Naive idealism: The domain of idealogues, eg socialists.
Cynical realism: This describes those who eg believe there is a climate crisis. There isn’t of course.
Conservatives tend to inhabit the middle ground. They witness the appalling effects of uncontrolled migration of incompatibles, & know it can, & is, destroying western cultures. But such migrants can be returned to their country of origin, solving the problem.
That has been my experience. Although I have known a few conservatives who embrace doom and gloom. Perhaps sensible people gravitate toward the centre and recognize the negatives but also the solutions to it as you suggest. And I agree, the incompatible hordes can be sent back. In the right conditions they will even self deport.
This is where our pre-Christian ur-kultur and true heritage comes in:
We are Doomed, and that is why we fight.
Oden /knows/ - for certain, no avoiding it, no excuses, no nothing - that Ragnarök /will/ come, and that is why he fights against it. Tor fights Jormungandr and dies, and wins. Fenrir devours Oden, but Vidar stomps on the Wolf's lower jaw and breaks its neck and impales its heart.
Death and loss, life and victory, turning and turning like the Wheel of the Sun, our ancestors' oldest symbol for strength, victory and good.
Or Cú Chulainn (I was taught to spell it Cuchulain but apparently that's no longer correct?), who fights to his death tied to a standing stone so he will die on his feet while still standing.
Hektor, Akilles, or Aeneas escaping the ashes of Troy to go on to found Rome. Ilya Muromets, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Enkidu and Gilgamesh, and so many others:
Doomed to Fate, yet fighting every step of the way and by fighting achieving victory no matter if they live or die.
The kenning of this is, that Doom does not mean "hopeless" or "the end"; Doom means that you have a Fate, that you are indeed Fated from birth and that the measure of your mettle is decided by how you hold yourself while shouldering this.
After all, the cost of life is pain.
---
PS: What about a cynical idealist, or a naive realist? A cynic sees things as they are, so what happens if the cynic also holds an ideal to strive towards? Someone who is naive has the optimism and fantastical creativity of a child, and so what can come out of that someone also being a realist anchoring that naivite to reality?
And you make a good point. Fight anyway even if personally doomed as we all are. Although today’s degraded man seeks comfort and pleasure and views their absence as intolerable.
In English I would suggest a cynic is not seen as a realist but as unnecessarily negative. Perhaps inappropriately so.
There are other combinations as you suggest. The real power according to Von Franz is combining realistic assessment with energy and drive. I assume this to mean something like a hard realist with a creative plan to overcome his problems.
Love this article, it reminded of the quote, “We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” – Ayn Rand.
Also how we tell ourselves stories, or get captured and captivated by collective stories,
Just as we can fall for propaganda from an external authority we can fall for it from our own mind. By naming the story, we allow it to exist, but we do not give it a monopoly on our attention. We recognize the storyteller is speaking from a biased position, and we maintain our scepticism. This is the hallmark of the unhooked individual: the ability to hear internal and external (collective) propaganda without being governed by it.
I love Von Franz's work, she was a student of Jung and her writing supports and augments a lot of his own. Thanks for sharing this reflection, I think a lot of us needed the reminder.
I was less familiar with Von Franz than Jung. But she makes a good point here. It is easy to sit at the extremes. The center is boring in a way. A kind of realistic optimism seems best.
Extremes feed the ego, whereas the middle fuels the Self. By nature, if one is to be expressed, the other has to diminish. Of course the goal is for our authentic Self to be present as often as possible and for us to be in alignment, but the ego gets in the way and the ego (also by defninition) is just easier to live in, and act out of.
The tension is real, which is why it's important to be aware of the dynamics, lest we succumb to that which is easier, albeit more repressive and limiting.
This is to say nothing of the neurological importance of emotion and its role in being either hopelessly depressed or helplessly naive. Being in balance is neither thrilling nor embittering.
I appreciate this essay. I have a son who will sometimes spiral in a doom loop. It pains me because while he expresses valid concerns, his focus upon them obscures the other side of the coin.
I think it is a discipline we must cultivate. This is made more difficult by today's algorithmic focus. You get ever more of what you click on. Fully stepping away seems to be the key to breaking the addiction. But it isn't easy.
One intervention is to remind him nothing is known about the future. Trends mean very little at times. Plus necessity is the mother of invention. Hardship can drive us forward.
Yep. That aligns with my experience, and things I've told him. "You can lead a horse to water...." I think many tend to believe their moods and attitudes are a matter of which side of the bed they get up. I've found if my attitude isn't serving me, I can (with conscious effort), choose a different, helpful outlook, and then get busy.
I've enjoyed your writing for a while, it's nice to communicate directly now.
Naive idealism: The domain of idealogues, eg socialists.
Cynical realism: This describes those who eg believe there is a climate crisis. There isn’t of course.
Conservatives tend to inhabit the middle ground. They witness the appalling effects of uncontrolled migration of incompatibles, & know it can, & is, destroying western cultures. But such migrants can be returned to their country of origin, solving the problem.
The extremes are generally inhabited by leftists.
That has been my experience. Although I have known a few conservatives who embrace doom and gloom. Perhaps sensible people gravitate toward the centre and recognize the negatives but also the solutions to it as you suggest. And I agree, the incompatible hordes can be sent back. In the right conditions they will even self deport.
This is where our pre-Christian ur-kultur and true heritage comes in:
We are Doomed, and that is why we fight.
Oden /knows/ - for certain, no avoiding it, no excuses, no nothing - that Ragnarök /will/ come, and that is why he fights against it. Tor fights Jormungandr and dies, and wins. Fenrir devours Oden, but Vidar stomps on the Wolf's lower jaw and breaks its neck and impales its heart.
Death and loss, life and victory, turning and turning like the Wheel of the Sun, our ancestors' oldest symbol for strength, victory and good.
Or Cú Chulainn (I was taught to spell it Cuchulain but apparently that's no longer correct?), who fights to his death tied to a standing stone so he will die on his feet while still standing.
Hektor, Akilles, or Aeneas escaping the ashes of Troy to go on to found Rome. Ilya Muromets, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Enkidu and Gilgamesh, and so many others:
Doomed to Fate, yet fighting every step of the way and by fighting achieving victory no matter if they live or die.
The kenning of this is, that Doom does not mean "hopeless" or "the end"; Doom means that you have a Fate, that you are indeed Fated from birth and that the measure of your mettle is decided by how you hold yourself while shouldering this.
After all, the cost of life is pain.
---
PS: What about a cynical idealist, or a naive realist? A cynic sees things as they are, so what happens if the cynic also holds an ideal to strive towards? Someone who is naive has the optimism and fantastical creativity of a child, and so what can come out of that someone also being a realist anchoring that naivite to reality?
Or Sisyphus. What made him go on?
And you make a good point. Fight anyway even if personally doomed as we all are. Although today’s degraded man seeks comfort and pleasure and views their absence as intolerable.
In English I would suggest a cynic is not seen as a realist but as unnecessarily negative. Perhaps inappropriately so.
There are other combinations as you suggest. The real power according to Von Franz is combining realistic assessment with energy and drive. I assume this to mean something like a hard realist with a creative plan to overcome his problems.
Love this article, it reminded of the quote, “We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” – Ayn Rand.
Also how we tell ourselves stories, or get captured and captivated by collective stories,
Just as we can fall for propaganda from an external authority we can fall for it from our own mind. By naming the story, we allow it to exist, but we do not give it a monopoly on our attention. We recognize the storyteller is speaking from a biased position, and we maintain our scepticism. This is the hallmark of the unhooked individual: the ability to hear internal and external (collective) propaganda without being governed by it.
Yes I agree. Many lack the self awareness to understand they are being manipulated. I think that basic awareness alone helps us begin to escape.
From there it is worth viewing all of it in a skeptical way. Currently we are being destroyed by utopian visions that cannot work.
I love Von Franz's work, she was a student of Jung and her writing supports and augments a lot of his own. Thanks for sharing this reflection, I think a lot of us needed the reminder.
I was less familiar with Von Franz than Jung. But she makes a good point here. It is easy to sit at the extremes. The center is boring in a way. A kind of realistic optimism seems best.
Extremes feed the ego, whereas the middle fuels the Self. By nature, if one is to be expressed, the other has to diminish. Of course the goal is for our authentic Self to be present as often as possible and for us to be in alignment, but the ego gets in the way and the ego (also by defninition) is just easier to live in, and act out of.
The tension is real, which is why it's important to be aware of the dynamics, lest we succumb to that which is easier, albeit more repressive and limiting.
This is to say nothing of the neurological importance of emotion and its role in being either hopelessly depressed or helplessly naive. Being in balance is neither thrilling nor embittering.
Yes, good points. Here is for realism and common sense too.
"The Sun Also Rises"
If we seek to apprehend truth and reality rather than easy narrative, we must acknowledge the bad AND the good.
Agreed. Total realism upon which to build your future.
I appreciate this essay. I have a son who will sometimes spiral in a doom loop. It pains me because while he expresses valid concerns, his focus upon them obscures the other side of the coin.
I think it is a discipline we must cultivate. This is made more difficult by today's algorithmic focus. You get ever more of what you click on. Fully stepping away seems to be the key to breaking the addiction. But it isn't easy.
One intervention is to remind him nothing is known about the future. Trends mean very little at times. Plus necessity is the mother of invention. Hardship can drive us forward.
Yep. That aligns with my experience, and things I've told him. "You can lead a horse to water...." I think many tend to believe their moods and attitudes are a matter of which side of the bed they get up. I've found if my attitude isn't serving me, I can (with conscious effort), choose a different, helpful outlook, and then get busy.
I've enjoyed your writing for a while, it's nice to communicate directly now.
Well I appreciate you reading it. Glad you approve.
I have the disillusionment part locked. The inner flame part is taking a little work...
A good start. Realism first, then a creative response to problems. That is the only way.