I am a firm believer in attachment, connection, and conversational relationship.
If there was a film that most closely matched my ethos, it would probably be Mel Gibson’s Man Without A Face.
I believe Mel’s art to be unmatched and unparalleled for his generation. The only cinematic artist I can think of off the top of my head who rivaled his greatness would be Marlon Brando when he was young and gave a spit. The same happened for Springsteen: the early exuberance was ground out of these men by legal troubles and leftism.
It is remarkable to see Mel Gibson keep the flame into old age. He continues to stand apart.
I have seen firsthand, thousands of times now due to my nearly 12 years’ work as a consultant, how a conversation can change a person’s trajectory. Man Without A Face is a film about those themes of attachment, connection, conversational relationship, and discovery.
I am a firm believer in the power of conversation.
Beneath conversation is a massive subtext. Subtext is the space between words. “Can I trust you? Will you fail me? I have been wronged, will you care? Will you take my side? Can I count on you? Do you believe in my dreams? Have I been good? Help me undo my wrongs.”
The yearning to be real and to matter is in every person who attempts to engage in rational conversation. This is the Western tradition, dating back to Socrates. This is my practice and I keep the flame.
There is a dangerous, revolutionary transvaluation of values taking place in the West wherein some of the philosophical tradition is being cast aside. The old values of enterprise, romantic love, and sincerity are being deconstructed in favor of domination, contempt, and silence.
I do not believe in the new value set. Nor am I a full adherent of the old.
Society needs a new way. I have espoused that new way: peaceful parenting, Bitcoin, and self-knowledge. My particular expertise is in the third though as a parent, I am in a constant learning process on the first.
The propaganda that is flying around in this uncivil society strains our ability to converse at length and get to the heart of the matter. Insults, slogans, envy, and rage threaten keep millions of people from the attachment, connection, and philosophy they so desperately need in order to have peace in this life. Programmed into people is an aversion to connection. We are being driven toward isolation by the loudest voices with the biggest platforms.
Like McLeod (from the film version, not the book version) I toil away in semi-obscurity. I know the way home. I hope to see more and more people figure it out.
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