Great ideas, thanks. There exists a certain element that needs violence to express inner rage. Humans need to find outlets for individual rage, but covering up injustices only means the explosion will be that much worse when it erupts. I often wonder if the Las Vegas music festival killer was suicidal, but decided to take down some of his enemies with him. (Noise & increased traffic congestion are frustrating & can drive some to violence.)
As always, I enjoyed this essay immensely. Small point though, as a neuropsychologist, I can say with some level of comfort that Jaynes' theory is nonsense. (n.b. This should not be taken as an endorsement of the existence of gods.)
Another Sunday masterpiece Greg! It’s been a long time since reading the Iliad, but found your interpretation amusing and thought provoking! As for that extra hour(hmm), well spent!
Saber rattling, wars over land birthrights, religions, their gods and greed are likely factors built into man’s, or perhaps societal DNA? Loved this one!!
A stunningly fine piece, this morning Greg. While I may question some of your facts, that's a minor point. There's bound to be factual disagreement when it comes to Homeric issues. The major point here is your willingness to go roaming through the ancient past for leveraged understanding of our fractious contemporary world. Good for you for that. For me at my age where I need a cane to safely take just another step or two to keep my balance, seeking stabilizing understanding to endure all that's happening to us today, is equivalent to searching the past to stay balanced. Yet today we find our our colleges and universities deserting the humanities and the liberal arts. You set a fine example here with today's step, as you variously do in many another piece in what you write. Keep it up, please.
I wonder about ancestral, transgenerational, PTSD. It seems like until we heal these ancestral strands of our consciousness we will continue with our wars, terrorist attacks, mass murder events, white supremacy, genocide, and misogyny. It's inherited trauma looking for relief.
Two comments: 1) It is ironic that war has been the muse of so many artistic masterminds and masterpieces, including the epic Iliad. I recall reading somewhere that the Greek tragedy was created at the request of war generals to inspire the empathy of soldiers who, having experienced the de-stressing catharsis these dramas fostered, would return to the battlefield fully invigorated. And 2) As to your pacifist friend’s appraisal about war, I must agree. Given the extinction of dinosaurs, perhaps our DNA mutated to formulate our species as our own natural predator. In this manner, homo sapiens “wisely” guarantees its cyclical near self-destruction so as to preserve and regenerate humankind’s natural habitat… I realize this is a morbid thought, but I cannot rationalize the rush to escalate nuclear proliferation any other way.
Greg, good scribbling even though i never read Homer.
Of course its all "dicks."
I've even known women that yearned to have one.
AND
then humans have this thing about limpieza social.
But the god folks are really murderous.
AND previously i have posted here that for Putin and for some of his Mulitary personel its about Revenge, including against a number of Soviet politicians
Way back in the Dark Ages of the 1980s, I used to have a theory that the end of the military draft in the mid-70s actually CAUSED the excess of the 80s. Young people, including me, didn't even have the possibility of being consigned to the military and going off to some jungle half-way around the world to die before they turned 20, so all hell broke loose, and became the "Greed is good" era. That led to the grungy 90s, where everyone suddenly got an award for just showing up. There was no incentive to "do your best" anymore, all you had to do was APPEAR to be doing SOMETHING and it was rewarded. Then came 9/11, and the people who had been repressed and had not advanced in the 80s and 90s were more than willing to go off to war for "USA! USA! USA!"
I can still remember in early 2002, after we'd invaded Iraq, supported by a lie, saying as much to one of my co-workers, and he looked at me and said, "Oh, you're one of THOSE. All I know is that we should support the troops and the president." He was about ten years younger than me, but still too old to join the military, but there he was, no matter the reasons put forth, "supporting the troops AND the president," and by extension, the illegal war.
Your friend is 100% correct, war and warmongering IS in our DNA. It has to be, considering the lip service we pay to "peace" and yet go off and fight for some land or some religion every chance we get. We're coming up on the Christmas season, where LOADS of greeting cards express, "Peace on Earth," and here we are anyway. Is there any doubt that we can't NOT have war? No, I don't think so. We just can't quit war.
The Israel/Hamas war has caused me to retract back into my bubble online. I'm sick to death of reading people 100000% on Israel's side no matter what they do and taking in no criticism of Bibi Trumpanyahu's war management skills as anything but antisemitism. It's futile to try to counter that bullshit, so I mostly stay out of discussions about it. But, again, it's just more war. Human beings are dying by the thousands, and no one seems to really care about that. Israel turned off the electricity, water, food and medical supplies delivery, and the internet in Gaza and no one much cares because it's "WAR." To me, this looks like if the Oath Keepers of Michigan chapter blew up the Capitol building, and the US Army went in and LEVELED all of Michigan to "GET" them. It is no wonder we have massive protests in Washington and worldwide in support of the Palestinian people. NOT Hamas, which is also a stupid argument you get if you express support for Palestine -- "Oh! You support the terrorists!"
OK, done ranting because I don't talk about this very much anymore. I just watch and learn. In the meantime, instead of the Iliad, because GAH!, I'm almost finished with "Romney: A Reckoning," which is a far better book than I ever thought it would be. I mean, it's about Mitt Romney, for gods' sake! If nothing else, at least the man has his integrity to fall back on. Surprised? Yeah, me too. I don't agree with him on much, but at least he can put up a good argument for his position without once invoking Trump's wishes. In this political climate, THAT'S integrity.
Sunday Pages: "The Iliad"
Fascinating and brilliantly written Sunday morning read Greg. Thank you
Brilliant, Greg. Thank you.
And "The Iliad begins with the first-ever literary dick-measuring contest" -Hahahaaaahaaha !!
Great ideas, thanks. There exists a certain element that needs violence to express inner rage. Humans need to find outlets for individual rage, but covering up injustices only means the explosion will be that much worse when it erupts. I often wonder if the Las Vegas music festival killer was suicidal, but decided to take down some of his enemies with him. (Noise & increased traffic congestion are frustrating & can drive some to violence.)
Booya! Great read. Billserle.com.
I so enjoy your writings. Thank you for this read. Fascinating.
As always, I enjoyed this essay immensely. Small point though, as a neuropsychologist, I can say with some level of comfort that Jaynes' theory is nonsense. (n.b. This should not be taken as an endorsement of the existence of gods.)
If I get what you're saying, I'd better enjoy some football this afternoon while I still can.
Another Sunday masterpiece Greg! It’s been a long time since reading the Iliad, but found your interpretation amusing and thought provoking! As for that extra hour(hmm), well spent!
Saber rattling, wars over land birthrights, religions, their gods and greed are likely factors built into man’s, or perhaps societal DNA? Loved this one!!
Thank you Greg for another deep read and dive into something I know nothing about or very little. I spent my extra hour reading this.
A stunningly fine piece, this morning Greg. While I may question some of your facts, that's a minor point. There's bound to be factual disagreement when it comes to Homeric issues. The major point here is your willingness to go roaming through the ancient past for leveraged understanding of our fractious contemporary world. Good for you for that. For me at my age where I need a cane to safely take just another step or two to keep my balance, seeking stabilizing understanding to endure all that's happening to us today, is equivalent to searching the past to stay balanced. Yet today we find our our colleges and universities deserting the humanities and the liberal arts. You set a fine example here with today's step, as you variously do in many another piece in what you write. Keep it up, please.
Gender equality is key to development, and there is growing evidence of its critical role in building and maintaining peace ☮️ #UNWomen
I wonder about ancestral, transgenerational, PTSD. It seems like until we heal these ancestral strands of our consciousness we will continue with our wars, terrorist attacks, mass murder events, white supremacy, genocide, and misogyny. It's inherited trauma looking for relief.
So what remains constant isn’t peace but chaos, which roams from the domestic realm to the battlefield and back again…to eternity.
Fascinating reading, Greg! Bravo 👏
Two comments: 1) It is ironic that war has been the muse of so many artistic masterminds and masterpieces, including the epic Iliad. I recall reading somewhere that the Greek tragedy was created at the request of war generals to inspire the empathy of soldiers who, having experienced the de-stressing catharsis these dramas fostered, would return to the battlefield fully invigorated. And 2) As to your pacifist friend’s appraisal about war, I must agree. Given the extinction of dinosaurs, perhaps our DNA mutated to formulate our species as our own natural predator. In this manner, homo sapiens “wisely” guarantees its cyclical near self-destruction so as to preserve and regenerate humankind’s natural habitat… I realize this is a morbid thought, but I cannot rationalize the rush to escalate nuclear proliferation any other way.
Greg, good scribbling even though i never read Homer.
Of course its all "dicks."
I've even known women that yearned to have one.
AND
then humans have this thing about limpieza social.
But the god folks are really murderous.
AND previously i have posted here that for Putin and for some of his Mulitary personel its about Revenge, including against a number of Soviet politicians
And of course the United States.
God bless Mother Russia
Patriarch krill
Way back in the Dark Ages of the 1980s, I used to have a theory that the end of the military draft in the mid-70s actually CAUSED the excess of the 80s. Young people, including me, didn't even have the possibility of being consigned to the military and going off to some jungle half-way around the world to die before they turned 20, so all hell broke loose, and became the "Greed is good" era. That led to the grungy 90s, where everyone suddenly got an award for just showing up. There was no incentive to "do your best" anymore, all you had to do was APPEAR to be doing SOMETHING and it was rewarded. Then came 9/11, and the people who had been repressed and had not advanced in the 80s and 90s were more than willing to go off to war for "USA! USA! USA!"
I can still remember in early 2002, after we'd invaded Iraq, supported by a lie, saying as much to one of my co-workers, and he looked at me and said, "Oh, you're one of THOSE. All I know is that we should support the troops and the president." He was about ten years younger than me, but still too old to join the military, but there he was, no matter the reasons put forth, "supporting the troops AND the president," and by extension, the illegal war.
Your friend is 100% correct, war and warmongering IS in our DNA. It has to be, considering the lip service we pay to "peace" and yet go off and fight for some land or some religion every chance we get. We're coming up on the Christmas season, where LOADS of greeting cards express, "Peace on Earth," and here we are anyway. Is there any doubt that we can't NOT have war? No, I don't think so. We just can't quit war.
The Israel/Hamas war has caused me to retract back into my bubble online. I'm sick to death of reading people 100000% on Israel's side no matter what they do and taking in no criticism of Bibi Trumpanyahu's war management skills as anything but antisemitism. It's futile to try to counter that bullshit, so I mostly stay out of discussions about it. But, again, it's just more war. Human beings are dying by the thousands, and no one seems to really care about that. Israel turned off the electricity, water, food and medical supplies delivery, and the internet in Gaza and no one much cares because it's "WAR." To me, this looks like if the Oath Keepers of Michigan chapter blew up the Capitol building, and the US Army went in and LEVELED all of Michigan to "GET" them. It is no wonder we have massive protests in Washington and worldwide in support of the Palestinian people. NOT Hamas, which is also a stupid argument you get if you express support for Palestine -- "Oh! You support the terrorists!"
OK, done ranting because I don't talk about this very much anymore. I just watch and learn. In the meantime, instead of the Iliad, because GAH!, I'm almost finished with "Romney: A Reckoning," which is a far better book than I ever thought it would be. I mean, it's about Mitt Romney, for gods' sake! If nothing else, at least the man has his integrity to fall back on. Surprised? Yeah, me too. I don't agree with him on much, but at least he can put up a good argument for his position without once invoking Trump's wishes. In this political climate, THAT'S integrity.