Time spent today with a friend I’ve had for six decades, who now faces a life of diagnosed dementia, has caused me to ponder our current political predicament. I know much has been said, often in tones of incredulity, about the “other guys” apparent cognitive slips but, unless you’ve seen the dementia monster up close it’s not possible t…
Time spent today with a friend I’ve had for six decades, who now faces a life of diagnosed dementia, has caused me to ponder our current political predicament. I know much has been said, often in tones of incredulity, about the “other guys” apparent cognitive slips but, unless you’ve seen the dementia monster up close it’s not possible to understand the true gravity of the diagnosed persons destructive behavior. They have no awareness of their malfunction therefore also have none of the familiar reactions of shame, guilt, or responsibility. They literally do not know who, why or where they are in time and space.
The “other guy” is displaying every symptom of early dementia that, not my education or expertise informs me, but years of coping with loved ones who are or have lost touch with what passes for reality for most of us.
I apologize for rambling. It’s occurred to me, this may also explain the unexplainable 51% of the country who voted against their own best interests. We may have reached a tipping point into drug induced irrationality. The total lack of courtesy on our highways, the near suicidal behavior of a large percentage of the drivers, causes me to wonder and become concerned for sanity overruling, well, insanity.
I’m not inclined to doomsday thinking, but five decades of slowly boiling the frog has allowed us as a society to normalize chemical dependency until we call it “recreational.” I’m not calling out for a pendulum swing, I’m attempting to raise awareness of how we might be being led by an increasing number of leaders who themselves have deprived themselves of common sense.
Ick! I’m still not saying what I’m thinking! No matter who makes a pronouncement about anything, political, religious, social, or whatever, apply a simple test to the noise. DIMS. Does it make sense. Then behave, vote, particularly VOTE, or choose appropriately, because your own common sense will not be able to resolve the non sense. Trust your instincts and I hope more than half our population still possess the ability to do so. Never underestimate the power of ignorance, either real or induced. Ignorance is probably the wrong word there. Stupid is more accurate if the following is true. “The difference between stupid and ignorant? Ignorant is what one is when you don’t know better, when you do know, and do it anyway, that’s stupid.
Time spent today with a friend I’ve had for six decades, who now faces a life of diagnosed dementia, has caused me to ponder our current political predicament. I know much has been said, often in tones of incredulity, about the “other guys” apparent cognitive slips but, unless you’ve seen the dementia monster up close it’s not possible to understand the true gravity of the diagnosed persons destructive behavior. They have no awareness of their malfunction therefore also have none of the familiar reactions of shame, guilt, or responsibility. They literally do not know who, why or where they are in time and space.
The “other guy” is displaying every symptom of early dementia that, not my education or expertise informs me, but years of coping with loved ones who are or have lost touch with what passes for reality for most of us.
I apologize for rambling. It’s occurred to me, this may also explain the unexplainable 51% of the country who voted against their own best interests. We may have reached a tipping point into drug induced irrationality. The total lack of courtesy on our highways, the near suicidal behavior of a large percentage of the drivers, causes me to wonder and become concerned for sanity overruling, well, insanity.
I’m not inclined to doomsday thinking, but five decades of slowly boiling the frog has allowed us as a society to normalize chemical dependency until we call it “recreational.” I’m not calling out for a pendulum swing, I’m attempting to raise awareness of how we might be being led by an increasing number of leaders who themselves have deprived themselves of common sense.
Ick! I’m still not saying what I’m thinking! No matter who makes a pronouncement about anything, political, religious, social, or whatever, apply a simple test to the noise. DIMS. Does it make sense. Then behave, vote, particularly VOTE, or choose appropriately, because your own common sense will not be able to resolve the non sense. Trust your instincts and I hope more than half our population still possess the ability to do so. Never underestimate the power of ignorance, either real or induced. Ignorance is probably the wrong word there. Stupid is more accurate if the following is true. “The difference between stupid and ignorant? Ignorant is what one is when you don’t know better, when you do know, and do it anyway, that’s stupid.