Alienated from Reality
“One no longer has any sense for what is taken from reality, because one has completely alienated oneself from reality.”
These words were spoken 100 years ago in 1920 by Rudolf Steiner in a lecture series titled “Spiritual and social transformations in the development of mankind.” It was made in relation to his efforts (which were global, and presented to world leaders of the time) to offer a new (and highly valid) method for organizing modern society in the aftermath of the tragedy of World War One, “the war to end all war.”
The full quote in context is the following:
The whole public judgement by mankind is not formed out of a sense of reality, but actually out of abstractions, out of abstract theories. And when something appears which is not made up of abstract theories, such as the social threefolding, something which is taken from life and which – because one cannot write thirty volumes, which people also would not read – must be briefly summarised, one does not recognise the spirit of reality in it. Because today one is completely filled with theories and considers this threefolding social order to be a theory all the more. One no longer has any sense for what is taken from reality, because one has completely alienated oneself from reality. (GA 196)
If you wish to read a summary of his ideas (in an 81 page transcription of a short lecture series), I have a PDF you can download.
Instead of sharing what I know of his “threefolding” (which, admittedly I have yet to “deep dive” into studying meditatively), in this post I would like to take an umbrella look at what we can fathom is the result (perhaps) of not bothering to ponder his suggestions. Few world leaders of his time considered what he had to offer, and ultimately his ideas were turned away with nary a hint of consideration. After all, were the supposed “victors” of the war they inevitably fostered into being going to let a “German” (Steiner was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austria – now in Croatia) determine the course of the planet’s future?
Since the 1920’s the world has not only been involved in a second world war, but has not seen a period of time without war since. Time and again, over and over, like Sisyphus and his relentless attempts to roll the stone over the crest of the mountain, we have been told “this plan, no this plan, oh wait, now we have the plan” that would forever save humanity. “Democracy” – whether it be a viable solution for the organizing and running of a society – has become the straw continuously cast upon the mountain of our problems and struggles that must be defended at all cost – even human lives, human dignity, mother earth, and everything moral and decent in between. “Making the world safe for democracy” has become the excuse for ever-heightening abuse of all that is “good” in the world.
Fear. This is the reason for the ongoing season of destruction. Every society on Earth was funneled into a cave of fear beginning in 2019 to the delight of all those who profit off of human suffering. Period. We, as a society ruled over by oligarchs have come to believe “On the walls of the cave, only the shadows are the truth.” Plato revealed how weak we are as beings, and why? Because we look to others to define our world when the world is ours – and ours alone – to create.
And, as fear has dictated, our very freedom – the ONE thing that makes us truly human. Not freedom from strife and hardship (Buddha taught rightly that life is pain, however that pain has a value toward real freedom) but rather the freedom to make our own, individual choices in life. But by and large we have thrashed, trashed and sold away that freedom for far less than Judas sold Christ to the priests. Where? How? Give an example…
One need not look far for examples:
Racial hatreds. Since when has skin color EVER been a real issue, or ever mattered in how one “race” treats another? Slavery does not know, much less care, about the color of a person’s skin. No. The racial tension in the world today is the result of allowing our oligarchic rulers to convince us that skin color indicate some sort of superiority of one race over another. How do we end this? STOP talking about it. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
Gender confusion. This one is so obvious it pains me to have to mention it. I’m going to start with a little emoting – WTF?? Since when did it become “normal” for a SINGLE person to CHOOSE to identify as anything other than what they ARE? Basically, who gives a rat’s patoot if some mentally challenged individual thinks they are a cat, or a dog, or whatever. It used to be we cared enough about such individuals that we sought to HELP them, not ENCOURAGE them / their illness. But so be it. “Samuel” wants to now be “Samantha”. (Forgive my crudeness, but the truth is often hard to face) Okay, cut off his penis and testicles, “tummy tuck” what’s left into some morbid semblance of a vagina, then pump him full of lab-made hormones and hopefully he will grow breasts (unless he is already so overweight he has a head start in that department – yay!). Oh, and btw, “Sam” is 14 years old and is doing this without the consent of his parents. Why?? How?? Because some f*cked up imbecile of (imagined and believed by the masses) “authority” says that is what little Sammy needs to “be all he/she can be.” But it does not stop there. Now – by LAW – we are all supposed to SUPPORT this insanity or risk whatever we have CHOSEN as our life.
Rampant nationalism. Is it only obvious to me that, much like (all) religion, a world of separate nation-states IS OVER? We depend on China for virtually all of our non-food goods (I challenge the reader to go into any non-food store and randomly pick up 100 items and show me more than 50% of those items NOT made in China). In the opposite direction of this polarity, China depends on us to purchase all this crap. This example is a lame one at best and the tip of a huge iceberg of inter-dependencies among nations. Simply put: We NEED EACHOTHER to survive in this “brave new world” of ours. So why to we keep pretending that the fighting e.g. Ukraine, China, Russia, ad nauseum is ever going to FIX anything? “They” tell us (in the government-run press) that this nation is evil, that one (heh, “u.s.”) is good. I “might” agree on that reasoned polarity regarding governments, however what about the PEOPLE of other countries?? There is an African proverb that comes to mind that perhaps we should heed: “When elephants war, it is the grass that suffers.”
Permanent pandemic. This one ruffles soooo many feathers. I don’t even want to dive down into this sh*thole. It’s one of the saddest “events” in human history i.e. the almost complete buy-in of the lies perpetrated by the pharmaceutical companies, backed and pimped by governments. Why to we buy these LIES? FEAR. Period. Ultimately, in the realm of this subject, it boils down to a fear of death. But when did it become the expectation – belief – that the function of government is to DEFEAT DEATH, let alone run every aspect of our lives? Death, though it is not what it is touted to be by the church AND science, was defeated two thousand years ago. What exactly was defeated at Golgotha remains to be learned by those of inquiring hearts and minds. Regardless of our collective ignorance of spiritual truths, why do we fear death? Sh*t happens. Death happens. Now, those old, wrinkled oligarchs may fear death, and perhaps rightly so – they have no spiritual life and believe that “this one life is it.” Well, folks, it ain’t. Browse this website.
I could go on, but frankly I’m exhausted. My breakfast is almost ready. So I want to leave you with this:
Please think for yourself. Please break yourself out of the prison of fear – of ALL things in life. Question all authority. Become your own authority, but not based on base, immoral desires and attitudes, but the authority of Love and compassion. Stop trying to be somebody the “world” recognizes and pursue self-knowledge. “Know Thyself” – THAT truth will truly set you free.
I have developed a self-rule for looking at absolutely EVERYTHING around me – even within myself. I believe NOTHING (even my own views and aspirations) without out first – and foremost – taking (at least) 3 steps back, or looking 3 steps behind, whatever is in my external or internal view. It is only in doing so you/I will ever come to see the truth of the world around us.
We need to get back to a real reality – not the one being fashioned for us by this oligarchical system or, GOD FORBID, some virtual reality created solely to entrap you and all the while make billions off of your relinquished freedom. Don’t buy what they’re selling and let’s put them out of business.
Godspeed.