Conclusion

Going Nowhere through Not-knowing Where to Go (Part #11)

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As indicated in the introduction, the emerging situation is one in which it becomes ever more apparent that it is only "nothing" that is on offer from global governance and its advisors, if only in term of their evident inability to reach any sustainable consensus, as previously argued (The Consensus Delusion: mysterious attractor undermining global civilization as currently imagined, 2011; Ungovernability of Sustainable Global Democracy ? Towards engaging appropriately with time, 2011).

The institutions of governance now appear to stand for "nothing", other than the semblance of standing for something -- and are unable to prove otherwise. Science, ironically, would argue similarly with respect to religion. It might be said that "offering nothing" has become an art form (The Art of Non-Decision-Making, 1997). This "art" is notably characterized by the capacity to deliver only a semblance of what is promised, despite a track record indicative of the improbability of fulfilling that commitment.

Typically "nothing" is now resolved in efforts to achieve coherence in response to crisis. Ironically, understood otherwise, "nothing" is indeed what is on offer in terms of the destructive consequences of incoherence and the use of weapons (of mass destruction) under those circumstances. Most concretely, aside from the existential chllenge of the starving, is the expectation of "nothing" now offered with respect to employment prospects, as predicted by a recent ILO report (Global unemployed will reach a record 200 million in 2013, GlobalPost, 22 January 2013).

The various references to the work of Taleb (Antifragility, 2012), and the fundamental contrast he draws between "resilience" and "antifragility", are of particular relevance at the time of writing given a theming of the current World Economic Forum (Davos, 2013) as "Resilient Dynamism". An articulation of that theme has been provided by the President of the Rockefeller Foundation, Judith Rodin (Rebound: Building a More Resilient World, The Huffington Post, 23 January 2001). This initiative has raised a fundamental question for some, as to whether Taleb's "antifragility" has been misappropriated and rebranded by the Forum (David Wagner, Did Davos Steal Its Theme From an Author Who Hates Davos?, The Atlantic Wire: what matters now, January 2013). It also raises the question as to whether those at the World Economic Forum understand the point made by Taleb -- given his extremely critical comments on their track record in supporting the thinking which resulted in the current global financial crisis. In the light of the argument above, will the Davos Forum be as dangerously "pointless" in offering "nothing" -- as with previous events -- in order to ensure "business as usual"?

This argument has noted the point-making enabled by firearms as a destructive expression of identity at the fatal expense of others -- currently highlighted by highly publicized school shootings and the ever increasing capacity to "spray bullets" (Gruesome but Necessary: global governance in the 21st Century? 2011). The use of video games to simulate the experience, and to train those intending to use them in reality, has itself been highlighted by the controversy associated with dubious remarks made by UK Prince Harry -- in process of being groomed for a public identity as a warrior prince (Taliban retaliate after Prince Harry compares fighting to a video game, The Guardian, 22 January 2013).

These examples are is suggestive of a curious relationship to point-making in other arenas (exemplified in the form of "bullet points") where it is again both an expression of identity and potentially destructive of the connectivity with which others identify. Arguments such as this one then conform to the pattern. The classic formula of Descartes, I think therefore I am, might then be reformulated as Through point-making I am.

Not-knowing: It is in this context that individuals may engage in new ways with "nothingness", whether as an unexplored cognitive opportunity or as obliged by circumstances. The challenge is then one of engendering an existential "place to be" (as explored by Christopher Alexander) through cognitive radicalization of some kind -- perhaps to be understood dynamically through "embodiment" of time.

This would seem to imply a special form of "not-knowing" in contrast to the certainties promulgated to little avail by belief systems of every persuasion. As noted by the Insight Mediation Center:

"Not-knowing" is emphasized in Zen practice, where it is sometimes called "beginner's mind."An expert may know a subject deeply, yet be blinded to new possibilities by his or her preconceived ideas. In contrast, a beginner may see with fresh, unbiased eyes. The practice of beginner's mind is to cultivate an ability to meet life without preconceived ideas, interpretations, or judgments.

Knowing implies, metaphorically speaking, a capacity to see and grasp "around a corner" or "over a hill" from which the previously unknown will necessarily become apparent. Such knowing, and the certainty it offers, is effectively invested in topological ignorance and denial of potential. It is preoccupied with closure, necessarily premature. Hence the case for "not-knwing" as a vigilant cognitive stance anticipating the unexpected.

Going nowhere: Various understandings of this have been articulated. These include that of Shinai Jakar (What is 'Boldly Going Nowhere'? 18 November 2011) who refers to the verses on faith mind of Sengstan (Sosan, Jianzhi Sengcan), 3rd Zen Patriarch (Hsin Hsin Ming: the Book of Nothing as translated by Richard B. Clarke).

Related understandings have expressed in terms of the "crazy wisdom" tradition of Tibetan Buddhism (Chögyam Trungpa, Crazy Wisdom, 2001; John Horgan, Rational Mysticism: dispatches from the border between science and spirituality, 2004; Georg Feuerstein, Holy Madness: the shock tactics and radical teachings of crazy-wise adepts, holy fools, and rascal gurus, 1991). The sense of "boldly going" is also offered by interpretations of the Fool in the traditional Tarot card pack. There the Fool is the spirit in search of experience, representing the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within any individual, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. The sun shining behind the Fool represents the divine nature of the Fool's wisdom and exuberance, holy madness or "crazy wisdom".

Taleb's Antifragility (2012) has already evoked recognition of its consonance with "crazy wisdom", as in the review by Paul Di Filippo:

When not hewing to the concrete and tactile, Taleb shows an allied, parallel flair for philosophical, at times almost spiritual disquisition.... At times he sounds like a prophet or Zen master, and in fact I kept flashing on the heady "crazy wisdom" teachings of the Tibetan sage Chogyam Trungpa during Taleb's sermons -- sermons that often border on healthy rants against the sorry state of civilization.

-- My definition of modernity is humans' large-scale domination of the environment, the systematic smoothing of the world's jaggedness, and the stifling of volatility and stressors.... Modernity is a Procrustean bed...
-- Just as great geniuses invent their predecessors, practical innovations create their theoretical ancestry.
-- Note that globalization has had the effect of making contagions planetary -- as if the entire world became a huge room with narrow exists and people rushing to the same doors, with accelerated harm.

... His remit is all human activity, and the ways we attempt unwisely to pervert natural flows. Like Douglas Hofstadter in Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, Taleb is a man holding a live wire connected to a heretofore untapped cosmic dynamo...

The "crazy wisdom" recognized in some Eastern cultures is echoed to some degree in the traditional role of the court jester in relation to governance. This is now more evident in the role of political satirists -- exemplified in the USA by Jon Stewart.

A quite different set of insights is offered in fiction by the classic of Samuel Butler (Erewhon: or, Over the Range, 1872), with "Erewhon" as an anagram of "Nowhere" suggestive of requisite paradoxical insight, inspired by Butler's experience in New Zealand [where much of the above argument was developed]. The "spatial" nature of Erewhon was an inspiration for the complementary "temporal" world of Nehwon (an anagram of "Nowhen") developed in the work of Fritz Leiber.

Liminality: One approach to framing the existential possibility evoked above is through living imaginatively "between" what is presented above as a "geocentric" worldview and as a "heliocentric" worldview -- or between "going nowhere" and "not-knowing where to go". This implies a cognitive dynamic that is dependent on neither certainty nor uncertainty but engages with both as appropriate, as argued separately (Living as an Imaginal Bridge between Worlds: global implications of "betwixt and between" and liminality, 2011). It might be succinctly reframed as "going knowhere" through the paradoxical engagement with "where". The Fool, as mentioned above, is indicative of both the beginning and the end, neither and otherwise, betwixt and between, liminal.

Of related relevance, Buddhist meditative practice involves an interplay between knowing and not-knowing. A fruitful commentary on that interplay from other perspectives is offered, with diagrams, by James S. Atherton (Doceo; Knowing and not knowing, 2011).

Wealth of the alternative one percent? Much has been made of the control of the world's wealth by "one percent" of the population -- unknown to most -- but of extreme concern to the 99%. This of course focuses on tangible resources.

The "negative capability", and the capacity of "not-knowing", together suggest that there is another form of "wealth", essentially intangible, to which some have access -- necessarily unrecognized and unappreciated by most. They might well be considered an alternative "one percent".

This unrecognized "wealth" is intimately related to a particular form of cognitive freedom, unconstrained by tangible resources and potentially accessible to all. It is explored to a degree by current research in quest of the elusive condition of happiness, as discussed separately (Happiness and Unhappiness through Naysign and Nescience: comprehending the essence of sustainability? 2008; Duane Elgin, Voluntary Simplicity: toward a way of life that is outwardly simple, inwardly rich, 2010).

Dialogue dynamics: Many forms of discourse can be recognized as "going nowhere". It is increasingly evident that of the lifestyle choices and preferences of others, "nothing" can be meaningfully said in direct communication with others -- especially in the case of the closest relatives and friends. The extent of identification with a "geocentric" worldview -- "my world" -- suggests recognition that the potential of dialogue can be better explored through "avoiding" the implication of expression of a "heliocentric" worldview.

The art of dialogue may lie in responding "in passing" to the "weight" of any perspective -- to its gravitational attraction -- as with the "cognitive slingshot" manoeuver described above. This could enable a dialogue equivalent to the the possibilities of interplanetary movement (cf. From an "Interplanetary Transport Network" to an "Inter-other Transition Network"? 2012). Direct engagement with the essentials of any perspective -- "landing on a planet" -- is then avoided, as with any implication that it is fruitful to engage directly with a "heliocentric worldview", namely to "land on the Sun". This offers a means of reframing the process of "buck passing".

Sustainable connectivity: Memory is fundamental in a knowledge-based society. It is however increasingly "outsourced" into information systems. The process of forgetting then becomes of importance under conditions of information overload.

Again the capacity to "flit" more effectively between perspectives, as implied by orbital manoeuvers, merits attention in terms of the pathways capable of sustaining a pattern of connectivity.

Aging: As noted, the existential challenge of "going nowhere", with a future having "nothing to offer", is especially agonizing -- if not tragic -- for both the young and the aging. Curiously the young have memories to acquire as a foundation for their sense of identity, whilst the old have memories they are faced with losing -- threatening their very sense of identity.

The argument above suggests the possibility of much greater understanding of the intimate relation between point (making) and identity. For the elderly this may be a means of sustaining the connectivity of memory with which identity is associated. The nature of the relationship between "geocentric" and "heliocentric" understanding then becomes fundamental -- with the potential of more fruitfully dynamic engagement with "nothingness".

Global memetic collapse: Much is made of the potential of civilizational collapse as a consequence of resource constraints and environmental disaster, man-made or otherwise. With the development of a knowledge-based civilization, optimism focuses increasingly on the capacity to use such facilities to counter such possibilities.

However, with the evident much-challenged capacity to deliver any remedial response, there is the possibility that collapse will take other forms, as suggested by an existential encounter with "nothing". This may be exacerbated by information overload, limited attention capacity, erosion of collective memory, and loss of credibility of any authority -- perhaps combining into loss of meaning and significance, especially in collective form. Any claims to coherence might then be understood as a "cosmic joke", perhaps in the spirit of Douglas Adams (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, 1980).

Any such process of "global memetic collapse" may perhaps bear resemblance to the pattern of collapse in the lifecycle of any sun. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, mapping stages in this process, might then be explored in terms of the varieties of 'not-knowing".

"Universe" and identity: The argument has noted the subtle sophistication through which physics now explores richer understandings of the universe as emerging from "nothing". Emphasis has been placed on use of such insights as templates for understanding of individual identity more fruitfully -- as it emerges from the point of conception and cognitively embodies a universe of experience. Physics offers an unsuspected formal legitimacy to speculation on the first moments of the expression of identity, whether in an individual or through the points made in pursuit of particular agendas -- although physicists seem to be incapable of self-referential cognitive embodiment of that understanding.

More provocatively, as noted, the most recent cosmological reflections of astrophysicists regarding the "Big Bounce" in relation to the "Big Bang" even point to ways of understanding the collapse ("death) and "reincarnation" of identity -- the transition to and from "nothingness". However, rather than the repetitive "resilience" implied by "bounce", the point made by Taleb (2012) regarding the transformation characteristic of "antifragility" is indicative of new ways of appreciating "reincarnation" -- if only as implied by the limited sense of "reinventing oneself" in the course of an identity life cycle, as previously suggested (Reinventing Your Metaphoric Habitat, 1992; Being the Universe : a Metaphoric Frontier, 1999).

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