arnold siegel and literature

Locating Yourself in the Scheme of Things

We become receptive to the wisdom illumined by knowledge of history and literature.

Arnold Siegel Health & Wellness

arnold siegel and literature
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When it comes to the drift of commercial media or the leanings of social networks, neither a broad appreciation of the arts and sciences nor an extensive knowledge of philosophy, literature and history seem to be “on trend.”

Yet, the demands of nature itself as well as the demanding conditions and circumstances of life in America have propelled many of us toward a discipline that addresses the mental operations and the acts of the performative art of autonomy and life, publicly and privately.

And it is here in our active embrace of this discipline that we become receptive to the wisdom—including the insightful cautionary tales—illumined by knowledge of history and literature.

And it is here that we also learn to manage our role in the big picture without catering to the relentless neediness of an oversized and brittle ego.

Yes, according to scientific literature, the jury is still out on whether or not civilized or moral ideals such as integrity, responsibility and the care and concern for others actually have a biological basis. Nonetheless, ever since 1776 when our bondage to the English monarchy had been severed by war and our freedom declared, we Americans have been engaged in a unique social experiment.

We are asked to forward, and correct and amend where necessary, the thousands-of-years-in-the-making civilized discourse. We are forging a nation (a people) and a state (to help with governance) that is dependent on self-motivating and self-regulating autonomous individuals.

We, here, find this experiment challenging and filled with stumbling blocks. The claims for what is meaningful and valuable about our traditions are always arguable, and we are expected to marshal our energy to get back in the ring of contention again and again. 

On the other hand, we now recognize, and experience, that an authentic commitment to its purpose is our means to fulfillment, satisfaction, equanimity, to a sense that our lives matter, indeed, that civilization matters and that we are its custodians.

So, how does this discipline work, philosophically and practically? An emotional, intellectual and ethical engagement with this social experiment with autonomy gives us not only our bearings, our stand for social justice and tolerance, but also a keen understanding of the biological and social forces that would compromise our commitments, our oversight and our resolve.

And critically, along with the ability to “size” the overarching systemics of the collective experiment in which we find ourselves, we deliberately and incrementally build new neural networks that yield a primed and prepared responsiveness, a new resourcefulness.

This on-the-balls-of-our-feet confident readiness (game on!) enables us to metabolize our own natural or ego-driven fears and anxieties and to match in effectiveness (when appropriate or sensible) the counterproductive challenges made by individual others or “the system” that works far from equally. 

Certainly each historic small step toward a viable expression of interdependent decency and fairness has come at a price—if not bloodshed then rampant contentiousness, and certainly what we can control individually (and not perfectly) is only ourselves. Yet, isn’t it true that we also pay a price for a “little” life, a life whose sole focus is its own small dramas?

When we are able to locate ourselves in the scheme of things and to identify ourselves with the intra-communicative process of recognizing and overseeing our immediate integration into the demanding world, the experiment is rewarding, even ennobling.

Arnold Siegel is the founder of Autonomy and Life and the leader of its Retreat Workshops and Advanced Classes. Visit autonomyandlife.com for more information.