Dr. Bernie Beitman is a psychiatrist doing really interesting work in examining synchronicity phenomena. There are so many good stories on his podcast Connecting With Coincidence or The Coincidence Project https://thecoincidenceproject.net
So many little threads I feel drawn to riff on here, given that 'being mislead by the wrong targets' accounts for probs 90% of the stuff I write about (all my financial philosophy roads tend to lead to ludicrously optimistic attempts to highlight and maybe even tackle self-deception, as you know :) ). Will try to avoid the call of the ramble...
When you speak of 'Curiosity is a relational force' do you think there's a danger (esp in the West, esp in your bit of the West, and esp in the finance bit of that bit) that the 'relational' side still gets grasped somewhat one-dimensionally, rather than as this beautiful web of interconnected, interdependent relationships with self, yes, but also other and the world? I see ways in which people could arguably be drawn in the right direction here, but with a gaze forever on what can be measured, they do so in an insufficiently embodied/extended/etc way that they could be masking the very thing that drew them towards something in the first place.
“the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.” - If you have any top tips for painting pictures of this so beautiful that you help folk actually believe in it to the extent they start to pay attention to it in a way that they then start to really experience it, please let me know! I've often found that with some of the core ideas I know you and I share, beginning to believe in a world in which they actually exist is tougher than one would hope, and there's only so many times one can say 'trust me, I've been there, I couldn't see it either, but oh my, please suspend that disbelief for a sec, there's something incredibly valuable around the corner.' The most concrete example of have of this is mimetic desire - yes, it's a thing, but no it doesn't HAVE to be a thing, and when you believe in a world in which it doesn't HAVE to be a thing, then suddenly everything looks rather different...
"a very deep level, we all know that what we found could devastate our existing worldview" - this, btw, was what we talked about on the phone the other day about the difference in people's willingness (esp in financial-planning contexts) to look in the crystal-ball v the rear-view mirror, even when making the dream in the former a reality necessitates looking in the latter :)
"What if the real hidden cage was a false perception that freedom was directly correlated with economic privilege?" - I'd argue (indeed I did, sort of, here (https://moneyblind.substack.com/p/6242001_idiot-money-59) that a large part of the problem is the crummy way we first fail to distinguish what we really mean by 'freedom' (even in a narrow financial sense), and then, when the most-common view is so comically and obviously not working very well (assuming the goal is to live well) then we jump just as blindly to the next wrong answer, but are blind to how that one is as wrong, because we're too busy patting ourselves on the back for having spotted how silly the first one was. Alas, the great chasm that opened up once upon a time between ability and response-ability :(
Fantastic piece. This section is brilliant, "Evolution trends towards complexity; producing ever more differentiated and integrated individuals. Therefore it also selects against stasis, anything that stops flowing or flows in the wrong direction. In order to guide us, the pursuit of complexity has to feel like something, and it has to feel good."
I know you've written about that idea before, but this short paragraph really nails the idea.
We write about many similar subjects in the context of visual art in our main newsletter as we encourage artists to follow that deep inspired curiosity inside of them to every deeper levels and that to express that with their gifts is the best thing they can do for themselves and the world.
Brilliant work Tom! The four points you mention after the question 'can science help us have more faith' are a bullseye checklist for this integrated world-view. So lucid, clear, grounded and unflinching. Honored to be mentioned in this company, and excited to follow your next leap.
Your mention of competition reminded me of the short story below:
Two merchants are competing in a market.
An angel comes and offers the first merchant any outcome he wants.
But there's one caveat.
The competitor gets double.
The angel explains:
"You earn five gold bars; they get 10."
"You own one ship; they'll own two."
"You live to be 100; they live to 200."
The merchant thinks intensely and says:
"Make me blind in one eye."
If we cooperate instead of compete, would we have taken society much further than where we are today, or is the only way to progress to compete (or prepare or fight wars)? I think we waste too much time and resources by competing. I also think the truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, but how to figure out the right balance is the hard part as we have to think beyond country/state/company/group and think in terms of the greater good, which is not easy by any means.
I believe that the lyrics of the song ‘Circle of Life’ sum it up the best, “there is more to see than can ever be seen.”
I think this line reflects on the vastness and complexity of our existence. It also suggests that our individual lives are part of a larger, interconnected cycle.
Yes. To all of it. It's what many of us are presently engaged in. There's a lot to be excited about.
I'll be the esoteric and woo woo guy that says it's the evolution of Magick we are all a part of, whether that is our jargon of choice or not.
We're going to be creating an innovation that translates the Morphogenetic Field like the radio does the EMF. It's Livingry like this that can and will and already is proving 'it.'
The Spoof is in the Pudding!
Magick: the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will
Wil (True): a person's grand destiny in life or as a moment-to-moment path of action that operates in perfect harmony with nature.
Resonance here! Thank you!
Dr. Bernie Beitman is a psychiatrist doing really interesting work in examining synchronicity phenomena. There are so many good stories on his podcast Connecting With Coincidence or The Coincidence Project https://thecoincidenceproject.net
My comments at https://johnstokdijk538.substack.com/p/a-very-different-world.
Thanks, Tom :)
So many little threads I feel drawn to riff on here, given that 'being mislead by the wrong targets' accounts for probs 90% of the stuff I write about (all my financial philosophy roads tend to lead to ludicrously optimistic attempts to highlight and maybe even tackle self-deception, as you know :) ). Will try to avoid the call of the ramble...
When you speak of 'Curiosity is a relational force' do you think there's a danger (esp in the West, esp in your bit of the West, and esp in the finance bit of that bit) that the 'relational' side still gets grasped somewhat one-dimensionally, rather than as this beautiful web of interconnected, interdependent relationships with self, yes, but also other and the world? I see ways in which people could arguably be drawn in the right direction here, but with a gaze forever on what can be measured, they do so in an insufficiently embodied/extended/etc way that they could be masking the very thing that drew them towards something in the first place.
“the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.” - If you have any top tips for painting pictures of this so beautiful that you help folk actually believe in it to the extent they start to pay attention to it in a way that they then start to really experience it, please let me know! I've often found that with some of the core ideas I know you and I share, beginning to believe in a world in which they actually exist is tougher than one would hope, and there's only so many times one can say 'trust me, I've been there, I couldn't see it either, but oh my, please suspend that disbelief for a sec, there's something incredibly valuable around the corner.' The most concrete example of have of this is mimetic desire - yes, it's a thing, but no it doesn't HAVE to be a thing, and when you believe in a world in which it doesn't HAVE to be a thing, then suddenly everything looks rather different...
"a very deep level, we all know that what we found could devastate our existing worldview" - this, btw, was what we talked about on the phone the other day about the difference in people's willingness (esp in financial-planning contexts) to look in the crystal-ball v the rear-view mirror, even when making the dream in the former a reality necessitates looking in the latter :)
"What if the real hidden cage was a false perception that freedom was directly correlated with economic privilege?" - I'd argue (indeed I did, sort of, here (https://moneyblind.substack.com/p/6242001_idiot-money-59) that a large part of the problem is the crummy way we first fail to distinguish what we really mean by 'freedom' (even in a narrow financial sense), and then, when the most-common view is so comically and obviously not working very well (assuming the goal is to live well) then we jump just as blindly to the next wrong answer, but are blind to how that one is as wrong, because we're too busy patting ourselves on the back for having spotted how silly the first one was. Alas, the great chasm that opened up once upon a time between ability and response-ability :(
Fantastic piece. This section is brilliant, "Evolution trends towards complexity; producing ever more differentiated and integrated individuals. Therefore it also selects against stasis, anything that stops flowing or flows in the wrong direction. In order to guide us, the pursuit of complexity has to feel like something, and it has to feel good."
I know you've written about that idea before, but this short paragraph really nails the idea.
We write about many similar subjects in the context of visual art in our main newsletter as we encourage artists to follow that deep inspired curiosity inside of them to every deeper levels and that to express that with their gifts is the best thing they can do for themselves and the world.
Brilliant work Tom! The four points you mention after the question 'can science help us have more faith' are a bullseye checklist for this integrated world-view. So lucid, clear, grounded and unflinching. Honored to be mentioned in this company, and excited to follow your next leap.
Another excellent post!
Your mention of competition reminded me of the short story below:
Two merchants are competing in a market.
An angel comes and offers the first merchant any outcome he wants.
But there's one caveat.
The competitor gets double.
The angel explains:
"You earn five gold bars; they get 10."
"You own one ship; they'll own two."
"You live to be 100; they live to 200."
The merchant thinks intensely and says:
"Make me blind in one eye."
If we cooperate instead of compete, would we have taken society much further than where we are today, or is the only way to progress to compete (or prepare or fight wars)? I think we waste too much time and resources by competing. I also think the truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, but how to figure out the right balance is the hard part as we have to think beyond country/state/company/group and think in terms of the greater good, which is not easy by any means.
I believe that the lyrics of the song ‘Circle of Life’ sum it up the best, “there is more to see than can ever be seen.”
I think this line reflects on the vastness and complexity of our existence. It also suggests that our individual lives are part of a larger, interconnected cycle.
Yes. To all of it. It's what many of us are presently engaged in. There's a lot to be excited about.
I'll be the esoteric and woo woo guy that says it's the evolution of Magick we are all a part of, whether that is our jargon of choice or not.
We're going to be creating an innovation that translates the Morphogenetic Field like the radio does the EMF. It's Livingry like this that can and will and already is proving 'it.'
The Spoof is in the Pudding!
Magick: the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will
Wil (True): a person's grand destiny in life or as a moment-to-moment path of action that operates in perfect harmony with nature.