(no subject)

[proximoception]

Back from a wedding at Key West.

A thought striking me as somehow relevant to both that and Iran: Empathy is demanding. Its two closely related main demands, (1) not hurting people and (2) attending to how they're like you (but not quite you), can be rather exhausting. I suspect religion, patriotism/racism/xenophobia, various arbitrary hierarchies and a lot of other nasty things appeal to those they appeal to primarily because they work as alternative directors of conduct. I'm not saying they don't also protect selfish interests, which they obviously tend to; perhaps this is just how they do it - rather than having to choose between selfish and selfless (that ridiculously uncomfortable, absolutely ubiquitous decision) you have this other option, this relief. An alternative to the tug of war of humanity and all-too-humanity. Permission to stop listening to either for a moment. A moment you probably take advantage of to act selfishly, sure, but which may be its own kind of satisfaction while it happens.

Comments

[awils1.livejournal.com]

To back up for a moment, most of the (Western, it would seem) support for the Iranian protests is stemming from the self-congratulation notion that ``oh, they want to be like us''.

(I'm not intended to tell you how it is, just how it seems to me, and therefore why I think it looks as it does.)

[proximoception.livejournal.com]

Back up? Wasn't aware that was a point I'd shot past. But I do think actual democracy, free speech, a free press, freedom from theocracy are as absolute as values get in this world, sure. How could I not? I wouldn't make the 'liberty or death' decision for anyone else, perhaps unlike some of the other Westerners you're observing, but find it moving when people approach it on their own.

My remarks were mostly about what the people in power could possibly be thinking, so many of whom were student revolutionaries once.

[wolodymyr.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. I had been thinking about philosophy-as-anaesthetic, basically to get my head around why Randians are Randians. Your observation is a good deal more subtle.

[proximoception.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a much less windy version of what I was trying to get at. Though Randians usually strike me as 'I had no one helping me, so why should I help you' types.