February
17, 2006, draft 3 (revised and with added items suggested by
friends and readers. Please feel free to email me and suggest other
items: mailto:adam@blatner.com
The world has
many troubles, and negative tendencies abound. It is easy
and entirely arguable to be not only pessimistic, but overwhelmed with
pessimism. I choose to attend to optimism, as a practical life
strategy. It is an act of will and faith-ing, a turning-toward what can
be done. Yet this also has some basis in fact: There are positive
tendencies that I can think about, imagine, a sort of listing of “my
favorite things.” In a recent philosophical discussion group among
friends–a variation of the movement called “Socrates’ Café”–,
this theme was raised and we were asked to bring our list of positive
trends that gave us hope to the next meeting. The following pages
reflects some of my ideas. (Of course I must begin with a disclaimer: A
not-insignificant part of my optimism is based on the more personal
elements of good fortune--a wonderful family, community, friends,
health (so far) and many other blessings, for which I am grateful, and
about which I at frequently feel pride, joy, and other positive
attitudes.) Relating, though, to those cultural developments that seem
to be helping the world move in a positive direction, here they are:
1.
Advances in science-- biology, astronomy, physics, embryology,
medicine, chemistry, engineering, design, many other fields.
A. Genetic engineering, DNA testing,
stem cell research, many other bio-technological areas. (Of course,
many of these developments also threaten problems of cost, pollution,
unintended consequences, other spin-offs of technological advancement,
so socio-cultural and legal-political developments are also needed to
address these "side effects.)
B. Philosophical, ethical, and cultural
review of the meanings, implications, problems associated with
technological advance.
2. The
Human Potential Movement, beginning in the early 1960s.
A. Growth
Centers, like Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, the
Crossings and their programs for holistic education.
3.
Advancing Western Philosophy, with continuing developments
and
re-discoveries from the classics (e.g., Pythagoras) through the
Enlightenment (e.g., Hume, Spinoza), the Idealistic 19th century
thinkers, existentialism, holism, postmodernism, integral visions, etc.
A.
The contributions especially of
Alfred North Whitehead, Charles Hartshorne, David
Ray Griffin, John Cobb, and other “process philosophy” thinkers.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the mid-20th century
Jesuit mystic.
Ken Wilber and integral psychology
4. Asian Philosophies, and the influx and fertilization of the
intellectual worldview of Western cultures by
A: Zen Buddhism
B. Taoism, the I Ching, Confucianism
C. Tibetan Buddhism
D. South Asian Buddhism, Vipasanna, “mindfulness”
E. Various Indian teachers, gurus, swamis, many of
whom have introduced powerful “memes,” complexes of ideas, both in
their aggregate and through their own creativity. These sages have
teachings that complement and build on each other as do the Western
philosophers:
Muktananda, Chidvilasananda, Neem Karola Baba (Ram
Das’ guru), Ram Das
Parahamsa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi, and founder of
Self-
Realization Fellowship in Southern California), Krishnamurti,
etc. Many others
F.
Other South Asian teachers from Sikh tradition, Meher
Baba, etc.
G.
The Sufi Tradition and its permutations and variations
(Islamic mysticism)
H.
Bahai as an integrational religion
5.
Emergence of trans-denominational, interfaith, trans-faith,
Spirituality. The idea that one can be spiritual without having to
believe anything in particular, spirituality without the need for dogma.
A. Increasing numbers of less-dogmatic and
integrational churches
(1) Interfaith, Unity,
Unitarian, Universalist, New Thought, Mind Science
(2) Increasing numbers of
authors and books about theologians and other thinkers who are opening
to pluralism rather than exclusivism, moderating dogma and emphasizing
spiritual values that may be shared by peoples in other faith systems,
seeking continuing evolution within their own religion, less prejudice
(e.g., Hick, the later Albert Schweitzer, later Thomas Merton, John
Spong, etc.)
B. Increased interest in personal experience,
mysticism, personal development, not just superficial community
participation.
C. Interfaith movements, International Meetings of
World Religions, the work of the late Brother Wayne Teasdale, etc.
D. Transpersonal psychology, Noetic Sciences,
Journals of Consciousness Studies, Shift, ReVision, and the like,
books, movies on the cutting edge.
6.
Resurgence of Interest in Tradition
A. Without having to buy the whole package,
seeking to re-discover and distill out the wisdom in:
Native American cultures, religion, ceremonies
Jewish Mysticism (Kabbalah), other mystical
traditions
Celtic, druidic, and other north European
Australian Aboriginal, dreamtime, digeridoo, art
African, South American
Central American, Southwest Indian psychedelic
practices
(E.g., Carlos Castaneda)
B. Various arts and other interests
Sacred geometry, calligraphy, Ikebana (flower
arranging), Bonsai (small tree cultivation)
William Morris and other traditional crafts, music, instruments,
etc.
7.
Re-Enchantment of Life
A. Angels, faeries, sprites,
leprechauns, little statues, children’s stories, coloring books,
grown-up books,
magic, Harry Potter,
wizards
B. Science fiction, Star Trek,
Star Wars,
C. Renaissance Fairs, role taking,
medieval re-enactments
D. Interesting new forms of
art, personal altars, special symbolic objects
8. . All the good people trying to change the world for the better! The
peace-workers,
social organization developers, social service program
builders, ethical entrepreneurs,
and thousands of other roles!
9. Developments in psychotherapy with applications
for
healthy people (see Human Potential Movement)
A. Group work, encounter groups, support
groups
B. Body work, massage, voice work,
touch, nudity,
C. Cognitive therapy and its overlap
with critical thinking training, logic
10.
Critical Thinking Training
A. Semantics– the study of how words mean
B. Semiotics, the study of how images
impact
C. Media studies, communications
studies,
D. Topistics, studies of place and its
emotional, psychological implications. e.g., Feng Shui?
E. Propaganda analysis, rhetoric
analysis,
Journals such as ... (forgot name)
11.
Science and Spirituality. Those trying to find the ideal
balance of the factual and mythic.
Organizations, newspapers, books, explorations,
philosophy
A. Stretching beyond science: Noetic
Sciences.
B. Stretching beyond traditional
religion. Deism.
12.
Computers, the Internet, Blogs, Listserves, Websites,
opening communications.
13.
Broadening the Circle of Caring
Beyond tolerance to respect for “other people”
Decreasing in rank racism, prejudice
Including the previously marginalized, minorities,
the disabled, differently abled
Animal rights
Challenging Abortion
14.
Conscious Dying
A. Books, right-to-die, how to
make it sacred, music and dying, etc.
B. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,
Near-Death Experiences, support groups, talking about it openly, living
wills
15.
Sexual Revolution
A. Masturbation, devices, breaking down the taboo
The growth of types of pornography, erotic
literature, – a mixed trend
B. Talking about, debunking myths, and lifting
the taboo on
menstruation, menopause, sex in older people’s lives
C. Increased sensitivity to sexual
molestation, harassment, pressure, date rape
Domestic abuse, etc.
D. Contraception ... with some hope for less morally ambiguous, less
expensive,
more accessible forms with fewer side effects
E. Venereal Disease,
Sexually-transmitted disease (STD) awareness
F. Sex Education
16.
Psychopharmacology, psychotropic drugs, the “third
psychiatric revolution
A. Increased sensitivity and
diagnosis of mental illness, greater effectiveness of treatment
B. Expansion of sensitivity to
“shadow syndromes,” such as ADHD in adulthood,
Chronic mild depression (“dysthymia”), responsive to SRI
meds like Prozac; to mild OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), social
phobia, etc.
C. As yet-undeveloped potential of MDMA
(“Ecstasy”) as therapeutic aid; LSD or other “entheogens”
17.
Popular psychotropic drug use. Marijuana, cocaine,
amphetamines, etc.
A. Clarifying degrees of danger,
types of use.
B. Growing critique of drug war
18.
Social and Emotional Learning in Schools
Affective education, anti-bullying programs,
practical psychology classes
Adult education, extension classes, communications,
workshops, empowerment
19.
Re-Popularization of Drama, interactive and
improvisational drama (instead of scripted and rehearsed traditional
theatre), many forms
Playback Theatre, Art of Play, Interactive Theatre,
Improv Games, Bibliodrama,
Drama in Education, etc.
20.
Anti-Smoking Trends
21.
Anti-Alcohol Trends, MADD (Mothers against drunk
drivers), more stringent laws
Being
drunk is no longer so funny
AA, Alanon, Twelve Steps
22.
Addiction Rehabilitation Programs, increased
sensitivity to all kinds of addictions,
Recognizing
certain activities as near-addictive, variably
addictive, thinking about the dynamics
Shopping, Going into Debt (Debtors Anonymous),
Compulsive Sexuality
Twelve Steps
? Television, Video Games
23.
Increased sensitivity to Trauma, abuse, types of
abuse, changing parenting styles, preventing bullying, looking at
emotional as well as physical abuse
24.
Recognizing needs for play, adequate amounts of time,
supplies,
A. Looking at
questionable forms of recreation–television, video games
B. Needs for youth
groups, activity groups
C. Sensitivity to
boredom
25.
Challenging the pernicious influence of the doctrine of Hell
26.
New developments in medicine and nutrition, exercise
27. Appreciating and even highlighting certain
aspects of cultures of those who had been previously marginalized–Gay,
Lesbian, African-American, Hispanic, etc.
A. Recognizing the phenomena of Trans-gender
activity, cross-dressing, etc.
(La Cage aux Folles)
28.
Increasing casual dress, comfortable dress, relaxation of the
boundary between formal and informal
Releasing women from their many types of subtle oppression of
phony standards of beauty,
the cults of youth, thinness,
flagrantly provocative sexuality, pressure for sex, etc.
29. Increasing adornments, variations in jewelry,
tattoos, piercings, hair, more variety, sub-group styles, forms of
personal expression, unique combinations
30.
Free-er speech, talking more openly about all sorts of
things, from cussing to opening to previously taboo topics in all
areas, thinking the unthinkable, religion, politics, sex, social norms
31.
Feminism
32.
Elements of the Hippie, New Age, renewal of
romanticism, innocence, Rainbow Coalition, get-togethers, burning-man,
wandering
33.
Nature activities, mountain bikes, hiking, rock
climbing
34.
New sports, snowboarding, surfing, sky-diving,
parasailing
35.
New styles of management, more facilitating, less bossy
Refining emotional incontinence (anger management)
More role playing, learning experientially
Creativity in thinking
36.
Creativity Studies, expanding field
37.
Spontaneity studies, Flow, Inner Game of Tennis, Golf,
Archery
38.
Alternative Healing
(Even if 80% or more is found to be not effective,
the proliferation of approaches may well generate some significant
breakthroughs.)
A. Chiropractic becoming more acceptable
as limits of mainstream medicine become apparent re certain conditions
B. Acupuncture, possibly.
39.
Meaning in Life, memoir writing, ethical wills,
philosophical salons,
A. Transpersonal psychology, integrating of meaning,
spirituality in personal development and therapy
40.
Simplicity movement, books, de-cluttering,
letting go as value to counter consumerism, reaction to get more, be
more
A. Acceptance of graceful aging,
countering the “beauty and youth” myth
41.
Refinements in exercise allowing for it to be enjoyed
much later in life, and for a wider range of people, people with
disabilities, etc.
42.
Expanding access and activities for people with
disabilities
43. Dream groups, lucid dreaming
44.
Jungian psychology–bridging mind and spirit, depth
psychology, refinement of dynamic psychology, celebrating art
45.
Applying creative arts therapies to human potential ,
for normal people. “It’s too good for just patients.” Art, music,
poetry, drama, dance-movement–various approaches that allow people to
partake in “the everyday use of art.”
46.
Access to more types of music, classical music, via
MP3, CD-players,
47. Midi-music, increases ease of composition of
music. Programs that will write as you play.
48.
Word-processing makes writing easier.
Desktop publishing makes pamphlets and catalogs
easier.
Genealogy, photography, computer art.
49.
Fractals and chaos theory, expanding science of
complexity and its implications for philosophy, postmodernism
50. New
materials for construction, ceramics, hay (for homes),
plastics,
51.
New sources for energy. Home heating, back-to-nature.
52.
Heightened animal communication, equestrian, dog,
companions, therapies
53.
Co-housing, intentional communities, various
arrangements
Relatively more self-sufficient communities
54. Whole
Earth Catalogs, Whole Science Catalogs, Google,
Amazon, Marketplace of Ideas...
55.
The concept of “memes,” ideas that catch on (see
communications studies)
56.
Sociobiology, evolutionary psychology, re-thinking
patterns.
57.
Frontiers of entertainment, circuses, clowning,
computer generated graphics in movies,
58.
Satellite technology, geographic aids, multi-channel
communication, radio, television, broad-band? Fibreoptics.
59.
Flossing and dental hygiene. Saving teeth well into
senior years.
60.
New frontiers of eye surgery, cataracts, restorative
vision (laser), etc.
61.
Other types of prostheses, –new technology
A. micro-technology enabling
re-implantation,
B. laparascope and other
‘scope - surgery, robotic micro surgery, etc.
C. Advances in physical
therapy, rehabilitation
D. Advances in plastic
surgery
Applications of botox for spastic dysphonia,
dystonias
62. Family planning advances, contraception, ?
abortion , morning after pill (controversial).
63.
Videos for lifelong education, elderhostel, other
greater access to extension, online, easier many kinds of education,
job training
64.
Hope for universal health coverage
65.
Hope for increased estate and graduated income taxes,
larger portion payed by rich, constraints on tendencies for drift
toward rich getting richer, poor getting poorer..
66.
Beards coming back into fashion
Long
hair okay – big savings in grooming
67.
Natural look, big savings in money, time, as cosmetics
become more expensive
68.
More questioning as to priorities, what we can afford
(a kind of conservativism)
69.
Continuing valuing of peace, non-violence, Gandhi, Martin
Luther King,
70. Cultural critics, e.g., Postman’s Amusing
Ourselves to Death
Alfie Kohn, on competition, rewards; etc.
71.
Psychological-ization, a growing norm of expecting
people to integrate the best insights of psychology, classes, readings,
self-help books
A. Increasing degrees of self-reflection,
self-questioning, becoming a norm
B. Problem-solving, conflict-resolution, mediation a
norm.
72.
Challenging and re-thinking, re-developing the ideal
of strength, to include tact, diplomacy, counter bare aggressiveness,
“attitude,” “in your face,” and physical confrontation and battle as
only or even primary ideals.
73.
Wisdom-ing
A. Use of projective devices, Tarot Cards,
Astrology, not for divination or occult belief, but as symbols of
principles to facilitate meditation
B. (See my recent article on wisdom-ing, in
ReVision, Summer, 2005)
74.
New developments in education–Montessori, Vygotsky,
Rudolf Steiner, etc.
75.
New developments in food, agriculture, new products,
fruits, vegetables, grains, hybrids
Food irradiation (still too
much prejudice)
76.
Do it yourself, back to the land, related trends.
77.
Developments in Dancing
A. Community dancing– square dancing, clogging,
contra dancing, folk dancing
(With
special groups for Scandinavian dancing, Israeli dancing,
Zydeco (‘Cajun),
B. Ballroom dancing, swing, new variations,
break dancing, continued developments
C. Dances of peace–Sufi–simple movements,
partaking of Shaker-like ideas, associated with simple songs (see songs)
78.
Developments in Singing:
A. Uplifting songs, pop songs, kids’ songs,
funny songs, pop music,
Folk Songs in the 1950s, with continuing resurgences
B. Sing-alongs, collective songs,
choirs, choruses, chorales, Barbershop groups
C. Simple heart-songs, brief, chants,
etc.
.
79.
Career flexibility, multi-career life. Broadening of skill sets.
"Re-potting," vocational guidance
80. Increasing variety in groceries, fruits, vegetables, other
products
81. More holistic and organic farming, radiation for reduction of
contamination (alas, still not widely accepted)
82. Increasing valuing of quality of life and less of mere
economic wealth
83. Positive psychology, laughing clubs, conscious
enjoyment, research into optimism, expectation
Please email me and make
suggestions for additions, refinements, perhaps relevant websites.
