Aloha;
Our society relies on information in order to function effectively. Much of the pattern of our daily lives is guided or ordered by the flow of, or pursuit of, accurate data. It’s a long-standing practice which has served to assure the survival of our societies. Our dependence on verified information, and how we share it; now underpins the nature of our successes. We are, as a rule, committed to increasing our knowledge, and our understanding of what is; then applying our enhanced understanding to improve the human condition.
While this may be considered an altruistic assessment of the outcome of human behavior, and intent; we must always keep in mind that every person has a personal view of what should be. And that there are at least some who hold this aspiration. It is equally apparent some members of our society have a different assessment of the value of this approach. There are others who have alternative agendas, which are intrinsically at odds with the goals of free access to information and opportunity.
When people within a community do not share common agreement on what the facts of a given circumstance or situation are; or more basically, what the meaning of the words used to describe it actually mean, communication becomes difficult. As control over our world becomes more predictable, refined, and streamlined; our collective patience with delays and setbacks has diminished. In that impatience, cooperation towards a common goal risks being lost or forgotten due frustration and mistrust. People with differing views, and perhaps conflicting goals, are understandably suspicious of any competitor. At least in the beginning.
It has become easier for many people to express their point of view with an aggressive and combative stance. If they have a legitimate argument to make, it will likely be ignored when it’s presented with overt hostility. However conflict can be avoided if those involved are willing to honestly share their thoughts and goals on the matter at hand. Sometimes the disconnect is simply not fully understanding what your opposition really means when they choose the words they speak. It’s an aspect of conversation each side should remain aware of; if they actually seek to understand each other.
There are other forms of confusion in our society which are not so easy to address. Many times it results from the fact that people are often confusing themselves, by nature; and sometimes there is no apparent underlying logic behind what they say or do. Some confusion in our world however, is the product of persons or groups of people who seek to impact the rest of society. There may be any number of reasons for their actions; or a variety of goals or agendas they wish to realize.
They may strive to enhance their power; or may wish to topple a regime or government; they may hope to damage a business; or may simply be stalling for time. They may only want to maintain confusion to prevent things from getting done. The community should ultimately decide which ideas and plans have merit; but if those plans or objectives are not articulated well to the society at large, it is likely to cause confusion.
Discord, and lack of common purpose can slow or even disrupt the growth and health; of a community, a society, or a country. That is something we do not want and cannot afford. Which is why we always strive to remember that while we may know our ideas best, our ideas may not be the best to know. So we listen with care to the words people choose when they speak; in an attempt to grasp what they mean, and avoid confusion.
Respectfully Yours,
J. A. Stubbs, Editor-In-Chief
Forgotten Lore Publishing, llc