[lit-ideas] Re: Tasting: the preparatory text
- From: Andy <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:24:20 -0700 (PDT)
I think Proust, probably without intending to but maybe intentionally, is
describing the eternal present. Maybe that's why it resonates so much; heaven
on earth is living outside of time, not having a past or future, experiencing
each moment in its entirety until the moments run out without worrying about
their running out. Unfortunately, we do in fact not give a care to the future,
but in a neurotic sort of a way. We use up resources and pollute like crazy,
don't save for the future, drive up public and private debt into the multiple
trillions, then turn to the old standbys (sex and religion, often combined,
among others) for relief.
If we truly stayed in the moment we would be liberated completely to enjoy each
moment instead of worrying about [fill in the blank]. Why can humans not do
that? Animals do. Humans if they stay in the present it's on an overdrive of
destructiveness until it reaches a tipping point of some sort, the economy
collapses or the environment collapses or they distract themselves with war or
some other thing. Not to mention that we also live in the past, 'the best
years of our lives', being 'over the hill' (to do what is never answered) and
on and on.
The economic irresponsibility since the 80's (Reagan basically) leaves pundits
wondering that baby boomers have been as a group utterly reckless in their 'sha
na na na live for today' mentality, leaving them as a group stupendously
financially unprepared for retirement. I'm wondering why that is. Our
parents' generation after all did save. Why did the baby boomers as a group
'stay in the present' in such a counterproductive way, now to live in a present
that their inability to envision the future created? Because we never knew
economic hardship? Maybe, but I personally think it's the product of
corporate, Edward Bernays style brainwashing, the greed motive that's finally
coming home to roost. Am I making excuses? I don't think so. Here's a link
to wealth distribution in this country in 2004:
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
Notice the top 1% has roughly 35% of the wealth and the bottom 85% has 15% of
the wealth.
This kind of discrepancy requires an informational vacuum. People have to be
brainwashed (easily done) to want to live large and lust for [fill in the
blank]. Brain power must be actively discouraged. I had an opportunity to
watch a daytime game show not long ago, the Price is Right, and I realized that
they're basically waving a baby rattle at the audience; lots and lots of bright
colors and noise, and the same thing over and over. It requires absolutely no
interactivity or thinking at all. Most of today's television is that way and
television is where most people get most of their information.
Needless to say important stuff like the national debt and trade imbalance that
have been growing for decades are simply not reported. The assumption is made
that people won't watch it and maybe that's true, but at least some people
would care. It would be in the air and water. Nowadays, however, even
demonstrations aren't reported. They just aren't reported. Because nobody's
interested? The official statistics are out and out cooked up. Even the GNP
(gross national product) has been changed to GDP (gross domestic product)
because GDP allows them to not consider certain things and it makes the numbers
look better. How did we get to this sad state of affairs? Where's Rush
Limbaugh when you need him? I guess this all veered a bit far afield from
Proust, but not really.
All right, that's it. Can't think of an ending. Maybe because there is no
ending? What, BTW, is Rush Limbaugh carrying on about lately? I don't listen
to him and wonder what he's been feeding the masses ravenous for information...
Andy
--- On Sun, 7/19/09, cblists@xxxxxxxx <cblists@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Proust:
"Let a good [scotch], once tasted, be tasted again in the present and at the
same time in the past, real without being actual, ideal without being abstract,
and immediately the permanent and habitually concealed essence of things is
liberated and our true self which seemed - had perhaps for long years seemed -
to be dead but was
not altogether dead, is awakened and reanimated as it receives the celestial
nourishment that is brought to it. A minute freed from the order of time has
re-created in us, to feel it, the man freed from the order of time. And one can
understand that this man should have confidence in his joy,... one can
understand that the word 'death' should have no meaning for him; situated
outside time, why should he fear the future?"
(from Marcel Proust, REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST, 'Time Regained', p. 906)
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