Many folks are writing about DrewM’s post What Does Let It Burn Mean? today and for good reason. He’s right; we’re going down for the count. It’s not an option, “it’s an eventuality”. That was the plan and it has proven wildly successful.
Then I found Grau’s must-read essay Preparing For The Flames. He made several points that resonated with me, including:
“Prior to the election, I was effectively in the “If we just did this….” camp he’s talking about. I say “effectively” because deep down I was far too jaded and pessimistic to believe it in my gut.
I DESPERATELY wanted to be wrong. I really wanted another “Reagan fixing Carter’s mess” dynamic even though Obama is ten times as destructive as Carter and Romney a tenth of the man Reagan was.
And in yearning for that, I violated that first foundation of seeing things for how they are, believing it, and acting accordingly.”
The entire post is good, but that’s a punch in the gut. Though logic dictated otherwise, there was some semblance of hope before the takers and ill informed reelected obama.
No more. And maybe it’s because of my age, but it’s difficult to let go of my country. Or the image of it. But isn’t that what a country is… a collective concept? Commonly shared ideals? And now that we’ve shifted from shining city on a hill to dishonorable meddling too-much-money-making bastids… we must burn for our sins.
Let it burn while I mourn.
sigh
I don’t know how but sooner or later we’ll beat the sumbitches. Their side has four grandparents, all oohing and ahhing over one grandchild while we still have kids, and grandkids. We have to figure out how to take back the scchools, and that won’t really be too hard, they’re in control of ‘em now and they’re buring them down with no help from us.
All I really know is that my grandkids will have a hell of a job. I hope to live long enough to finish teaching them the skills.
I hope you do too, Peter.
I just read about the whole deadly mind traps in Psychology Today article. Risk analysis is skill few of us apply, especially in dangerous situations. You start climbing up a slippery slope (ooh, see what I did there??) and you worry that it’s dangerous and you could maybe fall and break an arm if you turn back, but you keep climbing because you think it’ll be more stable a bit further up and therefore safer. You get up higher and discover it’s just as slippery, but now you’re worried that you’ll not only break BOTH arms, but both legs as well. So what do you do? You have to do something. Most of us double down and keep climbing because, what the hell, how can it get any worse?? Yeah, well, we get up even higher, slip on the worst bit of all, and plummet to our death when we should have just accepted the broken arm in the first place.
Same thing with situational blindness and redlining. Situational blindness is part of our inherent need to rescue others and is emotionally bound. Instead of assessing a situation and realizing more help is needed, we charge in thinking we can help, therefore endangering ourselves. Redlining, well, having a set limit and exceeding it. That never works out well for anyone. Can’t run that engine in the red zone for long without causing damage.
That’s very interesting! Clearly I need to reassess daily. But why should I if half the country is willing to plummet to their death?
Often wondered about situational blindness, before I knew there was a phrase to describe it.
Cool stuff. You are truly a Renaissance woman. Well, they say it about men, so I can say it about a woman.
There were LOTS of Renaissance women. Off the top of my not quite awake yet head I can think of Isabella of Spain, the Medici woman, Catherine. Queen Bess of England. There were many others.
Haha.
eh, I think about this stuff and when I read about it in terms that are understandable it sticks with me. I like that PsychToday had terms to put to what I had formulated in my head, you know?
Anyhow, Situation Blindness/Redlining/Bending the Map: all where we are now as a country. We have to let those who are putting themselves (and others) at risk to continue on their path to self-destruction because they’re at the double down/all in phase…they won’t listen to reason and they CAN’T admit they’re wrong. So they’re going to do what they’re going to do anyway. The smart thing for the rest of us to do is let them and save ourselves. It sounds so selfish and so mercenary, but it’s the smart choice and the right choice.
I posted something on FB a few days ago that said “Sometimes you have to give up on people. Not because you don’t care, but because they don’t”
That’s sage advice. It’s the only thing that will save our sanity.
We have to grit our teeth while we wait for them to plummet over the Cliffs of Despair, but it’ll be over soon enough.
“Sometimes you have to give up on people. Not because you don’t care, but because they don’t”
I like that. Makes sense.
I liked it, too.
I’ve learned much in the last couple years, and even more within the time I’ve been back in SD. At some point, you have to know when to cut your losses and move forward with a clear head and heart.
Totally agree. Might not be easy, but since when is doing the right thing a lark?
When those who don’t want help or don’t know they need help and refuse to accept it graciously, it often becomes much like my bag o’ bees scenario: you’re the one who gets stung time and time again. There’s no percentage in putting yourself through that repeatedly, so it becomes imperative to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.
OMG, I fucking quoted Kenny Rogers!
Time for me to take a nap
I agree; nap time!