I have mentioned more than once that I won’t comment here on topics that are not related to music. I offer these thoughts in the spirit of the Holidays. Perhaps it is simply that I haven’t had my coffee yet.
I would say that the biggest mistake most humans make is to not understand, or be willing to accept, that progress is not linear. Huge advances and progress, technological and otherwise, are sometimes accompanied by their own problems that take time to, not only reveal themselves, but to be solved themselves. Unfortunately, sometimes these collateral problems don’t get solved at all. However, when one looks at the zig-zag (up and down) that is the line that one might see on an imaginary historical “progress chart” one can clearly see that it heads up, not down; and has been heading up for quite a while.
Possibly the second biggest mistake humans make is to believe that there is virtue or moral superiority in seeing only the negatives and the things that still need improvement without acknowledging the very real progress that has been made through history and into the present. There is no virtue in being mired in negativity. From infant mortality rates to life expectancy. Eradication of disease. Literacy rates. Work conditions for workers including child labor. GDP and extreme poverty rates in developing countries. Relative bloodiness and frequency of the sadly still existing wars. Voting rights. Race and gender equality. The list goes on and on. All have seen dramatic improvements over time and the evidence is there to see.
Why is it important to acknowledge the progress? Because as with all things the best way toward improvement and further progress is to have an honest and clear view of what one is dealing with and not only the pieces of it that one wants to see; or is predisposed to see. To acknowledge the positives (progress) does, in no way, mean that one has to be blind to the negatives and the progress that still needs to be made or their urgency. Only when one has a comprehensive view of a problem can one make the best choices moving forward.
Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New Year!
