2/11/06 hope and optimism
Reading: Largo Desolato, Havel
"Swamp Nurse" in New Yorker, 2/6/06
Listening to: Wally Shawn read his The Fever
Reflecting upon: Disturbing the Peace, Havel; An End to Suffering, Mishra
Thinking about change and hope. Havel makes the important distinction between hope and optimism, which, I guess, allows him to be happy even while being realistic. Realistic about the possibility of conditions every getting any better? Seems to me that I've sought happiness over most of my life by choosing not to pay attention to the larger world in any serious way. Something very early on taught me to look at investing my energy in any meaningful social change was futile and a formula for personal unhappiness, and I've chosen not to do it. For some reason, I've been changing, becoming more sensitive to issues of social (in)justice, feeling more and more urgency even while feeling less and less optimistic about contributing toward any meaningful change. Why? Is this a direction toward or away from wisdom?
Change. Havel and Mishra seem to agree that it can only happen meaningfully on a spiritual/existential level within the heart--though that thought didn't prevent Havel from speaking loudly and clearly on a very public stage. But maybe happiness lies in knowing that it's possible to commit simple acts of kindness and to speak what seems at the time to be the truth.
Havel stresses the concrete over the ideological or theoretical: an absolute commitment to concrete goals.
Reading the New Yorker article about nurses working with very poor young mothers in south Louisiana: an example of a practically hopeless situation in which some people manage to keep at it and don't burn out. One nurse supervisor says that, in order to keep at it, you've really got to like these people you're working with...
I think for me, working closely with individuals--and not faking it--is the only way to make a contribution. Signing petitions, organizing, reading the NYT everyday just won't cut it alone, and is probably unsustainable.
But somewhere, I've still got to have hope that things can get better. Incrementally. Within a given span of time (not to short but not too long, either).
"Swamp Nurse" in New Yorker, 2/6/06
Listening to: Wally Shawn read his The Fever
Reflecting upon: Disturbing the Peace, Havel; An End to Suffering, Mishra
Thinking about change and hope. Havel makes the important distinction between hope and optimism, which, I guess, allows him to be happy even while being realistic. Realistic about the possibility of conditions every getting any better? Seems to me that I've sought happiness over most of my life by choosing not to pay attention to the larger world in any serious way. Something very early on taught me to look at investing my energy in any meaningful social change was futile and a formula for personal unhappiness, and I've chosen not to do it. For some reason, I've been changing, becoming more sensitive to issues of social (in)justice, feeling more and more urgency even while feeling less and less optimistic about contributing toward any meaningful change. Why? Is this a direction toward or away from wisdom?
Change. Havel and Mishra seem to agree that it can only happen meaningfully on a spiritual/existential level within the heart--though that thought didn't prevent Havel from speaking loudly and clearly on a very public stage. But maybe happiness lies in knowing that it's possible to commit simple acts of kindness and to speak what seems at the time to be the truth.
Havel stresses the concrete over the ideological or theoretical: an absolute commitment to concrete goals.
Reading the New Yorker article about nurses working with very poor young mothers in south Louisiana: an example of a practically hopeless situation in which some people manage to keep at it and don't burn out. One nurse supervisor says that, in order to keep at it, you've really got to like these people you're working with...
I think for me, working closely with individuals--and not faking it--is the only way to make a contribution. Signing petitions, organizing, reading the NYT everyday just won't cut it alone, and is probably unsustainable.
But somewhere, I've still got to have hope that things can get better. Incrementally. Within a given span of time (not to short but not too long, either).
posted by Graham at 6:26 PM
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