Warning: I will say things that are not Politically Correct -- why I don't believe in political correctness is for another blog.
I have always steered clear of labels even before I understood that it was the label (another word for a box in my opinion -- limiting, defining) I was rejecting. It started in college; someone said "you're a feminist!" and my immediate and heartfelt reply was "No! I'm Not!" and I still feel the same to this day. My answer continued -- "I am a person, a woman, and I expect equality: we are different but equal".
The only label I was always okay with was woman or female -- because to me this was simply a biological or physical truth while not saying anything about me, not defining me or what that means for me. I was never particularly feminine or masculine and did not worry about other people's ideas of what that means. While I completely support and understand those who are rejecting these labels -- for good reason -- I see it as being about rejecting the limitations, assumptions, defining that comes with it. I believe that male and female energies exist within each of us, I believe that all interests, qualities, & possibilities can emerge from each and every one of us, and that it is fluid -- ie can change radically over time -- and that none of this is defined by being male or female.
Hence I don't understand the need for labels. To me, labels only serve to separate us. Ex. I do not see feminism as particularly kind to women -- it appears to define what women should and should not be. I prefer to honour all women, as I honour all human beings; in being exactly who they are, becoming whoever they want to be.
As for the other isms: capitalism vs socialism vs communism -- further separation, defining, and aiming for a one-size-fits-all solution: I believe the answers to all of our problems lies is the cut-and-pasting, melding, emerging, and refining of the highest and best parts, or the parts that a person is most attached from each and every ism. I love the freedom and creativity and potential of capitalism and know that combined with the best parts of the other isms can allow us to create a world where all needs are met yet no one tells you how to live or defines the ism for anyone else. If any one of those isms on its own was the solution -- it would already have worked. It appears to me that they are each limiting and do not meet the needs and ideals of everyone. And -- the problem is not with the ism itself, the problem lies within humanity and our level of awareness. Corruption occurs in socialism and communism as much as capitalism. Perhaps it seems bigger in capitalism because of its equally engaging potential. The problem lies in the fact that humans are at the helm and humans are all capable of greed and self-serving fear-based behaviour that hurts others; no matter what ism they are a part of. We need to recognize and understand humanity more intimately in order to resolve anything, in order to find the gems in each ism and let go of the rest, in order to all of us get more active in the process of defining how we live rather than leave it up to the few.
Every problem we have today was at some point a solution: cars were a solution, electing a government to make laws and run things was a solution, capitalism, socialism, communism were solutions: We are simply at a time when we are out-growing those solutions and the new wave of solutions need to reflect the best of all of it, without attack, without blaming or finger-pointing and getting stuck; envisioning new collaborations will require accepting everyone's viewpoints and making them work for your community. Oh - did I mention that I believe the solutions need to be arrived at by allowing each smaller-scale community to set their own ideals, ideas, and solutions and living harmoniously alongside other communities whose solutions may be very different. We cannot ever get everyone to rally around one solution; it cannot work and limits freedom and creativity. Let each solution and community emerge as it sees fit and forget about labeling it.
Namasté, Marilyn on a Mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment