Seeing Into The Abyss
Man, however is the most courageous animal:
thereby he has overcome every animal.
With sound of triumph he has overcome every pain;
human pain, however, is the sorest pain.
Courage slays also vertigo at abysses;
and where does not man stand at abysses!
Is not seeing itself seeing abysses?
Courage is the best slayer;
courage slays also fellow-suffering.
Fellow-suffering, however, is the deepest abyss;
as deeply as man looks into life,
so deeply does he look into suffering.
Courage, however, is the best slayer,
courage which attacks;
it slays even death itself, for it says:
‘Was that life?Well! Once more!’
–excerpt, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
No. 46 The Vision and the Enigma by Friedrich Nietzsche
A fast paced meeting transpired last night at Taste of Paris Cafe. Six of us around a little table, some wine, soup, a bag of books and intense conversation. An hour and a half passed quickly, time compressed into an array of ideas. Whatever happened to occupy the mind of each who arrived, was shared for a response from table companions.
The Jussie Smollett fiasco was mentioned, how the Chicago PD and the mayor were blind-sided by the prosecuting attorney’s decision to give the celebrity a pass on multiple felony charges. It would seem exceedingly serious to dummy-up a complaint of a racially motivated attack, in order to hoover up “free” publicity. The media exposure is any thing but free when you consider the subsequent investigation costs to the tax payers.
The topic of fake news came up at our round table discussion. This incident was by definition an instance of fake news, an attempt to gin up publicity by a faux incident. The observation was made that those of us around the table “took the bait” since we had spent time and intellect discussing the fiasco.
Is not “fake news” an incidence of violence? It seems so to me. Violent in that a shell of truth, is presented, gutted of any substance. I also observe that our President makes this move on a daily basis. The mental and emotional ethos of society is roiled by one after another, of ginned up crisis.
Courage is called for.
