As esoteric as this might sound, a significant piece of human flourishing is the ability to discover and put into being one’s purpose. And this part of the human experience — this thing that is so essential to who we are — is, today, very much obscured by expansive, all encompassing nature of government.
Said differently, in order to discover your reason for being, the human capacity for ingenuity, problem-solving, and survival must be accessed. A wise man or woman figures this out, discovering and then making full use of his or her God-given talents, whatever they may be.
This is often not an easy journey; one must have the presence of mind to defeat their own shadows — for example: worry, unworthiness, doubt, anger, anxiety, ennui — in order to reach the zenith of purpose and a life of fulfillment. The person that does this is, invariably, strong and unflappable. Moreover, a story of odds-defeating resilience lasts forever, serving as inspiration for the next generation and the next and the next.
This is where human ambition fuels the craftsmen of the future, putting into motion the ideas and dreams and visions of a future heretofore inconceivable.
Yet it is easy to trade wisdom for cleverness, and this is where the ordered society of government manifests. Instead of learning from the hardships of life — or developing the strong bonds of friends, family, or community — one can go to government and ask (or demand) politicians to solve problems, which then breaks down the population into the least common denominator.
Say you lack for food or housing or clothing. Enter politics, and in doing so meeting one’s needs is no longer about the capacity to be ingenious or resolute or form connections or bonds that might lift you up. Rather, life becomes a function of voting for the people who will give you what you want or need. and voting against those who refuse to do so.
Humanity no longer sees fit to become more than it is, growing, developing. Instead, the vast majority of men and women operate in the docility, safety, and comfort of politician-generated conveniences. This necessarily comes with meaningless and entirely forgettable existences. This is where we are now.
Those who understand others are clever,
Those who understand themselves are wise.
Those who defeat others are strong,
Those who defeat themselves are mighty.Those who know when they have enough are rich.
Those who are unswerving have resolve.
Those who stay where they are will endure.
Those who die without being forgotten get longevity.Chapter 33, Tao Te Ching, translation by Stefan Stenudd