*

Too Civilized

What happens when the monster comes knocking?

“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster”

We have mastered the environment. The beasts of nature don’t bother us anymore. The social contract keeps most of us adhering to our better angels.

What happens when a horned-creature is at our door? Are we too civilized to defend ourselves? Are the minutemen retired? They are alive subconsciously in the culture — if ever needed. When the Wizard visits the Shire so does the Ring.

The demons of human nature never changed. The shadow is still there — waiting to be transmuted. There are few truly enlightened among us. Where we are weaker the monster is relatively stronger.

Keep your enemies close. The enemy and savior are within. Ego is the enemy.

I had a recurring nightmare as a child: there were three demons at my door which scared me. Then 3 bigger monsters would walk up behind and eat them. There was brief relief when they were eaten but then I realized the new ones were stronger and more menacing. That happened once more by even more terrifying creatures. Until there were 3 full fledged dragons of darkness. I don’t remember the end of the dream. But we can only make ourselves stronger — not wish the monsters away.

You must recognize the monster as yourself before the monster can be adopted for the forces of good.

Virtue isn’t naïveté. Naïveté is neither good nor evil by default. Virtue is awareness of the knowledge of good and evil, and then choosing good.

Once Adam bit the apple of knowledge, he stepped out of naiveté and into choice. From instinctive impulse to deliberate actions. From primate to human. The primitive man realized its potential for enlightenment and simultaneously how animal-like it was. We each have the two Wolves that are Cain and Abel within.

Eve recognized her flaws and become smart enough to do better. She now had the choice to knowgly do evil and knowingly do good. Evil — I define as willingly causing unnecessary suffering.

Hurt people hurt people. You’ve heard the saying misery loves company. But what you may not know is that misery creates company by giving misery. Cycles of evil are only broken with forgiveness. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. It is a good chain to break.

“And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee”

But of course, you are the abyss. Everything is consciousness.

)
Michael G. Daskalakis

Written by

I write about business and leadership. Published author twice. Don’t use it against me. Not a blogger.

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