The Hidden Appeal of The Mona Lisa

© 1998 by Barry Krusch A Public Domain Work This document may be freely re-transmitted and republished in its entirety and without alteration by any person or body for any and all purposes. LAST UPDATED: August 24, 1998 The latest version of this document may be btained t www.krusch.com.

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The Hidden Appeal of the Mona Lisa

Introduction

I have a lot of affection for this little work, but it's very difficult to try to explain exactly what it is. It might be helpful to explain the procedure by which I wrote it. For the last 20 years, I have been filling notebook after notebook (67 so far) with ideas that have popped into my mind. The first 39 volumes of these notebooks are on this CD. The remaining 28, however, are not, at least in their original form. One of the things I always wanted to do was to organize these ideas into some kind of logical order, as opposed to the chronological order they are currently in. The current book  The Hidden Appeal Of The Mona Lisa  is one such attempt. Basically, I went through the remaining 28 notebooks, and wrote down the most interesting and/or significant ideas I could find. Once I located the ideas, I then tried to arrange them in some sort of a semantic flow, where one idea would lead right into the other. In this way, I could show the ideas’ essential unity, a unity not readily apparent when they are arranged in chronological  and seemingly illogical  form. So here it is. This book is meant to be read from start to finish in one sitting, to make its greatest impact. I hope you like it. Barry Krusch August 24th, 1998

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Advice to the Musician

If you’re going to miss a note, miss it with passion.

Mr. Bernstein Died

This room is empty. The World goes on — how sad for the World.

The Missing Law of Thermodynamics

Entropy is half the story.

The Hope of Sleep

Surely there is a dream between these nightmares.

Soothing the Savage Breast

The music restores a balance.

Paradox

Pure sound is rather limited in expression.

The Invisible Man

You’re invisible when you utter no concepts that would identify you as an “outsider.”

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Bach to Gershwin

Music grows young.

Seeing-As

The behavior of children provides excellent metaphors for the behavior of adults.

Themes in The

Sound of Music

Childhood Music Nature Religion Blooming /Coming of Age Happiness Compassion Good Evil Masks/Deception Authority/Discipline/Freedom Banishment/Escape

A Definition of Art

Violation of expectation + congruence.

The Devil’s View of Heaven

The Devil finds Heaven naive.

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Green Thumb

Naivete should be cultivated, like a flower in a garden.

The “South Pacific” Colloquy

Barry: Margaret: Barry: Margaret:

(singing) “One hundred and one, pounds of fun, that’s my little honey bun, get a load of honey bun toni - ight.” I’ve never weighed 101 pounds. (continues) “I’m thinking of my, sweetie pie, only sixty inches high, every inch is packed with dyn - o - mi - ite.” Oh, so she’s her ideal body weight.

Barry and Margaret

Barry: Margaret:

Are you an agnostic? I don’t know.

Barry: Margaret:

What is the function of the earlobe? To connect the earrings to the ear.

Barry: Margaret:

Marriage is a lot like capturing a wild animal and taming it. I think it’s more like taking in a domestic animal and giving it a home, like a stray dog or cat.

Barry: Margaret:

Your nose veers to the left. People with glass noses shouldn’t throw stones.

Nocturnal Conversation

Barry: Margaret:

You’re my pear chop. (half-asleep) You’re my lamb tree.

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Margaret’s Immutable Personality

Even in my dreams she stays in character.

Margaret

Margaret:

(half-asleep) You’re so far awake — more than me.

There’s No Place Like Home

I want to dive back into my ignorance.

Inexperience is the Greatest Teacher

The old dog is more experienced than the new dog — but it’s the new dog that learns new tricks.

Break on Through to the Other Side

Women should be more aggressive with their sensitivity.

Jekyll

She’s nice. But what’s on the “B” side?

Premonition

I see her future in every sentence she speaks.

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Sigh

When this universe meets that universe, it shakes its head.

Two Standards of Living

Exterior and Interior.

Recursive Ambiguity in Macbeth

The last words in the Porter’s speech in the beginning of Act II, Scene 3 of Macbeth are “remember the Porter.” This has an eerie feel. The Porter is ostensibly talking to Macduff and Lennox (“give me a tip”), but because the speech immediately preceding is so a propos to the character of Macbeth, so ontarget, the line might as well be addressed to the audience — “Remember what I’ve said.” Here one side of the ambiguity keeps us in the play — the other comes out of the play — like a living actor stepping off a movie screen.

Going to the Movies

Christianity is like a movie — people view it, and like it, but it’s not their life. Philosophy as film.

Made in Heaven

Great poetry is the result of a perfect marriage between the conscious and the subconscious.

The Meaning of Art

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Art meaning should be seen as food meaning, not language meaning. The taste of an apple is not true or false — nor is the meaning of an artwork.

The Power of Chess

You may “think” you think about a Chess problem — but if all you’ve done is come up with the wrong answer, then you haven’t thought. Learning Chess is the great humbler. After 1000 “I know the answer’s, and finding out you are wrong, you finally realize you don’t know the answer. Chess is great because it is objective. A can prove B is wrong.

The Objectivity of Art

1) “The murmuring chimes lullaby a tranquil melody, as a hushed mist blankets the luminous golden dawn.” 2) “The griping, plump, phlegmatic, treacherous plutocrat was out-blatted by a cacophony of Jazz.” Which is the most beautiful sentence?

The Subjectivity of Environment

A woman in a room of men is surrounded by difference; a man in a room of men is surrounded by identity.

The Privacy of Experience

Greatness is not just The Rite of Spring, but 1) the The Rite of Spring performed live 2) in Carnegie Hall 3) by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

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4) on April 4, 1990 5) in seat BB122 (not E12, which had a person in front who didn’t stop turning their program, and imbalanced sound) 6) heard by BK 7) who had been exposed to X, Y, and Z, and so in mood Q. How private an experience is!

Insight on Insight

What makes an insight an insight: every subject has several possible predicates — you not only picked X, you picked X over Y, even though Y is also true. This gives the content its force. If you did X, you’d be a) betraying something. b) dead inside. c) ? Part of the insight is what’s not said.

The Subjectivity of Possibility

Mr. A does not know the contents of a barrel. Mr. B does. For Mr. A, it is possible there is nothing in the barrel. For Mr. B, it is not possible.

Analysis of a Two-Line Poem

The color of this poem is black that language isn’t fashionable There is an interceding thought between the two lines of this poem, which is

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that “Black is a color frequently used by poets in poetry [e.g. Sylvia Plath]. These poets perceive this color as being fashionable, which it is not.” The interceding thought gives meaning to the poem, because it contains an unstated “bridge concept” of which the subconscious is intuitively aware, and gives the poem a different, non-prose meaning — an aesthetic meaning unachievable without omitting the “bridge concept.” Aside from creating the implicit focus on the bridge, the second line directly addresses the reader, breaking the frame of “art-as-world (to be immersed in)” and creating the self-referential frame of “art-as-object (to be examined).” This new view of art creates its own meaning, an aesthetic meaning. The combination of factors — the frame-break of Line One (“A poem is capable of being described as having a color”), the selection of the Color (black = death, depressing, evil), the implicit focus on the bridge, and the frame-break of Line Two (art as object, thus a shift from reader as passive spectator to participant) — is what gives the poem its ultimate aesthetic meaning: a poetic meaning achieved by the compression of prose meaning into a very dense space. Like creating a diamond from coal.

Fifteen Poems

1 We’re the one to left the outer sun 2 “No,” you’re history. Pack your bags, leave town. Say good-bye to the progeny

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3 It’s all an attitude. Some dwell in the reverent. Some dwell in the polar you know what’s coming next 4 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)

Yeah, it was back there No, it’s not a trick It went out Be back soon Back Yes, did it again! Yes, could be tedious Tune in soon 5

Some experiments work, some don’t it’s the nature of science 6 We all have the poet within But when you’re rooting for the home team, the visitors sulk and go back to the dressing room

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7 The man fighting against reality See the film you’ll know what I mean 8 Some curious justice is operating, and it only takes one — 9 In ‘68, all were behind. You-know-who’s emissary decided to chatter a bit. The rest is on film. 10 The twin knows what the twin knows — but the subtlety’s lost on them 11 Lips being read. A new century is in order.

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12 Every chance is a cliff — and now, back to the show! 13 Exclamation points become question marks, and you know the old story 14 This “now,” of course, has been elongated in time. Without interruptions, and with two good friends, think we can see it through? 15 Acorns falling on a deer. The deer’s head looking backwards eyes closed like taking a shower

Music

If you listened to music like that, and didn’t change your ways, you’d be betraying something.

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The Need for Two-Way Literature

An interactive literature needs to be developed, and fast. Dangerous to see life in terms of art, because literature and art are fixed. 60’s and Shakespeare — saw life as a “movie,” a “stage.” This comes from violating the commandment against graven images. Seeing in terms of the disanalogous.

Interpretation

You think, “Oh, how smart X was — how did he see it?” — and yet is was all he could see. Yet, of the thousands of people exposed to it, only he could correctly discern its meaning. Good interpretation is less an intellectual feat than it is a meeting of the minds. We ask, “How do they see all these things in film, theater, etc.?” But when we examine closely, each “they” is seeing only that which he can see. Imagine a film in Russian, German, Italian, French, etc. Over fifty different languages, none of which you speak. You are seeing the film in a room with fifty people, each of whom speak one and only one language spoken in the film. When you ask each what occurred in the film, each will explain that part of the film he (and only he understood), and only that part of the film. You are impressed by their “intelligence,” when you ought to be impressed that there was such a perfect fit between these two disparate mental frameworks. Under this view, the world consists of artists putting out “artworks” (signs of progress). These “artworks” function as signposts of consciousness to the upcoming artists (“you’re on the right track”), in much the same way as the guideposts strewn about in Journey to the Center of the Earth. This world-view is so far from the one we have now. How could anyone understand it? Or hope to strive for it?

Two Mansions

Two mansions, both equally large on the inside — however, one has one door

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with a very narrow entrance, the other has ten doors with wide entrances. It’s more difficult to get into the first mansion, but that doesn’t mean it is any less worthy.

More Than Just a Norm

The star of a film is the norm norm: 1) someone we recognize 2) espousing a point of view we recognize

Insights on 2001

The norm sequence — a resting spot for ‘60’s audiences. Howard Johnson, 60’s haircuts, people talking, calling home, going to the bathroom. Stages of film/life/universe?: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Brute force Society (norm sequence) Science Inner focus (Art) Discovery of Metaphysics (Religion)

To say that 2001 is a masterpiece is to give the word masterpiece more credit than it deserves. It’s amazing that a mind like Kubrick’s would be given the money to make a film! Satan must be asleep.

A Definition of Mood

A string of subtle congruences.

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Art as Control

Control of style = control of expression.

Art as Detail

Small touches loom large, because they’re small.

The Function of Dreams?

In dreams the brain recapitulates experience to hammer away significance. It is the brain’s way of revitalizing the significance memory banks.

Dream Image

Silhouette of a skeleton-head — skeleton-head is seen from side, then a teakettle is superimposed over the skeleton, and the skeleton is enclouded in a mist. The skeleton won’t allow itself to be seen.

The Book Title of My Dream

The Renaissance of the Spectrum of Baroque Architecture.

Subconscious Thoughts

Do you do the watchdog mailman? The clerk is the cricket of the lobster’s mess. Closer to the sax of my solitaire. She ought to say hello as I leave.

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Dictate the avoidance. Deforming the visualization of sound. A Cut Play for Medley and Outrage. Remember but remember.

The Problem

To get a fact, you need a theory; to get a theory, you need a fact.

The Same Information?

In a game of Chess, both sides theoretically have the same information. So why is it the case that the Grandmaster will always win, and the Amateur lose, when they play each other? Obviously they don’t have the same information. Obviously one has more information. Why? Because he has the information which enables him to get more information out of his information.

Chess

1) 2) 3) 4)

The rules of Chess. The strategy and tactics of Chess. The cognitive ability to see ahead. The situation. To win in Chess, you must know the rules of the game. But knowing the rules isn’t enough. You must know the strategic and tactical rules. You must also be able to visualize future events. And, you must have a situation which presents you with an opportunity for victory. The less advantageous the situation, the greater the need to be smarter than your opponent.

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The Lamb and the Rattlesnake

Lamb tail wag = sign of friendship. Snake tail shake = sign of hatred. Lamb sees snake, is friendly to it, wags tail. Snake sees lamb shake tail, thinks lamb is going to strike. Snake shakes tail — lamb moves closer, thinking snake is reciprocating in friendship. Snake thinks lamb is moving to attack it, so snake attacks first. Lamb dies. Moral: Since all beings view reality in terms of their own experience, the snakes are the ones which survive.

And Never the Twain Shall Meet

The doctor sees the illegitimate malpractice case, and generalizes — the lawyer sees the legitimate malpractice case, and generalizes.

An Explanation of Deja Vu

Perhaps Deja Vu is explainable by the Von Domarus principle. Situation A is functionally identical to situation B, and sets off a category frame. We see the situation as we saw a prior situation.

Who Am I?

Your perception is filtered through your perception.

An Actual Lecture! Yes, it’s True!

A woman in an art museum was lecturing to a group of 30 six year olds — the kids were restless, rocking back and forth. Here are some of her comments:

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“There is a lot of symbology in diamonds — I don’t know if you’ve heard of Goethe. . . .” “My graduate work was done in Mexico, and I was aware of AmericanIndian motifs.” “These motifs ought to trigger something in you . . . .” Discussing a glass artwork: Teacher: Any questions? Kid: If you drop it, will it break?

A Strange Paradox

Paradoxically, the creative person is the most likely to fall into a closed system of thought, due to his ability to form auxiliary hypotheses, which function to explain away legitimate evidence.

Bonsai Understanding

To understand reality, we must construct a metaphor. However, a metaphor is a reduction. Hence, our understanding of reality is always a bonsai understanding. To understand reality we must distort by reduction — hence, our understanding is always inaccurate and always to the detriment of reality. The more we try to understand the world, the less we understand it. The more we struggle to get out of the quicksand of ignorance, the deeper we sink. Roll on the top.

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Why A Good Metaphor is Hard to Find

Good metaphors are hard to come by because it is hard to find something with many things in common, whereas it is easy to find things with one thing in common.

Reasoning

The problem with bad reasoning is that, unlike bad computer programs, it often gives the right answer.

Why You Are Your Own Worst Enemy

You are more likely to accept fallacious reasoning when the argument “confirms” a previously held view.

A Curious Inconsistency

When people say, “And that’s my final answer,” why do they always precede it with “no,” and not “yes?”

Five Essential Errors

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Seeing hypotheses as facts. Compartmentalization of concepts. Letting the Ego rule. Sacrificing long-term gain for short-term gain. A lack of Compassion.

The Tautology of Darwinism

All beings are into existence.

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The Growing Ego of the Two-Year Old Child

The Soul digging a hole in the brain where the “Me” will reside.

Second Things Second

First you create your Soul. Then you protect it.

Why Winners Never Quit

Losing: Death in Life.

Hell’s Equation

Scarcity = Dilemma.

What is the Limit?

X picks fruit off a tree. Does he own A) B) C)

the fruit? the tree? the tree and the land under the tree?

If C, how wide a berth? If X picks fruit off the tree, is Y permanently foreclosed from picking fruit off the tree?

Two Types of Compromise

1) 2)

Alternation: We eat chocolate ice cream one day, vanilla the next. Blending: We eat vanilla fudge ice cream every day.

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Where Does It End?

A: B: C: D: E: F:

I claim this land! (1 acre) I claim this land! (10 acres) I claim this land! (100 acres) I claim this land! (1000 acres) I claim this land! (10,000 acres) I claim this land! (100,000 acres), etc.

The Celebration of Christ

How is the birth of Christ “celebrated”? By buying possessions. Christ died in more ways than one.

Attachment is Detachment

Attachment to A is detachment to B, C, D, etc. Zen detachment is attachment to the alphabet, not A. Western attachment to A is detachment from everything else.

Why Evil is so Powerful

Evil is the big granite ox. It can’t see: it’s sense of direction comes entirely from the master blueprint embedded in its stomach. No information gets to it — nothing can. That’s Evil’s great power.

They Are Not Amused

When you cross into their territory, their eyes turn coal-black.

Two Kinds of Insanity

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1) 2)

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Believing something that’s not true. Not believing something that is true.

Is He Insane?

A man on subway platform says, “the sound effects ‘ll kill me.” Is he insane? Context: a 55 year-old man hears the sound of an oncoming train, so runs up the stairs — is all out of breath. Sees that the train he heard was on the other side of the platform, going in the other direction.

On Hearing a Man Talk to Himself in the Street

We’re a lot like that man on the inside.

And the Century Beyond

Where there’s psychologists, there’s the Twentieth Century.

She Said It

Student told me her engagement was broken due to a cigarette burn on her arm — her boyfriend concluded she was fooling around with another guy.

Tools of the Trade

A homeless man on the subway was carrying a baby. Passenger: They bring props now.

The Fall of Man

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On an individual basis, may be considered the reduction of the person to a calculator. Before, he did favors out of a desire to be helpful. Now, he does favors as preparation for “Since I’ve done _____ for you, will you do _____ for me?”

The Descent

Hell is creeping down. Before long, children will trade in Mother Goose for a stock-trading program.

The Fall, Continued

Some people utter “why” with a period, not a question-mark.

Her Most Important Weapon

She uses her beauty like a knife.

And the Moral Is . . .

The important thing about the New Testament is that they killed Christ. A lesson for our time.

The Genius of the Old Testament

The genius of the Old Testament was in putting faith in an abstract God — a God without even a name. This was done to prevent what ultimately occurred: different religions each praying to different gods.

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Prophecy

As the culture becomes more and more like Babylon, you’ll hear less and less of Babylon.

Life Imitates Con-Art

Yesterday’s parody is today’s documentary.

Con-Art Imitates Life

When a group of people make the same decisions “independently,” you have culture?

A Question Worth Pondering

Do we have the right to be wrong?

More Questions Worth Pondering

Do we deserve our history? Can Artists be Doctors? Is arbitrariness a necessary condition for traditions? Why do things seem less strange when everyone does the same thing? When language functions as a game, is “language is a game” a metaphor? If justice is a good concept, how come revenge is a bad concept? How many rationalizations contain the word “just”?

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If will can’t be forced, does this negate the force of the concept “will”? Would you move to the island of your dreams if you could never leave? Is it better to be a Slave in Paradise, or a Master in Hell?

He Said It

A: I choose who uses me.

There’s Always Hope

There’s always Thorazine.

Treat the Disease, not the Patient

If society is insane, treating the psychotics won’t be enough.

The Doctor Who Never Had Any Sick Patients

Patient: Doctor:

My throat hurts. But your reflexes are fine!

Patient: Doctor:

I can’t breathe. Your pulse is great!

The Ineffectual Doctors

Three doctors were sitting in a room: A: Mr. X has cancer — isn’t that terrible? B: Yes — his cancer is bad.

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C: It is too bad he has cancer.

Lighten Up, Doc!

Doctor: Mr. X:

This patient has cancer. This patient has cancer. This patient has cancer! Why are you so negative?

A Biological Formula for Disaster

The bigger the Id, the bigger the Ego. The bigger the Ego, the smaller the Superego.

Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make

The more self-centered you are, the more unwanted thoughts you will have. It’s nature’s way of telling you, something’s wrong.

Paying the Piper

Vanity is its own torture.

Pyrrhic Victory

Ego-defense mechanisms protect the ego, but can destroy the brain.

Why the Now Persists

If: 1)

Doubt is resolved in favor of the status quo AND

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Ignorance = inability to judge = Doubt AND The people are ignorant THEN The status quo automatically wins.

Two Sad Facts

1) 2)

It’s easier to say “no” than “yes.” If all we do is say “no,” we’ll never get anything accomplished.

The Tyranny of Words

Every word you utter is an advertisement for its referent. Everything that’s referred to gets defined as “real.”

!!! The pay phone was out of order. A vendor who had a position at the corner said, “that phone’s been out of order for two weeks.” When he saw me write out “out of order” on a piece of paper and affix it to the phone, he said, “thank God, a public citizen — finally someone’s doing something about that phone.”

A Significant Problem

The first rung is all too often missing.

A Bug in the System

“People have treated me badly, so I’m going to treat others badly.”

Everyone’s Entitled to their Opinion

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A: B:

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(to Nazi) You were wrong for killing millions of innocent people. Well, we have a philosophical difference.

Stacked Deck

Evil has one thing in its favor — people are naturally ignorant — they have to go through some sort of process to attain knowledge.

The Rise of the Empire

It is impossible for people to be fully informed — they’ve built an empire on a law of physics.

Pyramid Scheme

On the information pyramid, as in all pyramid schemes, the last ones to get information lose. Old information is potentially detrimental information: 1) it can steer you off course. 2) it can give you a false picture of reality.

The Other Side of Knowledge

Knowledge can be power. However, where autocratic authority exists, the tool of power is the communication channel. One cannot be controlled if one cannot be communicated with. Hence, learning a language can be the first step towards powerlessness.

A Word You’ll Never Hear Uttered in a New York Law Firm

“Holistic.”

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Britain: the Honest Country

Britain’s honesty was its Achilles Heel — “you’ll never make it to the top, so don’t even try.” Thus, the British “empire” shriveled to the size of a peanut. At least America promised.

Why They are Conservative

Is it the best game? No. But it’s the one they’re winning at.

Beat ‘Em

In football, the object is to defeat the visitors when they come to our home. But when we go to their home, our object is to defeat them.

How We are Lead Into Immorality

The presence of enemies means that we’ll act differently. You don’t want to lie to your friend, but you might want to lie to your enemy. Thus, you begin to lie. Lying in context A bleeds over to context B.

A Place for Judas

Judas can function as the enforcer of the Good.

No Place for Judas

The informant is the catalyst for a society of deception. People must drive their true motivations inward. To reveal them is to be exposed to authority. The Mechanism of Disaster

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Breed cynicism in a populace — lack of faith — and they don’t get together because they don’t trust each other.

The Root of Morality

She’s not someone you can trust with your emotions.

The Dilemma of the First Decision

1) 2)

It is the decision made with the least information. It structures all subsequent decisions.

The Nature of Your Prison

You’re a prisoner of the first thing you experience.

Mistaken Identity

They thought it was a fashion, but it was a disease.

Get With the Program

A: I believe in working hard and playing hard. B: That remark’s out of fashion.

Know Thyself

You are a prisoner of your history.

Ineffable

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The nature of the vicious circle cannot be communicated by language alone.

The Circularity of Emotions

He pities himself because he pities himself. He’s sad because he’s sad. He’s happy because he’s happy. He loves the idea he’s in love. He’s jealous of those who aren’t jealous.

Root

Whatever is happening is one phenomenon multiplied by a million.

The Beginning of Disputes

Positives can be seen as negatives. 1 is perched temporarily on 2’s unused property. If 2 doesn’t establish his claim, 1 will think the turf is “his”: 1) “I’ll occupy this land. No one is using it.” 2) “He’s trying to take over my turf.”

Ripples

You are not only affected by your environment, but the environment your father and grandfather were affected by.

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In the Pond

Every action reverberates. But your action is a pebble in a pond; his is a hydrogen bomb. You can directly connect three resultants to your action; he can connect millions to his.

Illusory Connection

A) Telling a phone not to ring — and it doesn’t. B) Telling a phone to ring — and it does. It seems as if there is a greater connection in B — but this is an illusion.

Noday

“Sunday” is an illusion. So are the other “days” of the week.

From Where Comes Time?

The more society changes, the more we feel that there is something known as “time.”

The Death Penalty

We erase our failures.

What Laws Indicate

Existing laws are nothing more or less than a barometer of who’s in power.

The Law

Only in Law could the superfluous be so critical.

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Satiation: the Achilles Heel

In a society which passes laws slowly, satiation is the Achilles Heel of those who seek to educate the public. Eventually people get tired of hearing your message, and there’s no more pressure on the legislators to pass your law. Under a system of institutionalized apathy, all a politician has to do is nothing. Each time you repeat your message you hammer another nail in your coffin.

We Want Different Things

A wants to own a house; B wants to own his time.

Intelligence Defined

Time + Will + Access.

The Most Common Form of Brainwashing

A job.

Born Every Minute

The economic units are crawling out of the woodwork.

Those Little Critters Get Into Everything

Termites re-define the meaning of what is visibly a very strong 200 year-old house.

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He Had One Distinct Advantage

He didn’t have any jobs that sucked the life out of him.

No Ambiguity

“Discouraged” means just that — dis-couraged.

The Modern Cannibal

The cannibal that devours itself.

Progress

1) 2) 3) 4)

A man slices the throat of a lamb, and drinks the blood raw. A man slices off the leg of a lamb, and eats the muscle raw. A man slices off the leg of a lamb, tears off the muscle, heats it over a fire, and eats it, cooked. A man slices off the leg of a lamb, tears off the muscle, puts in on a plastic tray, wraps it in cellophane, labels it “lambchop: $3.69 a pound”, and sells it to a man who heats it over a fire, and eats it, cooked.

Insights on The

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Shining

Easy for Jack to find the Hotel. The child watches the Coyote chase the Road Runner, throughout infinity. The site is chosen for seclusion and scenic beauty. Insanity from isolation. “It’s hard to believe it happened here.” Wendy is a “ghost-story and horror-film addict.” Danny is “hungry.” Tony is in his stomach. Donner party — settlers — snowbound — cannibalism for survival.

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Danny saw cannibalism on TV. “It’s okay — he saw it on the television.” Indian motifs in the Hotel. The Hotel has had an “illustrious past” — Presidents, moviestars, all the best people. The hedges of the Maze are as old as the Hotel. The Hotel is built on Indian burial grounds — Indians had to be repelled while it was being built. Some people have the ability to “shine,” but don’t know it or believe it. “When something happens it can leave a trace of itself behind — things people that shine can see.” “A lot of things happened in this particular Hotel over the years, and not all of them was good.” Danny rides through the Hotel and runs through the Maze. “It’s so beautiful it’s hard to believe a snowstorm could be that close.” The Overlook is Cold — Cold is at the bottom circle of Hell. Lines of communication down due to storm — “most winters they stay that way until spring.” Girls: “Come and play with us, Danny. Forever.” Danny shuts his eyes. Tony: “It’s just like pictures in a book. It isn’t real.” Jack “loves” the Hotel. Jack wishes they could stay there “forever and ever and ever.” Jack says he loves Danny, and would never do anything to hurt him. Jack wants to kill those who “shine.”

The Hierarchy of Hegemony

Structuralists — Enforcers — Workers.

Hypothesis

Some people like order because it convinces them they’re not nuts.

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Hierarchy = Death

Where there’s hierarchy, there’s groupthink. Rational discussion levels the power relationships — no hierarchy, no yes-men. Law of adaptation decrees that the Rational will die.

Stairway to Hell

The higher up the hierarchy you go, the more sophisticated the myths.

Know Your Place

“You must call me ‘Sir’.” “Never speak until you are spoken to.” “Stand when I walk in the room.” “Salute me.” “Answer my question.” “You have disappointed me.” “You must always ask permission first.” “Come to me for your check.” “Show me you’re worthy.”

Three Effects of Hierarchy on the Transmission of Ideas

1) 2) 2)

Higher Status Person Î Lower No, because in hierarchies the “higher” generally don’t speak to the “lower”. Equal Î Equal No, because the receiver could use the idea to advance “ahead of” the communicator. Lower Î Higher

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No, because doesn’t the employee doesn’t want to “show up” the boss or be belittled by the boss, and because the boss thinks that if he uses the idea he “owes” the employee something.

The Boulder on the Pit

100 people were in the pit, and 80 were required to move the boulder off the pit. The first 25 said, “there is no way we can move it,” and so they didn’t try. The next 70 said, “we don’t have enough people to move it, so there’s no point in trying.” The remaining five began work on a theory of ideological hegemony.

The Room

“A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door that’s unlocked and opens inwards, as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than to push it.”  Wittgenstein, Culture and Value X threw Y in such a room, and Y never escaped. Why? Because X never taught Y 1) the “pull” concept; 2) how to discover concepts that had never been communicated. X also provided Y with the following axioms: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” “If you don’t succeed, you’re not trying hard enough.” “It is not the door that is too hard to push — it is that you have muscles that are too weak.” And X educated Y in the following curriculum: History — Those who pushed succeeded. Science — How they did it. Philosophy — Optimism vs. Pessimism. Literature — The Little Engine Who Could. Psychology — How Quitters rationalize failure.

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Brer Rabbit and Ideological Hegemony

Allowed concept: “Suppressed” concept:

A B

Brer Rabbit: Oh, please don’t say B! Please don’t say B! (allows B to be said) Oh no, you said B! Oh no, oh no! What will I do? What will I do? Instead of finding the C’s and D’s, Joe became a pro-B, and battled for thirty years in a seesawing struggle with the con-B’s.

The Chipmunks on the Treadmill

Two chipmunks were on a treadmill. In front of them, a carrot. On the wall was projected a movie of chipmunks who ran and ran, thought they’d fail, but who eventually got the carrot. One chipmunk got going — the other jumped off the treadmill and pulled the plug.

The Bone Will Not Suffice

You know you’re on the right track when they start throwing you bones to get you off the track.

One Thing Does Not Lead to Another

External freedom does not imply internal freedom.

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By the Fire

By the Fire — they do the Dance of Freedom — every night they dance the same dance for hours, and sing the same song with the same lyrics every night, over and over, for eternity — “We are free! We are free! We are free!”

A Different Kind of Freedom

Their freedom has been compartmentalized.

You’ve Done a Lot

When you’ve annihilated a sense of perspective, you’ve done a lot.

It’s No Match

Mom and Pop vs. Big Brother.

Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three

1) Glamorization of the Banal. 2) Mystification of the Obvious. 3) Exclusion of the Legitimate.

Who Are We?

ABC: We won the Pulitzer. ABC: The media is not reporting the war fairly.

How it Works

When you own the media, you don’t have to plan — all you have to do is reject.

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The Most Dangerous Poison

Which poison is the most dangerous: the green, gooey liquid, or the one which looks, tastes, and feels like water?

The Editor’s Handiwork

An editor produced a film of the Ali/Foreman fight, which showed Foreman hitting Ali, Foreman hitting Ali, Foreman hitting Ali. In this film, Foreman was clearly the villain.

They Changed Their Mind

Their knowledge changes when the channel changes.

Flip It

When you turn on the TV, flip the meter.

The Task of the Media

Make quicksand seem like concrete.

Pauline’s Doing Fine

They’re hanging on by a thread — but it’s one tough thread.

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Thought After the Commercial Ended

Thank God they ran out of money.

The Lamb

The Lamb was paranoid. It seemed that there were all these creatures called “wolves,” and they were obviously conspiring to get HIM!

The Critical Distinction

Not conspiracy — consensus.

Essay Title

Things I’ve Read Which Fuel My Paranoia

Just When You Thought You Were Being Paranoid . . . PLATO!

“If you control the way children play, and the same children always play the same games under the same rules and in the same conditions, and get pleasure from the same toys, you’ll find that the conventions of adult life are left in peace without alteration . . . Change, we shall find, except in something evil, is extremely dangerous.”  Plato, The Laws, Book 7, “The Dangers of Innovation in Education”

No Revolution Without Evolution

Totalitarianism is the final result. We stand on the shoulders of ants.

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The Subtext of the Food Chain

Food chain = Integrity of species. Subtext: damage the status quo, and chaos will result.

Get the Hint?

The not-so-subterranean message of Social Darwinism: adapt to your environment, or die.

Simon Says

Kids won’t obey “be quiet.” — Kids will obey “Simon says ‘be quiet.” The implications of this are very profound.

Paranoia

Kid: This “Simon Says” is not just a game. Is this kid paranoid?

Three Books Not Taught In High School

The Bible and Das Kapital. And Bernard Mandeville’s Fable of the Bees.

Society Manufactures Crime

A system creates crime when it creates people with nothing to lose.

Freak Show, 1984

There’s a sucker manufactured every minute.

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The Theory of Ideological Hegemony, In a Nutshell

Dracula created Bozo.

The Laughter Never Stops

If you can steer a population into a wisecracking mode, you’ve effectively shortcircuited serious conversation.

The Joker’s Wild

If they had facts in their heads instead of jokes, they’d make better decisions.

“I Was Just Kidding”

A lot of evil comes through the window “kidding.”

Thought When Listening to a Bad Comedian

There’s fear behind these jokes.

When the Nose Meets the Grindstone

When the nose meets the grindstone, the first thing that goes is the Nose. Next follows the Face — and then the Brain.

The Price of Novocaine

As the Novocaine dosage increases, the drill can dig deeper.

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Modern Science

Dacron jokes and polyester laughs.

Fixing a Hole

Fiction has occupied the territory meant for truth. Plastic is filling the gaps.

Less Is More

Mr. A says, “Here’s two boxes — one has $100 — one has nothing. You can choose one.” Mr. B says, “Here’s fifty boxes — one has $100 — the rest have nothing. You can choose one.” Who’s offer would you accept? A library has thousands of books.

Why Football is Popular

Football is popular because it fills many slots.

College Football as a Religious Experience

In the South, college football is as close as they get to a truly religious experience. When you hear the radio announcer scream “Hunker down! — Hunker down, you hairy Dawgs!” at the top of his lungs, and meaning it, you know something other-worldly is going on.

Love it or Leave it

If you don’t like Slavery, leave the South.

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A Significant Problem

His compass always points South.

The Yin and Yang of Novocaine

You experience Novocaine differently depending on your presence at a dentist’s office or a feast.

Plug the Leak

A lot of meaning slips between the cracks.

Disinformation

One of the tricks in war is to give the enemy false information. The prevailing style of argument precludes reaching legitimate conclusions. If the goal is the truth, logical fallacies are the strangers constantly pointing you in the wrong direction. The same is true of fiction. False premises, false significance, false frames, false probabilities — their minds are disarmed. You both have guns, but yours shoots blanks.

More Information on Disinformation

If half the bills are counterfeit, yours becomes worthless. A society where disinformation freely circulates lacks the foundation of communication, trust. They refuse to take your genuine $100 bill becaause they think it’s counterfeit. The problem is further compounded as follows: you want to communicate new information, but time is limited, and before you can communicate your new information the misstatements of others need to be corrected. They say - 10, you reply + 10. The net is 0. Society goes nowhere. If they say + 10, and

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you reply + 10, society gets a + 20 — a positive for all. But with no rules of evidence or relevance or truthfulness, there is no sanction against the spread of disinformation. Prisoners’ Dilemma theory predicts, correctly, that certain individuals will persist in (inadvertently) polluting the signal to noise ratio, and waste other people's time with impunity.

Which Statement is True?

“You can’t fight City Hall.” “That’s the price you have to pay.” “That’s not realistic.” “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s a duck.”

The Birth of Trivia

One explanation for the prevalence of trivia in the office setting is that giving out significant information is dangerous: 1) It decreases your power; 2) It increases your chance of getting fired.

The Price of Belief

Believing that Mr. X has the right to appropriate fifty percent of your income costs you fifty percent of your income.

Go With the Flow?

The flow is money — and it flows from us to them.

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Meaning

There’s a lot of capital invested in the word “capitalism.” However, the portfolio was diversified without the investors’ knowledge – in this respect, the word “capitalism” is like the word “dog.” Are we talking about Dachshunds, Poodles, or Dobermans? Maybe we have Pit Bull capitalism, when what we really want is St. Bernard capitalism.

How Not to Win Friends and Influence People

Lead with a few right-wing thoughts — then throw ‘em a left.

A Definition of Money

Money is permission.

The Nature of Money

Liquid power.

It Is What It Is

Money is not Capitalist, not Communist, not Democratic, not Republican. This explains why politics is politics.

Captains of the Ship

They’re not interested in right, nor in left: they’re interested in the destination.

Syllogism

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1) Money is power. 2) Unequal distribution of money = unequal distribution of power. 3) Unequal distribution of power = tyranny.

The Cycle of Revolution

Safety-valve Ð 1st rung on slippery slope Ð the slide Ð out of hand Ð repression Ð angry populace Ð Safety-valve

The Loop of Revolution

1) 2) 3) 4)

The more settled, the more fearful. The more fearful, the tighter the screws. The tighter the screws, the greater the chance of rebellion. The greater the chance of rebellion, the more fearful.

The Most Successful Radical

The most successful Radical will be the Establishment which bears down too hard.

On The Ship

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God gives you an iceberg. Hollywood gives you movies. Exxon gives you fuel.

Ideological Hegemony

In Chess, there is a more sophisticated method of controlling the opposition than saying “move here.” If one had the opportunity, one could prepare a book for your opponent’s perusal that defined a winning strategy as “aim exclusively for the back-rank mate.” Such a strategy would be rendered ineffectual in a number of ways, but, lemming-like, your opponent will search for this ethereal Holy Grail.

Thoughts of the Novice

The novice Chess player wonders, “If my King is over here, why is he going over there?”

Strategy vs. Tactics

Picketing is not a strategy, it’s a tactic. Letter-writing is not a strategy, it’s a tactic. Petitioning is not a strategy, it’s a tactic. Many members of political groups confuse strategy with tactics, turning their tactics into strategies. Chess shows this to be a poor strategy. “I’ll fork my opponent’s pieces.” While you’re looking for opportunities to do this, he’s choking off your center.

When We Discover the Rules of the Game

When the situations come up.

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How to Lose at Chess

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

You can’t see his moves. He can see your moves. He misleads you when he reports his moves. He tells you the rules only when the situations arise. He has taught you the strategy. He’s convinced you that Chess is the only game worth playing. He’s played Chess all his life — you haven’t.

The Nature of the Game

You change the objective of Chess, but your opponent doesn’t know it. Who will win the game? If only you know the object of the game, you win. Every game has an implicit object: to keep the players playing. The magic ingredient is chance. People will indulge in the most irrational games, as long as there is a chance they will win. So, if you want to keep the game going, lose once or twice.

The Shell-Game Operator

X: You say I cheat. Yet I lose 33 percent of the time. The cheating is in the structure of the game.

Injected Eternal In the Human Breast

Hope addicts — the Lottery gives them their fix. Whole lotta hopin’ goin’ on.

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Just Enough

Just Enough — always on the edge of unhappiness.

Viva, Las Vegas!

The bells go off for winners, they go crazy — but if the bells went off for losers, they’d go deaf.

Cognitive Defect

People will play a game that gives them 1,000,000 chances to be a Slave if it gives them one chance to be a Master.

Death of a Concept

A: B: C: B: C: B:

Let’s go to a partnership model with associates. Good idea. Associates will work six years before making partner. I say five years. Six! Five! Six!

Conversation

Echoes of the edifice.

They Throw Themselves in Quicksand

The concept of the “office pool” in Lotteries: if you don’t bet, they might win, and you’ll feel like a fool the rest of your life. In this dynamic, a buck for a lottery ticket is a buck for anti-psychological torture insurance.

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The Breeder-Reactor of Evil

The people of Brazil could throw the whole system out-of-whack — but they don’t. No wonder the Leaders have contempt for them. The contempt the con-man feels for his marks fuels his work. It is both an effect and cause of his activities.

Brainwashed

If they’ve been brainwashed, the war against their oppressors becomes a war against themselves.

They Have a Problem

They love the tools of their oppression.

A Fool for a Client

The more his client is sued, the more money he makes.

How They Succeed in Vegas Without Really Trying

When we discover their stacked deck, they shift to marked cards.

How Long Does It Take?

If you’re rolling a pair of dice, and they keep coming up snake-eyes, how long will it take for you to conclude they’re loaded?

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Why They Never Lose

Cracks in the system function as safety-valves.

A Definition of War

A device used by Rulers to vent hatred of the Citizens against their Regime. The “enemy” provides fixation. It is symbiotic for two class-based societies to fight.

No Game

Rules not only create games, they prevent them. Game A prevents Game B.

The Game

To play the game, you have to accept its assumptions. You’ve invested twelve years of your life learning how to play this game. Do you play it?

Hammer a Nail in Your Coffin or Die!

A terrible dilemma. We live within a system, a bad one. Yet to exist we are forced to make choices which support (tangentially) the system. Along comes the system-supporter, just waiting to destroy the transformer with the deadliest of all frames, inconsistency. If we allow this tactic we will never progress. Why can’t we take people at their word? If they say they’re against the alphabet as it now stands, why do we insist on pointing out that they have used and are using the alphabet as it now stands?

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Chess

You can beat the Chess computer if it starts out with no Queen, no Bishops, and no Pawns, even though it is smarter.

The Secret of Their “Success”

Totalitarian systems work when they are more sophisticated than the people.

A Difference of Degree

Societies A and B are totalitarian, but A has more “wiggle-room.”

Why Totalitarianism is Hell

The people who make the rules don’t have to live around the people affected by the rules.

The Most Commonly Given Piece of Advice in Totalitarian Society

“Ignore it.”

Peel the Labels

You’re not facing a person, you’re facing a belief system.

You = Them

You are identified with their perceptions of the validity of your remarks. “I think his remark is stupid” = “he is stupid.”

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How They Do It

They never tell you to lie — but you’re under so much pressure, you have to lie to stay there.

At the Job-Site

A reply is a shovel; an argument is your grave.

Psychological Syllogism

Tension winds you up like a spring. Springs drive motors.

City Drivers

They drive like they’re driven.

Advice

That’s taking the road-of-excess thing a little too far.

One of the Benefits of a More Natural Life

Water tastes better when it doesn’t have an octane level.

The Difference Between Fault and Responsibility

It was his responsibility, but not his fault.

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A man with no arms was assigned the task of shelving books. The job wasn’t done. It was his responsibility (he was assigned the task), but not his fault (he did not have control over the outcome).

Existentialism

Stupidity is a choice.

Birds of a Feather

The man tried a key in the lock — it didn’t fit. He tried the key in another lock — it didn’t fit. He said, “this key is no good,” and threw it away. Another man had 20 keys on a key-ring. He tried 10 in the lock, and none of them worked. He said “these keys are no good,” and threw all 20 keys away.

Rubenstein’s Role

R: What do you want from me? I’m just a simple musician. X: No one’s just a simple musician, Mr. Rubenstein.

The Funny Thing About Responsibility

It’s yours regardless of whether or not you want it, and even if you refuse to acknowledge it.

Why “Blaming the Victim” Works

The blame can be put on any one person at any time, because every person makes a volitional act which placed him in the situation. Ergo, the person is “responsible.” I walk by a building. A brick falls on my head. I was “responsible” because but for my act of walking by the building, I would not have been hit by the brick.

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It is inappropriate, however, to say that if a person does Act X which is necessary for Consequence Y, it is therefore sufficient for Consequence Y. I park my car on the road. This is a necessary preceding factor for someone else’s car to hit mine on the street. Yet did I cause the accident?

Q.E.D.

The more horrific the end result, the more responsibility has to be chopped.

The Law Had a Problem

800 volts was lethal. 1000 men turned cranks, each turn supposed to generate one volt, and X was killed by 900 volts. There were a total of 1100 men who were in the vicinity of the cranks, and here was the difficulty: 1) 100 men did not turn cranks, and the Law did not know who they were. 2) 100 men turned cranks that didn’t produce voltage, and the Law did not know who they were. 3) 100 men who turned voltage-producing cranks were told they were doing so to help power the city. And when the Law went to the men who admitted turning voltageproducing cranks with malice, here were their comments: 1) “The volt I administered was not a fatal dosage.” 2) “Even if I had not turned the crank, the man would have died anyway.”

What Was Lazlo Toth Thinking?

Lazlo Toth smashed The Pieta with a hammer. Was this what he was thinking?

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“My responsibility, enormous, undivided, destroyed a small portion of the world. Your responsibility, insignificant, fragmented, will leave the Earth a cinder.”

Society’s Syllogism

The syllogism splinters societal “responsibility” in the same way bureaucracies splinter responsibility: X is radical. Radicals are evil. Evil people should be killed. Ð X should be killed. Now, a societal system: Television X is radical.

History Radicals are evil.

Religion Evil people should be killed.

The End of the Line

“Kill children” came at the end of a long list of propositions: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

The Communists are moving into South Vietnam. We must move into South Vietnam. We must capture villages to move into South Vietnam. We must kill the enemy to capture villages. The enemy uses children. We must kill children.

The Visual Syllogism

Visual image 1: lab destroyed by animal rights group.

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Visual image 2: baby saved by research done on animals. Two images presented concurrently or serially = a visual syllogism leading to only one conclusion.

How We “Think”

In the papers we read “criminal.” In the movies the term is defined for us: a criminal is a psychopath with no moral sense and a Satanic streak of cruelty. It is easy to justify harsh laws using this paradigm. In movies killing criminals is just — but in real life we give these psychopaths a slap on wrist — our legal system coddles criminals.

Links

Acquiescence is the stamp of approval for immorality; learned helplessness is acquiescence; the system fosters learned helplessness; therefore, the system inevitably leads to moral decay.

The Nature of Power

Lose credibility = lose influence. Lose influence = lose power. It might be said that credibility is power, and power is credibility. Power is only their perception that you have power. Power is both: 1) the perception by A that A “is” in power, and 2) the perception by B that A “is” in power. Power is a set of interlocking consonant perceptions. The more people that believe A is in power, the more powerful is A.

Power is Zero-Sum

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That power is zero-sum is only apparent where there’s disagreement with the status quo. A and B watch TV. Both watch the same show. That power is zero-sum is not apparent. A and B watch TV. A wants to watch pro wrestling, B doesn’t. A has the remote control. B is now aware that power is zero-sum. If you knew nothing about the people in power, you would have to realize that their interests are inevitably going to be opposed to yours, to the extent that you disagree. Those whose minds move outside the beaten track are those most likely to take notice of the disparity.

The Power Spiral

New perception leads to new reality leads to new perception leads to new reality leads to new perception leads to . . .

Advice to a Dictator

Don’t go cheap on the symbols of power.

Chain

Educational system = grades. Grades = competition. Competition = withholding of information. Withholding of information = the mortar that holds the need-to-know strategy together. Need-to-know = significant knowledge kept out of reach of those who do not “need” to know.

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On Not Seeing Eye to Eye

Evil is created through a shift in perception — a meaning-shift. The Rich view dollars as pennies — they literally cannot conceive of the difficulties facing those who must see dollars as dollars. They really think the Poor are responsible — because things are easy for them, they think they’re easy for the Poor.

Decide

Are they taking you too literally, or are they extending your metaphor?

Conversation at Work

Barry: We’re the lowest of the low. Paul: We’re not that high.

Paying the Cost of In-Admission

Financial adversity rids you of the illusion that you had left the Arena. You always were in it: but because the Lions were feeding on the other Christians, you thought you were part of the Audience.

Less Than Zero

You don’t even factor into their equation.

And the Winner Is . . .

A zero-sum frame pasted on a win-win reality — and the frame prevailed.

We Live In Different Worlds

For the poor, a hassle is a crisis.

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Purity

Abstractions are the distilled essence of analogies.

Abstractions

Without abstractions, the world would make no sense. You wouldn’t see a “computer,” but a “screen”; and not a “screen,” but “a piece of glass surrounded by plastic”; and not “a piece of glass surrounded by plastic” but “a hard transparent surface circumscribed by a hard material”; and not “a hard transparent surface circumscribed by a hard material” but the raw sensory perception known as (*& )*$)#(*@^* . The farther you get from subjective sense, the more elusive meaning becomes.

Why Our Descriptions are Always Inaccurate

Eat a meal alone in your kitchen, you’d say it was “good.” Eat it in a beautiful restaurant with wine, over candlelight with the one you love, it’s “great.” You are not eating “a meal,” but “a-meal-in-a-restaurant-with-beautiful-decor-overcandlelight-and-wine-with-the-one-you-love-on-a-beautiful-moonlit-night-onJuly-21-2001-at-the-age-of-21.” Even this latter description is far too abbreviated. For it to be accurate (encompassing the entire experience and the history surrounding the experience) would fill the pages of a very long book. Obviously, it would take too long to give such a description, so we give abbreviated versions. We sacrifice accuracy because we really are unable to be accurate (time doesn’t permit, nor does our memory, nor our intellectual capacity to formulate such a description). We need to understand that our descriptions are inaccurate.

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Abstraction

Every abstraction is a pit.

The Hidden Power of Words

Every word is a legitimation.

99% Sure

When someone tells you that they are 99% sure of something, they are saying that in a fair bet on the issue, they will pay you 99 dollars if they are wrong, and you pay them one dollar if they are right. A box with 100 marbles: 99 white, 1 blue. “I am 99% sure that I will pull out a white marble.” Fair odds are 99 to 1 in favor of blue. When they say, “I am sure that . . .”, they are frequently not as “sure” as they believe they are. To find out how really “sure” they are, ask them what odds they will give you. If they will give you 2 to 1 odds, they are 66% “sure.” (50 blue, 50 white = 1 to 1 odds. 66 blue, 33 white = 2 to 1 odds). 1 to 1 = 50% 2 to 1 = 66% 3 to 1 = 75% 4 to 1 = 80% 9 to 1 = 90% 99 to 1 = 99% Any odds okay = approximately 100%.

The Inadequacy of Language

Terms have strong senses and weak senses. Speculating that the sun will rise tomorrow and that stocks will rise tomorrow are two different things. Language is very haphazard.

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Linguistic Impoverishment

We are linguistically impoverished. One word: hot. This word covers both 99° and 9999°. Yet you can exist in 99°, but not 9999°. So the word is inaccurate to the extent that it groups as similar phenomena which, functionally speaking, are dissimilar. We use words as stop-gaps, and then forget they were only stop-gaps.

When to Be Precise

You should only use precise language when you know precisely. “Don’t be vague” is potentially bad advice.

Precision

He’s not 212° arrogant, but he might be 110° arrogant.

Quantitative Differences = Qualitative Differences

X says “it’s only a difference of degree,” but a difference of degree separates an ice cube from a puddle of water.

Description of a Chair

From a catalogue re: chair with a nothing-special design: “Designers specify this rugged beauty for their most prestigious rooms.” The chair was just outside the halo — the language seeks to pull it into the center.

The Man Who Only Had Two Categories

The water was 200°. Tenants complained, “Enough with the hot water!” So the Landlord turned it to 60°. Tenants complained, “Enough with the cold water!” So he turned it back to 200°. This went on for months. Finally, a Tenant said,

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“Why don’t you set the water to ‘just right’?” And the Landlord replied, “Just right? Mrs. Green thinks ‘just right’ is 110°, and Mrs. Brown thinks ‘just right’ is 100°. None of the tenants agree on what’s ‘just right,’ so how can I set it to ‘just right’?” And with that, the Landlord went back to his categories.

A Common Problem

His category is too small.

Use the Tool for the Task

He used a thermometer to measure distance.

Filters

Some people have filters in their brains that illegitimately shunt concepts into the categories “sense” and “nonsense,” when they ought to go universally into the category “possible.”

Shift

The standard of proof for possibility is different from that of impossibility.

Beyond Being and Nothingness

Not being and nothingness — not substantive and incorporeal — but finite and infinite. Matter’s chief characteristic is not that it is substantive (it may be incorporeal), but that it is finite. Only ideas are infinite.

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Light-Year

There’s a gaping field between the status quo and the possible.

What is Culture?

Culture is what we condone.

The Rough Riders

They are riding their preconceived notions all the way to the bank.

Conversation at a Haight-Ashbury Bookstore

(On seeing “punks” looking at books in front of an Anarchist Bookstore) Him: Are these punkers anarchists as well? Her: I don’t think you can make that kind of generalization.

Yin IS Yang!

Infinity is zero. Space is both infinite and nothing, all at once.

What One Word Can Do

You might think “infinity = zero” impossible, until you hear the word “space.”

Equation

Limited concepts = Limited minds.

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The New Alphabet

Concepts are the alphabet of creativity.

The Violin that Wasn’t Played

He didn’t want to play the violin because the only music he heard played on it was Go Tell Aunt Rhody. He didn’t want to use his mind because the only concepts he associated with it were grammatical and mathematical.

You Learn by Playing With the Best

You learn chess by playing good players — they do things for reasons — thus, they give you a reason to look for reasons — play irrational players, you can never learn — no coherence. Nothing for your thought to get ahold of.

Why Analogy is Powerful

Analogy is powerful because it shifts the foundation of mapping. It gives people a new structure on which to map their thoughts — without these structures, their incipient thoughts have nothing to hang onto, and evaporate as soon as conceived. Analogies structure thought by legitimizing the new ideas. Because a parallel for the thought exists in domain X, the idea gains significance, and so is retained, and not shuttled off to the refuse pile of the improbable.

Break Out

Categories which may have been legitimate imprison a society in the process of evolution.

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He is Not a Category

He believes in public financing of education: that doesn’t make him a Liberal. He believes that government should be limited: that doesn’t make him a Conservative. He believes we should love our neighbors: that doesn’t make him a Christian. He believes in one God; that doesn’t make him a Jew. He believes that man has the capacity for freedom: that doesn’t make him an Existentialist. He believes people are currently imprisoned by their conditions; that doesn’t make him a Determinist. He believes that people should strive to achieve their massive potential: that doesn’t make him an Elitist.

Problem

We group information in our minds differently. That’s why we’re having trouble communicating.

Conversation in an Art Gallery

Him: Her: Him:

Which way is West? The person? The direction.

They’re Different

A feeds his dog. B doesn’t feed his cat. A says, “If I don’t feed my dog, it will die.” B says, “I don’t have a dog, I have a cat. And dogs and cats are different.”

A Distinction With No Difference

Saying “there’s a fine line between punishment and revenge” is like saying there’s a fine line between animals and dogs.

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Not the Same

There are different kinds of sameness.

The Inadequacy of Equivalence

Does Q = – P? What is needed is a “falls under the category of” sign instead of an “is coextensive with” sign.

The Dark Side of Equality

“One law for both the lion and ox is oppression.” Marriage of Heaven and Hell



William Blake, The

Like — A Funny Word

“Like” is a funny word. A Wolf is “like” a dog; but one’s your best friend, the other wants you for dinner.

Not a Dilemma

I breathe. That produces CO2, which keeps plants alive. This produces Oxygen, which helps keep people like Son of Sam alive. Must I kill myself to be moral?

Undecidable

A: We need to move slowly — and build on our legitimacy. B: You’re co-opting the more progressive approach.

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Undecidable

A: I shouldn’t be compelled to pay. B: We don’t want free-loaders in our society.

Standoff

A: That’s not your decision to make. B: That’s not your decision to make.

Unfair Trade Practice

Joe says, “I’ll take you to a good restaurant.” You say “okay.” You end up at McDonald’s. Sam says, “I’ll pay you a fair wage.” You take the job — and are paid minimum wage. Bill says, “Come to my island — it’s peaceful.” You go to Bill’s island, where dissenters are imprisoned. Never allow the following: what you give is concrete — what you get is abstract: “I will give you my house — you will give me a lot of money.” “I will give you my vote — you will give me fair representation.”

Double-Bind

B did not do X. A: You did X. B: I did not do X. A: (to C) 1) “B cannot take criticism” or 2) “B is argumentative” or 3) “B refuses to acknowledge his imperfections” or 4) “B has a bad attitude.”

Double-Bind II

He asks first: “You shouldn’t rely on me to tell you everything.” He doesn’t ask first:

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“That’s the kind of thing you must run by me first.”

Triple-Bind

1) Don’t come to me for help. 2) Do it quickly. 3) Do it accurately. What to do if you don’t know what to do?

Hard to Reply

“You always have to have the last word.”

How to Stop a Student from Asking Questions

“You should know that.”

The Hand-Biters

Every time he tries to bring them in, they shut him out.

Doberman Liability

The Doberman barked away the man who wanted to set him free.

Who Am I?

A person can be defined by the strength of their demons.

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A Key Problem

People get a greater feeling of power from saying “no” than from saying “yes.” The Nobots

They just say no.

The Wall

The Wall consists of “replies.”

Dialogue

Slave: The existing order is bad. Owner: To you it’s bad.

Conversation in a Military Town

A: This defense spending is unnecessary. B: You want to eat, don’t you?

Three Unconvincing Arguments

A: Television is a bigger threat to the intellect than crack. B: People sell their televisions to buy crack. A: I don’t eat apples. B: But you eat oranges! A: Cigarettes are a greater threat than bullets. B: You’ll dodge a gun, but not a pack of cigarettes.

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Degradation

X: (applying for Welfare) This is degrading. Y: Don’t blame your dignity on us.

The Day He Discovered The Solution

X: I’ve discovered the Solution! Y: Wow . . . I’d really like to hear about it. (Phone rings).

Look at the Bright Side

Thank God they follow the herd. At least they’re convinced by something.

The “Do More” Technique

In the logical fallacy arena, the “do more” technique is quite effective: A: Let’s limit our consumption of meat. B: Why not be complete vegetarians? B’s point is that if X is good, then 3X will be three times as good. How could A possibly be opposed to B? Simple — the laws of mathematics. 3x –(=) X: empirically speaking, 3X poses significant logistical and sociological hurdles which X doesn’t. But when A argues against B, he is seen as “inconsistent.” The problem is that faced with the oppressive dictum to “do more or be inconsistent,” people do nothing.

The Syllogism That Didn’t Work

The hotter the drink, the faster the ice will melt. The faster the ice melts, the faster the drink will get cold. The hotter the drink the ice is dropped into, the faster the drink will get cold.

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Doomed to Inconsistency

1) I send my kid to public school — this is inconsistent with my belief he should be well-educated. 2) I send my kid to private school — this is inconsistent with my belief that all kids should get an equal education. 3) I teach my kid at home — this is inconsistent with my belief that he ought to learn how to interact socially with others.

Not Doomed to Inconsistency

A: I abbreviated California, but not Utah. B: You’re inconsistent. A: Not at all. My rule is to abbreviate only words with five or more letters.

The Paradox of the Spinning Propeller

The faster it goes, the more stable the image seems. The same phenomenon is true of film speed — the faster the film, the smoother the image. Perhaps explains how stability can arise out of speed-of-light subatomic interaction.

The Paradox of the Kite

It flies when you don’t let go of the string.

Freedom

All in a cage, pushing in different directions: freedom is not necessarily liberating.

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One Funny Country

America’s a funny country: it gives you San Francisco in 1967, and Brooklyn in 1975.

Surrounded

If every article, work of prose, etc., were written by the same author, we’d be surrounded by doublethink.

The Curiosity of Modern Society

We’re more civilized, but we kill more people.

Clear Those Sinuses

If you don’t smell an inconsistency here, better take some Dristan.

Smart

Being smart isn’t all it’s I’ve cracked up to be.

Dichotomy is Not Exclusive

There is a necessary/sufficient continuum, and a necessary/expendable continuum.

False Battle

Science is no more “opposed” to Art than a cucumber is “opposed” to an orange.

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Opposites Sometimes Attract

What is the opposite of “handsome?” 1) Pretty. 2) Ugly.

In Praise of the Obvious

The society that praises Samaritanism must be unhealthy. Should we praise the mother who feeds her baby? No. Then why praise someone else for doing what is their moral obligation to do?

Te Dium

We must fight for the obvious.

Thought When Looking at a Brick Wall

The irony of a window.

Nothing New Obscuring the Sun

When change is suggested, the set of replies is finite.

The Matrix of Criticism

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Deleterious. Not necessary. Not sufficient. Necessary, but not sufficient. Sufficient, but not necessary. Necessary, but not optimal.

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Not optimal because not efficient. Sufficient, but not optimal. Necessary, but not optimal nor sufficient. Sufficient, but immoral. Sufficent, but unfair. Inconsistent.

Population Explosion

People who do nothing criticizing people who do something for not doing everything.

Go Figure

Little did I know that within the first two hundred words replying to my idea that we give a book a month to every child in the country, I’d hear the word “Hitler.”

Judgment Day

If God could vomit, we’d be knee-deep in puke.

They Entered the Wrong Lottery

Some people need a “near-life” experience.

What Will You Do?

You’re the owner of a company. You find out one of your divisions is embezzling funds. You call in your President, and ask him to stop it. He says, “But corruption is all around us. People have always been this way. There will always be corruption. You just can’t stop it.” What do you do?

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No Man is an Island

Every social act takes place in the context of permissions.

It’s Not My Fault

“This is the way it’s done.” “That’s business.” “That’s just our policy.” “It’s a tradition.” “Just following orders.”

Personas

Some people create personas in arguments — they claim to be playing “devil’s advocate.” This deflects criticism from themselves, since “they” are not advocating the point of view. Is this what the Nazis did? Tactic: create a persona distinct from the “real me.” When this persona is criticized, the stings don’t sting. What a shield! It would really feel safe inside that persona.

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

They’ve got a word for whatever they want to do.

Why the Pen is Mightier Than the Sword

Words can be used.

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Weak

Who is “weak?” The one who adapts to unpleasant reality, or the one annoyed by it? A: “You can’t take it — you’re weak.” B: “You just go along with it — you’re weak.”

Hitler

Mercy was not in his repertoire of concepts.

They Don’t Get It

Nazi Germany: “We don’t let it get to us.”

Peeling the Labels

There are no rules — just a set of irrational desires paired with their rationalizations.

Seeing the World Through Bifocal Glasses

“At first, I was a little bit shocked. As time went on, I realized they weren’t booing Carl Lewis, they were booing because they wanted to see Carl Lewis. To boo because of that is flattering in a way.”  Carl Lewis on being booed

Ambiguity

When are you “rationalizing” and when are you “seeing the other side” of an issue?

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It Wasn’t His Fault

“Everyone cheats sometime.” “He just made a mistake.” “No one’s perfect.” “He had to let it out of his system.” “He wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t.” “She lured him into it.” “He lost his senses.” “I don’t believe it.”

Why the Fox Never Ate Grapes

The Fox tried to jump for grapes twenty feet high, couldn’t reach them, and concluded that the grapes were “sour.” He used the same rationalization with nineteen feet high grapes, eighteen feet high grapes, and seventeen feet high grapes, etc. Eventually, the Fox came to see as a “fact” his rationalization, and thought that all grapes were sour, even those which were one foot high.

The Inertia of Ideology

Ideology = encrusted rationalizations formed from economic contingencies. The 19th Century is still with us: in people’s brains!

Inertia: A Two-Sided Coin

Inertia works in two ways: 1) difficult to get going. 2) difficult to stop once it gets going.

Newton’s Thirteenth Law

The faster an argument proceeds, the less communication that occurs.

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The Dilemma of Communication

To communicate, one must communicate in familiar terms. A film designed to illuminate must brainwash to the extent it mirrors prevailing cultural perceptions. Brainwashing is not only introducing new falsehoods, but reinforcing old falsehoods.

Steady As She Goes

On a curved road, “stability” means you’ll drive into a tree.

The Efficient Society

There was once an efficient society with efficient grocery stores. The grocery stores stocked cans, bottles, and boxes with white wrappers on which “Food” was printed, in big, black letters. Inside these containers were the potatos, the carrots, the mustard, the pickles. The grocery stores also stocked cans, bottles, and boxes with white wrappers on which “Not-Food” was printed, in big, black letters. Inside these containers were the napkins, the silverware, the soap, the light bulbs. There were undoubtedly benefits to this plan; for example, shopping was a breeze. One simply decided how much money one wanted to spend on food that week, and pulled containers labeled “Food” into the shopping cart until the amount was reached. The same procedure was used for non-food items. Checking out was simplicity itself, as cashiers easily dealt with uniform packaging. However, there were problems. If a person wanted corn for dinner, there was only a very small chance that the person would be successful. One could make twenty purchases, none of them being corn. Upon arriving home, the person would open up a can for dinner, only to find institutional-pack mustard. In this society, people’s refrigerators were filled with opened cans of relish, tuna, and green beans. Of course, it was a glorious moment when one wanted to eat round potatos for dinner, and — voilá ! — round potatoes! But these moments of happiness were few and far between.

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Now, in those societies which have been established upon fallacious premises, people known as “radicals” have attempted to bring corporeal reality into synchronicity with the incorporeal realities known as Truth, Beauty, and Common-Sense. And this society was no different. A Radical tried to suggest that there be different labels for different foods, but he was treated as all radicals have been treated: with the scorn he deserved! Others attempted to “reason” with the Radical, and here were the replies: 1) “It’s more efficient this way — we only have to print two different labels.” 2) “It would be too hard to choose if we knew what we were buying.” 3) “This system makes food acquisitions random, and therefore guarantees a balanced diet.” 4) “It’s more fun this way — you’re always surprised.” 5) “Changing the system would be too expensive.” 6) “You should be satisfied with what you buy.” 7) “Your plan will never work.” 8) “Your plan is too radical.” 9) “We’re happy with the way things are.” 10) “That’s the system. If you don’t like it, leave.”

The Square-Wheeled Society

The square-wheeled society:

One scientist wanted to trim the corners:

But a “radical” scientist wanted to smooth it out entirely:

Establishment Scientist: We’re not ready – we should move more slowly.

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What Have You Learned?

You give a mint to your Beagle, Rover. It gags. What lesson have you learned? 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)

Don’t give mints to Rover. Don’t give mints to Beagles. Don’t give candy to Rover. Don’t give candy to Beagles. Don’t give mints to Dogs. Don’t give candy to Dogs. Don’t give mints to Animals. Margaret: Don’t give mints to anybody — get rid of mints.

Kid: (gives mint to Rover. It gags). Mom: You shouldn’t give candy to animals, son.

Watch Your Facts!

The way in which you see reality as a set of facts can really effect your conclusions: A: “I gave a mint to Rover. It gagged.” B: “I gave a hard mint to Rover. It gagged.” Conclusion from A: “Don’t give mints to Rover.” Conclusion from B: “Don’t give hard mints to Rover.” The way you state your facts will effect your subsequent hypotheses.

An Actual Conversation

Man: How much should I give you? Waitress: Don’t play God with me. Do what you want.

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Communication Breakdown

The frames in which ideas are written are not necessarily the frames in which they’re viewed.

Going to the Movies

For A, the dominant frame of reference is the review. For B, the dominant frame of reference is other movies. For C, the dominant frame of reference is the possible.

Look At It This Way

No possessions? But now you have more room.

David vs. Goliath

David: They’re rooting for the underdog. Goliath: They want to see me knocked from the top.

Intimidation

A: You’d better take your foot off my neck. B: Don’t threaten me!

No Respect

A: I’m destroying an instrument which kills people. B: You’re destroying property.

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Not-Seeing the World through Glass-Covered Roses

A: The CIA is responsible for death squad murders. B: The world isn’t perfect.

Define Your Terms

A: They sentenced him to hard labor. B: Well, what’s “hard?”

Culture Defined

Culture is repetition.

A Definition of Political Discourse

Who can say the least the best.

The Politician’s Reply

A: You received illegal campaign contributions. B: I’ve put all that behind me.

Barry and Margaret

Barry: Was Hussein a “sexist” for only releasing women hostages? Margaret: No — a “gentleman.”

Figure it Out

“No violence” can mean “no opposition.”

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The Dual Role of Ideas

Every idea sets the stage for another.

Barry and Margaret

Barry: Margaret, whose side are we on in Nicaragua? Margaret: The side of peace.

Quibble

Jefferson: We’re going to have a revolution. King George: You should work within the system.

The Tyranny of Tacit Assumption

“Our system” — as if it were a mountain, neither created by us nor removable by us.

Where Am I?

Your primary location is a mental one. Saying “I want to go to Quebec” is like saying “I want to situate Tampa within Utah.”

Cooperation in the Workplace

Him: Do you know the number? Her: Why?

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Sometimes You’ll Hear Something Like This

A: I love you. B: I like you, too. Barry and Margaret

Margaret: You’re loved by the people who count. Barry: I want to be loved by the people who don’t count. Margaret: You can’t count on them.

Frame Shift

We-against-them to be replaced by We-for-them.

Help Us Out

Be a script-smasher.

The Bricks of Progress

1) 2)

Curiosity. Dissatisfaction.

We Want it Both Ways

We want to have it both ways, but, alas, if 2 + 2 = 4, then 2 +2 ≠ 5.

God

2 + 2 = 4.

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It’s Up to You

You’re not going to get 4 until you put 2 and 2 together.

Why We Must Battle Disinformation

Belief is the currency of action. No belief, no action.

Five Levels of Truth Value

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Impossible Possible Plausible Probable Actual

Advice to the Frustrated Teacher

There are teachers only because some people have knowledge and some don’t. Don’t get angry at them for their ignorance. That’s inertia. Educate!

Einstein’s Path

Einstein didn’t start off being Einstein. He took in information and thought about the information, which sparked new thoughts — thoughts which were not necessarily profound. But gradually, as he thought and thought and thought, his new thoughts clashed with other new thoughts, and his thoughts became more sophisticated, until Einstein became Einstein.

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Ten Elements of Education

Communication. Accuracy. Significance. Application. Interest. Clarity. Comprehensiveness. Repetition. Continuity. Ease.

Teaching

Banality is the Achilles Heel of modern education. If students are bored with what you’re teaching, you’re not teaching. The teacher has to be hipper than his students.

William Learns His Lesson

“Now, William, it is time to emit proper task behaviors.” “But I’m playing with Ralph!” “Incorrect response, William. You are to say, ‘thank you, Ma’am, for allowing me to fulfill my task to your satisfaction.’” “But I don’t want to!” “Another incorrect response. Proceed with application of aversive stimuli, Charles.”

Advice to Teachers

You must teach with exclamation points!

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“Education”

After learning only useless knowledge, how can any child conclude anything other than KNOWLEDGE IS USELESS

Three Types of Education

1) People who give you the wrong directions. 2) People who give you the right directions, but know only one or two destinations. 3) People who give you maps, boxes and boxes of maps.

Simile

“Thinking too much.” Like “breathing too much?”

The Mind

The mind expands to its limits: progress is removing the limits. The “mountainclimbing” metaphor refers to the process of removing obstacles, not pumping up the mind to fill the space. The mind expands on its own —

The Limits of the Mind

But perhaps the mind is not capable of understanding the universe — in this case, asking the mind to do so would be to damage it, like asking a pencil to function as an icepick.

How to Confront the World of Knowledge

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Lava = Knowledge. Glove = Cold and Analytical Language. Hand = Brain. You stick your hand in the lava, you’re gonna get burned. Put hand in glove, you get a feel for the lava, though you don’t experience it directly.

Sharpening the Mind

The razor-strop: 1) Up: Yes, it is. 2) Down: No, it isn’t.

Truth is Beauty

Those untrained in logic are ugly in arguments. Teach people logic to get a more beautiful society.

The Importance of Logic

People are afraid of wings because they don’t have parachutes. Give them parachutes, and they’ll take the wings.

Fear of Trying

A:

If you let these young trapeze artists practice with a safety net, they’ll get used to the net. They need to get used to fear. Therefore, you should not allow them to practice with a safety net.

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How to See Arguments

Instead of seeing arguments in terms of premise and conclusion we ought to see them in terms of claim and evidence. The latter focuses attention on establishing the truth of claims, instead of drawing implications from claims. Both are important, but claims must first be established as true.

The Knowledge Loop

Knowledge by definition, is, by definition, knowledge.

Paradigm Shift

Knowledge is the clay, not the sculpture.

How the Devil Stops the Desire for Heaven

The Devil paints false pictures of Heaven.

Lull Instead of the Storm

That you’re not furious means that you’re not tapped into the well of information.

The Bliss that Wasn’t

With a lack of knowledge, you’re insulated from the magnitude of the tragedy.

Connection

If you’re making decisions from a position of ignorance, your primary motivation for acting will always be fear.

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A Definition of Good

Good is do, reified.

Not Talking About the Letters

“Do” contains “don’t,” but “don’t” doesn’t contain “do.”

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Juliet put herself to sleep (acute apathy). Romeo thought Juliet was dead, so he killed himself (chronic apathy). Juliet awoke, saw Romeo dead, and so she killed herself (chronic apathy). When read metaphorically, Romeo and Juliet takes on a deep and disturbing meaning. If we conclude that the Will of people to improve the world is “dead” (because other people besides ourselves are inactive), when their Will was really only “asleep,” we will stop trying to implement the Good, and in so doing, “kill ourselves.” And, if we are “dead,” others formerly asleep may similarly commit teleological suicide; thus is the apathy of the Individual transformed into the death of Hope, and the death of the world that was possible. To Kill the Good, Quit.

Everything in its Place

The power to do nothing ought to be reserved for the least important occasions.

True!

A: Why don’t you think about X? B: I have less important things to think about.

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The Art of Not Thinking

Part of good thinking is not thinking, or, more precisely, knowing when not to think. Since time is finite, and we can’t think about everything, we should devote our thinking time to those issues which are more deserving of our time, whether due to intrinsic significance, or a lack of prior work in the area, or both. For example, with the following claims, we will want to think about 3 and 4, but not 1 and 2: 1) 2) 3) 4)

2 + 2 = 4. Men have walked on the moon. The government needs to be improved. What is the best way to improve the government?

Because 1 and 2 are settled, no time needs to be spent on them. They are obvious. 3 is somewhat less obvious, yet most would still classify it as such. It’s obvious here that 4 deserves the most time. Here, then, are is one possible thinking time allocation for the preceding four claims: 1) 2) 3) 4)

0 percent. 0 percent. 10 percent. 90 percent.

The Labyrinth of Significance Scrims

A roomful of wax apples — one real apple — which is real? Important to know if you’re hungry. A shelf-full of theories, ideologies, hypotheses. Which are true? Significant? If only concepts A, B, C, and D will get you to concept E, and concept E is necessary, then concepts W, X, Y, and Z function as false paths — roads which lead nowhere — much like a labyrinth — exposure to concepts W, X, Y, and Z waste time. No point in learning about unicorns when you need to learn how to do heart surgery, and no point in learning how to suture when you’re writing a paper on mythical beasts.

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Bonus

Unlock enough doors, more light gets through.

Knowledge

Knowledge is nothing but the memory of infinity.

The Basis of Proverbs

Proverbs are prevalent because the activities inspiring them are prevalent.

The Proverbial Conversation

A: I’m going to give you back some of your own medicine. B: Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Self-Confirming Proverbs

1) 2) 3)

Expect poison from the standing water. The idle mind is the Devil’s playground. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Contradictory Proverbs

1) 2)

He who hesitates is lost. Haste makes waste.

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What the Lemming Said

“He who hesitates is lost.”

What the Salmon Did Not Say

“Go with the flow.”

What Do All These Things Have in Common?

Time, Money, Knowledge, and Power.

Master and Servant

Our gods are economic principles: these are gods we want to master.

Non-Starter

If you had all the money in the world, society would either 1) collapse, or 2) move to a different medium of exchange.

Who Shall Save Us?

If you have the time, money, knowledge, or power, you’re the cavalry.

A Word to the Wise

If you’re the cavalry, make sure your guns are loaded.

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Advice for the Cavalry

You’re walking a baby through the forest. Someone calls you for help, so you put the baby down. But eventually you’ve got to come back for that baby.

What Democracy is Not

Democracy is not walking by.

Democracy Defined

The system that everyone loves that everyone fears.

Stasis Generates Progress

A’s apathy is B’s opportunity.

Advice No One Gave Mother Theresa

“You’re too predictable — you should be more spontaneous.”

Have You Kept Your Kid Vows?

1) 2) 3) 4)

I’ll stay up late at night as much as I want. I’ll eat ice cream every day. I’ll never clean my room. When I grow up, I’ll change the world.

Major Disappointment

Some cavalry you turned out to be.

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We Can Do Better

Something more than gross negligence will just have to do.

Not the Epitaph of My Dreams

I tried.

Create Your Cavalry

Every mind destroyed is an ally lost.

Look Out for Number Two

You need your help.

Destroy Your Enemy

They manufacture their own fears.

The Four Enemies of the Vampire

1) 2) 3) 4)

The Cross. The Mirror. The Sun. The Stake.

He Wasn’t

Barry: Sometimes surgery is indicated. Margaret: I guess you’re implying that a lot of surgery isn’t.

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The Power of Karma

Every good act you do puts on the pressure.

Act

Act: they’re waiting for you to give them permission.

Let’s Make a Deal

I’ll kick alcohol if you’ll kick television.

Alabama

They banned “secular humanist” books in Alabama. A step in the right direction. Too bad it’s in the wrong direction.

Night Becomes Day

We need to transform hidden decisions into articulated decisions. It’s one thing to let 50,000 people die in traffic accidents. It’s another to walk into a voting booth and vote for it.

Aiming Your Dollars

Spending money at a football stadium is saying “I want to give power to the Dallas Cowboys.” Spending money at a bookstore means “I want to give power to bookstores.”

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The Nature of the Present

The present is erasable.

Heaven Can’t Wait

Heaven must be willed. Hell is what happens when you’re not willing Heaven.

Tune In

Bolt the parameters of your insensitivity.

Like a Muscle

Is Will like a muscle or like a bank account? If A, when you use it, you exercise it: If B, when you use it, you deplete it.

Habit

It’s never pure habit; rather, habit with a touch of Will.

Cartesian Thought

Will sets the biological alarm-clock.

The Friendly Alligators

He refused to climb the Mountain. But one day the Alligators began to nip at his heels, forcing him to begin his climb. Once he had reached a certain height, he was able to see the light above. Now he knew why he was always supposed to climb the Mountain. Those friendly Alligators!

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Two Goals

There are two goals: one to get to the top of the Mountain; two, to take a step. Both will take you there.

There are Worse Things Than Obsession

Obsession ⇒ repetition ⇒ focus ⇒ achievement.

Advance a Rung

You try to move a rock. It doesn’t move. Two possible thoughts: 1) I cannot move this rock. 2) I have not put in enough effort to move this rock.

The Art of Surfing

The wave was in front of him. He paddled quickly behind, managed to get to the top — and rode for the rest of his life.

Leader

The “leader” is the one who goes first. Leaders are not leaders unless followers follow.

Follow the Leader?

Should you follow him? That depends on the answer to three questions: 1) Is the ship sinking?

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2) Does he know the way out? 3) Do you want to live?

Something to Ponder

The Empire State Building was not built by the people who thought it was impossible.

Why Heroism Is Unfashionable

The Hero does not “go with the flow.”

In These Times

In these times, thoughts must be uttered any way they can.

Yes

Sure, there’ll be gibberish, and lots of it. But in the meantime . . .

Construct the Tool for the Task

The larger the task, the more it makes sense to construct a tool before engaging in the task. If you’re only tightening one lug-nut on one wheel, a simple tire-wrench will do. But if you have to tighten five lug-nuts on ten thousand wheels, you’ll need to own a pneumatic driver.

More Where that Came From

Cleaning one hair of the camel doesn’t give you a clean camel.

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A Machine Worth Keeping

A machine that produces Tin 95 percent of the time and Gold 5 percent of the time.

Teleology

Your purposes create your intelligence.

Philosophy of the After-World

In Heaven, be a conservative; in Hell, be a liberal.

Four Views of Morality

1) 2) 3) 4)

An ear for a tooth. Two tooths for a tooth. A tooth for a tooth. A toothbrush for a tooth.

The Problem with Common-Sense

Common-sense tells you to fight fire with water — but sometimes you want to fight fire with fire.

Can’t Have One Without the Other

1) We must sacrifice small principles for large principles. 2) We need to know the difference between small principles and large principles.

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Don’t Sacrifice Power for Rights

A, on an island, totally alone; B, in society. A has all the rights a person can have; B has rights which are best seen as privileges, since they are bounded by the “rights” (privileges) of others. A sits on the shore and catches fish. B works on a computer, listens to music, watches films, reads books. A has the right to do everything, but lives a very narrow existence. What good is the right to read if there is nothing to read? A has the right to distribute a pamphlet, but there’s no one to distribute a pamphlet to. B has far fewer rights than A — and leads a far richer life.

No Need for Abstractions

Involve people in the particular, and you involve them in the general.

Show the Puzzle, Not the Pieces

A: B: A: B: A: B: A: B: A: B:

Here’s the steering wheel. But where will you get energy? Here’s the gas tank. But you haven’t provided for propulsion! Here’s the engine. But it will burn up! Here’s the radiator. But you can’t see at night! Here’s the headlights. But . . . (etc., ad infinitum)

A Principle of Good Design

Good design does not start with blaming the user. Good design takes the user as it finds him, and works within those parameters.

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The Fourth Law of Motion

The car moves faster when you put the gasoline in the tank, and not the trunk.

The First Rung is the Highest

The first heuristic is: use heuristics.

Inertia of Ideas

An idea has only so much inertia — if it has to travel a complicated path in the mind, it may fizzle out before it hits another idea. Simple, orderly paths increase the probability that one idea will hit another. Perhaps a better idea is that the more bottle rockets in a room, the greater the chance that one rocket will strike another.

Ability

Having ideas is not an ability — it’s overcoming a disability.

Thinking

Thinking starts with an ability to 1) discriminate between claims and arguments, and then 2) properly value the two, and then 3) assign credibility to the speaker. When someone says, “X is perfect,” and offers no evidence, you should be thinking 1) X uttered a claim (no evidence); and 2) Claims are inherently weaker; and 3) X would have me believe this conclusion without providing any evidence for the conclusion. Then, you should assign the proper credibility due X, and filter all of X’s subsequent statements through that filter of lessened credibility.

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Thinking begins with this evaluation process (it’s how you get facts with which to evaluate other claims: facts = credibility barometers). Reading provides the necessary background of facts.

Ideas Provide Frames

1)

A B C D E F __ .

Solve now: 2)

O T T F F S S ___ .

If 2 is too difficult, solve these first: 3)

J F M A M J J ____ .

4)

M T W T F ____ .

Once 3 or 4 are solved, 2 is easier to solve. 3 and 4 provide the frames for the solution to 2; 1 doesn’t. A frame is a set of concepts which have mappability. Hypothesis: no problem can be solved unless a corresponding problem has been solved in the mind first.

Six Elements of Free Speech

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Information. Organized information. Awareness of the existence of organized information. Access to organized information. Ability to objectively interpret the information accessed. Ability to understand the significance of information interpreted.

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The Nature of Communication

Communication is the process of understanding reversed.

A Paradox of Communication

Hyperbole is required to bridge the gap between language and meaning: “I could hear them sneeze five stories up” — conveys the concept of “paper-thin” walls better than mere description, which doesn’t bring you there. A paradox of communication: one must lie to communicate effectively.

Good Metaphors

A good metaphor is an echo of common experience.

Flipping the Analogy

We were discussing the order in which to show the Hair and Hairspray double-feature: Barry: Show Hair first; main course, then dessert. Margaret: Show Hairspray first; cartoon, then main feature. Perhaps analogies are so impressive because the counter-analogies aren’t readily available to our consciousness.

The Yin and Yang of Analogy

Analogies are atomic bombs — but sometimes they veer off course.

Appeal of the Inadequate

Some boarded the Titanic because of its fine woodwork and leather upholstery; the curious thing is that they refused to disembark for the same reason.

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An analogy only carries you to a certain place. When you reach that place, get off. Some people ride the analogy to a place it wasn’t designed to go (like taking a limousine to a demolition derby).

Metaphor

Every metaphor suggests a new taxonomy.

Mix It Up

There’s nothing wrong with mixing metaphors, as long as you have the right recipe. Metaphors should be mixed, grinded, pounded, and blended.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

In Beethoven’s Pastorale Symphony, there’s something classical, something Beethoven, and something Pastorale.

The Joke With a Dozen Punchlines

“What’s the difference between Sam and a lumbering ox?” Answer: “An ox has four legs.” But virtually any response I give is funny, because in specifying a difference I implictly endorse all the other similarities.

Two Revealing Questions

What’s the most radical thought you have had? What’s the most radical thought a person could have? Note that this second question really reveals the answer to 1; there should be no discrepancy between the two answers.

1) 2)

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There’s Gold in Them Thar Paralogisms

Fallacies are indicators of thought malfunction in the same way a crash indicates a program malfunction. Fallacies are gold in that they are signposts of a flawed thinking process.

Four Things Not to Believe

1) If I don’t do it, someone else will. 2) I won’t do it because someone else will. 3) I’ll do it because one instance won’t hurt anybody. 4) I’ll do it to him before he does it to me.

Don’t Waste Your Time

When people deny the obvious, there’s no point in arguing the obvious.

Decisions, Decisions

A: You have to beat the other guy. B: Can’t I go drinking with him instead?

Justice

Justice is the cheapest solution.

Life Preserver

If you don’t want Mr. X to push you off a cliff, tie yourself to him with a rope.

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Regrets

The set of things which never should have happened to you, did.

Waiters

Waiters would never forget to say “thank you.” Because they are on both sides of the situation every night?

Very, Very, VERY Unwise

Betting against reincarnation.

How to Have a Healthy Society

Don’t let the living dead rule.

What is History?

A play written by bankers.

Progress

The idea was to make progress, not recapitulate the rituals of our gorilla-based ancestors.

On Social Darwinism

It’s a sad state of affairs when we look to animals as our role models.

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Darwin was Wrong

It’s not survival of the “fittest” — don’t flatter yourself. It’s just survival.

Why Creating Peace on Earth Won’t Be Easy

The violence-prone: they won’t give up without a fight.

Not a Very Progressive Emotion

Fear.

Control Your Past

Perhaps we are “controlled by” antecedent conditions — but we can control antecedent conditions — we can control our past. How? My past is December 28, 1979. I controlled my past on December 27, 1979, because on that day I decided what I would do the next day, which began to function as my past on December 29, 1979, and every day thereafter. The time for controlling your past is the present.

Control Your Future

Your future haunts your past.

Terminal War

In every 25 year old there is a 20 year old and a 30 year old fighting for power. The Present is the battle-ground where the Past confronts the Future.

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Battle

Fashion tries to make History irrelevant.

Democracy

They’ll get into the house of the organization through the door of their immediate interest.

The Holy Wall

There was Evil going on inside the fortress. But the army against Evil believed that the wall protecting it was holy.

History in Reverse

Historical circumstances sometimes force us to put the cart before the horse.

The Chain

Revered? Yes. Examined. No. Connection? Yes.

Confusion

There’s handwriting on the wall. But there’s another wall, with different handwriting.

Barry and Margaret

Barry: My motto is “No evolution without revolution.” What’s yours? Margaret: No bloodshed.

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Why We Don’t Rebel?

Our small rebellions co-opt our large rebellions.

The Slave Union

The Slaves formed a Union, and won many victories: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

No whipping until a committee held a hearing. 10 hour days, with one week vacation. After 25 years of service, a gold watch. A chance to “move up” — to be the house slave. Padding for the ankle chains. A profit-sharing plan.

Enemies of Progress

Cars, European vacations, and mortgage payments destroy more radicals than machine guns.

Securing Their Property Rights

As the Titanic sinks into the murky depths, some will be guarding their jewels from the looters.

Rule of the Game

Most revolutions are quiet — we only hear about the noisy ones.

Virus

Somewhere in your brain is the virus that says, “Be critical of X, don’t be critical of Y.” That’s what you have to be critical of.

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Social Identity

In prevailing social situations, you get a social identity — this is entirely apart from your true identity.

Where Are “You”?

The more you work at mindless labor, the less “you” there is — work seven days a week, sixteen hours a day, no chance for you to make the choices that would reveal a “you.”

The “I”’s Have Had It

In totalitarian society, identity can be hazardous to your health.

He Never Caught Up

By the time he understood himself, he wasn’t himself anymore.

Communal Identity

If you had only the words “trunk,” “branch,” and “leaf,” you’d never see a “tree.” We have a group of three people: each has a name — but there’s no name for the gestalt. It’s not Barry and Margaret in that room — it’s BARRYMARGARET. Each is different in the presence of the other — communal identities.

Barry and Margaret

Barry: Margaret:

We work together like ants in a hive. Ants don’t live in hives; they live in farms.

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Train of Thought

Co-operate = co-operation = unified operation.

A Cost of Dissension

Social problems are due in part to the collapse of macrosocial thinking, since replaced by microsocial thinking. The problem with macrosocial thinking was that the thought systems were incompatible (Christianity, Capitalism, etc.). But because we exist as social beings, we must think socially. This has nothing to do with a totalitarian mindset or philosophy — it is merely the observation that enormous efficiencies result with cooperative effort, such that all benefit. We pay a very heavy price for disagreement.

The Storm Before the Storm

People ought to agree they ought not to disagree. But they can’t even agree on that!

One for One, None for All

Individualism = Divide and Conquer.

Groupthink

Doubt = thrashing, bloody. Group = sharks.

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The Futility of Individual Action

Everyone turning on the electricity at once would be a powerful revolutionary tactic; but if only one does it, the only consequence is a higher electric bill.

Individual Action vs. Social Action

In modern society, actions evaporate — they have no permanence. The action is vortexed into the black hole of inaction. Further actions are mere fodder for the black hole. In modern society, 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 0. The difference between social action and individual action is the difference between the hydrogen bomb and the BB. For political purposes, social action is potentially infinite — that is, it has the potential to achieve the power necessary for inevitability.

The Luxury of Disagreement

It’s very expensive.

Part of the Solution

Let’s pretend history never happened.

Primary Directive

Let’s not turn the year 2000 over to the authorities.

Keep America Beautiful

Let’s not pollute the next Millenium with our prehistoric concepts.

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Promise of the Millennium

Let’s give God a present for the year 2000.

Book Title

Getting Out from Behind the Times

Stay Tuned

That’s a nice story. But there’s another story waiting to be told.

Prediction

“Predict X.” “I can’t.” “But you’ve described a system. You should be able to make predictions since the system is unchanging.” “Baseball is unchanging. But I can make no predictions on any outcomes in any game.”

On Top of the Sine Wave

“I think I’ll extrapolate some data.” Whoops!

By George, I Think He’s Got It!

As the Farmer grabs the Turkey by the neck, the Turkey suddenly realizes the problem of induction.

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Two Kinds of Induction

Primary:

Ten hits of a hammer doesn’t break glass — so the eleventh won’t. Situational: In five situations, the eleventh hit broke the glass.

Wave

A flattened spiral.

The New Age

Status, you’re about to get a licking.

One Final Nocturnal Conversation

Barry: Margaret:

Where’s the Vaseline? There it is. (asleep) So what’s left? So now you have all the pieces of the puzzle. So what’s left?

The Hidden Appeal of the Mona Lisa

She looks like the Virgin Mary.

Onward

After you conquer the material, move to the ideal.

A Definition of Beauty

Beauty is pattern + vibrancy of concepts.

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Rules for Lovers

1) 2) 3) 4)

Put the best possible construction on the other’s words. Put energy into the relationship. Forgive. Bring them up when they’re down.

You Can’t Have One Without the Other

Elise put helium in the balloon — Margaret tied it down and prevented it from flying into space — but it stayed aloft.

The End of the Road

When you feel a love this powerful, all you can do is forget it.

Regret

I never did do justice to that emotion.

The Ascent

At the pinnacle, the air is purer, but thinner.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

I like to cut my earth with some outer space.

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Helen

I It takes longer and longer to go farther and farther II Go into the 2nd plane catch what’s could you insert a special way of proclaiming III Write this in the dark! Don’t you dare make sense! IV Now, find a special landing for “ ” inexactitude has its benefits V You’re there, and I’m in my about to launch into the face that launched a thousand ships! VI Helen, her blonde beauty

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flowed silently through all the pathways she created And the men longed to hear her sing “Come Helen! Come deny the reality of my existence!” And Helen knew she had the power to transform his life Her power was total Her power complete Her bright blonde eyes and her flowing blue hair made the possibilities stream, flood the street Helen lived in a land that bridged the beauty and banal Measure by measure, she did what she could Through brown leaves and birds in trees from dirt made of wood from roots grown from soot Helen managed to throw out the rays of a universal happiness that

The Hidden Appeal of the Mona Lisa

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none but the untouched could tap into VII Flying through the spheres, is no task for mere mortals not any starship will do Flights of fancy? The possible world? These synonyms lie dormant while Tide and Ajax clean out our brains of all possible insights Are we cleaning our glasses, or the canvas? Logic, you better be careful! Not all corrosives carry warnings — And you thought industrial society obeyed the laws of your ego VIII You exist from day-to-day,

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and a frame carries you along But at the end of the journey, the frame demands its price and it ain’t cheap IX Chaos is the stage in which we exist and somewhere in those sirens is the voice But you just go ahead and try to find it! X Map Compare a word Sand Do what you think is necessary Fear We all know it’s not on a diet If Some can’t try Unicorns Metaphor for the truth XI Underlying all the possibilities is a clear transparency A unified truth

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If I didn’t pound these damn doors in, who would listen? Crazy? Plan on it! But inside the womb synonym for tomb and vault Is a small, clear chance It smells of gold! Didn’t know it smelled so sweet! Rounded letters supplied by no typeface reveal nothing but a cold face Cold faces reveal nothing XII If everyone felt the excitement of a first date in its purest form We’d all be searching for more than the latest line Okay, existence, I get your point — you had to “reality”

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But Fashion and necessity decreed that 2 + 2 should = 5 four a-while Who was I two argue? XIII Metaphysical truths are not dainty constructs They have a resilience cement envied way back when cement was a building material and not a progress-coating Cement paves roads, but it also pins angels to the bottom of the river XIV Those vampires of possibility! Those black-holes of truth! As every good thing is sucked into the gaping maws of their banality, I can only stop to ponder . . . What gives? XV Work used to be a combination, not to be figured out,

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of pity and terror Now it’s just terror Jokes abound in the environment of hopelessness But every joke is a scream of defeat XVI Turn hydrogen to energy? I’m trying to turn my possibilities into reality I used to have my hands full, until I had to grab the levers Someone else needs to pick up the slack Two to tango one to begin the beguine But everyone to loop the loop! XVII What was effortless became difficult when the “educators” were in charge Give them an inch, they’ll take a millimeter Give them a mile they’ll curl up in a ball

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XVIII Possibility, you’re the cello of the orchestra, but did you have to play that note? Amazing what a dark underbelly can do. XIX And that’s the formula for an abyss Dante would have glanced at, told Virgil, take a hike, I’m going on the road, Call me, oh, ‘round ‘66, ‘67 Catch you in Monterey. You can’t blame “Good” He’s, or she’s, a tired old soul. You try battling reality every day! Ideas are great, but reality weighs a lot more XX Nice guy I’m sure, can’t blame him for trying,

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caught between the yin and the yang in the Southern Pineapple of my Dole Hawaii Slaving in Paradise ‘Tis better to be a slave in Paradise, or a Master in hell? We’ll let Plato, or Bob Barker, Take your pick, tackle that one XXI Allright the landscape is barren I’ll survey the scene Yes, one possibility, two possibility, three possibility, four, only got an

∞ to go. Go! Go! Go! Go! Childlike, we view the eternal. XXII Here’s a fable Atlantic City was empty

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you walked in one slot, one pull, and you’re out with a million But 90,000 slots face you 90,000 slots, 10,000,000 pulls, you’re out a million which is which? Decoys and Ducks Reality, the name of your game! Helen of Troy and her Mannequin competed for the attention of 10,000 Greek troops Need I tell you who won? XXIII Music has a funny tone Funny music, that is Some people capture the essence Abstraction helps you capture that essence Trials help you cope with the tribulations But possibilities are sick and tired of you bringing them up. XXIV Who will you put your money on,

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Mr. Las Vegas? That said, it’s time to bring on ELVIS! “Viva, Las Vegas!” “Viva, Las Vegas!” (Translation: Long Live Las Vegas) “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog” (Translation: You’re not worthy of me) “Don’t be cruel.” (Translation: Be less cruel) “Listen to the jailhouse rock” (Translation: Create horrific societal conditions) Have to hand it to these vampirtainers between them and their PR men (AB negative) they sure know how to please an O-positive audience! XXV A remarkably present sound has been captured in the grooves of records

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And every beatific possibility was run rough-shod by the brute force of steel-belted radial here she comes Contemplate the stars Now contemplate the floors lit by cleaning women which shines brighter? XXVI A token gets you the empire state But nothing gets you Alpha Centauri XXVII I can’t bear to leave you, my lovely audience For my next encore, I will pull a rabbit out of Ze hat His name? Pierre, of course. Ready? Voilá! You’re probably looking for the rabbit. But that’s the secret

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of magic While you were looking for the rabbit, Light-Fingered Louie was relieving you of your well-worn cash (translation: labor translation: spirit) XXVIII Facets Every diamond has ‘em But when you view a diamond Only one diamond presents itself to your view That’s called, “Can’t me in more than one place at the same time.” The laws of Physics really throw a cold shower on reality But, the Rules of the Game will do it to ya every time Hound dog XXIX Every interlude doubles as curtain call and intermission,

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and, how can we forget, curtain-raiser So let’s pay tribute to the seamless side of pregnant pauses XXX Adore the music It has a real chance inside its lungs breathing is sporadic air intake, barely possible inside that scuba gear You thought the tank had oxygen But more than oxygen is required for outer space existence XXXI Which is superior, the Sandcastle or the Waves? The Waves always win, but they never accomplish anything The Sandcastle always disappears, but it always inspires Which would you rather be? A winner, or a loser?

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To answer the question is to answer your question

Interlude

Japanese poetry falls upon the mind like raindrops on the plain.

Midori’s Farewell to Leonard Bernstein

I stand in a garden where each of the flowers represents a memory Leonard Bernstein has given me. In the middle is the oldest of the flowers. When I look into its petals, I see myself at Heathrow Airport in London in July 1985. It is the starting point of the “Journey for Peace” commemorating the 40th anniversary of Hiroshima, one of the many projects Mr. Bernstein organized to promote world harmony. He is there simply saying, “Oh, Midori! Thank you for coming.” And that floods my heart with warmth. Tired as I am on my first cross-Atlantic trip and anticipating my first cross-Pacific trip since my recent arrival in the United States, I am so happy to be there. A different flower nearby; again I feel his warmth. This time, I’m at a rehearsal, and Mr. Bernstein is singing a phrase from his “Serenade.” I am smiling along with everyone in the Boston Symphony. It is such a beautiful work, and it is he who makes it so. In a different flower, I simply see him smile. In the midst of this garden are seeds created by his energy, planted by his love, still waiting to bloom. “Mr. Bernstein,” I say quietly to myself. A new blossom opens.

Oh, by the Way . . .

The grapes were never sour.