Why are we making the world something it is not? What is it we want? Is it justice we demand Or that the world should make sense? Thanks for reading Paul’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Good questions. Since folks are weighing in. I think your first question is pertinent. It’s rhetorical. It implies there is a known reality but we are interfering with that, perhaps unaware of the consequences. It’s a uniquely human predilection. To my mind, the demand for justice is one way that interference can occur because it imposes a value (that needs definition) on something that doesn’t always naturally occur. While it seems an obvious good, whether its imposition has a positive outcome or not depends on many things, one of which is our answer to the question of how we make sense of the world, because that informs how we define justice. Some forms of ‘sense-making’ lead to disastrous results in our quest for justice and others do better. I could name names, but I think I’ll leave it at that. Thanks for the provocation.
Great answer, Alan. These seem like simple questions, but the answers are anything but, and regardless of the choice—justice/sense/or both, I think the how of how we get there depends on a unity of agreement on values that just isn't there.
Thanks, Paul. No, it’s not there, but within certain limits, I think that’s okay. We want unity, but in the striving for it, we often do much damage. Life is ever in tension, negotiation, the balancing of differences. In other words, it’s work. Cheers!
I think the desire for both is good but I suspect we won’t see one or the other (or both) happening soon. I think that would take the kind of agreement between people that we’ve never known.
When I was younger, April, I had a lot of questions and people would say, “Read your Bible,” so I read my Bible and I found lots of answers but not for the questions I asked. I used to think that as I got older, I would gain experience and knowledge that would help answer some of those questions, but I’ve just ended up having more. Now I just write poems.
Excellent. I feel I always asked more and more questions but when I was younger I thought I had to 'decide' on answers and 'where I stood' on things ha ha. Now I don't worry about the deciding, I just keep asking the questions and speculating until things make a bit of sense to me (for a while) then off I go again! And so..... I write poems 😂
Thanks to @Penny Briscoe for this restack!
Both please
I hope we can have both, Lor - Thank you for reading and commenting!
If it made sense, I suspect it would be just.
The answer to both is yes. The world is on fire right now. 😔
Good questions. Since folks are weighing in. I think your first question is pertinent. It’s rhetorical. It implies there is a known reality but we are interfering with that, perhaps unaware of the consequences. It’s a uniquely human predilection. To my mind, the demand for justice is one way that interference can occur because it imposes a value (that needs definition) on something that doesn’t always naturally occur. While it seems an obvious good, whether its imposition has a positive outcome or not depends on many things, one of which is our answer to the question of how we make sense of the world, because that informs how we define justice. Some forms of ‘sense-making’ lead to disastrous results in our quest for justice and others do better. I could name names, but I think I’ll leave it at that. Thanks for the provocation.
Great answer, Alan. These seem like simple questions, but the answers are anything but, and regardless of the choice—justice/sense/or both, I think the how of how we get there depends on a unity of agreement on values that just isn't there.
Thanks, Paul. No, it’s not there, but within certain limits, I think that’s okay. We want unity, but in the striving for it, we often do much damage. Life is ever in tension, negotiation, the balancing of differences. In other words, it’s work. Cheers!
It's never made sense or been particularly just, unfortunately
I think the desire for both is good but I suspect we won’t see one or the other (or both) happening soon. I think that would take the kind of agreement between people that we’ve never known.
Yes, it seems the world is on fire sometimes. Communication is almost impossible. We need unity, but don't think we'll see that soon if ever.
Great poem points out that there is a difference between the two.
Or maybe our will to bend the world is just a cover up, a mask we wear to hide our fear of the unknown.
Try as we might our will does not bend the world, though the world may bend us in our attempts.
So true!
Not so far from the small ones who asked ‘why?’ after every answer/attempted explanation.
But, Why?
Exactly
Cherished thoughts a sculpture of scales weighing the demands.
It's truly interesting to watch the mind conflate "not what *I* want" with "injustice" or "justice" with "works fine enough for *me*".
I am as guilty of this as anyone, and it's important to remember when confronting my own pet personal "truths".
Thank you for the important reminder, Paul. Brilliantly said.
Making sense of the world is an individual quest. Some are open to the quest, most are closed, which is where justice joins.
Such a good question. Thank you Paul
When I was younger, April, I had a lot of questions and people would say, “Read your Bible,” so I read my Bible and I found lots of answers but not for the questions I asked. I used to think that as I got older, I would gain experience and knowledge that would help answer some of those questions, but I’ve just ended up having more. Now I just write poems.
Excellent. I feel I always asked more and more questions but when I was younger I thought I had to 'decide' on answers and 'where I stood' on things ha ha. Now I don't worry about the deciding, I just keep asking the questions and speculating until things make a bit of sense to me (for a while) then off I go again! And so..... I write poems 😂
Thanks for the restack, @Lique- I’m grateful for your support!
"What is it we want?” - I wish it were so simple!