Understanding Those Who Promote Complexity

Often in the past when discussing philosophy of civilization with family and others I find myself accused of being simplistic and paranoid. It all seems very clear to me; the momentum of things appears to result in limited freedom, more official oversight of inoffensive lives, and an obstacle to just getting by.

What I came to believe--my theory--regarding the support these people have for convoluted rules, economic meddling and all the rest--is that A) they managed to grow up and enter adult life in a somewhat mainstream way, degrees, consistent employment in a profession, money B) they pride themselves on their general knowledge and grasp of esoteric specialized details. C) they love to reinforce their view of their intelligence by being able to grasp detailed and complicated rules and their rationalizations. D) they feel relieved that it does not benefit them to stand against the powers that be E)they rationalize their abhorrence of general principle under the guise of being "realists".

This results in these people looking at the big picture as something to be managed. They cannot resist. Their minds busily weigh through the matters of life and how it can all be best managed. The assumption is that those who have fallen off the mainstream track, those who do not have MBAs or better, or some other appropriate documentation on the wall, are not qualified to know what is best for themselves, and that they are obviously lesser beings who would not understand the intricate aspects of life, viewed as a game with the resulting strategies which are required to play it correctly.

Matters of principle based on the belief that the ideal system maintains order while preserving maximum individual freedom are seen as rigid unrealistic ideology which only the lesser intellects would embrace. It is a subtle trap. If you do not grasp every detail of why protracted wars are fought, or why the money is controlled as it is, then you have no right to say these things are the result of a government functioning beyond its proper powers.

They have such a low opinion of the most downtrodden that they are resigned to the notion that certain groups will forever have to be kept by government benevolence. As long as they have enough for cable and booze, maybe drugs, then they'll be pacified and help support the status quo.

It is a very real elitist view. Since that mentality spills over into every day life, I find contact with such people disheartening. I'm nt of the elite. My walls bear little evidence of an approved life path. The humanitarian award is merely a testament to how the heart outweighed the intellect. I should have made money from the disaster. What must I have been thinking?

The interesting thing is that without a definition of what constitutes lesser, the philosophy would be no fun. I consider it a misplaced form of competition, and in the end an obstacle to climbing out of the rut in which some of us have landed.

I believe that, subconsciously, many of those who have reached a safe point, through worthy accomplishment, do not want to see others achieve that level of security or accomplishment through less orthodox means, or really, by any means. It's the syndrome I remember when people who got their license at 16 were then all for raising the age when they were 18 or so. They did not mind the benefit of a looser structure but felt self satisfied in adding the hoops through which those behind them had to jump.

Probably, if my life had not been so systematically obliterated in a myriad of ways, I would not care if the system was morally lacking or not. Just as long as I had my world in such order that I could gloat. Pride in success is good and right. I find it gets twisted when it turns into an intellectual rationalization for narrowing the opportunities available to others. Hence you get the system in which there are plenty of opportunities--through government grants, official approvals, etc.

Some of us do not want such subsidy and oversight. I guess we get what we deserve for our resistance to reality, Comrade.


*****Remind me to tell you about the hitchhiker I picked up--75 year old man with $5 in his pocket and the gallon of water I gave him--possibly headed to Miami--he's not sure. He said he had to get away from his seedy neighborhood to avoid getting depressed. He has faith it will work out OK.