1st part: the public discourse and the perfect politician


So intellect is king. We choose on the basis of rationality and intellect. We no longer have a close enough relationship to be able to make a valid judgement - so the nature of our 'valid judgement' has shifted.

. We live in a world where the criteria for leadership, the world of the politician, is oddly divorced from reality. We distrust the information provided so we compare the message provided with what we believe a politician should say, and then tick the appropriate box.

The modern public political discourse is remarkable for the gaping holes in the fabric. So many things that shouldn't be discussed. and aren't said. So much that won't be considered.

And the further into the information age we progress, the more limited the discourse. becomes.

We can all construct a 'perfect politician' in our minds. The public construct is so definitive:

The perfect politician:

* Won't talk about sex
* Displays a Brady Bunch sort of sexuality.
* Never admits they don't know something
* Won't know too much in public.
* Won't use big words.
* Will never be confused or admit to being confused.
* Is never wrong.
* Never changes their mind.
* Is a good Christian/Muslim/Jew etc.
* Never praises an opponent
* Has a concise opinion.
* Looks good.
* Is always well groomed.
* Has perfect teeth.
* Has no tempestuous personal history.
* Has never had problems with the police.
* Has a perfect voting record
* etc etc

You may laugh, but it is true.

We have so pared down both the potential field of candidates, and the actual political discourse, that our electioneering across the western world has become a farce. A very public, very expensive, all important, farce. Choosing the least objectionable from a diminishing field has become the norm.

We expect too much of our politicians , then settle for way too little., then blame the system.

When a religious leader has a public crisis of conscience, being torn between two conflicting arguments, and professes to entertaining doubts, fears, or confusion, we honour their integrity. But in the political sphere we engage a different set of criteria. Spiritual thoughts or human failings have no currency in the modern polity. "Don't be emotional" is an everyday catchcry that sums up our contemporary distrust of feelings.

I contend that the western world needs a new way of talking and thinking about feelings. We need a new lexicon where emotional and spiritual concepts can be acknowledged and discussed by both men and women., in both the public and private realm, without the discussion being high jacked by sectarian religious terminology.

As a westerner with an interest in Mahayana Buddhism I have come to believe that we, in the west, must sever our knee-jerk linking of morality and spirituality - with religion. We must learn to utilise and trust a dialogue inclusive of doubt and uncertainty, and tolerant of past mistakes. We must embrace a lexicon dealing with a wider range of human emotion than is currently the case.

Our 'perfect politician' is a by-product of an immature public discourse. When you get the least objectionable, you also get the lest remarkable.



2nd part: 'feelings' for beginners

Everyone has a moral code. Be they black or white. Male or female. Anglican, Protestant, Muslim, Mormon or Heathen. We all know that we shouldn't murder, rape, or pillage. Or fondle our relatives. Or thieve the crockery. And this is a universal human code, independent from judicial or religious dictates.

We don't do what we think we can 'get away with', rather we do what we think is 'right'. Otherwise there would be chaos, everywhere, all the time. Human society depends on most people doing the 'right' thing, most of the time.

There are exceptions, but in the main we are polite to strangers. We don't litter. We don't swear at too many shopkeepers. (Personal morality is so significant, so synonymous with being 'human', that we have jointly decided that those who entirely lack a personal morality are clinically ill. We call them psychopaths.)

When we transgress against our own code of morality we feel bad. This is often called conscience but is better described as being the result of karma. When you treat someone in a way you would not tolerate being treated - you feel bad. When you transgress your own moral boundaries you feel bad. This is karma. Moral cause and effect.

In this way feelings can be a true guide. They can help to identify when you feel morally unwell. Then can help you become centred again. (By 'centred' I mean reaching a point where you harbour no nagging doubts regarding your conduct. Reaching a point where your believe you have recently coupled 'right' action and 'right' motivation..)

But this is not a simple equation. Knowing you feel morally off-balance, and identifying the cause, are two different things. Most women know of these concepts and discuss them all the time. But many men have already dismissed this article as a piece of 'new-wave rubbish'.

Men are taught to mistrust feelings and the talk of feelings. And we are all taught to mistrust doubt.

We rely on our feelings to point us toward potential pleasure, and avoid possible pain. But feelings, and the talk of feelings, rarely intrude into the public domain. The public political domain is a purely masculine field, and so 'the perfect politician 'is, in part, a reflection of the paucity of the language available.

About half of the population of the western world spend years actively training themselves to suppress any feeling that might arise. Mostly the male half.

We all know there is a chasm dividing the sexes. On one side we have the womenfolk, all loudly and earnestly discussing their feelings – whilst across the abyss the men sit around watching sport on the tele and kicking back.(stop whining and pass the chips).

Now menfolk are not devoid of feelings, they simply learn to ignore them as a matter of course. The male of the species is taught to ignore feelings from the time they are very young.

"F'r chrissakes! Don't cry like some little girly! Be a man!"

And the result? Most men consider feelings to be failings. A chink in the armour.

Why don't girls don't go Postal? Why are women axe murderers rarer than hens teeth?

Because they are horrified at the idea. A visceral up-welling of emotion makes the act impossible.

Unless they have trained for years to completely suppress their normal human reactions. Like most men.




another bit: employing spiritual concepts in everyday life

Inarticulate rage might look good on the silver screen but it hardly makes for a happy, well-adjusted, camper.

If our military leaders placed as much emphasis on "Emotional Fitness" as they do on "Combat Readiness" we might live in a very different world.

try this exercise
after a week you will feel happier
and I promise you will learn something new about yourself.


finding centre

We all have feelings and some of us can identify some of them. This is a good thing.
Set aside some time, each day, for contemplation and self examination. To find centre.
I'm not asking you to meditate. Just muse. For about five minutes a couple of times a day.
Anyone can do it.
Just before bed, or early in the morning, sit quietly, settle comfortably, and let your mind drift.
How do you feel?

(We all talk about vague concepts like sad, sorry, scared, angry, jealous, envious, avaricious, embarrassed etc. But the truth is we usually entertain a swirling soup of emotions. These terms are only approximations. At any time we are likely to be feeling a cascade of graduated responses to a series of thoughts, events, sensations, or memories. And when we consciously endeavour to examine our feelings we find we are corrupting the experiment from the outset. But it is important to persist.)

decide how you feel right now
Have you been very happy or very sad during the last day?
try to identify those actions, events, or ideas that provoked a strong emotion, label the emotion, and then examine your conduct.
What caused that emotion?
How do you feel about it now?
Think about the incident and your response. Then move on.
What was your next strong emotion?

Nothing more. Two times a day. Maybe five minutes at a time.



peace
JiMM