Can't help feeling uncomfortable with the idea of 'Mindfulness' which is hitting the headlines big time as the panacea for the ills of modern life. If we can just live in the moment and let anxieties about the past and the future drift through our minds we will generally feel happier. Something like that. I first came across the idea with Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now' and I was an immediate convert.
It seems to me, though, that there is a problem. By seeing an individual's state of anxiety, depression or insecurity as a personal 'sickness' we let the villain of the piece off the hook. Shouldn't we take to task free-market industrial capitalism which puts material growth above all else and measures success by GDP taking no account of personal well-being?
David Edwards in his wonderful book 'Free to be Human' claims that capitalism depends on keeping people discontented - if we aren't happy with how we look, how our homes look, where we go on holiday and the rest we will go out and buy, buy, buy to try to reach the ideal which is presented to us daily through the media.
Doesn't the incredible pace of rapid change in the early 21st century threaten people's sense of security and stability? Local shops close down and global supermarkets take their place. Folk from a different culture come to live next door and live and speak differently from ourselves. Constant technological changes leave us feeling marginalised if we can't keep up.
Psychologists have found that rats living in crowded conditions tend to behave in a disturbed manner. They suggest that humans might well feel the same.
Although we are densely populated we often live in social isolation with all the misery of loneliness. Folk living in individual units is pretty good for the economy - each household needs a washing machine, lawn mower and all the gadgets of modern life. Good for GDP, not so good for our mental health.
So, I've come to see that mental illness is often a natural response to conditions of life which people find unbearable. Mindfullness might be a short-term sticking plaster but what we really need is a major operation to remove the cancer which gets in the way of our mental well-being.
: It seems to me, though, that there is a
ReplyDelete: problem. By seeing an individual's state of
: anxiety, depression or insecurity as a
: personal 'sickness' we let the villain of
: the piece off the hook. Shouldn't we take
: to task free-market industrial capitalism
: which puts material growth above all else
: and measures success by GDP taking no
: account of personal well-being?
Capitalism is one of the villains alright - but there are other villains just as bad, causing 'anxiety, depression or insecurity' and of course worse. Capitalism basically relates to the economy, though it overlaps other spheres of society, just as they in their turn, overlap the economy.
Looking for 'villains' we should consider the following:
There's the whole sphere of cultural social relations rooted in community and ethnicity, religion and nationality which have a power over our lives at least as deep as the economy.
There's the whole sphere of relations around kinship, gender, sexuality, relations between adults and children and adults and the old, which socialises us from the start. I've seen John Baker of Dublin's School of Social Justice, UCD refer to it as the 'affective domain'. Another huge influence on our lives at least as big as the economy.
There's also the political sphere where all the different groupings relate to each other in terms of decision-making power and influence over laws and adjudication and implementation. All of those spheres determine our lives and are bound up together and mutually influence each other unpredictably. None should be considered as primary.
Any effective approach we take towards changing things for the better will need to make progress on all those fronts at the same time and our organisations need to reflect that in order to gain broad support and real traction against our deep and diverse problems. A heavy focus on capitalism, which is all too common, will hold us back.
Garry
IOPS - The International Organisation For a Participatory Society. For an egalitarian, self-managing society.
www.iopsociety.org
Thanks for that Garry. I'm not in agreement though. I believe the economy has to be seen as primary because it has such a huge influence on the 'affective domain' of which you speak. It creeps into all areas of life.
DeleteMy background is in sociology and one thing that taught me is that the 'dominant culture' is instilled in us from birth but isn't something which is God given but is created by those in power. So, if we have an economy which (1) depends on making profit and (2) has the power to manage our 'culture' to maximise profit then the all the stops will be pulled out to do that whatever the human cost.
We see that ...
THE media (the word says it all because it is a 'channel or vehicle') , owned by capitalists, is at the beginning of the 21st century a major power in moulding our culture to make sure people continue desiring and buying new stuff. This effects all areas of our lives. But, to take human relations -
People have to move away from family to find work or move to another country to provide cheap labour. Kinship networks are destroyed.
It destroys the diversity of human culture because if you are living simply (but not in absolute as opposed to relative poverty) consumerism must be imposed in order the broaden markets and thus make more profit
It effects sexuality because young children are encouraged to look sexual from a young age.
It encourages social isolation because when people get together they are likely to share but the market needs us all to individually go out and buy domestic 'stuff'
If you have any doubt about how capitalism is far far more than to do with the economy and how it determines and changes culture see the work of Helena Norberg-Hodge an analyst of the impact of the global economy on cultures and agriculture worldwide. Her film 'The Economics of Happiness' made me weep.
>My background is in sociology and one thing that taught me is that the 'dominant culture' is instilled in us from birth but isn't something which is God given but is created by those in power.
DeleteCulture - community, ethnicity, religion, race and the way those manifest in terms of habits, inclinations, rituals, languages...is created by all, not just by systems of power. Yes, those in power in a hierarchical society like ours also constantly shape and contour cultural forms in order to keep themselves in power and to become even more powerful.
> So, if we have an economy which (1) depends on making profit and (2) has the power to manage our 'culture' to maximise profit then the all the stops will be pulled out to do that whatever the human cost.
Yes, that's pretty much the way an exploititave model of economy will work on those other areas of society alright, though a centrally planned economy will also do this despite not being strictly speaking, a profit-driven model but it will do something similar for the benefit of the elite classes which run a society with that structure.
You've focused here on hierarchical structures in the economy, pointing out some of the ways those will impact on the rest of social relations. What I want to point out, is that, in the same way, hierarchical structures in the other fundamental spheres of social life, will equally impact on the economy as well as each other. So, we get the kind of economy that will fit well with, that won't jar with, what goes on in the rest of society. We won't get a situation of just and equitable relations in any one sphere without at the same time winning it in the others also. Any one sphere of relations left largely unchanged could subvert the others, returning them to what they are now. Our own consciousness is generated by what's going on in the society we live in and we model our general understanding and behaviour in accord with what we experience in all areas of our lives, so the basic values inherent in what we do in any one sphere must be in agreement with what we do in the others, or there will be serious social discord until that battle is resolved, one way or the other.
So, for example, hierarchical structures in our kinship sphere will demand matching hierarchical structures in our other spheres of relations. So also will hierarchical institutions in our cultural modes enforce the same beyond the cultural sphere. Also the same for unjust and authoritarian institutions in the polity, having the inevitable knock-on effect on the rest of social relations. The whole thing is complementary, whether for good or for bad and we need to deal with it in that way.
You mention some of the ways that the economy affects kinship and culture but of course those two spheres also affect the economy and the polity. Gendered divisions of labour are one example and with mother/father brother/sister patterns also being evident in economic roles in workplaces. The kind of expectations, intuitions and reflexes we have due to our conditioning in one sphere carries over into the others, affecting them deeply.
Can say more later - have to get to work! Also posted on medialens.
Just to add a few points during lunchtime.
Delete>"...People have to move away from family to find work or move to another country to provide cheap labour. Kinship networks are destroyed.
It destroys the diversity of human culture because if you are living simply (but not in absolute as opposed to relative poverty) consumerism must be imposed in order the broaden markets and thus make more profit
It effects sexuality because young children are encouraged to look sexual from a young age.
It encourages social isolation because when people get together they are likely to share but the market needs us all to individually go out and buy domestic 'stuff'..."
These are some of the ways in which capitalism reaches out and damages society in general from its locus in the economy but there are also ways in which racism and imperialism and bigotry and sectarianism in the cultural sphere cause tremendous damage to all of society also. These pathologies do not depend on capitalism for their existence.
And it's the same for patriarchal relations in the kinship sphere, reaching out and damaging all of society. Taking your example above:
"...It [capitalism] effects sexuality because young children are encouraged to look sexual from a young age."
Capitalism here is only exploiting a sexist dynamic that arises due to patriarchal kinship relations. That is to say, the real origin of this problem is in the kinship sphere. The capitalist economy simply sees the possibility exists already and picks it up and finds ways to make profits from it, thereby reflecting it in economic relations and in turn magnifying it. That problem itself doesn't arise in the economy originally and wouldn't disappear even if we somehow managed to solve the problems of the economy successfully without looking to the rest of social relations.
That kind of sexist problem will only be eliminated by dealing with patriarchal kinship relations. So we need to confront and resolve patriarchy, authoritarianism, racism/imperialism and capitalism, at the same time. Each of those is as bad as the others and it will only be to our detriment if we ignore or downplay any of them
Have also posted this in the medialens thread.
Yes. We have what I call our individual Autopilot selves - and then there is the enormous plethora of Autopilot aspects to our societies...
ReplyDeleteOur levels of consciousness are like indeed autopilot selves, yes we are awake yet we sleep walk in to most everything :) how is this what is happening? When man invented the wheel the concept of time was born as they were able to move things they saw a variable relevance from the object in space A to B. The more heavy the load the slower the wheel seems to be turning yet the same pattern on route from A to B was applied. He could have asked his brothers to help and move a lot faster but than they had to carry the load on their backs and the wheel was surly much more convertible. Thus man those the easy way over reason as they valued the need for feeling convertible over time and distance. This is what happens also in our sub-consciousness which is more or less build up on wheels of behavior patterns who indicate the shortest route in the safest way convertibly as possible. Wait what is so convertible about my being? Well convertible is that everything you know things you don’t know unknown territory can cause friction or danger put a lot of strain on the wellbeing thus the autopilot self takes over in contradiction of being consciousness awake you apply the same patterns over and over again.
DeleteIs Mindfulness the answer yes partially so if we manage our selves a different way of thinking as to being aware of ourselves and our surroundings constructively taking part for the greater good of man taking responsibility for everything that is – is you. Understanding the world turns around you and not you around the world.
Capitalism the greatest evil in this world : simply explained taking the fruits of labor at the expense of others for the selfish oneself wellbeing. While if we has a shared based economy suddenly we have enough recourses to feed and dress the world’s population then times over. Some of us know the world economy is unsustainable and due to forces of nature is doomed to collapse thanks to capitalisms bottom is falling of the cliff from china all the way to the united states. While earth population is drastically growing there be jobs workface necessary of no less 1/3 % others will dwell in extreme poverty and face all kinds of diseases and death. That is we don’t take action and change the words view on capitalism.
Thanks for that Barry. Sounds interesting but I'd like to know a bit more about what you mean by 'individual Autopilot selves' and what are these 'aspects to our societies'? Perhaps it is the idea that we can reject ideas which are being imposed on us and plough our own furrow? Some people seem to manage that but it's not easy. Wouldn't it be great if we all did that. Fly a kite in the park instead of taking the children shopping? Is that what you mean?
ReplyDeleteOur levels of consciousness are like indeed autopilot selves, yes we are awake yet we sleep walk in to most everything :) how is this what is happening? When man invented the wheel the concept of time was born as they were able to move things they saw a variable relevance from the object in space A to B. The more heavy the load the slower the wheel seems to be turning yet the same pattern on route from A to B was applied. He could have asked his brothers to help and move a lot faster but than they had to carry the load on their backs and the wheel was surly much more convertible. Thus man those the easy way over reason as they valued the need for feeling convertible over time and distance. This is what happens also in our sub-consciousness which is more or less build up on wheels of behavior patterns who indicate the shortest route in the safest way convertibly as possible. Wait what is so convertible about my being? Well convertible is that everything you know things you don’t know unknown territory can cause friction or danger put a lot of strain on the wellbeing thus the autopilot self takes over in contradiction of being consciousness awake you apply the same patterns over and over again.
DeleteIs Mindfulness the answer yes partially so if we manage our selves a different way of thinking as to being aware of ourselves and our surroundings constructively taking part for the greater good of man taking responsibility for everything that is – is you. Understanding the world turns around you and not you around the world.
Capitalism the greatest evil in this world : simply explained taking the fruits of labor at the expense of others for the selfish oneself wellbeing. While if we has a shared based economy suddenly we have enough recourses to feed and dress the world’s population then times over. Some of us know the world economy is unsustainable and due to forces of nature is doomed to collapse thanks to capitalisms bottom is falling of the cliff from china all the way to the united states. While earth population is drastically growing there be jobs workface necessary of no less 1/3 % others will dwell in extreme poverty and face all kinds of diseases and death. That is we don’t take action and change the words view on capitalism.
The powers that be see Mindfulness as a technique to reduce mental health problems, but only because people with these problems are inefficient and a drain on resources and thus reduce overall profitability. Happy focused workers are efficient workers.
ReplyDeleteThey are not going to admit that there is something wrong with the system that is causing these problems. They depend on it for their very sense of identity.
They only want Mindfulness to go so far. They don't want people to be too Mindful, to the extent that they start having feelings of compassion for their fellow workers and neighbours, let alone foreigners. They might start wanting to act ethically and cooperatively, which can't be allowed as it would undermine a system based on greed and competition.
As George Carlin might have said, they want people to be just mindful enough to run the system at maximum efficiency and profitability, but not mindful enough so that they see that, as you say, the whole system is a cancer that needs to be removed, not just to ensure our long-term mental well-being, but our very physical survival as a species in any decent state, and the survival of all the other species we share this planet with.
You have mentioned DE's book in a good light and have mentioned the Tolle guy that he's into. So, you never know, the big cheese himself might be along when he emerges from his slumber.
Yes Ms Peck. Capitalism is indeed the villian. You are absolutely right. The pursuit of GDP growth does not factor in the environment. In fact environment is not even considered. So the result is that China has huge surpluses and a scorching pace of GDP growth. Whats the point? About 60 per cent of China's fresh water resources are contaminated. The air in the cities above Shanghai and Beijing are polluted. The same is true for India. So production of medicines contribution is GDP and people dying of disease and incurable cancers are just statistics !
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. Yes, not only does GDP not factor in the environment but it does not factor in human well-being. My understanding is that if you grow food yourself it barely shows up on GDP (perhaps a few tools etc) but if you buy from a shop it shows up. Knocking a building down and rebuilding is much better for GDP than trying to repair it. Built in obsolence ... fashion changes each year ... encouraging folk to go off on cruises ... the list is endless but the message is the same: GDP is no measure for human well being!
DeleteI like your post very much, Eileen, and wrote a reply, which the computer ate. I have been thinking about the human condition for 45+ years now, and have some of my own thoughts, echoed by Deep Green Resistance.
ReplyDeleteGee, I thought mindfulness was passe - last year's news. Guess I wasn't paying attention to MSM.
ReplyDeleteCapitalism and environmental disaster are but two symptoms of the actual disease that we call usury.
Everybody talks about money but very, very few have an inkling how it works. The concept of money could be the greatest treasure of civilization but instead has been corrupted into deadly seduction for the benefit of a select few.
What is money? Who controls and creates it? What is interest? Why is capitalism used?
I have identified 3 central problems in the mad world (and direction toward solving):
1) usury - stealing / cheating / unlawful taking / interest. Self above others. Luke 6:31
Eliminating interest would solve most psychopathic control issues (perfecteconomy.com)
2) psychopaths - these are the people who really created your world
Half of them are locked up already. The other half "serve" you.
3) education - shed light on who did what by expanding, understanding and acting upon useful knowledge
Learn to think with the Trivium Method. www.tragedyandhope.com is a good start. Google John Taylor Gatto.
"15 of the world's biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world's 760m cars"
http://www.gizmag.com/shipping-pollution/11526/
Al Gore wouldn't have a job (writing big oil propaganda) if hemp were legal. One simple plant: paper, plastics, fuel, food, clothing and shelter. Did I miss something?
I may not be mindful, but I am paying attention.
You have an insightful blog. Thank you for your time.
Good to hear from you Steven. My understanding is that 'mindfulness' has been central to religions throughout time and certainly isn't passe! Of course many people have jumped on the commercial bandwagon and made money out of mindfulness but that's what usually happens with worthwhile ideas in this sick modern world of ours. My very favourite modern exponent of 'mindfulness' is Eckhart Tolle who seems to be sincerely spreading the word about mindfulness to the many who are looking for a spiritual dimension for their lives but who don't find that in conventional religions.
DeleteWhat an excellent article. I've been thinking along exactly the same lines for the past few years. The media is full of talk of mental health these days. It's become a massive brainwashing offensive. All you hear are mantras being repeated, such as "we have to get rid of the stigma" or "we all suffer from mental illness from time to time". Never will you hear any meaningful discussion of the issue. Never will you hear mental health being discussed in the context of the profound ill-health of society. No. We are the ones with the problem. Society and the psychos who control it are just fine. Like you I agree that much of today's so called mental illness is, in fact, human distress. Such distress is a normal reaction to having to cope with living in a sick society which is made (and I emphasize the word "made") less and less conducive to human well-being every day. Anxiety and Stress are alarm bells telling us that all is not well. The reason why all of this new age nonsense is being pushed is because it offers people a cop-out, a way to suppress those alarm bells and take the seemingly easy option of accepting a life of servitude in a ever-increasingly dehumanized society.
ReplyDeleteThanks - it reminds me of the communist regimes in the past who have labelled 'mentally ill' anyone who disagreed with their ideology! In 'our' case we are deemed mentally ill if we don't (can't) go along with the intolerable conditions being imposed on us ...
DeleteI'll try writing my reply again. I prefer engaged Buddhism, which combines mindfulness with an awareness of what is going on in the world and how it affects all life, and does not advocate a narrow personal path.
ReplyDeletePrior to capitalism and a money economy, human beings were destroying each other and the planet, just not on today's scale. The fundamental problem is so-called civilization, based on hierarchy, exploitation, and murderous rapaciousness. We did not evolve to live in civilization, we evolved to live in fairly small groups where we knew each other and could deal effectively with anyone who exhibited antisocial tendencies (what are our leaders other than sociopaths on a grand scale?). See any words by Richard Sorenson for an understanding of how we once lived, and how some indigenous peoples still live: no lying, no sense of time, no sense of property, deep concern that all group members are happy. Think how upset dogs get if they sense we are upset.
We may survive to attempt living a human- and planet-centered life again if some scientists' predictions of our likely demise or dramatic shrinking of global population come true. Until then, I like the Buddhist teacher's words: Neither hope nor fear alters the seasons.
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ReplyDeleteSorry I took some time to publish your comment 'anonymous' but I've been on holiday and for me a holiday means no e-mails!
DeleteDespite the fact, that money is not the answer to everything. It is the adhesive that binds our society together. And the fuel to power advancement, in the world around us. We may have been brainwashed into believing, that only Banks can create money.
ReplyDeleteIf the political will existed, it is wholly feasible, that money could be created, for the benefit of society as a whole. It would be no free lunch, however it could be the medicine, to cure the ills of modern life