Blocked

 

Eric Hoffer has taught, others and me many valuable lessons, and the most important one might be that idealistic intellectuals out to reform the world are the most dangerous human type imaginable.

Lest I seem hypocritical, I freely and in advance admit that Hoffer and me are both of that kind, but the only thing setting us apart from the murderous, vicious idealists who take an axe to the human torso while doing surgery on it, is that we have good wills, whether by choice, nature or luck, who knows. It seems clear that doing public good on the masses by force and federal diktat creates an absolute thirst for power and violence in the hearts of fiery idealists in power, and humankind is the worst for it. Let the masses beware and reject all do-gooders who would be their mistresses and masters, beckoning with one hand, while hiding the whip in their left hand behind their backs as they invite people to submit and obey.

With this attempted reassurance for the reader that I remain an idealist and moral reformer, but I reach out to the reader one at a time, as an individual, and seek their alliance, based solely on their choice to listen to me or not, with nothing mandated, no threat every of obey or be punished. Nothing like that.

With that introduction, I wish to note that I hate evil and have fought evil all of my life, and, to a large degree I feel blocked, stymied, thwarted. I have come up with what I think is a laudable, workable moral system which could greatly benefit humanity, but I am still a voice crying in the wilderness at 72 years of age, still unknown, still disappeared, canceled, marginalized. Not that I have given up the good fight. Oh no, never, but it is sobering to see how little I have accomplished, at least in the public arena.

My family often scolds me, reminding me that how the world turns out is God’s business, not mine, that worrying about the macro-state of affairs is way above my pay grade. That all one can do is what can do, and then the world makes it or not, and humanity survives or not, and, of course my family are right, and I largely accept this wise advice.

But why is the moral reformer, a genuine performer (not a power-hungry idealist seeking to gain power under the virtual-signaled justification of compassion for humanity for their own good, be they willing to accept it or not) , blocked from succeeding in this world?

This is not a new topic for me, as I have addressed this question several times over the years, but let me explain it in light of my current understanding of the daunting obstacles faced by a moral reformer.

First, people are born basically but not entirely evil, so that is the biggest hurdle to clear. By ignorance, custom, deliberate choice and genetic and environmental factors, people prefer to do what is wrong more than what is right a majority of the time.

Second, even when people know better, they often choose to continue to do wrong.

Third, people are born evil, which is group-living, self-sacrificing, selflessness, self-hating, lacking self-esteem, enjoying sadomasochistic power games in a social pecking order. They sell their souls to the devil, but in exchange they are part of a powerful group entity, for there is real worldly power (mob power) in having say and influence in the world, wielding the power of powerlessness.

These joiners and nonindividuators find is quite satisfying and rewarding to have worldly, malevolent influence, though they sold and sell their souls each day to get it, keep it, and be apart of what the pack says, thinks, decides and does.

Fourth, Satan and Lera run this world, and run the cliques, the social hierarchies and networks. People are born into these networks, and it is near impossible for that rare person to dare and will and succeed at rebelling against the system, to escape a life of evil, and to worship, work for and live righteously and virtuously as the Good Spirits have commanded all to do.

Fifth, Satan and Lera have controlled all peoples, nations, societies and social structures for tens of thousands of years, so people, born conservative, timid and fatalistic, are not inclined to cast off what they know and love for what is new, alien and disagreeable.

Sixth, my idiosyncratic egoist-individualist morality is too new. People do not know how to live, so they do not act well, largely because they just do not now what to accept, what to reject, what to seek and what to avoide.

Seventh, people favor lies and lying over truth and truth-telling, so it is easy for the masses already existing and reared in a corrupt system, to deceive themselves about how bad their preferrred way of life actually is.

Eighth, people are born cowards. Courage is the willingness to do what is right and learn how to live no matter the price, no matter where the chips fall.

Everyone has moments of clarity and revelation during which they know what they should be doing, but are afraid of social rejection and a loss of social status, so they give in, and go with the status quo because it is easier than fighting, and there are emotional and even financial gains to be had for those who conform, groupthink and do not speak out or stand out.

With these reasons ontologically embedded into human nature, into reality and into the very fabric of society, the moral reformer faces an uphill battle at best, but it is still one’s duty to fight the good fight, no matter how much defeat and betrayal and lack of support that one encounters.