rules & revisionings

REFLECTION: Dateline, October, 1999
To help stem the tide of increasing acts of violence in public schools, legislation was passed that would allow schools to post copies of the Ten Commandments in prominent places.  This action was viewed by the American Civil Liberties Union as not only blatant religious indoctrination, but grasping at straws, which, perhaps, it was.  But most parents and school officials seemed to feel that a little more “guiding light”  ... with a tangible reminder that there ARE rules and they DO matter ... might set the students on a more productive course.  School administrators rushed to take advantage of the new ruling, and postings proliferated overnight. 

PERSPECTIVE
Human beings need structure in order to function properly, never mind functioning at “Peak” performance levels.  The less mature need more structure.  “Structure” is not a natural occurrence, but generally has to be imposed.  The imposition of structure from within is far superior to the imposition of structure from without, but it is an agonizing growth process from the latter to the former ... generally resisted at every turn.  Unfortunately, most of us never make it all the way.  Of course, we can all “rise to the occasion” when “called to account”, but the sad truth is that we don’t ___ worse won’t ___ do it of our own accord, i.e., when not “pressed”, and it gets increasingly difficult with lack of application. 

Interestingly, under very rare circumstances, there does exist a very specialized “pure state of being” where structure is “Free Form” and there are no rules.  Achievement of this state is described as “Finding Flow” (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi).  “FLOW” is that condition in which what we NEED to do is what we WANT to do, and throughout which all elements in the entire  “stream of life” are moving in the same, positive direction ... together. 

This condition is not attained spontaneously.  Over time, the rules have to be understood, appreciated, internalized, and “imprinted” (so as not to be externally needed any longer), and the direction has to be one which is naturally reinforced by the momentum of all other related elements.  In such a condition, the “Why” is intrinsically understood, the GOAL is innately envisioned, alternative pathways are out of the question, and failure is not an option.

Conversely, where “Flow”, or a state of “Right Reckoning”, is missing or deficient, or where it has not yet matured, we need the imposition of rules, such as the Ten Commandments, that say “Do this (period)” and “Thou Shalt Not (exclamation point!)”.  In such an imperfect  condition, the answer to “Why?” is simply “Because!”   It can not be “reasoned”.

While few ever graduate to a true state of “Flow”, many seek to mimic the effect by ignoring the rules and creating a sense of “flow” in the path of least resistance.  In this condition, the “System” and the “Grand Scheme of Things” actually become impediments, even adversaries ___ to be resisted at every turn!  Is it any wonder we are in such desperate need of the rules? 

As we learn from understanding “Flow”, RULES are only exigencies.  They attempt, not always successfully, to forestall and forestay “natural inclinations” to prevent us from doing permanent harm to ourselves and others.  What we really need is a VISION of life unfolding above and beyond the nascent/natural state of existence and inclinations ... i.e., a state in which the full glory, majesty and dignity of life can be realized. 
How can we capture such a “Vision”? 

Sir Christopher Wren was one of the greatest English architects of all time.  His masterpiece accomplishment was the design and construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.  The story is told that one day he walked onto the cathedral construction site unrecognized among the men at work and asked several of them, in turn, what they were doing.  The first man replied, “I am cutting a piece of stone.”   A second man said “I am earning five shillings, tuppence a day to feed and clothe my family.”  The third, not recognizing the esteemed architect in his work clothes, exclaimed, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build a magnificent cathedral!”

An individual with such vision as the latter will be unlikely to violate the Ten Commandments.  One without it will be hard pressed to keep any one of them. 

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Rules By Sykes

Charles Sykes is the author of DUMBING DOWN OUR KIDS. He offered to high school and college graduates a list of things they did not learn in school. In his book, he talks about how the "liberal, feel good, politically-correct" atmosphere has created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair; get used to it.
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about
yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you screw up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, putting a roof over your head and food on the table while you were becoming such cool dudes and dames.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This, of course, doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go do something useful for society or produce salable goods for the marketplace.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.