Listening to the Noise of the World

Far too many people listen to the noise of the world yet remain deaf to the ostinato of avarice and brutality in their own lives

A Time There Was…

There was a time when the world appeared quietly sane. Virtuous even. It did not endure. Barely noticed, the blindness, deafness, and dumbness of an impenetrable shadow drew ever closer. Nobody was looking beyond the present moment. Nobody raised the alarm.

Scriptures told us we were entitled to more. And so we desired more. The law assured us we were equal. The callous seizure of power contradicted such assurances. Politics held out hope that every voice would be heard and valued. Fraudulent practises and blatant self-interest dashed those hopes.

For some, our very existence has become a scaffold of insatiable avarice. For many others the greed, inequity, and corruption is just about unbearable.

Fed by a distracting cabaret of farce, faith and fiction we can try to opt out by switching off. The only other option is to continue, zombie-like, in a stunned state of submission — to the state, mega corporations, the media, and the incessant marketing of stuff we do not need. It is far easier to surrender to the collective madness crashing in on us — a virus felt but not yet seen. Yet still, inclined to put our faith in unsubstantiated opinions, supersitions, and fantasies, we cling to the illusion that we are sapiens. Wiser, by all accounts superior yet disdainful of others, we set ourselves above the laws of nature — a danse macabre of uncouth crassness.

Forensic scans of our ignorance reveal an improbable truth: we are imprisoned in a uniquely human drama driven by a mindset of scarcity. Unconstrained depravities, profound errors of governance, an escalating impulse to compete, undue vanity, and an almost psychopathic reaction to altruism of any kind, all conspire to create gridlock: we have become a society crushed by a cognitive barrier we cannot see, least of all comprehend or transcend.

This pathology gives legitimacy to an obsessive impulse for invention — yet all manner of reasons for rejecting reality. In our world, hedonistic amusement turns out to be a human right. As a consequence the privileged among us fantasize about settling distant planets while continuing to trash the Earth. We crave more growth, having already surpassed the bounds of what is safe and serviceable. We lust for blood in futile displays of force, with or without the consent of those we send into battle and those we slaughter. We venerate our “mother” nature while pursuing conventions that scar and despoil her beauty. And we cite wisdom as the true mark of leadership — although wisdom has entirely vanished from our moral code.

All that remains is to mourn for a time there might have been.

A Time To Come…

Is this all there is then? Cries from the tormented and the oppressed, echoing into a void of regret and nostalgia? Is this the summit of our imagination, the epitome of what it means to be human and sentient? Is there no more to life than the barren landscape of a fast approaching singularity — a world of voyuerism, instant gratification and vicarious thrills?

We surely cannot let it be so. The Earth is our treasure — we cannot continue polluting the air, water and soil we need for our survival. Our children, too, are a sacred gift. They want to inherit a world of joy and abundance but are concerned our destructive addictions will prevent that.

But how will we acquire and transmit wisdom, when we are so swift to reward ignorance and unfounded opinion? How can we replace hate with love in a world dominated by envy and fear? And how can we ever find peace, when those in power rage so readily?

By silencing the noise of the world we can overcome the auditory difficulties experienced by our civilisation. Indeed if we can discover a deeper silence we will hear the still, small voice quietly insisting that we can find new ways:

· We can start in our hearts — for that is the source of our being. A smile and a simple greeting to a passing stranger creates a connection previously absent. Communing with others generates an intimacy from which compassion and kinship spring. Contributing where there is need enables friendships to take root.

· We can fine-tune our minds — for that is the source of our behaviour. Alertness to all that is happening liberates intelligence. Listening to those with alternative views helps us reframe what matters. Discovering diverse cultures and novel practises empowers tolerance and aids appreciation.

· We can change our conversations — for these shape how we interpret the past, the present, and the possible. By being more inclusive we are able to entertain more options. Playing with alternative maps and models teaches us flexibility and adaptiveness. Weaving stories that are uncommon allows the unfamiliar to intrude upon our certainty and hubris.

· We can restructure our logics — for these allow renewal and reinvention to implant. Systems that no longer serve humanity can be redesigned with little effort. Problems we thought permanent are solved. Issues that dogged us before are transcended.

Listening to the noise of the world with all its commotion, while beguiling at times, can lead to detachment and despair. The best hope for humanity is that we recognise the futility of our current trajectory and find new ways of working together. Changing our habits and the manner in which we relate to each other and to the planet is the most precious gift we can bestow on the generations that will follow us.

And although our current beliefs view societal change as supremely challenging and costly — if not entirely impossible — it is actually uncomplicated and as simple as wanting it. We need only to include different viewpoints in our hearts and minds, craft different intentions in our narratives, and shape a new morality in the way we do things, to create the kind of futures we all desire.

This article was written for those who desire more hope for humanity than current dystopian views allow. It is dedicated with friendship and in appreciation to my friends and spiritual partners Tricia Lustig and Geraldene Callanan.