what do we do with Action

through the last four essays, i have outlined and built a societal framework off of the writings of hannah arendt through the lens of Labor, Work and Action.

in the first, i give a philosophical overview that's more pedantic than enjoyable to read. it was necessary foundational work that sets the stage for what was to come.

the second essay calls into question that which we refer to as "Labor" and, in essence, questions that which we spend our entire lives focused on. from the early days of humanity, where Labor took only a handful of hours a day, to late stage capitalism, where it encompasses our very existence, Labor as an entity in the human experience has the opportunity to take a next step in a way to decrease the depression + anxiety coursing through this generation's veins.

my third essay in the series introduced what we might do with a modern/futuristic understanding of "Work" and how each of us might one day have access to the means of turning muses into creations that serve our communities, without a layer between the economic resources/outcomes of said Work.

the closer to this series covers the idea of "Action" and how it differs from "politics." the involvement of a community in deciding on and pivoting towards the direction it deems best, is the the autonomy that should be a natural right. hierarchies have disallowed this, which led to the final essay of the series including the most societally altering recommendations.

while there are societal steps that can/must be taken, as outlined, there are moves that need to be taken right now to allow any of this shit to happen. we as a community need to step up our conversation game.

conversation time

the limitations on what we talk about and how deep we are able to go will forever serve as blinders on our progression as a society until we learn how to step outside of this comfort zone and take a literal leap into unknown territories. the conversation topics could be as timely as covid or as omnipresent as democracy.

with democracy // the furthest we've been able to get in our communal conversations is that maybe there shouldn't be electoral politics and that each vote should count equally in a presidential election. THAT'S AS FAR AS WE CAN FUCKING GO !?

what if there were new ways of formulating elections so that not only did the winner have the most support, but also the least denigrators. james madison feared a dictatorship by the majority, or mobocracy, and so he created a dictatorship by the minority. we can call this into question by creating a modern democracy that refutes the mainstay of stalemate politics of the 20th and early 21st century which relied on dichotomous next step options. the term i shall coin for it is Podium Preference (also known as partial preference but i think that name is dumb, sorry y'all). should there be 5 options, be it a vote for senate or legislation, then administering three votes in order would allow the community to work together in choosing next steps forward. the conversation moves from extremist + fringe, where a political party/faction elects the candidate least likely to 'cave' to the opposing party, to considering multiple viewpoints and weighing the potential outcomes of each.

in the same way this could work politically, let us also allow it to work in our own minds.

we can contain multiples as humans. it is one of the facts that separates us from mere homo sapiens. there is nuance and there is gray area. those who are "pro second amendment" and those who want to buy back all guns are both looking for a safer society. those who get vaccines and those who don't are both not wanting to get sick/die.

someone currently holding a different stance from you isn't inherently your antithesis. y'all just haven't explored the gray area yet.

cheers to Action and to the gray area. this website and the essays that will be written for it live to serve this gray area, where multiple aspects are able to be considered as we venture and pivot towards that which is most beautiful and might best allow for human flourishing.