Dingo the Dissident

THE BLOG OF DISQUIET : Qweir Notions, an uncommonplace-book from the Armpit of Diogenes, binge-thinker jottings since 2008 .

Tuesday 17 July 2012

The opposite of Competitive

(shutting out the inner)
is Contemplative
(outing the inner).

Western civilisation was founded
as much on the principle of contemplation
(whether Hellenic or Christian,
both influenced from the East)
as on the Universal Property-owner's
Principle of Land-grab.

Contemplation has now effectively
been banned in our "free" society. 
There are no anchorites.
No wandering, teaching friars or prophets,
only hobos and homeless - and spineless,
mindless academics. Universities, ever
totalitarian, have enmeshed it in
competitiveness.  Trash anti-music,
anti-art have eclipsed the contemplative,
jejune 'concept' has ousted thought;
and nobody - except, curiously, Philip Larkin -
questions the insane, destructive
work-ethic which built up this Babylon.

The French saying:
Il vaut mieux faire envie que pitié :
(Better to arouse envy than pity)
seems to be the evanescent basis
of a civilisation without moral
or philosophical foundation.

1 comment:

Wofl said...

Schopenhauer wrote:

Das Leben ist eine mißliche Sache. Ich habe mir vorgesetzt, es damit hinzubringen, über dasselbe nachzudenken.

Life is an unpleasant business which I have resolved to devote my life reflecting on.