Amerika

“[Wahrheit] says: What did you think of the blog?

Michelle says: I never knew the “trickster” was considered a myth. Though I’m not particularly myth savvy to begin with, I suppose.

[Wahrheit] says: Well, consider the definition of myth that was provided in the quotation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Notion Club Papers. And then consider the pervasive nature of the constituent elements of this trickster myth. It equates to what Tolkien had defined as a myth, even if it is not recognized as such. Would you agree?

Michelle says: Yes. I just don’t understand why people would blindly follow the trickster, just because they’re “happy.” This baffles me.

[Wahrheit] says: Because to uphold virtue is useless. There is nothing challenging which virtue can be used as a sword against. Due to the fact that we have sterilized the world in the manner I spoke with you about earlier. As such, to uphold virtue only serves the purpose of restraining desire for no reason. If we were to re-arrange our perspective and our actions upon a teleology of overcoming, than the myth of the virtuous warrior would be a valuable inspiration.

Michelle says: I still don’t think I understand it. I mean, in the sense that why can’t there still be virtue in the world? Why are we so desensitized? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I have this sort of romantically naive view of the world. Or maybe I’m just misinterpreting the blog entirely.

[Wahrheit] says: It’s not that virtue cannot exist, it’s that it serves no essential purpose to the average individual anymore. Virtue is heroic, it is a reaction to challenge. Virtue is saying that even if you are to die facing some great onslaught, that you will still place every bit of effort into facing that onslaught, because that is your heart’s desire. But there are no more great onslaughts. Why do you think so many people are broken, depressed, and driven to suicide today? If virtue is a reaction to challenge, and challenge is imparted through conflict, and purpose is made by determining how to react to conflict, than we have destroyed purpose. By trying our best to eliminate conflict. And purpose is essential to consciousness.

The conscious being defines stimuli by placing them within a categorical hierarchy, and to place something in a hierarchy is to determine what level of importance it has in order to determine what reaction is appropriate for that something. But, that process has been rendered useless. There is no point anymore, to the modern man, to create purpose. “We have created happiness.” They say, with no expression, and they blink, to paraphrase Nietzsche. Does that make sense?

Michelle says: I suppose it does. But I don’t understand why it isn’t still there. And maybe we just can’t see it.

[Wahrheit] says: Virtue will always be there. Virtue is an eternal truth.

Michelle says: Yes.

[Wahrheit] says: The cosmos is designed to include conflict. Thus, a reaction to conflict is part of the design of the cosmos. We are just futilely attempting to rail against that, because we are unhappy that the cosmos does not exist in a state of equilibrium. If you understand this concept, then you are on your way to understanding God. Not to sound dramatic.

Michelle says: Not at all! I understand it, but I also question it.

[Wahrheit] says: Unless I’m mistaken, you questioned why people act in the manner I described. You basically asked “Why is that necessary?” Am I correct?

Michelle says: Yes.

[Wahrheit] says: Well, I’m asking the same question. I don’t think we are at odds.

Michelle says: That’s good to know!

[Wahrheit] says: Did you honestly think I was advocating modernity while I was diagnosing it?

Michelle says: Oh, no. I was pretty sure you weren’t. Though I was just expecting you to have some sort of answer to go along with it all.

[Wahrheit] says: Oh, I do. The answer is implied in the diagnosis. Re-evaluation of all values. As of now, we value safety, comfort, and happiness. This has made the world what it is. If this is a problem, then we should re-evaluate our values. We should en-value conflict, and reaction to conflict. Heroism.

Michelle says: I think you’re right. People are in love with the idea of it, but don’t want to put forth the effort to bring about the change. Because of what it entails. It threatens their comfort, their safety.

[Wahrheit] says: Exactly. We must remake ourselves into innocence, into open-hearted, forward-standing individuals. Individuals who will do whatever is necessary to experience life in a capacity that is fulfilling and pro-generative. Pro-generative meaning producing further challenges and goals in order to sustain purpose.

This unnecessary deception, social pandering, and selling of symbols and of “self” to each other in order to desperately fill in the void of purpose that we have engaged in, we call this wisdom. We call it wisdom because it based on the “fact” that there are no absolutely tangible examples of virtue, and thus virtue is subjective, but we have only become depraved, not wise. Wise and unhappy is not a totally accurate description; true wisdom would account our need for purpose. And so I advocate the adoption of what Nietzsche calls The Joyful Wisdom, which is that wisdom which accounts for purpose, and the ability of conflict, and heroic effort against conflict, to create purpose.

Burn all values until we reach this point.

We shall become like children again. Virtue, and the grave facing off of it with challenge, shall not be necessary in order to make the world safe. It will be our toy, our game, our playfully living life and shaping ourselves into calm warriors simply for the love of what life is: a perfect machine, a design, a system for creating purpose. Those who love life rejoice at this concept: We shall become like children again.

Michelle says: I always thought adults were just taller children. Tall, disillusioned children. Though I get what you’re saying. So many people just become tired of life. If we truly were like children again, everything would be fascinating. We’d be eager to learn, to wake up the next day and explore.”

Friends are good for reminding you of these things. I’m Michelle, by the way.