule the needs of individuals - particularly if it is not representative of them. A Social Contract is a living breathing document that has the power to positively or negatively affect a great many lives; therefore, it is a document that members of ANY society must watch over, observe and experience MOST VIGILANTLY if they actually desire a sustaining lifestyle.

On Community

Community, by definition, can mean and be a lot of things. It's every collective group of peoples from the KKK to the Gay, Gay, Gay. We are the company we keep, and because Society (oft times via government) has so "graciously" offered us a rubric of "community" from which to choose from, often times people just keep company with others who share the most basic of characteristics. "Race," "Age" and "Religion" being the larger dividers. "Gender" and "Class" coming up fast for second place. "Countries" and "Continents" being communities by default as free passage is not granted to all persons of the Earth, which discourages mobility and makes it difficult. 

Again, concepts of community are within an individuals choice. You must, generally, associate yourself with a group in order to affiliate with it. If you don't care about race, you wouldn't find it important to surround yourself with a community that does. If you don't care for religion, you don't find it necessary to only affiliate with people who do. If you don't care about "Nationalism" you're not likely to only be surrounded by members of your birth "Nation."

The difficultly here lies with the fact that Education, Work and Family are generally held responsible for offering up what's possible in terms of self and self-communities. This wouldn't be an issue if Education, Work and Family weren't STRONGLY governed by Societies (not in their purest form) and, consequently, often governed by governments with (still rooted or unaddressed) shady historical dealings. 

Community suffers from any governing that isn't a product of the individual selves involved. If community isn't created both consciously and consensually by its members, it can have STRONG NEGATIVE EFFECTS on those individual members.

Thus many communities which are "basic," meaning that they don't share actual personal characteristics of the individuals within them and instead base their commonality on largely obvious or dogmatic conceptions such as "Race," "Gender," "Age," and "Religion," continue to seem and feel downtrodden (unless, of course, their goal is oppress others and they are doing that successfully).

Feeling downtrodden is an affect of not feeling like you have agency. Agency is really a personal thing, though it can be commandeered by groupthink, that allows an individual to know they are in control of their own existence and make their own choices. Ideas like "Race," "Age," "Gender" and "Religion" can - when negatively posited - clearly undermine personal feelings of control of ones own existence and ones own choices. This is because these "communities," when viewed throughout History, have been agents of a great amount of SUFFERING. As they haven't been analyzed simply as an outdated cast of history, and as they are continuously observed in the present as STILL relevant to "everyones" existence, they still carry a large capacity for that same historical suffering/downtroddeness. 

For example: a) "Well I'm black so that must mean I'm not capable of this..." b) "Well I'm young so that must mean I don't know about this... c) "Well I was raised Christian but I'm gay so I must be a sinner because of this..." d) "Well I'm female so that must mean I'm not strong enough to do this..." and the list goes on, and on, and on...

On Family, Education and Work

Ultimately these three could have their own categories, but as our examples of them are generally those created by Society and Government I thought that it was fitting to speak about them as one.

These 3 Institutions are probably the strongest tools that Societies and Governments hold, whether they are positively or negatively influenced.

These 3 Institutions are present in every Home Framework. The parents may work or may be getting educated, the children may be getting educated (even if the education isn't "formal") and may work, and together these individuals make up what we generally call "family."

Clearly the most important of these institutions is Family, because without that institution in place there are precious few people to provide the Work and Educational Institutions with their services or slave labor. Unfortunately the Familial Institution is where some of the most fundamental damage to individuals is taking place. This is mainly because of Gender Roles, lack of Child Autonomy and how Intimate Relations are legally, socially and personally conceived.

Western Society, at least, offers up the following as a healthy and happy life rubric:

Birth, 2 parent opposite-sex household (possibly with siblings), Capitalism/buying stuff, mandatory education, Capitalism/buying stuff, legality, Capitalism/buying stuff, higher education, job/work, Capitalism/buying stuff, own home, Capitalsm/buying stuff, marriage, Capitalism/buying stuff, children, Capitalism/buying stuff, retirement and death.

This is proving to be a very unsatisfactory lifestyle to many. Particularly in the Work/Marriage/Children department.

I will say more on this, but really this combination of Institutions deserves its own post.

On Individual Choice

Last, but certainly most important, comes the individuals' choice(s) within their existence. And no, it certainly does not end - or even begin - with your shopping options.

I've been having a lot of conversations on the topic of individual choice lately, and it has come to my attention that the majority of people (I've spoken to about it) really cannot conceive of HOW MUCH CHOICE is available to them on the subject of their own lives. Particularly I've noticed how individuals believe their past choices are in control of their present ones, rather than their present choices being a product of effectively using/catalyzing their past choices.

When I say individual I'd like to make it clear that I do not mean individual in the Western sense.

That is to say I do not mean: Individual Before Group. As that is the case, I also do not come from the opposite "Traditional" philosophy either, which is Group Before Individual.

Where I am coming from is a place/philosophy I like to think of as: Individual for Group/Group for Individual. That is to say, I believe in individuals being their best possible selves so that they can in turn be the best possible contributors in society that they can be. Concordently, a society made up of such individuals would act back upon individuals in a similar way. Meaning, Society as its best possible collective so that it in turn can provide for the best individuals that said societies individuals can be.

This kind of society (or person collective) requires a LARGE AMOUNT of self-accountability, acknowledgement, intent and responsibility. It requires individuals to admit to the things they submit to within their social, societal and governmental frameworks and for societies/governments to take accountability for the laws and bureaucracy they claim to have no power over (even though we made and continue to make all this shit up ourselves!!!!!).

So choice. Individual choice in EVERY ASPECT of EXISTENCE. This includes but is not limited to the following:

1. I am allowing myself to respond to this experiential catalyst in this way (i.e. with anger, wisdom, openness, joy, stress, fear, etc.)

2. I am allowing myself to be treated by others in this way (i.e. with anger, wisdom, openness, joy, stress, fear, etc.)

3. I am treating myself in this way (i.e. with anger, wisdom, openness, joy, stress, fear, etc.)

4. I am allowing my desires/dreams to be proscribed for me by (i.e. family, community, society, government, self, etc.)

5. I am treating my dreams/desires in this way (i.e. important, unimportant, trivial, all important, acceptable, unacceptable, invalid, valid, etc.)

6. I am allowing my choices to be governed by (i.e. law, government, family, society, self, community, etc.)

7. I am allowing my freedom to be defined by (i.e. family, community, society, government, self, etc.)

8. I AM ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE DEFINED/CREATED BY (i.e. Self????? Family???? Community???? Society???? Government????)

9. I AM ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE LOVED/VALIDATED (i.e. Wholeheartedly? Circumstantially? Superficially? Intimately? By myself? By others? Truthfully? Honestly?)

Just some things to consider about individual choice. It's your life, you might as well be the one living it and taking responsibility for it...

========================

Further Seal Influences
Day's Guide, Blue Storm (CAUAC): Catalyzes and emphasizes Self-Generation

Day's Challenge, Red Skywalker (BEN): Explores and emphasizes Space

Day's Hidden Power, White Mirror (ETZNAB): Reflects and emphasizes Endlessness

Day's Like-Minded Power, Yellow Warrior (CIB): Questions and emphasizes Intelligence