Horseshit and the Human Condition

Why do snake-oil salesmen and con men succeed?

Because human beings have a great appetite for horseshit.

Horseshit is a term that I learned from my grandfather, who was one of the world’s great artists of profanity. My grandfather taught me a lot of interesting things, for example, that H. was Jesus’s middle name. Like other men of his generation, grandpa distinguished horseshit from ordinary bullshit.

Kurt Vonnegut said that we prefer useful and comforting horseshit. Hemingway defined horseshit as abstract, metaphysical nonsense. Jack Kerouac warned that the world was trying to drown us in horseshit.

The philosopher Harry Frankfurt described bullshit as speech divorced from truth. Horseshit is like bullshit. But while bullshit entertains, horseshit seduces.

A story about the fish that got away is bullshit. A conspiracy theory is horseshit.

Horseshit tantalizes. It promises false nourishment. It’s dangerous because it’s trying to sell you something.

I used to hike with my dogs on a horse trail. They couldn’t resist the stench of fresh manure. They would gobble it up by the mouthful. And then they would vomit.

Human beings are similar. We swarm to warm piles of nonsense and gorge on garbage. We humans are not typically interested in truth. We prefer ideas that flatter and gratify. We want to be titillated and entertained. Truth is boring. We prefer strong and spicy narratives.

Malicious agents know how to manipulate this. They spread horseshit. And we buy it.

As my grandfather used to say, there are more horse’s asses than horses.

All of this helps explain the ordure oozing out of the White House. Courts and election officials have repeatedly confirmed the validity of the 2020 election. But Presidential power burnishes bullshit with the sheen of authority. Prominent Republicans refuse to point out that the emperor’s new clothes are stained with runny hair dye.

My grandfather would have asked a simple question about all of this. Which is more likely—that there is a vast secret conspiracy to steal an election in “the U.S. of A.” (I can hear him adding “for chrissake”…) or that Trump is spreading horseshit?

Horseshit is not unique to the Trump Era. In 2004, Ralph Keyes published a book called “The Post-Truth Era.” Keyes pointed out that George W. Bush lied and manipulated the truth about the Iraq war. But before Bush, Clinton lied, as did Nixon. And so on—back to Caesar and Pericles.

In a recent op-ed, Nicholas Goldberg reminds us that lying is part of the arsenal of authoritarianism. He cites George Orwell and Hannah Arendt to make his point. But horseshit is as old as Plato.

Plato did not like the bullshit stories of Greek religion. He thought those myths taught the wrong lessons to the gullible masses. Plato suggested that the philosopher-king should create new myths to manipulate the masses into buying his utopian scheme. Thus Plato suggested replacing ordinary bullshit with tyrannical horseshit.

Bullshit and horseshit have existed since human beings began talking. Hunter-gatherers told bullshit stories around the campfire. That is how art and religion were born. Bullshit became horseshit when the shamans began profiting off those stories.

Horseshit is meant to manipulate. The bullshit artist is a lightweight in comparison to the horseshit hawker. The bullshit artist is a good-natured raconteur. But the horseshit vendor takes advantage. Bullshit is playful and light. But horseshit is denser and tastier. It often even seduces those who sell it into believing that the manure they are spreading is true.

At some point reality bites back. But often it is too late. When your dog gorges on manure, he’ll eventually vomit. But it is better to avoid the binge and the purge.

The cure for all of this is fresh air and a good shovel.

To see beyond the horseshit, Kerouac climbed a mountain. There is wisdom in taking a moment to rise above the stench.

But you don’t need a mountain top to climb above the horseshit. You only need self-control and a skeptical spirit, critical thinking and the scientific method. Political checks and balances also help.

Stay focused on what is true. Attune your nose to reality. Feed your soul on nourishing ideas. And don’t let anyone sell you a load of manure.

October 3, 2020October 3, 2020

Don’t be a Donald!

Fresno Bee, October 4, 20202

The president is obnoxious. And our democracy is in disarray. The debate this week demonstrated that Trump is a boor. But this is not news. For nearly five years, I have been writing about Trump’s incivility.

So what have we learned during these years? Well, I hope that by observing Trump we learn how not to behave. The president’s behavior can be used to teach lessons in critical thinking and character. I imagine posters that say, “Don’t be a Donald!”

This is a time-honored method of moral instruction. Cato, a Roman soldier and senator, said, “wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men.” Moral development is stimulated by scrutinizing bad behavior.

The lessons are simple. Don’t badger other people. Keep your mouth shut and allow others to speak. Ad hominem arguments are empty and irrelevant. Blustery bullying is mean. Lies, deflections, and hyperbole indicate a mind without clarity or depth.

These are ancient lessons. The Bible warns against false and foolish speech. It praises wisdom and righteous words, as well as kindness, patience, and golden silence. It is better, we learn, to remain quiet than to blow like the wind. The Bible points out the moral failure of selfish and incompetent leaders.

The ancient Greeks offered similar lessons. The Greek tragedies are object lessons in failures of character. The Greeks teach us to avoid hasty and loud speech, to cherish wisdom, and to persuade rather than overpower. They teach us not to mock another’s misfortune, to be merciful in our strength, and to seek tranquility through self-mastery and introspection. One of the seven sages of ancient Greece, Chilon, put it simply, “Let not your tongue outrun your thought. Control anger. Let no one see you in a hurry. Obey the laws. Be restful.”

These lessons are taught by observing bad rulers. Ahab and Oedipus were corrupt kings. They ignored moral restraint. Moral education uses ancient tragedy to teach us how not to behave.

But there is another side to the story. Even though the corrupt kings of the ancient world eventually fell, they still enjoyed the privilege of power. Here is a problem for parents and teachers today. The Trump method rejects restraint. But so far, this bad behavior has worked. If you act like Trump, you could become a billionaire and win the presidency.

Imagine if this lesson took root. Would teachers, coaches, and parents be interrupted and belittled by Trumpian children? Would a petulant child respond to a teacher’s admonishments by saying, “I’m just doing a Donald.” It’s possible to imagine bracelets and T-shirts emblazoned with “What Would Trump Do?” In a WWTD world, the bully rules the playground.

These comments about character and style have nothing to do with policy. Some people support Trump because he appoints conservative judges or because he cuts taxes. Reasonable people can disagree about policy. But the triumph of the Trumpian character is a menace to morality.

The ancient Greeks understood that obnoxious boors win elections by inflaming the passions of the people. That’s why Plato thought that democracy was a terrible idea. In the United States we think differently. Our democracy emerged out of the Enlightenment. The American experiment was a product of “the age of reason,” when public debate was supposed to be based on rational arguments and guided by norms of civility.

Safeguards are built into the system to limit the power of demagogues. The system of checks and balances does not, by the way, require debates, rallies, or tweeting. Maybe it’s time to return to a leaner version of democracy — one which does not give a platform to rude and obnoxious behavior.

One way to teach our children not to be like Trump is to stop watching him. This is generally good advice for dealing with rude and obnoxious colleagues and relatives. Leave the room and shut the door. Unfortunately, this isn’t so easy when the boor is the president.

So until Trump is finally shown the door, let’s use his bad behavior to teach our children how not to behave. Let’s teach them that rudeness is wrong. And even though Trump is currently king, it is wise to say, “Don’t be a Donald.”

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020

The Adventure of Virtual Education

The transition to virtual education is a new adventure for students, parents, and teachers. Adventures are difficult and risky. But that’s their allure. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be inspiring. Adventures also involve uncertainty. This calls for curiosity and creativity.

On the first day of class I asked my students in Zoom how they were feeling. Some reported anxiety. But a couple said it might be fun to learn this way. Let’s build on student’s youthful energy and squeeze something zesty out of our anxiety.

One teacher explained to me that she feels like an explorer in virtual space. There are new tools to master. Old ideas must be reorganized and re-evaluated. What was once taken for granted is now up for grabs.

Conservative souls will always resist change. But nimble spirits enjoy the unprecedented and unimagined. Dynamic minds are ready to adapt. We find joy in riding the waves of change. This is the genius of the artist, entrepreneur, and explorer.

Education is dynamism. It is an art of transformation that cultivates change and nourishes development. Random change is not good. It must be guided. Some truths remain perennial. But evergreen truth is not a fence or a prison. Redwoods thrive because they bend in the storm. New growth adapts to new soil.

Boredom and complacency are deadly diseases. They ruin businesses, marriages, and classrooms. Repetition dulls the senses. Bored teachers are, well… boring.

Most teachers enjoy new challenges. We are thrilled by each year’s fresh crop of students. Even though we’ve walked these trails before, new students help us see old terrain with fresh eyes. Each step takes us somewhere else.

The idea of education as adventure is an old one. Plato described education as a journey. It leads us out of darkness and toward the light. To learn is to wander beyond the familiar. It takes patience and tenacity to explore, invent, and discover. It takes courage to leave old habits behind and blaze new trails.

Alfred North Whitehead celebrated education as adventure. In his book, The Aims of Education, he insisted that educators embrace the fresh and the new. He said, “knowledge does not keep any better than fish.” He described education as an act of the contagious imagination. The metaphor of passing a torch shows how this works. Civilization depends upon the torch passers who spread the light. We also need better torches and new ways to enlighten.

This process occurs in the service of life. Whitehead said, “Education is discipline for the adventure of life.” We might simply say, education is adventure and life. He describes the history of the world as an adventure motivated by “zest.” Zest can mean both energy and flavor. A life without zest is dull and tasteless.

Each human culture is a unique adventure of the human spirit. Art, science, and religion are so many different ways of making meaning and finding flavor. Whitehead warned that when a civilization loses its taste for adventure, it begins to decay.

There is danger in any journey. Adventures are unpredictable. Sometimes we fail to arrive at our anticipated destination. But even failure can be enlightening. After all, Columbus got lost on his way to India.

The word “adventure” is related to a word that means to happen or occur. Philosophers use the word “adventitious” to mean accidental or unintentional. And for Christians “advent” signifies a time of hope for the birth of something new and wonderful. Education as adventure is open to the unintended. It is hopeful about the future. It courageously embraces the birthing process.

This brings us back to the current transformation. No one could have imagined the strange birth of online learning from out of a pandemic. Difficulties remain, especially the digital divide. But problems are opportunities. Let’s set our creative imaginations free. Let’s stop dreaming of the way things used to be. Stop complaining about the need to get back to normal.

The old normal wasn’t perfect. Why go back, when we can move forward? Let’s cook up something zesty and nutritious. Learn to bend with the wind. Find joy in transformation. And embrace the fact that history will view us as pioneers who explored the great frontier of virtual education.

January 5, 2020April 12, 2020

Seeking wisdom in dark times

Fresno Bee, January 5, 2020

This past year, things got foggy. We were confused by fake news and conspiracy theories. We had a hard time seeing beyond partisan division. A kind of spiritual darkness – racism, hate, greed, and anger – lurked in the shadows. Let’s hope that in 2020, we can see more clearly and spread more light.

The goal of the Western philosophical tradition is enlightenment. Immanuel Kant, the great German thinker, said that we should “dare to be wise.” Enlightenment requires us to have the courage to think for ourselves.

Enlightenment is not simply another word for knowledge. Knowledge grew in amazing ways during the past decade. But it is not clear that we are more enlightened.

We have probed into deep space and into the subatomic realm. We know how to edit DNA and make clones. We have discovered planets orbiting distant suns. Human spacecraft visited Pluto and left the solar system. We have learned more about evolution and the history of life. We also understand the perilous impact of human development on the climate and our planet’s ecosystem.

SEEKING WISDOM

But what good is all of this knowledge without a moral compass and an engaged wisdom? Wisdom situates knowledge within a larger context. Ethical insight leads us to do good with our knowledge.

Philosophers have long worried about knowledge that lacks ethics and wisdom. Bertrand Russell, one of the great philosophers of the 20th century, warned that knowledge without “comprehensive vision” is dangerous. Knowledge of atomic energy created the threat of nuclear weapons. Knowledge of power and propaganda creates the threat of authoritarian politics.

Russell defined wisdom as emancipation from the tyranny of here and now. This gives us a clue about how wisdom is to be found. To be wise is to look up, look around, and look within.

For two and a half millennia, philosophers have called upon us to seek wisdom by seeing things more clearly. Plato suggested that most people are slaves to darkness. We sit in dark caves, he said, looking at flickering images. These images confuse us about reality. We don’t know how to distinguish right from wrong or how to live well. If we could leave the darkness of the cave and see the light, Plato said, we would be good and happy, just and wise.

Plato knew nothing of television, the internet, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. But what he said about life in the cave of ignorance is appropriate to our century. We passively consume images. Our thumbs move across screens. Our eyes flit across the page. Algorithms collect data about us, generating more images for us to consume. Our minds are washed by waves of infotainment. Our bodies grow soft. Confined within silos of information, the human spirit becomes warped. And the social world grows more divided.

One crucial solution is to clean the lenses of perception by learning to think critically about the images that surround us. But clear vision is useless if we look in the wrong direction. Sharp-sighted sociopaths and keen-eyed kleptocrats are very good at manipulating images and seeing how to hurt and take advantage.

We also need to look in the right direction. We need to look up from our screens and take a look around. Most importantly we need to look within. It is self-knowledge that helps us see how bias, prejudice and self-interest cloud good judgment and narrow our point of view.

JESUS’ PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Narrowed vision is a common human problem. A hint about this is found in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Several people walked past a needy man. Either they looked at him but did not see him, or they saw him but quickly looked away. The hero of the story saw the man’s need. He did not look away. And he took action to make things better.

That’s what enlightened insight looks like. Clear vision helps us see reality as it is. But wisdom should also lead to action. To be wise is to see things clearly, to see them wholly, and to see what needs to be done.

So let’s seize the new year as an opportunity to gain wisdom and seek enlightenment. This is a challenge for this year, this decade, and for a lifetime.

December 9, 2017December 10, 2017

Misogyny, Sexism, and Sex Abuse: Lessons from Machiavelli and Plato

From the White House to town square, men try to dominate without moral restraint

Fresno Bee, December 10, 2017

Sexual misconduct was not invented by the current generation. Before Al Franken and Matt Lauer there was Bill Cosby. In Greek myths the gods often raped young women. Plato wrote a book about the ethics of sex and love, called “The Symposium.”

Men have always desired the godlike power to take what they want with impunity. Male dominance ignores moral restraint. It wants power, pleasure and glory.

One spokesman of misogyny is Machiavelli. In an infamously sexist passage in “The Prince,” Machiavelli says that fortune is a woman. If you want to win fortune, you need to beat and abuse her, like you would batter a woman you want to control. Machiavelli teaches that glory comes to those who are audacious and violent.

The Machiavellian man brags about his prowess. He even boasts about what he has not done, manipulating truth in order to manufacture status. The Machiavellian also manipulates people. He grabs and gropes, swaggers and swears. When accused of misdeeds, he lies and dissembles.

We see numerous examples across the country of men getting caught with their pants down. Some have apologized. Others have resigned or been fired. But the hard-boiled Machiavellians continue to deny and denounce.

The most egregious examples come from the Oval Office. Recall Bill Clinton’s famous false denial, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Other men would have withdrawn in shame. But not Clinton, who shrugged off impeachment.

WE SEE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES ACROSS THE COUNTRY OF
MEN GETTING CAUGHT WITH THEIR PANTS DOWN.

Our current Machiavellian-in-chief bragged on tape about grabbing women’s crotches. President Trump has recently suggested that the voice on the tape was not really him, despite the protestations of his accomplice, Billy Bush.

For a Machiavellian, there is no fact that can’t be massaged to serve his purposes. The Machiavellian never flinches. He trades punch for punch. He mocks and belittles his enemies. He traffics in false and inflammatory material. He accuses others of stupidity, fakery and immorality. If he apologizes, his words are insincere. When he makes promises, he offers flattery without substance.

Unfortunately, the Machiavellian strategy pays off. It often works to be a jerk. It often seems that the more shameless one’s deceits, the more glory one attains.

Perhaps the tide is turning on this. But progress will be slow. This problem has been with us for thousands of years.

Plato understood that sex and politics were often at odds with morality. Good men are often destroyed by evil liars. And shameless gropers often keep what they grab.

The Platonic man does not fit well in the world of male dominance. He is reflective and retiring, modest and private. He does not boast. He is not willing to sacrifice his integrity to achieve victory. He is conscious of his own failures. His primary concerns are truth, justice and virtue.

LET’S TEACH OUR SONS TO BE
BETTER MEN THAN THE MACHIAVELLIANS CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY.

The Platonic man sees no value in taking what is not freely given. He values honesty, friendship and love. He won’t pander. He won’t lie or spread false rumors. He thinks that glory without goodness is not worth the price.

The Platonic man does not view sex and power as ends in themselves to be obtained by any means necessary. Indeed, Plato suggested that lust for sex and power often lead us astray. He taught that sex without restraint is rapacious and that power without justice is tyranny.

The Platonic ideal is constantly at war with the Machiavellian urge. Education and constant effort are needed to develop men of character, who are caring, truthful, just and wise. Young men must be taught to keep their pants zipped.

While we might forgive the immature mischief of an adolescent, we cannot ignore the immoral machinations of mature men. The worst aspect of the Machiavellian man is that he makes groping and glory-seeking a way of life. He models depravity and makes it appear to be good. The tragic fact of political life is that so many Machiavellians have so much power.

The solution is moral education and the empowerment of women. Listen to women’s complaints. And condemn male dominance and misogyny. The point is easy to make today as the rogue’s gallery of gropers continues to grow. Let’s teach our sons to be better men than the Machiavellians currently on display.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article188839694.html