A world in a rush is a world that misses out on many wonders.

How often have I witnessed the best from people only after they have been given the time to develop and improve? Far too many not to afford them that time. It’s not that rushing means we’re stuck only with those who get there fast—those speedy enough to claim victory are often lacklustre compared to those who take their time to get there. Far too often to ignore.

First only means better when the rules are wrong.

A world in a rush

Even the most entrenched conflict thaws—even if ever so slightly—when the two sides talk.

The children of two countries at war ultimately want to play, even those who have already experienced pain, even when the confrontation has raged on for longer than anyone can remember.

The problem, then, is the fact that there are those whose fortunes lie with the continuation of the conflict we seek to end.

The thaw

Understanding has always been a sign of intelligence. We may not know how to do something because we’ve never learned, but if we’re sharp enough, we’ll be able to understand the process undertaken by those in the know.

Currently, the complexity of nonsense has reached such heights and depths that I am beginning to wonder if a truer sign of intellectual prowess is, indeed, a lack of understanding.

A welcome lack of understanding

Over the past three centuries, Western society has increasingly based its foundations on science and reason. Now it appears magical and religious thinking is taking over again. However, I don’t think a majority of us have been convinced to swap our rational foundations. Instead, the attack has been on the surface; from there, through a form of ideological reverse-engineering, the attackers continue to penetrate ever deeper.

Thus, we see people claiming not to be racist because they married a foreigner, but acting as racist to foreigners they aren’t married to. We see people vehemently denying being fascists while passing and executing authoritarian laws. Indeed, and we see people defending their views as based on science while arguing against vaccines or the roundness of the planet.

When someone uses what we are passionate about to distract us from the arduous task of basing our choices not on emotion but on reason, we must be alert. They know we are at our most vulnerable.

Our most vulnerable

One of the silliest mistakes a leader of any kind can make is to forget to look down. Most leaders, as they climb, are busy glancing up towards the top or around their current station. Yet, that means they forget about those they are supposed to serve.

There is no better vantage point than that offered by the high castle. There is a reason forts are built on hills: to spot a potential enemy incursion. A leader could look down and see the fields that feed the nation and the people the castle is supposed to protect.

Alas, most leaders are only so in name. In practice, they are managers, officers, and politicians. In practice, they work hard to protect the system that keeps them in place. In practice, they serve themselves.

Leaders, castles and missed opportunities

Inspiration is so chaotic that we can be forgiven for seeing it as magic. Like a dam breaking, we may be rushed by complementary ideas, flooded by plot lines and inundated by new characters; conversely, like an empty reservoir, we may feel the despair of a barren imagination that threatens never to bear fruit again.

Indeed, we could be excused if we planned to wait for inspiration to strike and forgo writing when it doesn’t appear. Of course, that is a terrible plan if one intends to achieve anything. The harsh reality is that inspiration—and the same goes for motivation—is a lousy companion. It’s unreliable at best and treacherous at worst.

Thus, the only way to get anything done is not to count on it. We must write regardless of its presence, despite it. We might not produce anything of much value, but we will hone our skill—the boring, practical, trainable skill of weaving words together. Then, whenever inspiration comes, we’ll do more and better with it than the last time.

Martian Thoughts

A world in a rush

The thaw

A welcome lack of understanding

Our most vulnerable

Leaders, castles and missed opportunities

An unreliable companion