Blog Dis
Gently into the world should we go
2024-05-23
Modernity and tradition make strange bedfellows. And injecting into modernity the ideal of genteel beliefs was a practice better attributed to the old traditional ways, a time when things appeared on the surface to be simpler but when in fact were not simple or equal, based on some persons not being permitted to work or own property, among other things.
I blame the disproportionate use of misguided rights on the construction and upholding of static laws that didn't foster growth or recognize changes in society. So, if it follows that the two elements of modernity and tradition are destined to be separate, ironically there has also always been one unifying force between these two disparate parts and this is rage. The rage to control and keep; the rage to defeat and humiliate; the rage to overcome odds and the rage to make changes has served man (and women) very well in shaping the world.
Where does gentleness come into the picture?
Certainly, the genteel way of living exists more in books and movies about the past than it does in our modern day and age. Our technology has fueled a less-than gentle future particularly in the creation of super-power weapons and the vehicles that propel these weapons, such as super-sonic jets to deliver bombs and armored cars to drive soldiers that carry automatic weapons to kill the innocent. Somewhere along the way to existing in the world, man decided the only means by which he can enforce his will upon others is to ram his fist down their throat until they choke. Not all would concur with that statement, however. An example being Mahatma Gandhi, who through the application of non-violent civil disobedience, had successfully expelled the British out of India. However, one particular event had played a key role in propelling Gandhi to give up his career as a practicing lawyer, and then to re-invent himself as a messiah of the Untouchables. I bet you've guessed what is that one element, to which I am alluding.
I was a big fan of Inside the Actor's Studio, which went off the air in 2019. It was one of my favourite shows because it afforded me with the opportunity to peer inside the minds of actors/actresses and how they would prepare themselves for their roles. Observing an artist talk about their craft is useful for a writer because the show deals w/ people, and writing is all about people, places, feelings and things, all of which are tied in with creativity. One episode that has stayed with me commemorated the work of Ben Kingsley, a British actor (with actual lineage to India) who played the role of Gandhi in the 1980 film of the same name. When asked how he approached the role of such a leader, Kingsley replied that for him there was only one starting point: rage. You see, Gandhi at one point was refused entry onto a train because of his skin colour and, the mere fact that an occupying presence might have the power to prevent him from traveling in his own country had incited his rage to such a boiling point that he knew what he had to be done. The rest is history, as well all know, but few actually realize that a raw and brutal emotion like rage played the pivotal role in in altering Gandhi's mindset.
I don't care to hold rage in my heart. Rage literally gives me a headache. But I do and often rage against the establishment of ideas. I rage against the abuse of children and women. I rage against the ideology of conservatism which wants to control the habits of peopled as dictated by Church doctrine. I rage against favouritism, special interest groups, deceit and back-stabbing. As much as I try to curtail my rage over injustices, often I find myself falling into the very same hole that others have gone into long before me. I sincerely want to believe that only gentleness lives within me and that I'll go throughout my life into the world with a smile and a soft touch, which in turn will be met with the same sentiment. This is hogwash. Humans are of multiple minds and our rage is only recognized as being rage once we've actually let our rage out of the bottle. Herein lies the beauty of apologies, where your rage explodes, you reflect, and possibly later apologize and resolve to take a more gentle approach to dealing with life's ups and downs, until something happens that you didn't anticipate or instigate and your rage bubbles to the surface again.
Animals are like mirrors - show them a gentle hand and they show you love; show them rage and they respond with similar intent. Being human means I will have to learn how to live with my faults and those of others. I only wish and hope that every day when I deal with the inadequacies of life that my rage will be kept at a minimum. For where there is rage, soon shall follow repercussions. But once in a while, you need to lose your sh*t. Otherwise, how will your friends, family, colleagues and partner know when they've pushed you too far, to understand your limits?
In the end, Gandhi was murdered by a fanatical Hindu, for being to conciliatory toward Muslims. India is a poly-theist country where competing religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism have no option but to co-exist. While traveling in India for just under one month, I spent days alone in New Delhi, at the end of my tour. I visited the Gandhi museum and walked in his final footsteps, cement footprints placed in the exact precise steps he had taken, before being gunned down, shot three times. 😢
Incidentally, your time will not be wasted watching this wonderful movie.
I blame the disproportionate use of misguided rights on the construction and upholding of static laws that didn't foster growth or recognize changes in society. So, if it follows that the two elements of modernity and tradition are destined to be separate, ironically there has also always been one unifying force between these two disparate parts and this is rage. The rage to control and keep; the rage to defeat and humiliate; the rage to overcome odds and the rage to make changes has served man (and women) very well in shaping the world.
Where does gentleness come into the picture?
Certainly, the genteel way of living exists more in books and movies about the past than it does in our modern day and age. Our technology has fueled a less-than gentle future particularly in the creation of super-power weapons and the vehicles that propel these weapons, such as super-sonic jets to deliver bombs and armored cars to drive soldiers that carry automatic weapons to kill the innocent. Somewhere along the way to existing in the world, man decided the only means by which he can enforce his will upon others is to ram his fist down their throat until they choke. Not all would concur with that statement, however. An example being Mahatma Gandhi, who through the application of non-violent civil disobedience, had successfully expelled the British out of India. However, one particular event had played a key role in propelling Gandhi to give up his career as a practicing lawyer, and then to re-invent himself as a messiah of the Untouchables. I bet you've guessed what is that one element, to which I am alluding.
I was a big fan of Inside the Actor's Studio, which went off the air in 2019. It was one of my favourite shows because it afforded me with the opportunity to peer inside the minds of actors/actresses and how they would prepare themselves for their roles. Observing an artist talk about their craft is useful for a writer because the show deals w/ people, and writing is all about people, places, feelings and things, all of which are tied in with creativity. One episode that has stayed with me commemorated the work of Ben Kingsley, a British actor (with actual lineage to India) who played the role of Gandhi in the 1980 film of the same name. When asked how he approached the role of such a leader, Kingsley replied that for him there was only one starting point: rage. You see, Gandhi at one point was refused entry onto a train because of his skin colour and, the mere fact that an occupying presence might have the power to prevent him from traveling in his own country had incited his rage to such a boiling point that he knew what he had to be done. The rest is history, as well all know, but few actually realize that a raw and brutal emotion like rage played the pivotal role in in altering Gandhi's mindset.
I don't care to hold rage in my heart. Rage literally gives me a headache. But I do and often rage against the establishment of ideas. I rage against the abuse of children and women. I rage against the ideology of conservatism which wants to control the habits of peopled as dictated by Church doctrine. I rage against favouritism, special interest groups, deceit and back-stabbing. As much as I try to curtail my rage over injustices, often I find myself falling into the very same hole that others have gone into long before me. I sincerely want to believe that only gentleness lives within me and that I'll go throughout my life into the world with a smile and a soft touch, which in turn will be met with the same sentiment. This is hogwash. Humans are of multiple minds and our rage is only recognized as being rage once we've actually let our rage out of the bottle. Herein lies the beauty of apologies, where your rage explodes, you reflect, and possibly later apologize and resolve to take a more gentle approach to dealing with life's ups and downs, until something happens that you didn't anticipate or instigate and your rage bubbles to the surface again.
Animals are like mirrors - show them a gentle hand and they show you love; show them rage and they respond with similar intent. Being human means I will have to learn how to live with my faults and those of others. I only wish and hope that every day when I deal with the inadequacies of life that my rage will be kept at a minimum. For where there is rage, soon shall follow repercussions. But once in a while, you need to lose your sh*t. Otherwise, how will your friends, family, colleagues and partner know when they've pushed you too far, to understand your limits?
In the end, Gandhi was murdered by a fanatical Hindu, for being to conciliatory toward Muslims. India is a poly-theist country where competing religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism have no option but to co-exist. While traveling in India for just under one month, I spent days alone in New Delhi, at the end of my tour. I visited the Gandhi museum and walked in his final footsteps, cement footprints placed in the exact precise steps he had taken, before being gunned down, shot three times. 😢
Incidentally, your time will not be wasted watching this wonderful movie.
