I'm not in "the unity business."
I'm in the honesty business and the reality business; I'm in the business of observing honesty and observing reality not as an outside observer but as an example of both.
That is to say:
I'm not in "the division business."
Because unity and division aren't the point. Especially when both are peddled by the business of pretending to be the example of both honesty and reality.
No Big Deal Fantasy
The manifest hot potato of pretending to be an example of both honesty and reality is it corrodes discernment of real honesty and reality.
That is to say, pretending ignores its corrosiveness
because it can.
Because not being an example of both honesty and reality but acting as if oneself is,
is no big deal.
Not only because the premise of "hustle culture" is acting as if the corruption of one's integrity is no big deal,
but also because it's the backbone of society.
In other words, pretending is the "civil" in "civil society"
because the "norm" in "norm culture" is nothing less than the premise of "hustle culture."
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But! But! But! To abandon mannerliness is to sanction and condone coarse outspokeness. To be brutish to the point of tactlessness. To be courtesyless and blunt.
In other words:
nasty boarishness is a big deal.
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This is having it both ways but acting as if there are no consequences to this whatsoever.
Moreover, this is having it both ways without altogether appreciating neither the former nor the latter are what they appear to be.
Notwithstanding, both, taffy pulled to extremes as if the heart and soul of a matter is the furthest point from center, are not what they appear to be either.
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An example:
In a former life, I told people the truth and people charged. Rude. Unkind. Mean. That's what it was branded. As if the truth must be nice.
In a former life, I showed people the truth and people charged. Cold. Unfriendly. Arrogant. That's what it was branded. As if the truth must be pleasing.
In a former life, having it both ways meant being insincere was a choice that rewarded while being unvarnished was a choice that stipulated: be unemployed with integrity or employed without. Or less egregiously, be alone with self-respect or welcome without.
Needless to say, acting as if being fake is no big deal
is a big deal.
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Meanwhile:
In a former life, people have been told caring is a trick that covers up intolerance. While those who shun it are brave and free and unafraid.
In a former life, people have been shown politicness is a sham that masks partisanship. While those who scorn it are authentic and legitimate and rightful.
In a former life, having it both ways meant appearing to be sincere was as easy as being a pot to a kettle.
Needless to say, appearing to be the nastiest and boarishest to appear to be the truest and bluest without a particle of bonaest or fideest being
is a big deal.
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Real honesty and reality neither unites nor divides.
Fraud honesty and reality, however, does both by lying.
Hence the manifest unpopularity of actually hearing and seeing and discerning: what's fiction and what's not. After all, fiction engages. Never mind its contradictions. Never mind its irrationalities. It promises. It delivers.
Because it lies.
Including oft amplified unities and divisions that are as honest and real as
fakes.
Postface and Epilogue
What do unities and divisions matter, if they're pillars of salt and sand?
As for what's the point of real honesty and reality? Real honesty and reality is the common ground that I've said and shown people who've been told and shown doesn't exist.
As if being so told and shown by fantasists isn't a no big deal fantasy propped without fail, by pillars of salt and sand.
Note Clare
"Real honesty and reality" are not equivalences of "facts", "sciences", "canons", or "religions."
If every fact also has its "errors," if every science also has its "refuters," if every canon also has its "disputes," and if every religion also has its "reformers," then what's real is not every thing that brands itself a "fact" or "science" or "canon" or "religion." No more than such brand is, in and of itself, sufficient to charge such "fact" and "science" and "canon" and "religion:" "real honesty and reality."
Alas "real honesty and reality" is no words. "Complicated" is too loose. "Neither black nor white" is too constraining.
Rather "real honesty and reality" are what "facts", "sciences", "canons", and "religions" should strive for. When, however, "facts", "sciences", "canons", and "religions" pretend to be the example of absolute honesty and reality, this not only corrupts the striving of "facts", "sciences", "canons", and "religions," this corrodes discernment of "real honesty and reality."
As if it's no big deal.
As if lying promises and delivers absolute honesty and reality
instead of lies.
That is to say, as if pillars of salt and sand are as trustworthy as
frauds.
M
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More
There is something pernicious to our obsessions. The soaking drowning of topics and issues and events as if soaking drowning isn't torture adjacent. A harm that wounds and torments because it can. Because not being harmless but acting as if harm is harmless, is no big deal.
Hand in glove with something neither innocent nor banal. An intent purposefulness that malices. Because "norm culture" and "hustle culture" are its shroud and scythe. Because not being vicious but acting as if malice is viciousless, is no big deal.
On a rope of tug of war, we strain and wrest and heave as if the consequences don't matter. As if the center is the enemy because it stands between a side and winning.
I ask:
What's the point of unity and division, if unity and division engage and ignite our fervor and resolve to strain and wrest and heave without end?
As if shade and smoke and specters, as if ghosts and their shadow, as if games that are realer than real: are no big deal because nothing good ever comes of actually hearing and seeing and discerning what's fiction and what's not.
M
