The name of the game

It's encouraging to know that there is a chance we may get out of the current game, but I'm not placing any bets at the moment, nor am I ready to start a betting pool. Still, there are glimmers of light here and there, and I, for one, believe we should acknowledge and encourage every one we see. Nevertheless, if things are going change for real and permanently (which they are anyway, but we still have a chance to participate, if we want to), it is helpful to get a full grasp of the concepts involved. For this reason, a not-so-subtle shift of focus ...

Truth be told, there is a game, and it's the same one that's been played since as far back as we can collectively remember. It's name is Power. It's an odd game actually, because it only works if everyone shares the same beliefs. It's not a real game, but it is nevertheless real. It is not a fair game in reality, but it is in theory. It's a mind game, but one in which brilliance, intelligence or even wisdom aren't of much use. It's a subtle game, and it's deceptive. Consequently, we need to keep our wits about us, and we need to understand how we got to where we are.

No, no, no reason to stop reading. I'm not going to bore you with a traditional history lesson. Instead, I want you to stop for a moment and think about the following statement:

Only if we grant power to something can it have power over us.
- Jean Gebser

It's not an easy thought, I know. You have to keep going back to it and reflect upon what he is actually saying. One thing I'm pretty sure he's saying, though, is that power is not A given, it is simply given. And now, even more of you are probably asking yourselves: just what is he talking about? Fair enough. Let me try to explain.

Let's go back to the things I've talked about in the past few posts. Why is it that politicians can't agree? Why is it that the coalition talks in Germany are so hard to move forward? Why do we all feel so helpless most of the time in the face of political realities? It's simple, actually, because we've given up our own power and transferred it to others. The reason that the alternatives I spoke of in the last post seem to be making headway is that those involved are simply ignoring those who think they have they say. And, why do they think they have the say? Because we have more or less told them that they do. The problem is really not the politicians. The real problem is us ... or at least some of us, at least those who are more than willing -- for whatever reasons -- to grant their power to someone/something else.

Don't delude yourself into thinking this is an easy thought to grasp. It looks simple enough, I'll grant you that, but it takes a bit of time and effort to actually penetrate into its actual meaning. When you get it, though, it's a long overdue "AH HA", I assure you.