Nature: a Higher Authority

Is there a higher authority than the law or made made religious institutions?

Nature is simple in its essence, and seemingly perfect in every way.  Man is a simple product of nature, but human nature is, as we have come to know, imperfect.  The intersection of nature with the birth of a human being constitutes life in its simplest form.  My parents used to say that all a baby really needs are three things: food, warmth and love.  That’s it.  The traditional hospital blanket, which covers the newborn infant for baby’s first picture, is slightly larger, perhaps, than an ordinary dish cloth.

But then, the hospital blanket begins to grow, and so do the problems.  And, somehow, it gets complicated.  The signs are familiar: the loss of Mom and/or Dad’s job, an ill conceived marriage, an ugly divorce, an illness, an untimely death.  Other signs are even less subtle: the birth of a child into poverty with no father, no parents, no adult role model.  Few are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to grow up the privileged child of the rich man.  As a matter of numbers, it’s just not reality.

Somewhere along the line, however, we may recognize how simple turns into complicated.  Those with the special twin gifts of inner strength and mental toughness are able to navigate these choppy waters with great discipline.  And, through a healthy measure of self-examination, we begin to simplify.  Hopelessly lost, for a time, in a race whose value has come into question, we find our way back to basics.  We prioritize, and through this process the journey of life begins anew.

The tricky part is how we go about the process of simplifying.  For some, comfort and solace are found and nurtured within religion or politics, the bedrock social institutions.  Interesting is the fact that in our American democracy each, although sacred in its own right, is kept separate and distinct.  There can be neither politics in religion, nor religion in politics.  It is the law of the land and has been so, since 1791.

Despite the imperfections inherent in each of these institutions, when we begin to peel back the onion and scrutinize the underpinnings, we react quite differently.

Some choose to accept the inherent flaws, whether perceived as minor or major is of little consequence.  They voluntarily submit to the structure of the nominal authorities.  Further, they accept that while these old friends may be far from perfect, somehow we need them.

Others are seemingly oblivious to the flaws.  Here, the word “brainwashed” comes to mind, although perhaps it is more diplomatic to settle on the word “dependent.”  The politics of fear is skillfully deployed, aimed at destroying our basic convictions and attitudes and replacing them with alternative beliefs.  We are controlled through this intensive and forcible transformative process and can be manipulated as necessary to promote the self-serving goals of the leaders.

Still others see through self-interest, reject arbitrary and artificial rules, and choose to go it alone.  Their independent path less traveled is guided not by man made filters or walls but only by the voice in their inner bosom.  These individuals understand that while these institutions started off and mean well, and do good things for lots of people, sometimes they are corrupted.  These individuals also understand that there is a higher authority than the law or man made religious institutions.

But which is the preferred or more correct way to proceed?  There are no right or wrong answers.  All are reasonable.  There’s only us, and the quality of our daily existence, such as what we ordinary citizens make of it.  But the path less traveled has higher upside for greater understanding.  Prudently navigated, this path alone has the capacity to identify and suspend the limiting self-interest component of politics and religion.  The complicated can thus become simplified, permitting the underlying message to shine through.

-Michael D’Angelo

Welcome!

Welcome to Life among the Ordinary, your home away from home!  This is a place where ordinary people may choose to gather in their pursuit of knowledge, exchange ideas and aspire toward mutual improvement.

It is here that we will discern the essence of the pursuit of happiness.  We will do this by attempting to disregard arbitrary, artificial or hereditary privileges, distinctions, influences or preconceived ideas.  The goal is to attain full, unencumbered intellectual and religious freedom of the mind, unconstrained by previous efforts to set authoritative ordering.  Absent these external influences and thus empowered, the mind can exist in a completely free state: to master its environment and attain its natural potentialities.  Central is the belief in the improvability of the human mind and the limitless progress of human knowledge.

Benjamin Franklin understood that democracy is not forever assured in America.  Active, informed citizenship is required not only to keep but also to help it evolve.  Thomas Jefferson was convinced that only a society which was enlightened was capable of self-government.  No ignorant people could truly maintain their God-given freedom.

But it is a fallacy to expect ordinary people to be overly reliant on the sufficiency of reason.  Too little allowance for emotions is estimated.  The passage of time has shown that more is needed to solve the ills of mankind than the accumulation of knowledge.  The evil within man’s imperfect human nature is at times grossly underestimated.

That being said, faith in human beings, the human mind and the spirit contained within the breast of each of us is honorable.  This conviction may have been Thomas Jefferson’s most enduring legacy.  To all who cherish freedom and reject tyranny in any form, his life provides an abiding symbol of the kind of hope that springs eternal.

Life among the Ordinary has been years in the making.  It presents a  rare kind of voice, independent and not owned, free of and unmuted by the influence of any party or commercial allegiance.  Bill Moyers has said our our democracy depends upon maybe just a few such independent voices.  This permits the freedom to tell a story through a different lens, using the eyes of an ordinary citizen within the constancy of our imperfect human nature.  Thus empowered, the lens possesses a natural ability to capture the spirit of American democracy --- and identify the cause of its unrest.

I don’t propose to have expertise with regard to the subjects we may touch upon.  Better to leave that elevated standard to intellectuals and the business titans.  Nor do I propose to add to the volume of scholarship continuing to be churned out by and through our institutions of higher learning.  Rather, ordinary status empowers me to make some interesting observations about the fascinating point where human nature and ordinary people come together to make history.

Life among the Ordinary celebrates the ordinary citizen’s many trials, tribulations and progress in the pursuit of happiness.  It seeks to contribute to the general understanding of the ordinary citizen, so that we can perhaps make better, more informed decisions in our daily lives.  The end result contemplates an army of ordinary citizens who possess a heightened sense of awareness to think critically for ourselves, to live with empathy, to learn to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes.

The theme is guided by a moral compass which embraces a sense of humanity’s purpose --- that we are here not merely to collect things and change money --- but to serve.  How can America apply this ancient principle to meet the challenge of our time and complete the great unfinished business of the nation --- achieving equality of opportunity?

As we attempt to aim higher, there is good reason for optimism.  The final destination is of course important.  But the journey supplies the richness by which our lives come to be defined. What is it about adherence to an incorruptible, disinterested "ethical obligation" that distinguishes the unselfish citizen from the mere hoarder of gold?

In a most positive spirit of warm and gentle felicity in tribute to the ordinary citizen, I welcome you to join us.


-Michael D’Angelo