THE MARK OF EXCELLENCE


the beauty of perfection




A Study in Thought

sa085



by





Marius Heuff

Chapter 1

Content

A mundane discussion.
A non-combative struggle for beauty and perfection
Modern military strategists and their computers.
The differences between planning for war and the horrors of real combat.
People, who have become scarred and warped for the rest of their lives.
The blessing of not having to inherit "horrible memories".
The dilemma of the cultural code.
The need to check our conclusions and expectations against reality.
Rational analysis is a two-edged sword.
Is mankind already on its way to extinction?

It would be a mistake to try to evoke in an essay the same feelings of admiration and beauty that arise, when we are overwhelmed by something perfect or beautiful. Such feelings may arise, when we are impressed by a work of art, a particular achievement, or a landscape, etc., but an attempt to evoke these vague, mysterious feelings and notions in an essay is likely to remain vague and imprecise, unless the effort is again a work of art and captures, subconsciously, these feelings that are so difficult to describe. It would, therefore, be a mistake to use the discussion of psychological mechanisms and events as a vehicle to invoke this mysterious quality of beauty and perfection.

As usual, we will proceed, prosaically, from a survey of the words used, to a discussion, whether or not there is, indeed, a correlation between an excellent effort or achievement, and, a sense of beauty and perfection. We will then go back, once again, to the mechanisms of the human psyche and the functions of our reality-perceptions, in order to explore the reasons, why we become aware of a state of perfection; why an all-out effort and dedicated tenacity leads, so often, to a superior performance, and, why such an effort is so important for our personal well-being, as well as for the people around us. In stead of trying to create a work of art shimmering with beauty and perfection, this essay will be a mundane, down-to-earth, but, hopefully, a rather thorough and complete discussion of all the aspects we can see or think of, when we review the perceptions, emotions and behavioural mechanisms surrounding a judgement of excellence and perfection.

The word excellence has a competitive quality, because it implies that someone, or, some achievement, is better than others. It rises above others, and, it may seem somewhat strange, that such a competitive struggle is linked to a sense of perfection and a feeling of beauty. Indeed, the word or concept of excellence seems to imply, primarily, a non-combative struggle, such as a sports-competition or a superior artistic skill, or, even, a scientific achievement, and, we do not really speak of excellence, when a superior army kills its opponent, or, if an apparently weak combatant overwhelms a stronger party by a clever strategy, a nimble attack, or the exploitation of a weakness.

Once the bloodshed of warfare has ended, the dead have been buried, and the wounded have been forgotten, then, a new generation of military students and strategists may go into raptures over a clever and novel way to win a battle and secure a victory. Our modern strategic planners are so isolated from the realities of war, as they play their war-games on computers and calculate their losses while sipping a cup of coffee, that they may, indeed, apply such adjectives as "excellent" or "beautiful" to the computer results of their sophisticated and expensive games.

I am not suggesting, that these people are unaware of the seriousness of their objectives, nor have they forgotten, that they have been given the task by society to defend their country against military aggression, but the planning of a modern war, (in self-defense, of course), is so far removed, psychologically, from experiencing war, from being in mortal danger, and seeing people being killed and wounded, that, even, the most realistic soldiers and strategists receive an intense shock, if they see their plans and war-games translated into a situation of real combat.

If man could only capture and remember, much more realistically and vividly, the experience of a real battle-field! If man could retain an imagery of what it is really like to see one's colleagues and comrades blown-away by an artillery shell, and, if man could visualise the gigantic scope of destruction associated with modern warfare, it would be much easier to convey to our children the true horrors of warfare and its consequences, and, we could prevent future generations of military strategists from planning, so lightly, and so seriously, for an all-out conflict with nuclear weapons; a conflict, that could well be man's last and final act of destructive madness.

We have discussed, on previous occasions, the idea that this rapid attenuation of unpleasant memories may represent a fatal flaw in human behaviour, making the emergence of a harmonious, stable and global society impossible, and, leading, inexorably, to man's self-inflicted demise. On the other hand, we know, now, that the horrors of modern warfare can lead to such traumatic memories that a person will be scarred and warped for the rest of his or her life. From this point of view, it is a blessing, that the younger generations, born after such a war has ended, do not have to inherit these horrible memories.

Each generation has to learn to cope with the stresses of the particular conditions it finds itself in, and, the memory of overwhelming horrors and experiences may paralyse rather than help an individual or society cope with the stresses of the moment, but, forgetting the horrors of the past all-together, and, not knowing what it is like to be in a situation of modern combat, also prevents a most important moderating influence to play its essential role in the guidance of human behaviour. Actually, we see, here, another example, where man`s manipulative dexterity has exceeded man`s psychological ability to cope with the many diverse consequences of his own actions.

When man learned to re-stimulate his awarenesses and memory-traces with symbolic representations in the relative safety of his home environment, an enormous advantage arose, because man could then "reflect" upon his experiences, without having to face the dangers of a real, analogous experience. It became possible to bring-back into a clear focus of the "mental camera", all sorts of images and experiences of the recent past. In this way, man learned to digest, even, the most unpleasant experiences and "learn" from them. Yet, man has always "repressed" the most horrible experiences, because the emotional feelings associated with unbelievable horrors and atrocities tended to overwhelm man's behavioural responses. Then, the possibility to learn from these experiences, had been lost.

On previous occasions, we have discussed these mechanisms in more detail, and, we have outlined the great advantages and improvements in perceptual clarity, which were made possible by the emergence of symbolic communications. However, if the content of horrible and undigested memory-traces increases, we see, that man loses some of the advantages made possible by the mechanisms of symbolically recalling memory-traces. We see a strong tendency to separate the stimulating excitement from the horrible aspects. Especially, when acts of modern warfare are being prepared on computer-simulations, we see a complete divorce between the exciting and intellectually stimulating mechanisms of planning all sorts of strategic military moves, and the consequences of these plans and actions in "real life".

When man learned to re-stimulate his experiences and memories with symbols in the relative safety of his home environment, this constant memory-recall in a zone of emotional near-neutrality encouraged the ability of what we now call a "rational analysis". This led to increasingly sophisticated interpretations of sense-impressions, leading, eventually, to concepts and cause-effect relationships. We have also discussed the fact, that a greater degree of predictability of the events man is exposed to, produces this all-important sense of "familiarity". Man learned to recognise an event in the beginning of its unfolding, and, he developed, therefore, a good idea how such an event would end. Therefore, the abilities of symbolic representation, conscious awareness, the interpretation of reality in a scheme of causes and their effects, together with the ability to predict the outcome of an on-going event and to "plan ahead", are all related and follow each other logically.

We have also seen, that the ability to construct a tool or an intellectual device, such as a theory or hypothesis, is based on this ability to predict, at least, to some extent, the outcome of an on-going event, or the outcome of a planned, experimental happening. However, these activities of prediction and manipulation require a constant check against reality. We have to check, whether or not our predictions and expectations are correct. Our modern scientific mastery is based on the realisation, that we have to run an experimental check; that we have to verify in a situation of "reality", whether or not our predictions correspond, indeed, closely with an event taking place in reality.

If we substitute such an experimental check against reality with a computer-simulation, we lose an essential pillar of scientific mastery, because, after all, a computer is nothing more than a device that will give us the answers we are looking for, on the basis of the instructions it has received from us. Certainly, we can build into the computer the ability to extrapolate and correlate events or data, and these abilities and functions exceed, by far, in speed, complexity, predictability and detail, the capabilities of the human brain.

However, we, human beings, program the computer, and, we tell it to carry-out a series of functions according to what we think should happen, and, we tell or instruct the computer in the way data and events should be correlated. Unless we have a possibility to verify a computer prediction with an actual experiment in reality, we have no guarantee at all, that these computer predictions correspond with any sort of reality. It is perfectly legitimate, and logical, to use computers to help us inter-act with reality and expand our ability to grasp, sort, correlate and extrapolate a complex situation, and, we are certainly able to grasp a much larger complexity with a computer than without it, just as we can see much finer details with a microscope than with the naked eye. However, we, human beings, remain ultimately responsible for the way a computer behaves and what sort of conclusions it reaches.

We want to come back to the negative aspects or undesirable side-effects associated with the ability of thinking rationally. We see, that an increasing mastery in manipulating a situation to our advantage, is, inevitably, associated with an increased mastery to make a situation detrimental, or lethal, for our adversaries. The scientific developments of weapon-construction and acts of warfare have now progressed to the point, that we are unable to verify their true impact with an experimental check. This draw-back arises in conjunction with the psychological draw-back, where the horrors of modern warfare prevent us from digesting these experiences adequately and learn from them.

It is clear, that we are dealing, here, with a precarious situation, but, the the main problem is the fact, that we do not agree how to cope with such a dangerous and unstable condition of human co-existence. The fact, that the younger generations are not born with the psychological scars of a war-torn world, gives them the necessary flexibilty to adapt to the circumstances of the present, but, at the same time, it explains, why man does not seem to learn much from the wars of the past. For each warring generation, the experiences of the previous wars have largely faded from memory, and, the peoples have become so entrapped in the circumstances of their existence, that they can see armed conflict as the only solution to the tensions and problems of co-existence. However, in contrast to our contemporary conditions of existence, the wars of the past never jeopardised, seriously, the regenerative powers of mankind as a whole.

Certainly, entire civilisations have been mortally wounded by a war and faded from the scene as the result of a lost battle, but, the demise of one civilisation would always represent a chance for another civilisation to emerge and prosper, and, this new center of cultural activities, or "civilisation", would then start its own cycle of wars of conquest, domination, and eventual defeat.

Now, we live in an era, where the far-reaching powers of planning and conceptualisation have become the most serious threat to our collective existence, and, it is ironic to contemplate, that, the source of this serious, and, perhaps, fatal threat to human survival, is a side-effect, or, perhaps, even, an unavoidable consequence of the same developments that secured man's dominance in the world of living existence. We are referring to the capabilities of symbolic representation and memory-recall, scrutiny and analysis in an emotionally neutral zone, as well as the sophisticated interpretation of reality in a wide variety of belief-structures.

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Chapter 2

Content

Strength and dependence.
The same factors that led to evolutionary success become, so easily, a liability and a reason for decline.
Is conscious awareness a narrow specialisation in function?
The fragility of the state of emotional neutrality.
The cultural and genetic codes.
Man's inability to check-out, experimentally, the consequences of a nuclear war, in spite of the ability to create computer simulations.
Another essential flaw of human nature; man's innate tendency to destroy his hard-won gains.
The mechanisms of social and individual decay.
An essential principle of the living organisation; the need for a certain level of stress in order to maintain vital functions.
The role of hopeful expectations in the reality-perceptions of man.
The essentially psychological realities of all forms of awareness.
The beginning of a mechanism of "cultural transfer" when youngsters imitate adult behaviour-patterns.
These same mechanisms play a role in our tendency to identify with our heroes.
The relative judgement of excellence and relevance.

It seems ironic, that the qualities of human existence which have evoked the strongest feelings of awe and admiration, (such as the ability to think and conceptualise a complex and beautifully coherent picture of reality), are so closely linked with, or, perhaps, identical to, the factors that may lead to an end of our existence. Is the excellent ability of the human mind to conceptualise and plan ahead, then, a mark of beauty and perfection, as well as a mark of extinction?

Let us not be too surprised about this, because such an undesirable side-effect of a specifc evolutionary trend is quite common, and, the observation, that a particular trend was the reason for the evolutionary success, as well as the demise of a species, is not as contradictory or unusual as it may seem at first sight. If we look at the life-cycle of a species, we see, that, a particular position of prominence has been obtained because of the emergence of a particular trait or function, but, at the same time, we see, again and again, that the trend towards an especially prominent function is a weakness and a liability. Flexibility diminishes on account of such a trend towards specialisation in form and function, and a species becomes increasingly dependent upon this particular function or trait for its survival. If a specialised function has outlived its usefulness, we see, that, often, the species does not have enough flexibility to explore a different mode of existence.

You may want to object to this line of thought, and, you may want to argue, that the "specialisation" of conscious awareness, represented by the capabilities of symbolic representation and an increasing mental grasp over the phenomena of reality, can hardly be called a "narrow" specialisation. On the contrary, you may argue that these abilities allow us a much greater degree of flexibility than any other species, and, indeed, if we look at the enormously varied habitats man can occupy as a result of his knowledge, insights and technological know-how, we may come to the conclusion, that man is, indeed, the most versatile species on earth. However, I would like to ask you a question in return. Is it possible, that this enormous potential for survival is being jeopardised, or, even, annulled, by other behavioural trends? Are we as adaptable and flexible as we think, or do we also possess trends, which are likely to off-set the potential for survival and adaptation?

Our flexibility and adaptability is enhanced by the ability to rationalise and scrutinise carefully, in an emotionally neutral frame of mind, the many sense-impressions we are exposed to, but, how fragile is this state of emotional neutrality, and, how easily are these rational attitudes pushed aside by strong emotions of pride and belligerence! Yet, as we have discussed before, we know, that the evolutionary exploration of behavioural flexibility, (supplemented in the species of mankind with an additional range of flexibility in belief-structures), also means, that the genetic instructions for our behaviour have become only broad outlines. These ranges or tolerances of behavioural possibilities outline, to some extent, what we can do, but, these behavioural instructions rely for their effectiveness and viability on an appropriate fine-tuning that comes from our experiences, memories, beliefs, attitudes and rational evaluations.

It may well be, then, that man has acquired a number of serious weaknesses because of his reliance upon a "cultural", or non-genetic code of instructions. Any one of the many flaws that have a chance to creep-in with a defective set of culturally encoded instructions, could endanger man's viability. We have discussed the fact, that man forgets, and, perhaps, has to forget, so easily, the horrors he has brought upon himself by engaging in warfare, and, we have also seen, that a major branch of man's technological developments, the nuclear industry, and, in particular, the manufacture of nuclear weapons, has escaped from complete testing and an experimental check-out. We have to accept, therefore, that a situation exists, where people are planning and comtemplating acts of warfare, without knowing what an actual execution of these plans is going to do to the viability of man and his terrestial environment.

We should also point to another flaw in the make-up of the human being. This flaw is easily visible in the behaviour of individuals or small groups of people, and, it points to a broader principle than the inability to test the effects of a nuclear confrontation. I am thinking, here, about the fact, that, so many people seem to become pre-occupied with trivia and rivalries, whenever they do not have to slave to secure their basic requirements. People seem bent upon destroying themselves and their communities, whenever they do not know what to do with their surplus energies, in particular, if people have been born in affluence, and, if they have grown-up within an undisciplined and unstructured social environment. If people have never been exposed to the need to "steel" themselves by self-discipline or tenacious work, (so necessary to accomplish something worthwhile), they become weak, superficial, trivial, restless and prone to acts of self-destruction, while taking their position of affluence and ease of existence, for granted.

Soon, the cultural code of a community, or, even, a large-scale social environment decays. All the energies become absorbed by fruitless bickering. Attitudes and behaviour-patterns become quickly unviable. A reckless attitude of squandering a natural heritage, or the fruits of a previous generation, comes to the fore. The society or community becomes a stagnating pool of tensions and strife. The level of productivity declines sharply, and, eventually, the standard of living declines, too. Competitiveness is lost, resources are wasted, suspicions rise, and the society exhibits the sad spectacle of a rapid and apparently irreversible decline.

We see this phenomenon, especially, if the living generations have lost an appreciation for the significance of their cultural heritage, and, if the community has not experienced, for some time, any pressures or threats from the outside. We see, here, a parallel with individual behaviour, and, it is not unusual to see people, or, even, entire families suddenly fall-apart and deteriorate because of a remarkable series of inept and reckless behavioural decisions. The only explanation seems to be, that man needs to channel his surplus elan vital into a useful, desirable, socially acceptable and personally beneficial mode of behaviour. If these channels or guidelines do not exist, anymore, man becomes, individually and collectively, destructive.

If there are relatively few challenges to the ease of existence, and, if the need for a frugal and productive way of life has disappeared, people can not avoid becoming defective in their behaviour-patterns. They forget, that their ease of existence was due to the fruits of previous generations, a natural heritage of exploitable resources, or, they ignore the fact that they have been left in peace by their more powerful neighbours. People become bored and confused, and, quickly, their energies become absorbed by trivial squabbles and divisive attitudes.

Therefore, as one of the most general features of the living organisation, we should re-iterate the principle that characterises the existence of all life, and, especiallly, life-forms with a great deal of behavourial flexibility. A life-form will start to deteriorate, as soon as a certain level of stress and challenge has fallen-away, because all forms of life have evolved in response to the need to adapt to a certain level of stress. If all stresses and challenges fall-away, the need for internal cohesion falls-away, too, and, the living organisation becomes defective in its functions. If the life-form is a human being, or a social grouping of human beings, the code of instructions is determined, not only, by the genetic code, but, by a cultural code as well. This cultural code deteriorates quickly, as soon as people lose the experience that they have to stay together in order to cope with the challenges of survival.

We should come back to the purpose of this essay, because we have reviewed a rather gloomy outlook for individual and collective human existence, and, it may seem somewhat odd, that an attempt to define excellence and beauty has led to a discussion of struggle, strife, armed combat, as well as the threat of human extinction.

We have emphasised the fact, that we have to be very careful, not to accept, thoughtlessly, the popular notion, that human consciousness is a "precious gift" from nature, or God; a gift, that will enable us to enter a Heaven on earth by virtue of our technological capabilities, or, the Heavens of our meta-physical imagery by virtue of our beliefs and commitments. Undoubtedly, the mental imagery of a religious Heaven and an All-loving God will turn-out to be more durable than an optimistic Faith in the conceptual and rational abilities of "technological man". However, in the final analysis, these beliefs come back to an attitude of "hopeful expectations", and, in this way, we try to sooth the many, vague, ill-perceived and negative forebodings of trouble and doom.

If, neither, the existence of man, nor, his ability to think and reflect, to worship God or create technological marvels with their ambivalent effects, can be considered to be a hallmark of excellence or beauty, what, then, is the point of discussing these qualities, which are, obviously, a very temporary, very limited, or, perhaps, even, illusory perception? If the God of the Universe, and the Creator of life and all existence, turns-out to be a mirage of the human mind, as man tries to re-interpret, frantically, the realities of his sense-impressions in an evolutionary frame of mind, what, then, is the purpose of discussing the subjective interpretation of beauty and perfection? Does it not remain an illusion, even, if this illusion moves us profoundly?

Let us go back to the definition of excellence and review the concepts of beauty and perfection. Let us see, how important these concepts are for guiding our elan-vital, or vitality, into constructive and beneficial channels. If we fail to channel our vital energies properly, these same forces of our elan-vital begin to destroy us, and others as well.

Indeed, we have anticipated our conclusions, here, to some extent, because, in essence, we are concerned with psychological realities and subjective judgements. Of course, we always deal with psychological realities, because we can know reality only as an imagery in our mind, and, as a communicable structure of concepts and ideas. However, in the mechanisms that make us choose some-one, or some-thing, as an object of admiration, we display an intuitive pattern of behaviour that is genetically encoded, and, we reflect, here, one of the earliest mechanisms of the "cultural transfer" of knowledge, insights, awareness or information.

We have discussed, on previous occasions, why the mechanisms of cultural transfer begin to operate as soon as the feature of behavioural flexibility was being explored by natural selection. Behavioural flexibility means, that an input of experience or imitation is required to come to a successful behavioural decision or response. This leaves a "void", or emptiness, in the behaviour of a flexible life-form, in paticular in the behaviour of a human being. This void, or emptiness, which has been created by the retrenchement of the genetic code towards a function of outlining an overall range of behavioural possibilities, creates a need to fill this void. This void in the choice of a behavioural response, or "blank", is filled, partly, by the registration of sense-impressions and experiences in order to create a frame of reference for making an appropriate behavioural choice. The mode of registration depends, however, on the brain and its functions, and, therefore, on genetic instructions.

In part, this behavioural void is filled by imitating the successful behaviour-patterns of the parental generations. So far as we know, this is the earliest, as well as one of the most powerful ways in which the behaviour of the younger generations of flexible organisms can be shaped. This mechanism has been defined, on previous occasions, as the essence of the cultural code, in spite of the fact, that we usually associate the concept of "culture", specifically, with the artifacts of the conscious human mind.

In the human being the mechanisms of imitation are still clearly visible in the way we identify with our heroes. When we identify with our heroes, we imitate the behaviour of those who shine and excell, at least, in our judgement, and, in doing so, we "attach ourselves" in a somewhat uncritical attitude of admiration to those, who function as a model of exemplary behaviour. We easily identify with those, who excell in sports or artistic endeavours, and, we identify with people who experience exciting adventures and create beautiful or powerful objects.

We like to identify ourselves, especially, with those who excercise a lot of power, be it the raw power of the gun, or the extensive political powers of a civic leader who has managed, somehow, to capture the imagination of the public. Or, we may identify, simply, with the charm, persuasiveness, "charisma" or the sexual attractiveness of an individual. There are, therefore, many and varied mechanisms, where we identify, emotionally and intuitively, with someone we admire, and, we display, then, the oldest and most durable mechanisms of learning; as a process of "cultural transfer", rather than as a form of personal experience.

If we consider a specific quality, such as the concept of excellence, we see, that this feature is shared by everyone, who functions as a model or hero for someone else. However, it is clear, that, this judgement of excellence depends, often, on individual preferences. Some forms of excellence can be measured precisely, such as, for example, the measurement or determinaton of the fastest runner over a particular distance. Other activities, such as fencing, figure-skating or a performing art become progressively more difficult to judge in objective terms, because the criteria for judgement become increasingly complicated.

The creative artist is, perhaps, the most difficult one to judge, because the comparison between one artist and another is often impossible, even, if they are technically working in the same field. There may be such a world of difference between them, that it becomes meaningless to say, who is the best. Certainly, there are certain criteria, such as the use of a particular artistic medium, e.g. language or sound, and, the precision of expression, as well as the criteria of originality and craftsmanship, are then used to judge the quality of an artist's work. However, the judgement becomes, in essence, a question of relevance. The quality of exellence slides, indeed, easily into a judgement of relevance, as the works of art that have to be compared, become increasingly dissimilar.

If a significant number of people who are studying the works of an artist, feel, that these works are significant, then, the artistic creator may be elevated to the status of a hero. His or her influence, mostly posthumously, may be enormous, and, the way this influence is making itself felt, may be totally unforeseen by the artist himself. Or, his works may be nearly totally forgotten. They may not spark any interest, because they are not considered to be relevant or meaningful, creating, perhaps, only a transient and specialised form of interest as a "curiosity".

In spite of the vagueness of the definition of excellence, its relationships to the oldest forms of learning and cultural transfer are clear. These older forms of learning are, still, a valuable experience for all of us, because we all, especially, in our younger years, have identified with our heroes, and, we have felt, at least, intuitively, the persuasiveness and influence of these mechanisms, when we recognised that someone was really excellent in a particular endeavour, or had produced something of great value, beauty and perfection.

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Chapter 3

Content

A review of the mechanisms of the genetic and cultural codes.
The transition from a passive to a more manipulative inter-action with the environment.
The inter-play between the genetic code and the environment.
The origins of the three existential poles of animal behaviour.
Feed-back from the external and internal environments.
The central nervous system developed as a result of existential demands on the animal way of life.
The "fine-tuning" of flexible behaviour-patterns.
The act of imitation has become an important short-cut in the process of learning.
The need for "secondary learning".
The long learning period of the human being.
The inter-play between genetic and cultural factors in human viability.
From imitating a concrete example to the abstraction of an ideal; a slow and incomplete process of psychological sophistication.
The value of having understood the fragile nature of human existence.

If we take the time to think about the mechanisms of our behaviour, and, if we succeed in bringing some insight and order to the confusing feelings and emotions we are subjected to, we should be able to appreciate the enormous importance of the influence and guidance we receive from the "outside". All these influences fall into the category of "learning", and, they represent mechanisms of the "cultural code". We have discussed, before, the idea, that the cultural code can be defined as a conglomerate of "external" influences that shape and guide our behaviour. These influences are super-imposed on the genetic instruction-patterns we are born with.

The structure and function of the community of cells that constitutes our body, and, in particular, the complex events that take place during fertilisation, embryonic growth and the prolonged period of growth and maturation after birth, are all strictly under the control of the genetic code. These are "physiological mechanisms", which have been laid-down as a code of precise instructions in the inheritance of our genetic code. We know, now, that many cerebral, and, even, mental functions are guided and determined in their range of possibilities by the instructions of the genetic code, but, we have also come to appreciate the fact, that, throughout our entire life, at the levels of mental as well as physical existence, the "environment" plays a crucial role in what we become and how we behave.

Many functional capabilities have been precisely encoded by the genetic code that is present in each and every cell of the multi-cellular individual, but, the environment provides the energy and the necessary building-blocks to bring every function and structure into a state of existence. This is the reason, why the genetic "anlage", or package of intructions, provides a "possibility of existence", because the actual circumstances have to be favourable, before such a possibility of existence can be actualised or realised. At a cellular level, or, at the level of the embryological development of a multi-cellular organism, and, even, at the level of a young child, we see, that the circumstances have to be "right", before such an organism can continue its development and unfold its potentials.

The early stages of animal existence share with the plants a rather "passive" form of existence. The organism can only grow and develop, if the "soil", or the circumstances and environmental conditions are "just right". However, this passive or vegetative state is slowly replaced, or, rather, supplemented with a more active form of behaviour, where the organism starts to engage in a complex, demanding and energy-requiring series of behavioural activities, and, in this way, an animal starts to contribute, actively, to the type of environment to which it is exposed.

At all levels of organic existence, we see an intricate inter-play between genetic instructions, and the conditions as they have been created by the factor of chance or happenstance, as well as by the presence of the organism. Even, the reproduction of the genetic code, necessary for its perpetuation, can not take place, unless the circumstances of cellular existence are favourable for such a process of mitotic division, but, it is certainly true that the genetic code also favours the maintenance of specific, favourable conditions for the growth of a life-form, especially, a complex, multi-cellular lifeform.

For most animal species', the genetic code has had a chance to formulate, after a long evolutionary process of trial and error, the main behavioural characteristics of the living members. These characteristics secure the continued existence of a species, as well as its chances to produce viable offspring. In this way, the aggressive, defensive and sexual modes of animal behaviour were evolved, but, we see, here, in spite of a rather stereo-typed pattern of behaviour, that the details of a behavioural response always depend, at least, to some extent, upon the sensory feed-back of the actual physical conditions encountered.

Even, the smallest animals can manoeuvre around an obstacle, and, this means, that the motoric response is guided, from moment to moment, by the sensory input. However, only, after it became possible to store the experiences of the past, could an animal use these experiences in an act of "recognition", and find, thereby, the most efficient response in a subsequent, analogous situation. Only, then, can we see the beginnings of a learning process. We see the emergence of a large number of species' that have come to rely on their ability to learn, and, consequently, we see the development of a complex central nervous system that is able to store and classify a large number of data, sense-impressions and experiences.

We see, also, a remarkable development of special and general sense-organs, which are able to scan, ever more precisely, and in greater detail, the circumstances and conditions of the environmental situation. In short, when we arrive at the human species, we see, that the importance of the genetic code has been equalled, and, perhaps, even, in some instances, super-seded by the cultural code, which comprises a large constellation of influences that guide and finely tune human behaviour-patterns. These influences exist in addition to the instinctive behaviour-patterns resulting from a program of genetic instructions.

As long as the memory and classifying functions of the organism remain entirely "for its own use", so to speak, the organism can only learn from its own experiences. It is, then, on its way to become "flexible" in its behavioural response or adaptation to changes in environmental conditions, but there is no "learned input", as yet, from other members of the same species. However, as soon as a youngster, or newly born member of the species starts to imitate the behaviour of its parents, or any adult member of the species, we see, that a new element or input has been introduced in addition to the factor of its own past experiences. This is the factor of "imitation", or the following of exemplary adult behaviour. This mechanism is an important "short-cut" in the process of learning, because, here, a newborn individual may by-pass, to some extent, a long program of learning from its own experiences.

Such a program of "learning from personal experience" is fraught with dangers, and, the imitation of an adult and, presumably, successful pattern of behaviour is clearly advantageous, because this pattern of behaviour has obviously been successful enough to allow the adult member, not only, to survive, but, to survive so well, that it has been able to reproduce.

In the process of imitating someone's behaviour, we see the beginning of the possibilities of "secondary learning", or, rather, the transfer of acquired behaviour-patterns, skills, and, later, conceptual entities, from one individual to another, without the need for the learning individual to synthesise these skills or concepts "from scratch"; from a long accumulation of personal or individualised experiences. Not only, is it an enormous advantage, if an animal acquires the ability to imitate the behaviour of the adult members of its environment, but, in the human species, we see, clearly, that it would be impossible to learn all the skills, ideas, concepts and guidelines "from scratch".

We see, that a youngster, or, even, an entire generation falters and becomes confused, if the cohesion and inner logic of a set of guidelines and behavioural examples starts to disappear. If we imagine ourselves, for a moment, to have been without any human contacts at all, we see, not only, that it would have been impossible to survive, but, we would never have learned to speak and think. Without these capabilities, we would be so helpless and forlorn, that we would not stand a chance to survive in the competitive struggle with other species'.

Even, if we learn to speak and think, we still need to make a prolonged effort to acquire, at least, some of the skills that are available in the society we live in. Without absorbing a portion of this cultural pool or content of our social environment, we would not "fit in"; we would not be able to become a valuable member of this society, and, if the society is small, tightly-knit and under some pressure, such a member would be quickly rejected. A member develops, either, his capabilities into a direction that is useful to society, (even, if it is only a willingness to put brute physical strength at the disposal of the community), or, the individual is forced-out and punished for its anti-social behaviour.

We can summarise these mechanisms by saying, that the genetic code provides the basic conditions for our existence. It provides the potential for our bodily existence and physiological unfolding, as well as a multitude of potentials for learning and acquiring skills. The genetic code also determines many of the basic mechanisms upon which our ability to develop a conscious form of awareness has been based. The genetic code shapes the more primitive or "passionate" existential poles of our behaviour, such as those of aggression, defensiveness and sexuality, but, at nearly all moments of our existence, our instinctive, genetically controled behaviour-patterns are modified and tempered by acquired guidelines; e.g., by the awareness of social restraints, insights and modifying factors.

This, we call the "fine-tuning" of our behaviour, where the precise and most appropriate adaptations are strongly influenced by this entire complex of learned and acquired skills, insights and guidelines, which we call, together, the "cultural code". Because of the fact, that our survival in a particular situation depends upon the appropriateness of our response, or the degree to which our behaviour is "finely tuned" to the requirements of the moment, we may state, without hesitation, that the cultural code determines, now, by and large, whether or not we will survive.

True, if our genetic code is defective, we will not even have a chance to exist, and, we know, that, all our cultural, social or conceptual abilities and skills depend upon the existence of an intact genetic code, as well as a successful embryological development of the body. However, the existence of an intact genetic code, together with the healthy development of a newborn organism, is only the beginning of the equation that determines survival and evolutionary success. Only, if such a newborn organism is provided with a reasonably healthy and complete cultural code from a viable social environment, only, then, will it continue the road towards full development, as well as the unfolding of some of its many potentals.

The act of imitation is an early, but crucial, behavioural break-through on the road towards the development of a cultural code, and, we should give this phenomenon, as well as the related or analogous processes of identification with our heroes, a great deal of attention.

Even, for us, now, this process of identifying as children and adolescents with our heroes, is a fundamentally important channel of learning, and, only later, when we become conceptually more skillful, are we able to abstract from our heroes and models for imitation, those qualities and ideals which function as abstract goals and objectives. In other words, as we get older, wiser and more skillful at identifying our ambitions and objectives, we learn to relinquish the totality of a particular model or personality in favour of the abstract ideals of perfection and excellence. Such abstractions are useful, because we strive, then, towards a paticular ability, mastery, skill or conceptual precision, rather than towards the imitation of a specific individual and his or her artifacts.

We know, that this process of abstraction is often slow and incomplete. Many people do not complete such a development of abstraction, and, they remain, throughout their lives, captive to the emotions and feelings of admiration, generated by an act of hero-worship. Yet, most of us realise, that our hero is not faultless, and, that we all experience a period of "peak-performance", followed by a decline and decay of the skills we have acquired. Most of us retain fond memories of the individuals and personalities who influenced us greatly during our formative years, in spite of the fact, that we also learned to accept the short-comings, faults and errors of our heroes.

However, rather than experiencing a sense of disappointment, such failures and short-comings are interpreted, later in life, as a hopeful sign and a comforting token of humanness and frailty, because they re-assure us, that, we, in spite of all our short-comings and failures, may still be of value to someone else. Most likely, we will not function as a hero or a model for the ambitious youngsters of our social environment, but, we may still influence some of the people around us. We may influence our social environment as a mature human being, who has understood and appreciated, at least, to some extent, the fragile nature of human existence.

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Chapter 4

Content

Sensitivity to beauty and perfection, seen as a stimulus for an attitude of enthousiasm and dedication.
A guidance-structure for our vitality.
The tendency to squander surplus energies.
The mechanisms of a "Renaissance".
The essential instability of a condition of affluence.
Varying mosaics of social realities.
The need for beneficial, socially acceptable channels for dissipating vital energies.
The worlds of sport and entertainment, and the phenomenon of consumerism.
The temptations associated with the need to "make money".
The "master", and his routine work.
A variety of goal-patterns.
When we dedicate ourselves to a combative objective; the guerilla-fighter.
The forgotten sacrifices of life and limb.
The dilemma of the soldier.
Shifting frames of reference for the judgement of right and wrong.
The anti-social individual, and his occasional contribution.
The persuasiveness of a socially responsible and responsive individual.

Perhaps, the greatest practical significance of developing a sensitivity for the beauty of perfection and the persuasiveness of excellent work, is the measure of enthousiasm it gives us to do something really well, and, if this activity happens to be of some benefit to others, we may, indeed, see the happy situation, where a sense of fulfilment is associated with a life-long devotion to the goals of excellence, beauty and perfection. Besides, our work may, then, generate a measure of gratefulness and admiration from those, who have benefitted from our efforts, and, who may use our work as a model for their own achievements. Here, in a nut-shell, we see the individual and social significance of a life, that has been dedicated to excellence and perfection.

It is clear, that the attitudes of dedication, as well as the goals we work towards, form a guidance-structure or channel for the dissipation of our energies, in particular, for the surplus vitality that needs an outlet, after the basic requirements of our existence have been taken care of. As we have discussed, before, the social organisation is frequently so successful, in spite of its limited duration and the unstable nature of its organisation, that a generation, born into affluence, or, at least, born into a situation of remarkably easy living conditions, quickly, takes its circumstances for granted. Then, it takes hardly any energy to fulfill the basic requirements of existence, and, there is a large surplus of elan-vital that has to find an outlet. Unfortunately, most individuals, born into a situation of leisure and affluence, squander this surplus vitality in a useless and haphazard manner.

So often, this surplus energy is dissipated in an egocentric and childish way of life, leading, eventually, to strife and stagnation. As soon as a society has reached prosperity, and the founding generations have gone to their graves, the adult population of the generations who have been born into affluence, begins to falter. Perhaps, the early affluent generations try to maintain the traditions of the past, but, they lack the firmness of character, as well as the clarity of insight, to educate their children, firmly, in the virtues of their culture. As a result, the following generation absorbs, already, a somewhat loose and defective cultural code, and the attitudes of confusion and permissiveness spread rapidly throughout the subsequent generations.

Sometimes, the attention and energies of the healthy and youthful offspring of such affluent generations can be led towards a variety of "artistic" or scientific endeavours, and, if such is the case, we see, that a "Renaissance" of the arts, and the mind, takes place, after a state of affluent prosperity and ease of existence has been reached. Such a period of flowering of the arts, the sciences, architecture, as well as other explorations and adventures of the human mind, freed from the chores and drudgery of making a living, may leave a rich legacy.

The main point we want to emphasise, here, is the fact, that, such a period of cultural flowering is a useful and meaningful channel for the surplus vital energies that have been liberated by a period of economic prosperity. Such a lucky and meaningful direction of the elan-vital is an exception, however, and, we rarely see, looking back at history, that a period of relative affluence is followed by such an outburst of creative activity. Perhaps, in all fairness, we should say, that, indeed, after each period of economic affluence, we see some sort of "flowering", even, if the level of the cultural renaissance is not significant enough to capture the attention and imagination of subsequent generations. This period of relative flowering is usually short-lived, and, in the records of history, it becomes quickly over-shadowed by the manifestations of strife and intrigue, corruption and chaos, decay and decline, which also characterise this same period in the history of a society in decline.

In a historical over-view, it becomes clear, that, no society is immune from the trend towards decay and decline, and, it seems unavoidable, that a period of cultural flowering is, eventually, replaced by a process of disorder and decline. Even, the "high-period", or apogee, of cultural flowering has many manifestations of decay and corruption, and, as always, the appearance of a social environment, be it in the past, or in our own times, is so complex and contradictory, that we can always "filter" a mosaic of predominantly positive or negative aspects into a focus of conscious awareness.

The sublime and the ridiculous are always close together, and, the marks of excellence and perfection, of good government, justice and well-being, exist side by side with incidences of flagrant injustice and crude exploitation. Richness and poverty, of the mind as well as the body, always exist side by side, and, the only way we can grasp, and deal with, the confusing and contradictory appearance of a society, or any period in history, is to see it from a particular vantage-point.

Certainly, this introduces a bias, but, it seems nearly impossible to avoid such a bias, in spite of the fact, that we can acknowledge its existence. However, in many instances, there is a clear preponderance of the beneficial or the destructive trends, and, the interpretation of history or a contemporary society may, then, develop, somewhat easier, into a well thought-out and thorough consensus; when a long hard look leads to a profound interpretation many people, perhaps, even, several generations, can agree with.

The point is, that we all need a way to dissipate our energies, in particular, if we are healthy, active and free from the constant burdens to secure and earn a livelyhood. We can dissipate our energies in sports and athletics, and, this is certainly an acceptable and productive manner to channel these energies. At least, such an outlet for our energies is not detrimental to society, but, an exclusive pre-occupation with sports may make us, again, somewhat narrow-minded and self-centered, as we forget about so many other worlds that exist in our social environment.

Besides, what do we really contribute, even, if we are highly successful in one or other sport? True, we may represent our society or nation for a while, and, if we continue to be successful, we may become a symbol of pride and honour for millions of people. We may become a beacon of excellence and fame, but, there are many less desirable effects and consequences, in particular, if a period of fame is exploited for commercial gains, and, if the willingness and need of the members of the public to identify with their heroes, is used, and abused, to exploit them. At the same time, a commercial bias maintains a somewhat dull and stultifying attitude of adulation, where the people are continuously exploited emotionally and financially, as they are made to pay, in one way or another, for a carefully cultivated attitude of hero-worship.

It is perfectly true, that, commercial and emotional exploitation is not limited to the world of sports, nor, to the world of mass-entertainment or the popular arts. However, in the world of entertainment, we see exploitation in its most repulsive and blatant aspects, partly, because the "masses" are so easily exploited, and, partly, because the large number of people consuming a large variety of emotions, make the exploitation of these fields so profitable.

Yet, we have to recognise the fact, that, any attitude of enthousiasm and dedication can be exploited by a clever entre-preneur, in particular, because our attitudes of enthousiasm and dedication suppress, at least, to some extent, a cautious and critical scrutiny. Only later, after many lessons and disappointments, do we learn to temper our idealism, enthousiasm and dedication with a cautious, even, suspicious and critical attitude, and, after we have learned our lessons, we make sure, that our efforts are directed precisely; that they accomplish what we want them to do, and, we make sure, that our efforts and products are not exploited for commercial gains, either by others or ourselves.

It is so tempting to compromise our high ideals and relax the relentless efforts that are necessary to reach the mark of excellence and this alluring state of beautiful perfection. No-one has ever reached perfection and excellence casually, and, only the professional, who has mastered his particular metier with a life-long devotion to his work, can, eventually, toss-off a master-piece in what appears to be a somewhat casual or "routine" manner.

Dedication and enthousiasm may become somewhat baffling and irrelevant attributes, if we look at some of the goals people have set for themselves. What is the meaning of being the first person ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a nine-foot boat? And yet, if we are interested in this field, and, if we admire the skill and knowledge that go into such an effort, where a human being tames a wild and vast ocean in a vessel that is only a few feet longer than the length of his own body, then, such an effort becomes highly relevant. Therefore, the absence of an immediately apparent relevance does not invalidate the effort. The fact, that, such an effort does not harm anyone, is also an important factor in condoning or encouraging the choice of a particular channel of energy-dissipation, even, if we have some doubts about its usefulness for the social environment.

The attitudes of dedication and enthousiasm can easily find an expression that is detrimental, or, even, lethal to someone else, as we see, when a group of guerilla fighters are becoming the fore-runners of an armed struggle of liberation. The struggle to correct injustice, or, what is perceived to be a state of intolerable injustice, often, makes use of violent means, and the goals of utter dedication may, so easily, become acts of senseless terror and destruction.

Even, if we do not always have to fight with a violent, all-out combat for what we think is right and just, we see, that, discrepancies in our reality interpretations, and, in particular, conflicting interests of various sub-groupings, can lead, quickly, to a polarisation of opinions. Then, groups of dedicated, enthousiastic, or, even, fanatic men and women grab their weapons, as they drift into the irresistible conclusion, that there is no alternative to settling a fundamental conflict of interests with violence. Indeed, serious efforts to come to a negotiated settlement only spring into action, after a sustained and serious loss of life and property, on both sides, has driven home, once again, the age-old truth, that negotiation and compromise are better than death and destruction.

Only after man experiences, again and again, that the lure of war-fare is paid for by an indescribable and unnecessary level of suffering and destruction, only, then, does man seem to be willing to talk to his enemies. As always, those who die and suffer severely in an armed conflict, have little influence upon the leaderships on either side. The dead are quickly forgotten, and, even, the wounded and the maimed are looked-upon with suspicion, if they ever dare to question, whether or not their wounds, their sufferings, the loss of bodily integrity and a condition of health, were really necessary. Such questions are especially prone to arise, if the wounded see, how quickly, they, and their dead comrades, have been forgotten by those, who survived, life and limbs intact, and, who are now busily negotiating trade-agreements with those, who were such arch-enemies, only a short time ago.

Yet, the dedication to an armed struggle remains one of the most powerful, most primitive, and, ultimately, one of the most devastating channels into which man can channel his energies. While the armed struggle of a community, together with the sacrifice of life and limb, may ensure, after a heroic struggle, the security and existence of a particular community, we have argued, on several occasions, that, in a broader social context, such a conflict may turn-out to have been unnecessary.

True, a patriotic soldier, who risks his life and security for the good of his country and the people who stayed behind, may evoke a genuine sense of gratitude and admiration, because the successful soldier gives life and security to those whom he protects. However, the attitudes of a nation or community that defends itself with armed force, may still be unethical, and, the means to defend its interests may have to be considered anti-social and unjustified from a global point of view, which sees mankind as a unit; a point of view, that sees man's future as united and globally organised for the sake of long-term viabilty and a high level of global justice. Just as every society has to scrutinise the motivations of its people, and has to pass judgement on the acceptability of the goal-patterns and channels that have been chosen for the dissipation of the elan-vital, so will future generations have to pass judgement on the goal-patterns, ambitions, motivations and behavioural actions of the nations, societies and leaderships of today.

Sometimes, this judgement will be ambivalent, and, it is true, that, we occasionally admire the products of someone who was a failure as a human being, because such an individual was misguided and totally egocentrically oriented. You may ask how this is possible. Indeed, on occasion, we can produce something that is relevant and beautiful for others, in spite of the fact, that our behaviour, personality, beliefs and actions, have caused injustice and injury to others. We should not make the mistake, however, to condone erroneous or egocentric behaviour, just because an individual has produced something we admire or find beautiful. We should marvel about the fact, that we can, on occasion, bring something of value to others, in spite of the fact, that we, so often, fail to do so in our inter-actions with other people. We should also look at the other side of this coin.

If an artist or a scientist can give something to mankind, in spite of a miserable performance as a human being, then, an ordinary human being, who did not have the good fortune of bringing something of lasting value to mankind, can still make a valuable contribution to his or her social environment. It does not matter, that such a contribution blends into the anonymity of a positive cultural or social trend, and, it is no less valuable, if such a contribution lives only for a short time as a fond memory for those, who were fortunate to have been closely associated with a socially responsible and responsive individual.

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Chapter 5

Content

Various forms of achievement.
The process of maturation, and the development of a sensitivity to the experience of beauty and perfection.
The "girl of our dreams", and the chances of finding her.
A wide variety of interests, expressions and paths of development.
The people we admire, and, what it reveals about our personality.
The bonds of loyalty and affection.
A chill sense of hopelessness.
The beauty of being a pillar of loyal support.
The articulate personality.
The need for honesty and openness.
A refinement of feelings and goal-patterns.
It is criminal to teach our youngsters to become insensitive bullies.
The beauty of an uneventful, clean and honest life-style.

Perhaps, we think, too often, only, about the grandiose achievements, when we look at the excellent performance of an athlete or the beauty of a perfect work of art. It is logical, that we are, primarily, aware of the contributions made by a beloved hero or a famous artist, especially, if we are still searching for a meaningful channel to dissipate our elan-vital, but, the mark of excellence, and the beauty of perfection, do not exist, exclusively, in an artistic master-piece, a scientific break-through, a technological marvel, or an exciting adventure.

After we have become mature adults, we see, more clearly than ever before, to what extent the judgement of excellence, beauty and perfection are functions or creations of the admiror, rather than qualities of the artist or athlete. Certainly, there must be a high level of excellence and perfection in any worthwhile achievement, but, the reason, why a certain individual is suddenly moved by a particular work of art, a beautiful landscape, or any other highly significant experience, depends, to a large extent, on the measure of susceptibility such an individual has developed for the occurrence of a particular experience.

Just as an individual "ripens" or matures during the early stages of adolescence and becomes subjected to the sensations of "falling in love", of being awakened to the attractiveness of a young girl or a handsome lad, so are we experiencing various stages in our development of appreciation and judgement. We become "ripe", and, we develop the ability to find something beautiful, interesting, fascinating or attractive. Our organism is "waiting", so to speak, for an opportunity to "latch onto" an appropriate signal or stimulus, whenever we are ready to receive such a stimulus.

Whenever an organism reaches sexual maturity, the signals or sense-impressions with sexual connotations become much more meaningful. While we may think in our youthful enthousiasm to have found the girl of our dreams, with qualities that set her apart from a million other girls, the truth of the matter is, that we were becoming ripe for the reception of a significant stimulus, and, we, invariably, find someone in our environment upon whom we bestow all the enthousiasm of a romantic "first love". Even, if we experience, that such a first love is not as durable as we thought, we seem to find it hardly surprising, that we can find another "girl of our dreams", so soon after the first disappointment. We do not find it incomprehensible, that there are, apparently, quite a few girls in the immediate social environment, who qualify for the judgement of "being the only girl in the world".

Interests and aptitudes vary markedly, from one person to the next, in particular, during adolescence, and, some of us are more poetic or artistically inclined than others. Therefore, we react differently to these normal stages in growth and maturation. Most of us experience these feelings of first love, beauty and other emotions rather quietly, within ourselves, without revealing much of them to other people. Others are more volatile, more expressive, or, perhaps, less disciplined, and, they live and show their emotions with less restraint.

Similarly, not everyone becomes sensitive to the arts, but, probably, most of us could become somewhat sensitive for, at least, one of the many art-forms, if we would have the good fortune to be exposed, at home or at school, to one or other form of art. Some people become absorbed by sports, rather than the arts, or, by pop-music, by the technology of cars and motor-cycles, or, by the marvels of nature, and, we all develop the ability, and the need, to recognise something beautiful, something of value, or, someone, who is excellent and does something very well. We all need to admire someone, in order to form our goals and dissipate our energies.

The subject of our admiration and judgement forms a nucleus around which we crystallise our feelings and attitudes, and, the whole complex resembles, to some extent, the formation of a rain-drop. The achievement that has become the object of our admiration, forms the nucleus around which we build a shell of admiration and devotion. This shell resembles, to a large extent, our own personality, as well as our particular needs and wants. This shell of admiration and devotion reveals our particular dreams and aspirations, and, this is the reason, why our heroes seem to change from time to time.

At least, our judgements about our heroes or objects of identification seem to change as time goes by, and, by studying carefully, who is being admired, and, in what way an individual admires his or her heroes, we can get a good insight into someone's personality, ambitions and dreams. Or, we may become aware of the lack of a normal development in a child or adolescent. A good look at someone's heroes reveals, perhaps, the emptiness and egocentricity of his or her existence, the depressiveness of thoughts and attitudes, or, the hopelessness of an outlook, as well as the criminal attitudes and activities that follow, so often, a defective personality development.

If we fail to choose our heroes and formulate our goal-patterns properly, and, if we fail to form, at least, some attitudes of dedication towards a worthwhile goal, we become mentally stunted. We are, then, unable to form bonds of loyalty and affection. Then, we can only look with a chill sense of hopelessness upon our environment, and, in stead of seeing a somewhat irrealistic, romantic and rosy picture of the myriad of possibilities, rising-up before our youthful eyes, we can only see, vaguely, a dull, grey, feature-less wall of hostility.

Here, we see, how important it is, to experience a positive feeling of admiration, even, if we do not have the slightest chance to ever excell to such an extent, that we will be famous or remembered. It is so important for a healthy personality development to be able to dedicate our energies towards a worthwhile goal; to channel our energies into a direction that is at least not frowned-upon by our social environment. Then, we are able to experience something of value and interest, without getting into trouble with the people around us.

Perhaps, the greatest and most important act of dedication we all can make, at one time or another, is the recognition of, and admiration for, a truly helpful and concerned individual. Perhaps, one of the most valuable experiences we all should have, at one time or another, is a feeling of gratitude and admiration, or, even, loyalty and trust, for someone, who helped and potected us as we went through a difficult period during adolescence or childhood.

Certainly, there can be excellence and beauty in the personality and behaviour of almost every person, even, if we consider ourselves to be dull and average. Even, if we consider ourselves as being timid and not particularly courageous, as being trapped and a failure, as someone, who has made a lot of mistakes and has not always been honest with himself or with other people, or, as someone who has failed in the challenge to stick-up for his friends; even, if we think, and know, that our personality is flawed and only dull-average, we may still evoke a sense of beauty or a judgement of excellence in a sensitive, fragile and vulnerable soul, who has, somehow, come to trust us and rely upon us for protection.

Perhaps, we see, here, one of he most important functions of being a good and loyal parent, because, regardless of our failures and disappointments, and, regardless of the sense of failure we may have about ourselves, we still can be a shining beacon of loyalty, wisdom and trust for our children. True, we may lose this position quickly, and, regardless, how well we do in society, or, how much we think to understand the nature of the human being, there comes a time in the development of nearly every youngster, that he or she thinks to know better.

We may find excellence and beauty in a well-ordened, highly educated and sharply articulated personality, who is able to express his thoughts with great clarity and a measure of authority, but, we may also feel a sense of beauty and affinity for a personality, who is able to admit that mistakes have been made, or wrong-doings have been committed.

There is beauty and excellence in a rigorously honest personality, who shuns appearances and falsehoods, and, who appears, often, rather vulnerable and naive to someone, who is used to cover-up and create images that are not quite true. There is excellence in openness and honesty, but, let us not forget, that, a secretive, devious, lying personality often shows the scars of early psychological traumas, as well as the unfortunate circumstances and experiences of an unstable youth. We can not blame a personality for the way it has developed, but, neither can we condone or sympathise with a personality who lies and uses falsehoods in an effort to manipulate the behaviour and beliefs of the social surroundings.

We should come to the conclusion, however, that, honesty and openness are features upon which the health of a social environment rests, and, we can make a firm decision to promote, whenever we can, an atmosphere of openness and trust. We should come to the conclusion, that it is extremely important to safe-guard our younger people from the ravages of deceit and exploitation, regardless of the social strata into which they have been born. We should provide each youngster with the opportunity, and the encouragement, to be open, trusting and loyal, so that the youngster can form, at the appropriate stage of development, the necessary bonds of affection and loyalty.

We are only beginning to understand, to some extent, how important these mechanisms are for our individual and social health, and, if we want to get a grip on the problems of criminal behaviour, we have to understand, better, the depth of despair and frustration, when people are not up-lifted by ideals or feelings of admiration. The ability to imitate our heroes, and emulate their achievements, is a powerful outlet for frustrations, and, it paves the way for a refinement of our feelings, as well as an enlargement of the sphere of our concerns.

It is so wrong, and short-sighted, to try to protect our youngsters from disillusion and a re-appraisal of their parents and other adults, by showing them a facade that looks better than it really is. It is also wrong, and criminal, to try to protect our youngsters by teaching them to become insensitive bullies.

Certainly, we should not condone a senseless lingering in a sphere of egocentric and hedonistic pleasure-seeking, and, we know, that the pleasurable sensation of enjoying something can deteriorate to just such an attitude. We should teach our youngsters to be sensitive to the marks of excellence and beauty, regardless, how vague and varied these judgements may be, but, we should also teach them the beauty of honesty and openness, with themselves and with other people, as well as the beauty of a direct, no-nonsense approach to whatever problems may be at hand.

There is a sense of beauty, when a problem is approached decisively; when the analysis is thorough, exhaustive, well-balanced, and careful; when we see, that the necessary corrections are instituted, regardless, how painful, embarrassing or unsettling a definitive solution to a difficult problem may be.

It is certainly the mark of an excellent, courageous and all-round personality, to see a clean and essentially uneventful way of life, which has been made possible because of the ability to make thorough decisions, without vacillating attitudes or shifting excuses; without covering-up mistakes; without any hesitation to admit to errors, but, also, without any inclination to use or abuse a sharp and decisive intellect to intimidate or take advantage of someone else.

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Chapter 6

Content

Beauty and Perfection are largely "in the eyes of the beholder".
Useful tensions for the genuine artist.
Works of art, and the judgement that a work is a master-piece.
The channels of authority.
The artist and his audience, several generations later.
Varying perspectives.
The artist and the art-lover.
Looking for a precise and perfect way to say it.
Mechanisms, when experiencing a sense of beauty.
Gnostic Sects, and their obscurantist jargon.
The non-ethical aspects of an intense search for happiness or "salvation".
Non-mystical religions, and the attitudes of social concern.
The ostentatious "do-gooder", and the weepy sentimentalist.
The outlines of a broadly based sphere of concerns.
A definition of ethical behaviour-patterns.

To what extent the judgement of beauty and perfection is a creation in the eye of the beholder, can be seen from the fact, that the same master-piece, which evokes such a strong admiration and sense of beauty in eager students, was often a source of long, hard labour for the creative artist. It was often the subject of numerous doubts and revisions by the author, composer or interpreter of this work of art. Indeed, all valuable works of art, and, certainly, those that stand-out as exceptional achievements, long after the creator's death, share the characteristic that they were the result of hard work; of a long and genuine effort to create something of value. They are always a result of totally honest craftsmanship.

A valuable work of art is always an honest reflection of the personality of the author, and no master-piece was ever created, when artistic integrity was sacrificed for an easy commercial success. However, this does not mean, that, many genuinely creative artists, who are still relevant today, avoided efforts to please the public taste of their times. At least, they tried to please the public, to some extent. They did this, in part, because they realised that the public, eventually, recognises what is genuine, even, if it is easily hoodwinked, and, partly, because their livelyhood depended upon a measure of public acceptance.

Most artists could not afford to withdraw into an ivory tower, nor, would they have benefitted from such an action. The tensions between the artistic impulse and the irrepressible tendency to explore new and exciting avenues within a particular artistic field, on the one hand, and, the public's insatiable desire for the familiar and trusted forms of art, on the other, led, often, to worthwhile artistic results, because it prevented the artist from going-off on a tangent, where he would become completely irrelevant to anyone else but himself. At the same time, his artistic conscience and pride prevented him from sliding into a facile and lucrative commercialism.

Every generation creates its own heroes, and, it is logical, therefore, that the evaluation of an artist and his works fluctuates to some extent as the generations follow each other. It is actually quite remarkable, that, so many diverse artistic products survive from one generation to the next, and are able to inspire and function as a model of excellence and beauty. In order to be recognised, time and again, under the ever-varying circumstances of life, the work of art must appeal to basic qualities, sensations, feelings and features of human existence, but, let us not forget, that, works of art also become part of an established cultural heritage, and, their value and prestige become, then, an unquestioned attribute. Such works of art are then revered and looked-upon with awe, not so much, because the students are genuinely moved by the power and persuasiveness of a strong master-piece, but because it has become a part of the accepted channels of authority.

These works of art have become part of the "religious" traditions of the cultural pool. (We understand the word "religious", here, in the sense of revered and unquestioned truths, rather than in the sense of a specific, meta-physical imagery.) Yet, their position as a master-piece can only be maintained, if these works of art are able to convince, at least, a small but influential segment of scholars, that they, indeed, deserve to be studied and admired. This means, not only, that these works of art must be genuine in their intentions or message, but, also, that they have been skillfully and carefully crafted. We may state, without hesitation, that a master-piece deserves this designation or judgement, if, after careful study and scrutiny, it becomes apparent, that, no other work of art, and, no other artist, working in the same field, has managed to express, so clearly and decisively, with such technical mastery and finesse, a particular message. Then, the work of art will be canonised as a master-piece.

Now, we can understand, why the appreciation of a work of art by its creator, and, later, by a sophisticated and well-educated audience, can be so far apart. First of all, a work of art can be evaluated by future generations in a truly broad, historical context, while this period of history is the contemporary society for the creative artist, in which he tries, often with considerable difficulties, to make a living. A new field of exploration, entered tentatively and somewhat hesitantly by an enterprising artist, may, in the retrospective judgement of a future audience, have already been ackowledged as a "classical break-through", and, what is, therefore, a new, untried and somewhat apprehensive avenue for our artist, may be a familiar and attractive development in the judgement of future admirers.

Let us make it clear, however, that the artist, who is, indeed, able to open-up a new and relevant avenue in his or her field, is usually convinced, that he or she is on the right track, and, that he is creating something of value, because any artist can "feel it in his bones", if he is on to something that allows him a genuine and original avenue of expression. His doubts and feelings of apprehension apply, primarily, to the way these experiments will be received by his contemporaries and the critics.

Perhaps, we are, as appreciators of a work of art, not so far removed from the creative artist as we may think, because, the serious student of one or other art-form, also, "lives" with his "art", and, he nourishes from it. He or she will feel the same restlessness as the creative artist, because the sensitive, intelligent apreciator of art will also start to search for new ways, new thoughts, new sounds and new shapes; in short, he will become an explorer, too, but, most of us, average mortals and ordinary art-lovers, who do not have the skills or the talents to create works of art ourselves, we too, are constantly looking for the work of art that says it, just as we would want to say it, if we could.

The sudden recognition of a relevant, perfectly tailored or executed expression of our own thoughts and feelings, provides us, then, with this moment of "co-incidence" between the image "as is", and the image "as we would like it to be", which is, as we discussed in other essays, the essence of the emotional surge that lies behind the sensation of beauty.

Just as we are very happy when we find the right tool to do the job, (especially, if we do not have the capability to make this tool ourselves, or, when we find the right conceptual imagery to explain a certain phenomenon or event, or the right word to say something), so is the apreciation of a work of art based on finding the right "tool" to express a vague but complex set of feelings and notions, moods and attitudes, which we could not bring under words ourselves, and, which seem so well expressed by this work of art.

Now we understand, also, why the right work of art, in the right sort of interpretation or environment, and, at the right time of our life-cycle, may function as a catalyst for the expression of complex feelings and contradictory emotions; why it may represent the clarity of thoughts and precision of expression we have been looking for.

Whenever we find what we have been looking for, we experience a momentary fusion between a reality "as it exists", and, "as we would like it to be", and, we have seen, that such a momentary fusion between these two images, produces a strong emotion of happiness or beauty. If we concentrate, rather narrowly, upon this sensation of beauty, and, if we try to evoke this sensation with a variety of artificial means, (such as the deliberate cancelation of our critical faculties emphasising the discrepancies between the situation "as it is" and "as we would like it to be"), we enter the sphere of mysticism; of expanded or cosmic consciousness, etc.

The suppression of critical faculties is achieved by a variety of means, such as prolonged isolation, fasting, as well as other forms of physical stress, the use of euphoria-inducing drugs, or, the indoctrination into a complex and authoritative mystical philosophy. Often, all these factors are combined, and a strong "mood-setting" atmosphere, a strong chain of authority, as well as a variety of stress-provoking, fatiguing or highly emotional and ecstatic experiences are used to induce this feeling of "cosmic consciousness", or total surrender, which our rational faculties are so determined to resist.

When we find the right artistic, literary, musical or visual expression, we experience a similar mechanism of joy or exhilaration, but, by allowing its normal fleeting and transient nature to stay intact, this sensation remains an integral part of our existence, and, it becomes a fond memory, rather than an egocentric obsession with an elusive and uncritical state of awareness.

Let us examine, then, why a pre-occcupation with mystical happiness and a prolonged indulgence in artistic and other sensual pleasures, has to be frowned-upon, in particular, if we want to look at reality from a social point of view. If we look at the behaviour and orientation of people who are pursuing the experience of a mystical exaltation or happiness, we see, not only, a strong tendency towards exclusivity, but, also, a nearly completely egocentric attitude. The concerns focus increasingly upon one's own happiness, and, even, amongst the cult-members, we see some sort of a competitive struggle to obtain the "highest" states of mental development, or "union with the God-head".

A strong hierarchical stratification takes place, and, new-comers are duly impressed with an initiation period, where they are put-through all sorts of symbolic rites. They are gradully introduced to the secrets and mysteries of the sect, and this "graduation" is couched in an obscurantist jargon that hints upon many different directions of philosohical thought and theological interpretation. The concern for the rest of the world is minimal, and, the world "shrinks", literally, towards a nearly constant cultivation of the feelings of ecstasy, bliss, light, upward movement, etc.

It is certainly true that many religious sects and fundamentalist groupings have a strong tendency towards an attitude of exclusivity, as well as a narrowing of the sphere of concern to their own group. However, in a more "normal" religion, where the state of happiness does not depend upon a frantic effort to obtain some sort of an ecstatic feeling, or, the illusion of an "expanded" form of consciousness, the believers are likely to adopt a more humble attitude, where divine acceptance of the individual soul does not depend upon an egocentric effort, but on the acceptance of the Will of the Lord; upon an acknowledgement of the sinful nature of man, as well as a sense of remorse or an attitude of repentance for wrong-doings, coupled, of course, with an honest resolve to do better in the future.

The non-mystical religions also emphasise, far more than any of the "occult movements", the duty to be kind, compassionate and helpful to other people, and, most of the major social religions emphasise, as one of their main teachings, the need to be ethical, as well as the fact that ethical behaviour-patterns will determine, whether or not one finds favour in the eyes of God.

Often, the sphere of ethical concerns does not really transcend the small group of a particular church or congregation, and, even, within such a small grouping, we see the mechanisms of suspicion and rivalry, of back-biting and strife, of gossip and other, very human forms of behaviour at work. Concern for the "outside world" is limited, and the accent of religious behaviour is narrow, concerning itself, primarily, with "saving one's soul for eternity".

On previous occasions, we have discussed, extensively, the concept of the "sphere of concern", and, we have seen, how important it is for all of us to learn to extend this sphere of concern, until it encompasses the world as a whole. However, I like to correct an erroneous impression that may have arisen. If we talk about ethical behaviour and encourage the behaviour of people who show a broad range of concern and understanding for the existential needs of others, we are not thinking about those, who are loudly proclaiming their good deeds, their social concerns, or, their involvement with one social or charitable organisation or another.

These people often abuse, consciously or subconsciously, a position of prominence to further their own existential needs. They want to be seen and to be known, because the orientation of their activities has nothing to do with a broad concern for other people, but, it is designed to bolster their prestige and enhance their prominence. Neither is it a hallmark of broad concern, if we see people adopt a weepy attitude, where they fall over each other, and show exaggerated attitudes of love and affection; nor, do we believe, that people have to "give-away" in a wild and incomprehensible spree of magnanimity, everything they have built-up over the years.

Concern for poverty does not mean, that one has to join the ranks of the poor. On the contrary, by adopting such an erroneous attitude, we may only succeed in adding another individual to the roster of those, who have to be supported by the community. A broad concern means just that; a look beyond the narrow confines of the community one lives in; an attitude of self-discipline, determined, not to take part in petty rivalries or conflicts of interest; the courage to point-out to friends and foes alike, when something is not quite right; a fearless exposure of the facts, when people are not behaving according to their professed beliefs. However, in order to be able to speak openly, and with conviction, one has to be scrupulously honest and integer in one's dealings. Anyone who succumbs to the temptation to profit somewhat immorally or illegally, loses, immediately, the ability to be a voice of conscience.

Therefore, the citizen, who shows a broad concern for other people is not the sentimental do-gooder, nor, is he the ostentatious philantropist or the social activist, but, he is often a reticent, somewhat reflective, highly integer individual, who is completely open, even, blunt in his dealings with other people; who will never take an unfair advantage of anyone and refuses to profit from someone else's ignorance.

The truly broadly concerned individual is often looked-upon with a measure of suspicion, because he does not seem to fit very well into a particular social environment. He is somewhat aloof of all the goings-on, and, he treats everyone with an incisive bluntness that is somewhat uncomfortable to many people. He does not seem to have any secrets, nor, does he keep any secrets, and, he lives an individualistic and quiet life, studying and pondering, why it seems so difficult for man to create a large and just society. He has a strong feeling of justice.

This means, that he does not take advantage of an opportunity to gain at the expense of someone else, regardless, how tempting the occasion, but, on the other hand, he also refuses, steadfastly, to be taken advantage of, and, he will quickly "correct" anyone, who makes such an attempt, or, who shows a type of behaviour that is opportunistic and open to criticism.

Ethical behaviour is a form of behaviour that is open and shuns all forms of deception. It is not ostentatious, nor, is it designed to profit from an aura of prestige or prominence. Ethical behaviour is a concerned attitude that recognises the need for everyone to have a fair chance to succeed in life. However, there is also the recognition, that people have to shoulder, to some extent, the consequences of their actions. Ethical behaviour recognises the importance of justice and fair treatment, but, this implies, also, a swift, decisive and fair retribution for those who violate the codes of justice.

I believe, that there is a great deal of beauty in the behaviour of a personality who is fully committed to an attitude of fairness and justice, and, I think, that it is possible to see, and admire, a measure of excellence in such a behaviour-pattern, in particular, when the going gets rough, and an individual requires a great deal of courage to maintain his stubborn and opinionated attitude; yet, a truly concerned attitude will also examine, continuously, whether or not the adopted attitudes and concerns remain justified and appropriate; whether or not any criticism leveled against it, contains a kernel of truth.

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Chapter 7

Content

Reflections about the difficulties of being a philosopher.
We have to be knowledgeable, before we can appreciate the hallmarks of beauty and perfection.
The need to be active and willing to learn.
It is good to be patient.
Fortunately, not everyone wants to be an artist or a philosopher.
The dangers of indulging in enjoyment; a slide into egocentric attitudes and activities.
The synchronisation of emotions leads to a coarsening of attitudes, and the disappearance of critical faculties.
The boundaries between a concert and a riot.
The classical concert.
Mass-communications and the many opportunities raising the level of conscious awareness.
Let us be aware of the abyss of mutual annihilation.

Our personalities, as well as the motivations behind our behaviour, remain complex, and it will be difficult to maintain a rigorous attitude of self-righteousness, even, if it is solidly based on a comprehensive belief structure that takes into account the existential requirements of all peoples in the world. Such a broad-ranging philosophy is still incomprehensible to most people, and, if one tries to reveal some of the background thoughts that lie behind one's attitudes, perceptive people will question our right to impose a particular perception of reality upon them.

The argument, that one does not "impose" a particular view-point and, that everyone is invited to study and debate these ideas, does not find much of a response. People refuse to make an effort to study a strange and complex philosophy, and, they see only the dogmatic aspects of an attitude, without looking, whether or not the ideas behind such an attitude are a solution to the problems of society. Immediately, people's defensiveness comes to the fore, and one is accused of "preaching"; of imposing a particular view-point, and, people clamor for the right to "be different", without knowing at all in what way they would want to be different.

People in our times have a tendency to hide behind "their rights", in particular, the right to freedom of opinion, and, they resent, intensely, to be put under the pressures of a particular philosophy, in particular, if this philosophy does not come from an authoritative source. They reject, immediately and intuitively, any moral or ethical restraints, without making an effort to understand the nature of, and the need for, such restraints. Unfortunately, many people are so ignorant and selfish, that they can not understand what is wrong with the world or their social environment, as long as their particular niche is not seriously affected by the turmoil around them.

Any philosopher, worth his salt, has to learn to be patient, and, he has to learn, that he can not force any of the people around him to take note of what he has to say. First, his works will have to be recognised by a far-away stranger, and, then, if a readership is slowly building-up, the people in his own environment may, finally, start to take note, because, then, the works of the philosopher are filtering back into the community along the proper authoritative channels.

It is, therefore, useless to try to argue and discuss one's ideas with "local people". I do not say this in a mood of bitterness or disgust, beause it is such a logical psychological mechanism, and, I would probably obey this mechanism, too. If my neighbour invents something that is outside my sphere of knowledge and concern, I would probably fail to recognise the value of his invention, and, I may only take note, if somebody else has recognised the value of the invention and is marketing the product commercially.

We see, here, some of the limitations we all are subjected to, whenever we are required to judge something that is unfamiliar to us, and, it is logical, that we tend to rely upon "the experts" to judge the value of something we are not familiar with. If the experts agree that there is something of value, we may start to take notice.

What does this have to do with the mark of excellence and the beauty of pefection? Perhaps, these considerations are only indirectly related to the topic of our essay, but, indeed, I would like to emphasise the idea, that the judgement of excellence and the feelings of beauty require a high level of knowledge, familiarity or expertise. If I am ignorant about a project, I have no way of judging the quality of what I am looking at, and, I am unable to judge, whether or not a product has been crafted with meticulous care. The more familiar we are with a particular field, the more intelligent our judgements can be, and, for these reasons, it is clear, that, dull and lazy people, will make dull and lazy judgements, which are ignorant and of no value to those, who are mentally a little more active and alert; who are willing to put a little effort in understanding, whatever they are being confronted with.

The mark of excellence and the appreciation of beauty is not for those who are dull and without backbone. The appreciation of beauty and excellence requires a measure of courage and character. It requires a willingness to learn and understand, but, even so, after we have grown to maturity, we do not learn much new material anymore, and, if we reach maturity of our chronological age with an immature and under-developed mind, we will stay this way. However, we can not really blame people for being dull and ignorant, for being lazy and conformist, because most people could not be any different, even, if they tried, and, fortunately, it is only given to a few people to be highly gifted artists or opinionated thinkers. What would the world come to, if everyone aspired to be an artist or a philosopher?

It is good to be patient, and, it is good to realise, that the strong feelings of beauty and admiration, which arise when one is confronted with something, or someone, who is excellent, is a private judgement. This judgement depends on the level of affinity or expertise one happens to have in a particular field. Most people are more down-to-earth, and do not get carried-away by any particular emotion of excitement in their contacts with people or works of art. They continue to do their work, so that you and I can eat, and may feast our eyes and ears upon a thing of beauty.

You know, the appreciation of art becomes so easily an egocentric excercise that is irrelevant to others. Let us all be patient, because, what I think is a mark of excellence, and, therefore, of great value to me, may be irrelevant for others, and, if others perceive, primarily, an egocentric and unconcerned orientation in my activities and enthousiasm, they will not be easily persuaded to share this enthousiasm or view-point. The enjoyment of excellence, beauty and good craftsmanship is, in essence, a private affair, and, we have to be careful, that it does not become too much of an egocentric affair.

Let us see, whether or not there are more communal ways of enjoying the beauty of something excellent and good. We are then approaching the mechanisms of emotional synchrony in a "mass-event", and, it is doubtful, that the exhilaration or ecstasy associated with a mass-synchrony of emotions, has anything in common with the refined judgement of an individual evaluation. Look at the excitement of a good concert, a moving play, a funny movie, a religious revival, and, we see, that the object of our attention is enhanced by the effects of an emotional synchrony, when we experience the same feelings together with a group of people. Are we still talking about a judgement of excellence and the experience of beauty, or, are we talking about an undifferentiated mass-hypnosis, where there is very little left of a judgement of excellence or the appreciation of beauty?

Indeed, it seems, that, in a mass-event, or, an experience that is influenced by the mechanisms of emotional synchrony, we are dealing with a rough, primitive surge of emotions, where people "feel good", without knowing, why they feel good, and, without knowing, why a particular expression or art-form has meaning for them. A state of mass-synchrony, or mass-hysteria, seems to be dominated by a strong emotional surge that is mutually re-enforced by the large number of people involved. Such a mass-synchronisation of feelings seem to inhibit any tendency towards a critical evaluation or judgement of the material presented.

The reason is, probably, that the presence of a mass, or mob, gives, subconsciously, a feeling of power, and, within the anonymity of the masses, we abandon all inhibitions or cautionary forms of behaviour. Here, we have, also, the makings of a mass-riot, where people go beserk, but, the mood is then ugly, and the results are destructive. No-one would equate these attitudes and forms of behaviour with the characteristics of beauty and excellence. Yet, the boundaries are vague, especially, if we look at the hysteria that can be so easily generated by a popular rock-concert, or the incendiary oratory of a demagogue. People can easily be swept-up in their emotions, and a frenzy of enthousiasm can easily erupt into acts of destruction.

During a mass-event, people may, initially, be brought into an appreciative and somewhat uncritical mood, if the artists or speakers are able to bring them something they like, and, once people have abandoned, to some extent, their reserves and their critical faculties, we see, that the tone of the emotions and acts of behaviour become easily somewhat coarse. If we scrutinise, carefully, a work of art, and, if we come to admire it in the privacy of our home, or, at least, as an individual student, communicating with the works of a master, our critical faculties are highly active, and, because we are familiar with a particular work, we will notice any imperfections or deviations in interpretation, as we follow, e.g., a musical composition through its presentation in a concert hall.

Under such circumstances, the concert hall with all the people in it, the coughs and sniffles, as well as the creaking of the seats, become an irritation and a distraction. In the austere atmosphere of a difficult classical concert, where a masterpiece is being presented to a critical audience, we see an attitude that is fundamentally different from a rock-concert, where a large group of young people are waiting for an opportunity to start screaming. Yet, if a classical artist, by sheer mastery, authority and genuineness of his performance, is able to break-through the critical hostility of an informed audience, then, even, a sophisticated audience may, eventually, capitulate and give the artist a standing ovation, after he or she has given everything for the sake of his or her art.

It is clear, that a performance for a mass-audience has to take into account the expertise and familiarity of the average listener for whom the performance is taking place, and, if one misjudges, what the audience can, and will, appreciate, we see, that disillusion and disappointment, or, even, bewilderment are inevitable. Here, we see, also, the importance of the expanded exposure that has been made possible by the introduction of the phonograph record, because, now, many people, who would only occasionally be exposed to music, do have a chance to develop their musical taste and judgement, and, it is, now, much easier for a large number of people to become familiar with a vast range of artists, compared to the time, that music was the prerogative of a few privileged people, who had access to a concert hall, or a musical instrument of their own.

The possibilities of mass-communication will, therefore, increase the number of people, who can become familiar with a particular artistic or philosophical work, and, this points to the importance of the techniques of mass-communication in the education of a population.

Let us be aware not to confuse a primitive synchrony of emotions with the experience of beauty. A primitive sensation of "feeling good" may be ugly and harmful to the people invoved, as well as to others. In extreme cases, the feelings of hatred and the acts of violence can be experienced as "beautiful", in particular, if our minds are pre-occupied with a violent hatred for our enemies, and, if we have become obsessed with the desire to destroy those we hate. We become delirious with delight, if we see our enemies smashed, but, rarely, do we realise, that we encourage, at the same time, a similar feeling or attitude in our enemies. They, too, will experience a frenzy of delight, if they see the possibility to crush us for good, without any mercy, and, they will not rest, until we have been eliminated.

These are destructive and utterly suicidal feelings and emotions, and, unfortunately, we are richly endowed with them. Let us be aware of the deceptive aspects of "feeling good", especially, when we give-in to the primitive desire to taste the fruits of ultimate triumph, because, in our confused and turbulent times, it is likely, that we will drag ourselves, and our enemies, into an abyss of mutual annihilation.

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Chapter 8

Content

The beauty of an ethical personality.
A fundamental decision; security through force or cooperation.
The wide-spread use of force in inter-personal relations.
A wounded sense of justice.
Ethics and diplomacy.
The need for an articulate public opnion from peoples all over the world.
The varying aspects of "patriotism"; a legitimate defense versus an opportunistic grab.
There is no globally valid code for ethical conduct, as yet.
Can a war ever be justified?
Breaking-out from a vicious circle.
The tragedy of ignorance and inertia.
A stinking chaos, and sinking in a morass of confusion.
A fatal flaw.
Educating our people with a moral and ethical purpose in mind.
Examples of symbiotic relationships.
The efforts associated with creating a master-piece, and the challenges of long-term viability.

Let us examine, then, in the last chapter of this essay, not only, the beauty that is apparent in an ethical personality who is broadly concerned with mankind as a whole, but, let us, also, discuss the reasons, why there is a great need to stimulate a wide-spread awareness of, and sensitivity for, the experience of beauty. Let us see, why the ability to recognise a mark of excellence in the behaviour of human beings, is so important for our collective well-being.

We have to come back, once more, to this most essential, and, perhaps, the most fundamental decision we have to make during our lives; do we try to solve a conflict of interests by negotiation and compromise, (by an honest effort to understand the reasons for the arguments and view-points of those we are in conflict with), or, do we try to solve these tensions by force?; by the power of the gun, or, more subtly, by the power and weight of our position in society; by the monopoly we have as an individual or a group, or, with the "help" we can secure from our allies. (These allies are, often, not so much "allies by persuasion", reflecting a voluntary choice, as well as "allies by force", because of the lack of an alternative).

Indeed, are we not using force, if we threaten or blackmail, lobby or bribe, buy or lure our allies into an alliance with us? Are we not using force, when we make those, who work for us, dependent upon us for their jobs? Are we not using force, when a dissenting opinion is shouted-down with boos and cat-calls, signalling an essential intolerance for a dissenting opinion? Are we not using force, when we suppress and discourage an individualised opinion for the sake of solidarity? Are we not using force, if we engage in a strike against a company, or society, in order to get what we want, and, are we not using force, if we use our powers as an employer to make people accept working conditions and wages we would not want to work for, or under, ourselves?

There is a lot of force used in the relationships between people, and, the use of force is not limited to the dramatic clash of arms, when people go to war with each other. However, the results of all these methods of using force are essentially the same. If we are forced into a corner by a stronger power, we may feel just as insulted, neglected or unfairly treated, as having been over-run by a superior military power.

The essence, here, is the fact, that the use of any form of force to stifle dissent, to quiet unrest, or to silence criticisms, is an "imposed" settlement. It is a forced settlement that does nothing to quieten the feelings of injustice and unfairness. As a matter of fact, armed conflict is a more honest and open solution of a tension, because both parties are able to fight each other in the open, and, each side can fortify its resolve by shouting patriotic slogans. The loser expects to lose then everything, because he has challenged, or openly resisted, the will of a stronger opponent.

We still forget, by and large, that, many conflict-situations are "solved", or disappear from the focus of attention, not, because the roots of the problems have been dealt with and an honest attempt has been made to reconcile the interests and view-points of the opposing parties, but, because the weaker party has been forced into a position of acceptance and silence.

Ethical behaviour is not just a skillful diplomatic effort to defuse the tensions between opposing parties in order to minimise the chances of war, as well as the harm that will come to the peoples of the opposing camps, or to innocent by-standers, but, ethical behaviour is a serious effort to make both parties see, where their opinions and view-points, their goals and aspirations, are legitimate and just, and, where these view-points and objectives start to infringe upon the rights and aspirations of the other party.

We should not only try to smooth or sooth an atmosphere of belligerence and uncompromising attitudes, even, if such an effort is a necessary first step, but we should, ideally, be able to point-out, clearly, where the principles of justice and equality should lead to. In a conflict-situation between powerful nations, the mediation efforts can do little more than promote a dialogue between the warring parties, and plead for an end to bloodshed, suffering and destruction, because no-one has the power to stop these bullies from fighting.

However, if we, the peoples of many different nations, all over the world, would have a much better idea, what a global society should look like, and, if we would be able to articulate, more precisely, the rights and obligations of nations, communities and individual people, regardless of their position in the world or their local environment, we would have a much better chance to analyse a conflict-situation in the light of a clear-cut framework of ethical principles and long-term social goals. Then, it would be much easier to distinguish between a patriotism that defends, legitimately, the cultural, religious or philosophical values of a social environment, (including the rights and obligations of its members), and a patriotism, that is narrow and opportunistic; a patriotism, that defends only "national interests"; where the accent falls on an attitude of suspicion and a hatred for "the enemy".

It would then be much easier to judge anyone's attitudes and behaviour, and decide, whether or not someone's belligerence is a justified rejection of an attempt to be exploited; whether or not our "defensiveness", is, in fact, a hidden or covert form of aggression, where we try to make use of the fact that our neighbour is in a position of weakness. Indeed, are we trying to grab an advantage from a position of strength, whenever we see an opportunity to do so? Are we calling our actions a defense of our national interests, while, in reality, we are planning to deal our arch-enemy a crippling blow with a "pre-emptive strike"?

Unfortunately, we do not have a system of globally acceptable ethical guidelines as yet, and, we do not have a series of clear-cut concepts with which to analyse and judge the behaviour of people, leaderships, communities or nations. We have no clear-cut criteria with which to judge our own drives, motivations and goal-patterns. Nevertheless, most of us formulate a few common-sense principles which guide us throughout our lives, because we feel, mostly intuitively, that there must be a better way to solve conflicts than by going to war.

Yet, time and again, we are faced with the difficult decision, whether or not a war can be justified, and, we are, so often, tempted to believe, (and we are encouraged to believe), that the war we are about to begin, is, indeed, justified. We are told by our leaders, that or enemies are inhuman, God-forsaken villains, who can only be devils or monsters in disguise. Rarely do we realise, that we are viewed in exactly the same manner by those we call our "arch-enemies", and, that it would be difficult for a distant and impartial outsider to decide, who is right, and who is wrong.

Occasionally, someone with a broad and articulate point of view will give us an idea, how to distinguish between a legitimate defense against an unlawful intrusion of rights and privileges, and, an opportunistic exploitation, where an essentially aggressive attitude is rationalised. Occasionally, we see, that someone starts to show some understanding of these matters, and, he or she may become a skilled and convincing arbiter, who can "shame" both sides into acknowledging, that they are both to blame for the situation of conflict. We may, suddenly, recognise the value of such beneficial and far-sighted mediation, and, we are rightly enthousiastic about such a personality and the insights that have been displayed. We recognise, that these attiudes are an opportunity to break-out of the vicious cycle of armed conflicts, imposed settlements, and the festering sores of a chronically wounded sense of justice.

We all will have to give a lot more thought to the requirements and definitions of "ethical behaviour", and, it makes me sick with anger and frustration to see hard-working and law-abiding citizens so completely unconcerned and ignorant about the need for justice in inter-personal and inter-national relationships. As long as their paticular world is being maintained, and, as long as all the privileges they take for granted are unchallenged, they live their complacent, unconcerned little lives, squandering their time with small-talk, while the storm-clouds of large-scale conflicts and the fast-growing feelings of resentment and anger amongst millions and millions of poor and deprived people, are completely ignored.

The real tragedy is, that these happy and ignorant citizens, who are slumbering in their under-developed ethical concerns, will, some day, wake up, suddenly, because the forces of chaos and decay will have reached their doorstep, too. They could have seen it coming, years ago, if they had bothered to look and think about it, but, as long as the flood-waters of chaos and discontent, injustice and deteriorating conditions did not touch their little world, they did not even bother to look and take note.

Now, they are becoming involved, and, the only reaction they display is a non-understanding bewilderment. "Why me", they ask, and their undifferentiated emotions of anger and confusion are exactly the same as those of the millions of people, whom they have so completely ignored. If these citizens did nothing, and, if they were not even aware of the happenings in the rest of the world, before their own little world started to crumble, what right do they have, then, to expect, that others, not yet affected, or, those, who have been struggling with these same problems of social injustice for many years, will care one iota about the fact, that, finally, these privileged ignorami are now involved as well?

Eventually, we will reap the fruits of our ignorance and unconcern, and, when we, finally, are beginning to learn, that there is something wrong, it may be too late to save ourselves, or to be of any help to others. Unless we all learn to be more concerned about the stinking chaos of social injustice, corruption and incredible discrepancies between the rich and the poor, we will be sinking in this same morass ourselves, and, our belated cries for help, as well as our frantic efforts to institute changes, will only evoke hauls of scorn and laughter from those, who have been hardened by the frustration of seeing us linger in an atmosphere of unconcern and ignorance.

However, as we have mentioned, before, this sluggishness in being moved to preventative actions; this laziness in being moved by the problems and injustices of the world, as well as our smug unconcern, (often hidden behind the facile attitude, that we are not to blame for the problems of the world or the society we live in, and, that there is "nothing we can do about it anyway"), is a fatal flaw in man's psychological constitution. It may well be, that a majority of people will indeed be incapable of expanding their sphere of reality and concern to such a large social scale, and, it may well be, that man will never be able to solve his problems by cooperation on a truly global scale. If such is the case, we will become extinct, soon, because the demands for psychological adaptation and changes in the behavioural response of the human being will have out-stripped the capabilities of comprehension, fore-sight and planning. We will, then, join a long line of extinct species', which have disappeared, also, because they had lost the flexibility to adapt to swiftly changing circumstances.

Nevertheless, there is, at least, the theoretical possibility to avoid such an event, which is, really, only a disaster from our particular point of view. It is possible to avoid the catastrophe of extinction, if we learn to develop a sensitivity for the sense of justice, as well as for the universal right of every human being to a decent standard of living. We may extend our lease on life, if we become sensitized to the beauty of serious and honest efforts to restore, or create, a wide-spread situation of social justice, and, if we learn to appreciate, and follow, an example of hard work and dedication to the construction of a carefully balanced and just social and natural environment. Certainly, we all have the intellectual potentials to grasp these insights, and, there is no reason to believe, that there is an essential inability to spread the conditions of justice over the entire globe.

Here, we see the need for education; not the sort of education, where we teach our youngsters, how to be smart and clever entrepreneurs in order to grab as large a slice of the social and economic pie as they can get their hands on, but, a sort of education, that teaches, clearly, the essential principles of nature and life; an education, that teaches the requirements of all living existence, the mechanisms of human behaviour, as well as the similarities between us, in particular, between those, who are arch-rivals of each other.

We can educate our youngsters, as well as ourselves, in the advantages and virtues of seeking a stable form of existence in a pact of essential equality and mutual cooperation. Natural evolution has developed many successful symbiotic forms of existence. We see them between cells and multi-cellular life-forms, and, this means, that there is, at least, a potential for the capabilities of human perception and insight to formulate a system of symbiotic and harmonious relationships on a global scale.

The appreciation of beauty, the recognition of excellence, as well as the motivations that lie behind a life of dedication to the goals of perfection, are starting to move-out of the realm, where they were considered to be the attributes of the exceptionally gifted artist, the eccentric philosopher, or, the mad scientist, because, slowly, it is dawning on us, that these qualities and attributes become increasingly necessary to solve the many gigantic and overwhelming problems we are faced with.

We all may soon need a good appreciation for the beauty of being alive, and, we may have to develop a sense of wonderment about our ability to think and create a coherent perception of our realities. Unless we abandon our complacent attitudes, where we take our existence, our environment, as wel as our particular local advantages for granted, we may well lose the ability to exist, just as a master-piece of art or a complicated technological achievement could not have come into being, without hard work, dedication, and the ability to recognise the mark of excellence.

For such a long time, maintaining our existence seemed a simple matter of taking what we wanted, and destroying whatever lay in our path, but, now, we require the same sort of effort and dedication to stay alive as is needed to create an artistic or scientific master-piece. Let us be aware of the fact, that a failure to appreciate the quickly changing criteria of human viability, will have to be paid-for with the price of extinction.

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Summary

1. A mundane discussion.
   A non-combative struggle for beauty and perfection
   Modern military strategists and their computers.
   The differences between planning for war and the horrors of real combat.
   People, who have become scarred and warped for the rest of their lives.
   The blessing of not having to inherit "horrible memories".
   The dilemma of the cultural code.
   The need to check our conclusions and expectations against reality.
   Rational analysis is a two-edged sword.
   Is mankind already on its way to extinction?
   
   
   
2. Strength and dependence.
   The same factors that led to evolutionary success become, so easily, a liability and a reason for decline.
   Is conscious awareness a narrow specialisation in function?
   The fragility of the state of emotional neutrality.
   The cultural and genetic codes.
   Man's inability to check-out, experimentally, the consequences of a nuclear war, in spite of the ability to create computer simulations.
   Another essential flaw of human nature; man's innate tendency to destroy his hard-won gains.
   The mechanisms of social and individual decay.
   An essential principle of the living organisation; the need for a certain level of stress in order to maintain vital functions.
   The role of hopeful expectations in the reality-perceptions of man.
   The essentially psychological realities of all forms of awareness.
   The beginning of a mechanism of "cultural transfer" when youngsters imitate adult behaviour-patterns.
   These same mechanisms play a role in our tendency to identify with our heroes.
   The relative judgement of excellence and relevance.
   
   
   
3. A review of the mechanisms of the genetic and cultural codes.
   The transition from a passive to a more manipulative inter-action with the environment.
   The inter-play between the genetic code and the environment.
   The origins of the three existential poles of animal behaviour.
   Feed-back from the external and internal environments.
   The central nervous system developed as a result of existential demands on the animal way of life.
   The "fine-tuning" of flexible behaviour-patterns.
   The act of imitation has become an important short-cut in the process of learning.
   The need for "secondary learning".
   The long learning period of the human being.
   The inter-play between genetic and cultural factors in human viability.
   From imitating a concrete example to the abstraction of an ideal; a slow and incomplete process of psychological sophistication.
   The value of having understood the fragile nature of human existence.
   
   
   
4. Sensitivity to beauty and perfection, seen as a stimulus for an attitude of enthousiasm and dedication.
   A guidance-structure for our vitality.
   The tendency to squander surplus energies.
   The mechanisms of a "Renaissance".
   The essential instability of a condition of affluence.
   Varying mosaics of social realities.
   The need for beneficial, socially acceptable channels for dissipating vital energies.
   The worlds of sport and entertainment, and the phenomenon of consumerism.
   The temptations associated with the need to "make money".
   The "master", and his routine work.
   A variety of goal-patterns.
   When we dedicate ourselves to a combative objective; the guerilla-fighter.
   The forgotten sacrifices of life and limb.
   The dilemma of the soldier.
   Shifting frames of reference for the judgement of right and wrong.
   The anti-social individual, and his occasional contribution.
   The persuasiveness of a socially responsible and responsive individual.
   
   
   
5. Various forms of achievement.
   The process of maturation, and the development of a sensitivity to the experience of beauty and perfection.
   The "girl of our dreams", and the chances of finding her.
   A wide variety of interests, expressions and paths of development.
   The people we admire, and, what it reveals about our personality.
   The bonds of loyalty and affection.
   A chill sense of hopelessness.
   The beauty of being a pillar of loyal support.
   The articulate personality.
   The need for honesty and openness.
   A refinement of feelings and goal-patterns.
   It is criminal to teach our youngsters to become insensitive bullies.
   The beauty of an uneventful, clean and honest life-style.
   
   
   
6. Beauty and Perfection are largely "in the eyes of the beholder".
   Useful tensions for the genuine artist.
   Works of art, and the judgement that a work is a master-piece.
   The channels of authority.
   The artist and his audience, several generations later.
   Varying perspectives.
   The artist and the art-lover.
   Looking for a precise and perfect way to say it.
   Mechanisms, when experiencing a sense of beauty.
   Gnostic Sects, and their obscurantist jargon.
   The non-ethical aspects of an intense search for happiness or "salvation".
   Non-mystical religions, and the attitudes of social concern.
   The ostentatious "do-gooder", and the weepy sentimentalist.
   The outlines of a broadly based sphere of concerns.
   A definition of ethical behaviour-patterns.
   
   
   
7. Reflections about the difficulties of being a philosopher.
   We have to be knowledgeable, before we can appreciate the hallmarks of beauty and perfection.
   The need to be active and willing to learn.
   It is good to be patient.
   Fortunately, not everyone wants to be an artist or a philosopher.
   The dangers of indulging in enjoyment; a slide into egocentric attitudes and activities.
   The synchronisation of emotions leads to a coarsening of attitudes, and the disappearance of critical faculties.
   The boundaries between a concert and a riot.
   The classical concert.
   Mass-communications and the many opportunities raising the level of conscious awareness.
   Let us be aware of the abyss of mutual annihilation.
   
   
   
8. The beauty of an ethical personality.
   A fundamental decision; security through force or cooperation.
   The wide-spread use of force in inter-personal relations.
   A wounded sense of justice.
   Ethics and diplomacy.
   The need for an articulate public opnion from peoples all over the world.
   The varying aspects of "patriotism"; a legitimate defense versus an opportunistic grab.
   There is no globally valid code for ethical conduct, as yet.
   Can a war ever be justified?
   Breaking-out from a vicious circle.
   The tragedy of ignorance and inertia.
   A stinking chaos, and sinking in a morass of confusion.
   A fatal flaw.
   Educating our people with a moral and ethical purpose in mind.
   Examples of symbiotic relationships.
   The efforts associated with creating a master-piece, and the challenges of long-term viability.

.......