The Worst Mistake
Among the worst mistakes a prisoner could make
was to watch (to notice) another prisoner’s mistreatment.
There the SS seemed totally irrational, but only seemed so.
For example, if a SS man was killing off a prisoner
and other prisoners dared to look at what was going on
in front of their eyes he would instantly go after them, too.
But only seconds later the same SS would call
the same prisoner’s attention to what lay in store for anyone
who dared disobey, drawing their attention to the killing
as a warning example. There was no contradiction,
it was simply an impressive lesson that said:
you may notice only what we wish you to notice,
but you invite death if you notice things on your own volition.
The issue was again the same,
the prisoner was not to have
a will of his own.
–excerpt, The Informed Heart by Bruno Bettleheim
So, what has changed? Nothing it seems to me. Take care what you pay attention to! Your life depends upon that. Attention is the lynch pin of being. In a hyper connected environment, offering an infinity of possibilities vying for your attention, – what is attended to inexorably shapes the person which is becoming.
Want to be a violent, ass-hole, mother fucker? Such a community abides on social media, opines on Murdoch’s Fox, models this ethos and behavior on Youtube channels. Go ahead, select from that buffet, that bitter menu.
Do you wish to become more kind, to engage problems with a measured mindset, waiting for appropriate solutions to clarify? That too is modeled by TED talk speakers, demonstrated by a variety of Youtube videos…
Make no mistake, you and I are shaped by a will of our own, or by what someone else wills for us according to their profit and benefit.
