Levinas and multicultural society

Fate or fault

Hidde said that there are two kind of people: on the one hand the ones who believe that their lives are determined by fate, that most of what happens to them is due to factors which are beyond their control, that their lives are determined by a mixture of good luck and bad luck (or otherwise by the will of God, which means as well beyond our control). On the other hand there are the ones who believe that the way they live their lives is the result of their own choices and actions.

I thought about this, of in which category I belong myself, and how it works exactly. And then I thought of adding another dimension to it: time. You could say that I belong to the second category, even though I emphasize more often how fragile we are as humans towards fate. Still I believe in the power of my will, but I only apply this to the future, not to the past. Why? Because to apply such thoughts / feelings, feelings of guilt, to the past, would mean to allow embitterment / frustration to nestle inside of me. Thoughts like that could go like: “This is all my fault, it always goes like this, such a fool I am, I am good for nothing, it will only get worse, it is hopeless.” I think it is good to realize that many bad things happen to us which we can’t help at all. It is only human to make mistakes and we our goodness is fragile. We are such small and limited creatures, who are we to think that we can change the whole world and to blame ourselves only when things didn’t go as we planned it. I can be angry with myself, frustrated, feel guilty, feel hopeless, but what is the use of that? These feelings are bitter / sour, they poison me, they make it impossible for me to move, they make me indifferent, passionless, will-less, motionless. I have to protect myself against that, I should not allow such thoughts / feelings, otherwise I will become embittered and motionless.

So I do believe in the power of my choices and actions, but only for the future, and only in a positive way. By thinking for instance: “If I want things to improve, I have to do something about it right now.” Even if I feel that there is no hope, no perspective, I am still not powerless, because no matter how much bad luck, no matter how much suffering, oppression; my soul is free still. There is always something I can choose between, also if both options are bad / difficult. So let’s make a deliberate choice. I can always imagine a better world and I can always try to move in that direction.

And for me it is very important that I dare to look at myself in the mirror, completely, to open up totally, that I dare to face myself, and that I face all my problems, handicaps, obstacles, fears, regrets, mistakes, my pain. To go once more through these deep feelings and thoughts from the past, which are still bothering me (or which have harmed someone else, and which have not been put right yet), to be able to overcome them by facing them a second time and conquering them, learning how to deal with it.

What is needed for the past is to no longer deny what happened, to face it, to understand it, and to accept it. You cannot change the past anymore anyway, you can only learn something from it for the future. To face the crisis, to understand it, and to accept it, these steps are needed before forgiveness is possible, to oneself and from somebody else. These steps are needed before we can start a new life. These steps are needed to avoid the embitterment of regrets, guilt and denial, but to make a step forward, to shine with our light in the darkness and bring new light, new hope.

There is so much more than this. So much more than frustration about little things, a routine life, the unbearable lightness of everydayness, the emptiness, the little minds of the herd, the easiest way to go on, without thinking, full of lies and pretending, deaf for the passion of my heart, motionless, indifferent.
So much more than this, infinitely more. And the freedom of imagination is never-ending. If I want a new life I should start going there right now.
Where there is a will, there is a way.

I walked until I couldn’t walk anymore
To a place I’d never been
There was something stirring in the air
In front of me, I could see

More than this
So much more than this
There is something else there
When all that you had has all gone

More than this
I stand
Feeling so connected
And I’m all there
Right next to you

It started when I saw the ship go down
I saw them struggle in the sea
And suddenly the picture disappears
In front of me

Now we’re busy making all our busy plans
On foundations built to last
But nothing fades as fast as the future
And nothing clings like the past, until we can see

Then its alright
When with every day another bit falls away
But its still alright, alright, alright
And like words together, we can make some sense

Much more than this
Way beyond imagination
Much more than this
Beyond the stars
With my head so full
So full of fractured pictures

I’m alone
Feeling so connected
And I’m all there
Right next to you

# posted by Levinas and culture @ 11:58 AM