It is a common experience of life to be energized by a concept – a particular ideal that we find very attractive… often seeing goodness and not infrequently a sense of rightness as well… and it is not uncommon to actively express this concept to others in exciting and energizing ways with the aim of getting them to join in this pursuit. I only have to reflect on my teenage years to get a taste of this process.
This process does not disappear with aging – the aging of a person, the aging of a country. It is as active today as it ever was. The necessity for wisdom guiding reason is understood to be a critical point of focus at this time. Some reflecting on the working of thinking may help us see things more completely, more clearly in regards to enabling conscious choice and wise decisions.
Entering into thinking at the level of concept is a very natural thing to do… concept brings with it a nature of seeing that often brings joyful excitement – a seeing of what would be possible, an image of that which is inherently attractive to us. Often accompanying this is active pursuit and planning – increasingly detailed planning unfolds. However, if our aim is wise choices and pursuits, it behooves us to pause to consider what needs to be in place – what capacities, what ableness is demanded; as well as bringing to light the philosophy (not to be confused with ideology – a collection of ideals) behind the concept, and the ethical principles required to intentionally guide and manage the living out of the concept, philosophy and principles that not only serve to enable discipline and guidance, but that which also takes into consideration our current reality – our current ways of doing things.
There is today a plethora of concepts, a literal cacophony of voices calling out to us. There is also a growing recognition of the active presence of greed and the absence of ethics in a number of our essential processes… greed and ethical absence organized by a lack of wholeness – a self-centeredness… greed and ethical absence leaving few, if any, of our institutions and organizations untouched… a realness and reality requiring serious consideration as we seek to engage particular concepts through thinking more completely. As interesting and attractive concepts emerge, we may find it of value to consider “the baby in the bath water.” Reflecting on this and other concepts in light of current reality and in terms of what needs to be in place, philosophy and principles often bring to the fore some cautionary wisdoms of the past, such as
There is no superman.
Don’t turn the fox loose in the hen house.
There is no escape.
It’s not what it looks like.
There are no partial solutions.
Further imagery brought to mind a saying from a fellow I worked with back at the lab. Jim was a person with a habitual pattern of misadventure. He would sum it up by saying, “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time…”
