speaking differently
“[A] talent for speaking differently, rather than for arguing well, is the chief instrument of cultural change.” -Richard Rorty
Rorty was a famous American philosopher who passed away almost a year ago. He swam in the great pool of thought that I merely dip my toe in. I like this quote since it speaks on many levels. First, you have the Beat generation…butting their heads up against the establishment of high culture. Their writings were different enough that it launched a counter culture. We can also see this today with the politics of this election. There is no denying Obama’s talent in delivering eloquent speeches. What we all need to judge is whether or not he is different enough to actually fulfill Rorty’s premise. Can one man become the “chief instrument of cultural change?” Cool idea.
One man…Moses, the Buddha, Jesus, Plato, – they did. Smaller scale? You tell me?
Yet, consider…how much “different” is left? Sometimes I feel like all we do is re-hash the same old things. Major motion pictures prove so. What about a current “great novel;” Harry Potter, please! Our sped up world of awesome inter-connectedness sure makes it hard to be anything truly unique. I bet someone has already written this thought, maybe without so many ellipses. Maybe I’m just cynical today? Maybe I’m tired.
I want to trust in this hope that reminds me I’m alive. Hope is pretty important as the news dumps more horrible images of natural disaster into my evening. China’s earthquake. Add that to the list I started yesterday. I think I need to select a faith to then narrow my search for a place of worship so that I can be ready for whatever else comes next. Scary stuff, yet I hope. In Kabbalah, there is the belief that if enough souls shift to a life of light, we – mankind – can then tip the scale to make the entire world a place of peace. Look into it, it is like a “pay it forward” kind of thing. Back to the quote. That last word is CHANGE. I can’t embrace change without first encountering fear. Maybe that is something I can think a little more about – later. I’ve got to check out what the weather man is preaching on the tele.
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