Ye, Stick in the Mud, Sticks to Stones, Judgement to War.

Ye, Stick in the Mud

Ye, Stick in the Mud is a comical look at judging. Most of us have people like this in our lives and most of us if we are honest are people like this from time to time. Not only do we judge and label but we take an odd pleasure in it. We like it and it usual connection to gossip. It serves the ego, particularly arriving at the conclusion someone else is lacking and thereby less than you. It grants an odd but fleeting power to know you're better than at least one other person on Earth. But believe it or not your judgment and labelling lead to racism and war… what, you say, Pryde, that's just crazy talk. 

Let me explain ...

We rank and compete, judge and label, to know our place in the tribe and to know who is in the tribe and who is not, the in-group versus the out-group. Most societies have two sets of standards for behaviour … one for those who are part of us and one for those who are part of them. Once a person or a group is labelled them and thereby separate from the whole. It is only a small step to label them as the enemy, a thing to fear, compete with, or worse case scenario eliminate and then we get war.

War sucks … everyone is nodding their heads … but judging and tribe building has served a purpose. Judging stems from the social-pyschological evolution of our species and as such has allowed for the existence of every human alive … even you. Having certain traits that firmly established grandma and grandpa in a group absolutely allowed for their survival. Relatively slow, weak and defenceless, alone in nature, most humans are pretty pitiful and wouldn't last long. Belonging to a group was and probably always will be essential to survival.

So why do sages say don't judge if judgement serves evolution … this is where I get all metaphysical on you. Sages understand our separateness is only an illusion and that we are indeed all one. They know from the changes in their own thought patterns that we can go beyond evolved instinct and make decision based on love and true rationality; that we can guide the evolution of our species away from inflicting suffering on one another. Being that we are all connected, the suffering of another affects you whether you like it not, whether you know it or not. Call it karma, call it the butterfly effect, call it legacy … but suffering leads to more suffering.

So what do you mean by true rationality …

Taking in all known factors and with detachment and love, making the decision you see as serving the greater good. It does not mean seeing your agenda through by selectively choosing factors to hi-light. With true rationality you are truly non-partisan. Hands up those who have no political affiliations and/or ascribe to no label … left, right, democratic. anarchist, libertarian, intellectual, everyman … see we like to label ourselves too. We hold onto our labels and the beliefs ascribed to our labels like a man trying to prevent his fall into an abyss by grasping at cut glass, refusing to cooperate with his brother to build a ladder. Grasp as tightly as you like, eventually you're still going to fall, bloody hands and all. But maybe … just maybe … with our growing knowledge of how our minds work we're ready to change.

How to Heal the World

In my next Blog I'll look at little more into judgment and how we can move beyond and into empathy.
Blessing to all you rock and roll and country stars alike.