Odd but spectacular fish from the seas around the East Indies - first colour illustrations, 1719. Largely fantastical, but it sure put fish on the map - and menu - and made for the run up to more methodical (marine) biological studies. Find here a notable site of curiosities, around the theme of artistic and historical documents in the public domain
What you see is what you get, especially if you take “get” to mean “comprehend”. The inside of your head gets projected onto the world outside. Your interpretation is the world according to your particular way of looking (mind-programme). This error, if it is one, is the cause of your upsets (disturbances/disorders or ultimately dis-ease/disease).
The only way out of your head is to play the game of “fake it to make it”; a much if not over-used slogan at AA meetings.
In the ancient Hindu/Vedic spiritual tradition, when all was much lighter (in both senses of the word), everybody was only a step or 8, a truth or four away from “enlightenment”. They understood perfectly that the only right Way was neither up nor down, going deeper within to seek the self, or farther without to join the community, but altogether non-dualistic and a centre-weighted balance. It is about finding your fulcrum and see-sawing your way through change that is life, until you learn to hold a middle course. There will always be some slight oscillation as you keep this balance - ask Phillipe Petite or Nik Wallander). Nothing is static in the walk of life unless you freeze frame - and think you've stopped the world.
Phillipe Petite: 43 years ago, he walked between the Twin Towers; at one point, he even lay down on the cable.
We have on Steemit a lot of little I's thinking a lot of little thoughts. This gives a hall of mirrors that is quite dizzying. It would make an idealist anxious and a soul-conservationist cry, what a waste!
There might not be so much wrong with any of this. The worst case scenario is that you remain ignored and insignificant as an individual in the greater whole. Note to self: should have tried harder in school....
Community Building
Kind governments, sympathetic teachers, loving mothers will tell you every single person is a somebody and counts for something. But a project like Steemit reminds me that we can't possibly feel that enough in "real life" or in face to face contact. What are we doing here? Constructing another Tower of Babel? The invention of the Gutenberg press was always going to divide brother from brother (not to mention sister from sister....) but internet is speeding up the proces extra-exponentially. Some might call this a dark force....
Some of the concerns I listed in part 1 would fall away if one found themselves supported by a trustworthy and aspiring community. I wouldn’t mind being part of the new hippy movement on the web, where we explore the outlines of an internet utopia - but that's not here. I would especially welcome working in a highly diverse, multi-cultural environment with a very broad age-range. Also, mixing-up diametrically opposed skill sets (finance meets Reiki why not?) would be a step towards universal harmony. Yet, there will have to be some kind of common denominators, though. (Other than the desire to find pecunary profit in random posting.)
There are plenty of clever people out there amongst us, especially with literacy at an all time high (if never everywhere enough…); cameras are available to nearly all (thanks to phones, even present where sanitation may still be poor). We have come out of the 90’s with bucket-loads of information and positive affirmations on how to sell yourself (get that attention and appreciation you so desperately need); but now what?
Imagine if all these individuals who come to Steemit had something to sell that is not a duplicate from main-stream consumerism, disposable ready-made stuff or second-hand news? It is a saturated market regards practically every topic trending on Steemit. It makes this site little more than a pile of raked leaves easily scattered back to the wind. Heaping up debris is not community building. Spewing information is not meaningful dialogue. Venting is not encountering. It's good to talk,... but what shall we talk about? "Life" is such a vague topic.
The whispering winds of change….
I don’t mean to be negative…
I’ve only been here a couple of weeks: what do I really know? Besides, I came to stay on the fringe and observe, and used an old project of mine as an exuse to hang out for a bit. Then I took part in the #colorchallenge, and tried an educational approach, which seems to ride home really well with a large percentage of the Steemians (not that I had any success). I purposely haven’t tried “dumbing down”, (yet. And probably never will.) But if you like, all you have to do is list a few varieties of apple and people will be majorly impressed (if not blown away)!
Cheap and cheerful is very easy to find on the net. Mean and dingy too. Nasty and vile thrive.... So lightheartedness goes a long way to the maintenance of the soul, agreed. There are too many marvels to convert into digits and hold for ever and a day, to share with tomorrow's world; simple people are leading great lives we may never hear about. Inversely, you can take a tele-lens into a celbrity's bathroom and catch a glimpse of them picking their teeth, but you won't ever get to truly meet them (as in I to I). It's all of a superficiality that would make a Zen-Buddhist groan if he wasn't too busy smiling.
The Vision
Wouldn’t it be something else, if Steemit did not promote disingenuity? Or became a source of inspiration? This may well begin simply, by sharing the joys and miracles of our planet (nature posts do extremely well, which ought to gladden any disconcerted heart); and positive personal experiences can't do any harm. But this low-brow approach is bound to become boring soon, and then the field of writing is returned to the void that is the web, or the professionals and their tidy manners.
I don't think anybody much wanted to have a blog anyway before coming here (or they already had one and refer to it). They are mainly looking for a pep-pill for their tired mind. This is human nature typical of the café culture. It's why we have dance-festivals. Nothing personal about it. Nothing wrong with it in principle; enjoy, if that's what you like. Do realise that such pills tend to leave you more drained in the longer or shorter run.
It does mean, however that intellectuals and academics, sincere thinkers, analysists, reformers, inventors, explorers, inspirators, coaches, teachers, and practitioners of soulful lives will not be particularily attracted to this place. I believe most of us here, however, are ready for something different and would benefit by associating with the more truly vibrant and originally creative minds that still exist amongst us. In any case, it's what I need to spark myself off to the next level.
My prayer for the new year, and those following is, that we may become a little more discerning. Discrimination has a negative ring to it, but the Latin merely means us to look closely at the difference: here the interesting bits lie. I advert with some urgency, that we are on the brink of losing our personal identity to conformity and misconstrued notions on equality.
The public demand for cake (morsels of knowledge=power=self-confidence) is somewhat worrying to a researcher of health, happiness and spiritual advance. Will a self-indulging hand treating ourselves to eye-candy change our materialist and self-anhilating outlook?
I end part 2 with the preponderance, can somebody who extolls Solovyov find work here?
Vladimir Soloyov
In part 3 the contemplation explores some positive notes about Steemit and reflects upon the future function of social-media.
Keep swimming,
Your Sukhasana Sister @sukhasanasister