Truthfulness and Trust

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I have reminded you, not long ago, that no family, no community, no society can long endure in the absence of trust.  No principles, beliefs or opinions can be effective if we are unable to trust. It is possible to pull ourselves back from this downward spiral, but it will not be with a quick fix.  We must each focus first on our personal responsibility—on the necessary attitudes, behaviors, and virtues that form the basis for a stable society.

This, the American Founders warned, is what freedom would require of us. Do we understand?

Let me be clear.  The future of the United States will, in my view, depend on general recognition that truthfulness is essential at all times.  Yes, truthfulness—the truthfulness upon which all trust depends.

You laugh?

Well, my friends, you can laugh all the way to chaos and mayhem.  Because we have no choice.

Seeking liberty in a new order, the Founders introduced the Constitution with an extraordinary lack of constraints and restrictions.  They knew the future of the nation would depend on the behavior of its citizens, and they said so. 

Why is truthfulness necessary?  Why does civilized order depend on it?

Another virtue, sometimes called a “cardinal virtue”, is prudence.  And, if truth be known, all the virtues are prudent—for the simple reason that a civilized society depends on them.

The virtues, among which are patience, forbearance, compassion, and ethical consistency, are the means for securing a safe, stable and productive society.  These are not simply “nice ideas”; they are among the core tenets of human civilization.

Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues, and prudence is their purpose.

Where do we start?  Our society is heavily burdened by the discord and disunity that come with distrust.  Conflict and contention are the source of degradation and loss.

Actually, we do not need to agree on much to be trustworthy.  However, we do need demonstrate our trustworthiness.  And this can only be done in active, engaged relationships.

It will only be possible to build trust with civility, and with a genuine interest in understanding the reality of other people.  Those who differ from us come to their views and perspective by way of their experience, their hopes, fears, and disappointments. So it is that unity of action in a community is only possible where there is genuine dialog leading to authentic relationships. 

First, we need to agree with our neighbors only on resolving the immediate problems at hand. Accepting responsibility for interpersonal dialog contributes to safer neighborhoods, to meeting practical needs.  Kindness attracts loyalty.  Reciprocity engenders productivity.

Being realistic about this means preparing ourselves for situations that are sometimes frustrating.  This is our reality today.  A great deal of damage has been done. So, steadfast patience becomes essential, a way of being.  We must determine not to be compromised by difficult circumstances or diverted from our purpose.

Interpersonal relationships are the sinews of community, and communities form the foundations of a society.  Genuine dialog and ongoing working relationships build trust.  This is where the groundwork for stability is built.

Sometimes it takes courage to engage with people we don’t know or understand.  But without this we remain stuck in helplessness and in the dark. Without truthfulness and good will, constructive action is impossible and security is a mirage.

Finally, let us please beware that we not walk in the ways of those whose words differ from their deeds.  We see this all around us, and it is the kiss of death.

Be true to your words, and ensure that your actions are consistent, trustworthy and faithful.

Tom

Note to regular readers: You may look for the next post on or about May 1.

An Introduction to the forthcoming book and several sample chapters are linked at the top of the homepage: http://www.freedomstruth.net.

Who We Are!

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The American Founders made a determined effort to ‘see the end in the beginning’.  The Constitutional Convention of 1787 gave birth to a vision that generated inner fortitude and outer prosperity for more than two hundred years.  The Constitution has provided protections for both minorities and majorities which have remained firmly in place despite every upheaval.  It ensures the order necessary to make constructive change possible, and guides us through the patient discipline required to do so. 

Americans stand today at another decisive turning point in history which calls for the same kind of visionary maturity.

We are blessed with the oldest democratic republic on the planet, a brilliantly conceived structure that has channeled the creative initiative of immigrant peoples into a dynamic force for capacity-building and well-being. Basic order and consistency have survived throughout a contentious past, as the United States has advanced slowly, painfully, toward an ever-more just and inclusive society.

There have been inconsistencies, certainly.  There will always be work to do.

Most of the Founders appeared unable to imagine a multiracial society.  Slavery remained prevalent in the United States long after it was ended everywhere else in the European world.  This injustice was unique in a modern nation.

Yet the Constitution put a set of institutions in place that were capable of resisting injustice to an unparalleled degree.  We have been growing into this inheritance as we have matured.  Ours is the responsibility to give trustworthiness and fairness the strength and resiliency they require.  Prosperity will be unattainable without this.

The record has not always been pretty, but how could we expect anything approaching perfection when we throw the human race, gathered together from diverse roots, into the managed chaos which is the nature of freedom?

The human race has matured as America has matured.  The Constitution provides the structure; we must do the work.

Early in the twenty-first century the American people have splintered into isolated fragments, as fear and inflexible thinking dominate public discourse. Those citizens who defend the time-honored American traditions of pluralism and inclusion have found themselves isolated amidst the clamor and confusion of bitterness.

What is it, after all, do we suppose made America great?  May I make a suggestion?

The Constitution has provided a supple backbone for a vibrant, combative, and creative people.  It trusts citizens to live and act with moral responsibility.  Our behavior matters.  The Founders knew the success of the new nation depended on this, and they said so.

The lack of ethical leadership in America is one of the many signs of the breakdown of moral values in our society. Without such leadership it becomes necessary for each citizen to examine his or her assumptions and test them against the reality that confronts us.

We must try to become aware of our unconscious assumptions—what we assume to be true.  When unexamined assumptions are taken for granted, they can become “conventional wisdom”.  We imagine them to be “the truth”.

And so it is that self-styled “leaders” parrot back to us what they think we want to hear.

Americans need to take responsibility for the order given us by the Constitution.  It is not rational to expect someone else to make things right.  We are a sovereign people.

Responsibility is always personal. Until we accept this truth the world will disintegrate around us.

The Constitution provides a framework with which to apply ourselves.  It invites us to find our way into the future with loyalty, collaboration, reciprocity.

We are Americans.  We can do it.

Tom

A note to regular readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about April 2.

An annotated Table of Contents from the forthcoming book, as well as the Introduction and several sample chapters can be found at the top of the homepage.  I welcome your ideas and feedback.

Image courtesy of the Washington Plaza Hotel.

A Doorway to Safety

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With a society in disarray and social stability faltering, our problems and uncertainties are many.  As the horizon darkens, where can we find safety and assurance?  Who can we trust?  How will we build a future we can accept and believe in?

My proposition that dependable neighbors are essential in a time of crisis, often seems to fall on deaf ears.  We need our neighborhoods to be safe and secure, and surely we possess the ability to make them so.

Can we imagine dependable neighbors or truly functional communities in today’s America?  How many of us have made a serious effort to cultivate trust among those around us?

Are we unable to see what’s coming?

Community is something we have had in the past.  America was built on the foundation of local communities, authentic communities, and we can learn how to do it again.

The widespread dispersal of working people all across America, resulting from the ascendancy of corporate ‘mass society’, has had profound consequences.  The loss of coherent communities has blind-sided Americans.  It has uprooted lives and led to disorientation, insecurity, and growing distrust.

We know something is missing, but we are not sure what it is or how it happened.

Throughout human history local communities have provided a foundation for stability, and the means to develop personal identity and understand what it means to belong somewhere. 

Genuine community supports trustworthy relationships and provides opportunities for engaging productively in society.  It is here that we gain confidence in our ourselves as free and independent individuals.

The loss of such dependability has opened up a void, and it needs to be filled. 

We are experiencing a deeply felt need for belonging which manifests itself in many ways.  Consequently, we find ourselves drawn to whatever available options seem most attractive. 

Dishonest and deceitful interests and manipulative ideologues are often the benefactors.

Americans are intelligent people and capable of thinking rationally.  But for several generations we have been enveloped in an amorphous unreality dominated by huge corporations.  Such a society has its own impersonal interests which are not our own.

Today true community rarely exists.  We don’t know what it is.  Political community is often the only community we know, and partisan politics are defined by division and conflict.  Unity is imagined as illusory, and cooperation is thought a fool’s errand.

We covet isolation as an escape from negativity, but submerse ourselves in the aimless tedium and distorted dreamworld of televised entertainment and social media.

Many barely know our next-door neighbors.  Few of us live in a neighborhood that provides the safety and organized coherence that communities have provided in the past.  While we may not be aware of everything that has been taken from us, we do know the uncertainties that come with the loss of community. 

However, there is a door in this wall and we must learn how to find it.

We can only discover that people are trustworthy and dependable by allowing ourselves to know them as workmates and neighbors.  The best way to learn what people are made of—and to build trust—is to work shoulder-to-shoulder, resolving local problems and meeting shared needs.

It is very true that building safe communities is challenging.  But we can learn how to do it as a skill, just as we have learned others.  And surely, we know that a civilized future can only be built with civility, respectfulness, and responsibility. 

This is the doorway to safety.  Each of us is capable of walking through it on our own—with steadfast purpose, undeterred by the confusion or misbehavior of others. 

Interpersonal relationships form the substance of community, and communities form the foundation of civilization.

Tom

A note to regular readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about March 1.

To receive emailed alerts, you may visit the homepage at http://www.freedomstruth.net.  An Introduction to the forthcoming book can be found there, as well as an annotated Table of Contents and several sample chapters.

An American Choice

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Readers of this blog know the basis for my message.  With our future spiraling ever deeper into crisis, I believe there to be only one way to seek safety and stability.  Our neighborhoods and local communities can be prepared to provide organized and dependable cooperation.  As conditions deteriorate, we can choose to rise above our differences to the extent necessary.  Meeting shared needs will require effective planning and dialog.

This may well be an ultimate choice for Americans—and for two reasons.  First, it might very well determine the safety of our families during the coming storm.  And, second, as we work together in the face of hardship, we will discover what our fellow citizens are actually made of. 

This is probably the only way we can find our way back to the loyal perseverance and pluralistic traditions that first came to life in the American past.

It is easy to assume the worst of people who appear different from ourselves.  But they might actually prove to be quite ready to stand by us as dependable neighbors.

How can we start building such security?

Functional community always depends on personal initiative.  No organizational skills are necessary. When we reach out to our neighbors—down the street and around the corner—we will be welcomed by some and rebuffed by others.  But we only need a few to begin a productive dialog.

The effort to assess circumstances and identify needs will lead to planning and action.  Others will join when they recognize and trust what you are doing.  Some will take longer to come around than others.  Distrust is running deep and misinformation is pervasive.

The challenge of building local communities does not require expertise.  To get started, we only need to put our heads together. 

It is true, however, that the greater the diversity you bring together, the safer you will be.  This is because you will be tapping into more available knowledge, experience, and personal skills.

The dynamic interaction of diverse perspectives provides immense strength.  In my view, community is the crucial choice for us in the face of dire circumstances.

How much danger will we subject ourselves to, before we turn to constructive action?  What keeps us back?

I suggest to you that the greatest of all dangers is lodged in our unexamined assumptions.  There is no greater risk to the future of America.

Assumptions always get in the way.  They have no real existence except in our imagination.  But real people do not live in our imaginations.

We must free ourselves from this very dangerous source of alienation.  The danger is real and can become extreme.

Among those imprisoned in their imaginations, are those who propose a forceful approach to change.  Do we understand what this means?

Let’s be clear:  Force will create exactly the opposite of its intended purpose.  Traditional conservatism understands this quite well.

It was Hayek who said, “the principle that the ends justify the means is in individualist ethics regarded as the denial of all morals.”

Harry Emerson Fosdick may have stated this truth most clearly: “He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to.  It is the means that determine the end.”

And the conservative icon, Ayn Rand drove the point home most emphatically: “An attempt to achieve the good by force is like an attempt to provide a man with a picture gallery at the price of cutting out his eyes.”

Americans will depend on rational minds and moral principles as we navigate the rocky road ahead.  Incivility, negativity, and especially threatening behavior, will subvert virtually everything that matters. 

Influencing hearts and minds depends on demonstrating trustworthiness in our actions.  Which is why we can begin by gathering a few of our neighbors around the kitchen table. 

Personal sharing, honest dialog, and realistic planning are the foundations of local security–and for the future of this American nation.

The means by which we seek our intended purpose will determine the substance and quality of the outcome. 

Tom.

Notes to regular readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about February 2.

To receive email alerts, click the box on the right side of the homepage..  An Introduction and annotated Table of Contents for the forthcoming book can be found at the top of the homepage.

Trust and Distrust

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The steady corrosion of social order in the United States has been accompanied by the steady loss of trust.  This is not simply a symptom; it lies at the heart of our difficulties.   Trust is essential to the integrity and well-being of a society, and trustworthiness its first requirement.  Without trust no family or community or nation can long subsist.

At the present extraordinary turning point in American history, we are confronted with a broken society.  We need to understand what has been happening and what it means.  Americans face a multi-layered challenge, and the necessity for trust underlies every constructive response.

Trust is learned over time through lived experience.  It requires active interpersonal relationships.  Trust is grounded in authentic dialogue.  Civilization depends on this. But few of us take the initiative to make it happen. Whether such disengagement is caused by shyness, fear, or myopic foolishness, the consequences are severe.  Growing alienation has drained meaning and constructive insight from our lives.

Surely it is necessary to re-establish trustworthiness as the foundation for the character and strength of a genuinely American society.  This will take significant time and effort.  It will not come easily.

Learning to trust is most possible in local communities—because this is where interpersonal dialogue and consistent engagement are most possible and most necessary.  When the going gets tough, local communities are where trustworthiness truly matters.

When we engage meaningfully, honestly, in personal relationships, we gradually bring trust to life.  Trustworthiness becomes real as we experience its dependability.  We want it because we need it.  There are no shortcuts.  Building a stable, prosperous society will take as long as intelligent and determined people need to make it so.

This is our first challenge on the path to creating safety and resolving problems.  To seek genuine personal relationships in the presence of distrust and alienation, requires patience and courage and grace.  Only then will solutions follow.

An inquisitive interest in accurate understanding, and the willingness to be the first to listen, make many things possible.  Even the most stubborn negative attitudes can be influenced when approached with curiosity and generosity of spirit—however long this might take.

Compassion can be a great relief to people who have experienced the loss of their hopes and expectations for the future.  As good listeners we can make it clear that we have heard, recognized the pain, and tried to understand.

When others are not ready to listen or respond, we must leave them to themselves.  But remember: Personal integrity and trustworthiness lives and grows with genuine interactive engagement.  They come alive in caring and considerate relationships.

The mystery of differences and diversity does not need to be threatening.  The greatest tests on this rocky road are those that call for grace, constancy, and generosity of spirit. 

No one is asking us to change our views and our values, but only to seek dignity for others as well as ourselves.  This is indeed honorable. But we are called to something even greater.  The integrity that takes root in authenticity and dependability, soon spreads to influence the character of the society around us.

We can all work on this.

In seeking to build trust, we are each met with two challenges:  We need first to prepare ourselves—which means working on our own trustworthiness.  Secondly, we cannot respond sincerely to others without an interest in the pain, fear, and disappointments they have experienced.

This is about interpersonal engagement; but it is also about accurate information.  How have others come to think, behave and react the way they do?  Knowing more of the truth in the lives of others opens doors and allows us to embark on the journey to trust.

Tom

A note to readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about January 2.   To receive emailed alerts, click on the button..  An annotated Table of Contents for the forthcoming book is now available at the top of the homepage..

Liberty, Order and Individuality

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Among the most influential ideas in colonial America was respect for independent human individuality.  This might not have been widely discussed at the dinner table, but the feeling was strong.  Most immigrants came to America to seek religious freedom or to escape from oppressive social and economic circumstances.  Strong reactions to oppressive government policies and practices were expressed on both sides of the Atlantic.

The term “individualism” is relatively new to human history, first coming into common use late in the 18th century.  Leading almost immediately to confusion, differing interpretations engendered fiercely competitive philosophies.  But, that’s a story for another day.

My purpose here is to consider individuality, identity, and self-reliance in the context of American history and from our perspective today.

Individual liberty has sometimes been associated with egoism and selfishness.  However, the concept was originally conceived as respect for the validity of the views and experience of the individual within his or her own sphere, and the ideal that each of us should be encouraged to develop our own natural gifts.

This begs an interesting question:  How do mutual respect and the strength of community arise in the presence of human selfishness?  This is a very practical concern.  How do we think about it?

It is not hard to see that freedom without respect for others would make civilized order quite impossible.  A regard for the individuality and integrity of others has value for us personally, as well as for society.  And it is a basic principle of moral responsibility.

The perceptions and behavior of our neighbors can have direct consequences for our own well-being.  As conditions worsen, we will need one another.  We are all facing the same deteriorating conditions.

We may accept personal differences, but degrading behavior and open hostility are simply not acceptable.  We need some degree of order for safety and comfort.

Living with diversity is both beneficial and unavoidable.  Consequently, fostering dependable relationships with our neighbors is important.  This requires interactive dialogue and supportive cooperation.  Needless to say, dependable relationships need to be sustained.

We are all experiencing extraordinary challenges today.  The degradation of the social order and the physical environment are confronting us with greater burdens than we have ever known before.

We normally take life’s irregularities for granted.  But, the personal challenges to our independence and integrity seem to come now every day.  Trustworthiness and dependability are life-lines to safety.

Many things can chafe in life, particularly the actions of others.  Domineering people and dysfunctional institutions are particularly aggravating.  And yet, as mature adults we have always risen above the inevitable constraints in life to find meaning and purpose in a social world.

The future calls upon us to rise to the next level, both as individuals and as a society.  And so, I address each of you with the following questions:

Firstly, can we stand on our own two feet with fortitude and generosity of spirit—to serve a confused and fearful humanity?  Are we ready to be genuinely trustworthy and dependable?  This is the bottom line.

Secondly, we would do well to consider a simple question concerning these very complex circumstances.  What is it, I ask, that humanity deserves to gain from the founding of the United States?  And, as Americans what do we wish to keep?

What is the potential for justice and integrity that comes with “the American idea?”  And, why should we fight to sustain that potential into the future?

We have entered a new chapter in American history.  We need to reorient ourselves and adjust.

Miscommunication and antagonism limit our knowledge and hamper our ability to act.  Misinformation will subvert our best intentions.  A questioning mind and a positive attitude are of greater importance now than ever before.

We need to agree on an acceptable bottom line for national unity, which allows for diversity and ensures that dialogue and decision-making are possible.

We are all capable of a curious interest in understanding people.  There is no reason for us to lose our identity, independence, or self-respect.  What are we afraid of?

It is not necessary to agree with people in order to understand them.  And, if we fail to understand, we are flying blind.

Tom

A note to regular readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about December 2.   To receive emailed alerts click on the Follow button. An annotated Table of Contents for the forthcoming book has now been made available at the top of the homepage.

Freedom & Responsibility

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In the years since the World Wars, Americans have gradually come to terms with the idea that freedom and responsibility have a direct and integral relationship with each other.  This seems reasonable enough, but how much attention do we give it?  Why is it true, and what does it actually mean?

Self-reliance and the acceptance of responsibility for family and community are hallmarks of the American idea.  They are sources of human dignity and self-respect.  They support dependability among neighbors.

People respect people who are respectful—people who take responsibility for themselves and care about others.  When the going gets tough, whining and complaints really don’t fly.

We can all see the way things are coming apart.  Integrity in our relationships with friends and neighbors will matter.  In a crumbling society it will matter a lot.

We demonstrate our personal integrity in working relationships.  Responsibility can only exist in relationships.  This is where we show our true colors.

Some people imagine they can assert their freedom by simply doing as they wish.  But there can be no freedom without consideration for the realities of a civilized order.  Personal security depends on order and the quality of relationships.

Some seem never to have considered the conditions required to secure safety or justice or the basic functionality of human society.  Some seem ready to tear everything down without a thought for the consequences, even for themselves. 

Over-reactive drama, lacking foresight or wisdom, can actually destroy the means for needed change—for seeking constructive solutions.  A failure of foresight can undermine security and bring about the dissolution of order. 

In the previous post I spoke with you about the importance of truthfulness, trustworthiness, and forbearance, virtues which the American founders expected of the American people—not simply from political leadership, but from everyone. 

They knew liberty could not be had in any other way, and they said so.  They gave us their trust: A governing structure with almost no constraints other than those respecting the property and well-being of our fellow citizens.

Democracy was a new idea back then.  The Constitutional Convention of 1787 struggled with the concerns of a contentious constituency, and recognition that the Republic would face future threats and unpredictable stresses.

Libertarian sentiments were strong among Americans in the 18th century.  There was a natural fear of the oppressiveness of institutions from which they had so recently fled. Many had strong feelings about protecting the freedom they experienced in America, a freedom that stood in marked contrast to the ever-present example of slavery (which they insisted on maintaining).

The Founders were quite aware of the mood, and recognized that majority factions had no qualms about suppressing minorities or rejecting the interests of anyone who differed from themselves.  It was easy to imagine a tumultuous future.

The United States Constitution is the product of this tension, and the determination to create a dynamic framework capable of protecting freedoms while channeling the forces of conflict and change that would surely come. How did the Founders endeavor to project freedom and order into a future they could only barely imagine?

The Constitution provides a structure for governance designed for a diverse and argumentative population.  Yet, it is notable for its’ simplicity and provides few legal constraints. They chose a course that depends on Americans to govern their own behavior.  Fairness and balance are woven into the fabric of the Republic.  The rest depends on us. 

Americans are now more than 300 million in number and we have differences.  Disagreement is natural.  Differences need to be fully understood before solutions can be investigated.

Civilized choices are made possible through the collaborative problem-solving enabled by the Constitution.  Americans possess the tools for problem-solving, for managing change, and most importantly, for addressing violations of integrity and trust.

These things take time if we care about freedom and responsibility.  Instability begins with impatience, and the inability to compromise. 

We stand today at an extraordinary turning point.  We cannot abandon our inheritance and imagine it possible to start over again from nothing.  That would be impossible.

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about November 1.

Note to new readers:  An introduction to the coming book, an annotated table of contents, and several chapters are available in draft at the top of the homepage: http://www.freedomstruth.net.

Freedom’s First Principles

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As the crises multiply around us, Americans are confronted with unexpected challenges.  It is becoming painfully apparent that we may need to know and depend on our neighbors, whatever their religion, their politics, or the color of their skin.  With disunity comes danger and vulnerability.

If we are to build strong communities and safe neighborhoods, it will begin with the personal integrity upon which community depends.  Integrity is essential in the character of purpose.  So, let’s be clear about what we are doing: The only acceptable future depends on trustworthiness. 

I suggest that the foundations for trust include truthfulness, dependability, moral responsibility, and genuine interpersonal dialog.

These are not things to be acquired by wishful thinking.  We must make them so.  They are learned and lived in relationships.  Authentic community is not possible without them.

This may seem idealistic to some and to others simply out of reach.  But it is clear to me that we have no choice but to live responsibly.  This will mean summoning the courage to engage meaningfully with everyone around us.  Yes, everyone!

Americans can do this.  Freedom depends on it.  But it does require a positive attitude, practical thinking, and skills we are all capable of learning. 

In light of recent history, a respect for moral values would seem to be a practical response to the degradation of social order in a society dominated by dishonesty, deception and distrust—and their inevitable consequences.

The word ‘virtue’ has lost respect and many people now avoid using it.  But when we think about integrity, there is no other word that serves as well.  Why?  Because the virtues are necessary if we are to live our lives engaged with what is real rather than what is imagined.

One might reasonably argue that this is a global problem and not limited to the United States.  As Americans, however, we have particular reason to take notice. The bulwark of stability that is the United States Constitution cannot function in the absence of the traditional virtues.  And the reason is, quite simply, because it provides a uniquely unrestrictive governing structure.

The character of the Constitution is founded upon the founders’ expectations regarding the integrity and character of future Americans.  Their contract with us was an act of faith, an expression of the belief that Americans could be entrusted with the future.

This is not a theoretical interpretation of the founders’ motives.  Their expectations of us were clearly expressed in letters, speeches and writings. “Everyone involved in the creation of the United States,” writes Charles Murray, “knew that its success depended on virtue in its citizenry – not gentility, but virtue.” 

James Madison was explicit: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people is a chimerical [wildly fanciful] idea.”

Patrick Henry was equally forceful: “No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue.” And, in his farewell address George Washington famously said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”

These words of wisdom are quoted by Charles Murray in his book, ‘Coming Apart’.  “In their various ways”, he comments, “the founders recognized that if a society is to remain free, self-government refers first of all to individual citizens governing their own behavior.”

The warnings confront us today as we peer into the waiting abyss of a corrupt and duplicitous future.  Will we stop to consider why the founders knew that liberty depends on virtue, and, indeed, what liberty actually meant to them?

In America, accountability falls to ourselves.  And it is here that a discussion of first principles must begin.

There is a reason why living virtuously is about living well.  Virtue is practical.  It protects us from violating the foundations of existence. 

It has been said that prudence, which is one of the so called ‘cardinal virtues’, is actually the form or pattern of all the virtues.  This is because the virtues allow us to live in a way which is compatible with true order. 

It is prudent to be trustworthy.  It is prudent to respect reality.

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about October 2.

A note to readers: An annotated Table of Contents, Introduction, and several chapters from the forthcoming book are posted in draft at the top of the homepage.

Safety and Self-reliance

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There are reasons why safety and self-reliance each depend on the other.  Both need trustworthy neighbors.  Both depend on rational thinking and foresight.  When we are confronted by growing disorder we would do well to think carefully about safety and self-reliance. Most of us can see that civil order is deteriorating.  And surely we know that when the going gets tough, our neighbors will matter to us.

What will happen when we can no longer depend on emergency services or well-stocked stores?  It might become impossible to get assistance from outside our neighborhood.

The community we live in, whatever it may look like, is where essential needs must be met, where social problems become personal problems, and where safety is a paramount concern. 

Do we know which skills are possessed by our neighbors?  Are we developing community gardens and learning how to preserve food? We will be confronted by necessity as the world unravels around us.  Those who ignore this, do so at their peril.

Local communities are where we have the most control—and the most to lose.  They must be made self-reliant by those who intend to be self-reliant. This is a commitment and source of strength.  But we need dependable neighbors with practical skills, knowledge and experience. 

Each of us is called to step forward, to build working relationships, to patiently encourage one another in constructive action. Making things happen will mean listening to our neighbors, learning what they know, and being ready to cooperate.  We are not used to living this way, but we can do it!

Necessity can only be met with courage, patience, and personal initiative.  With a positive attitude and a readiness to persevere, safety will come with unity of purpose. 

Community self-reliance comes alive in working relationships that cultivate trust and meet common needs.  Just as we learn by doing, so also do we earn trust—reaching out across differences in tradition, politics, and experience. 

Effective decision-making takes advantage of the knowledge and thinking of a diversity of perspectives and inputs.  If we listen to one another with genuine curiosity, drawing out constructive ideas, decisions will often produce more than expected.

As I have often said, there is no need to alter our values or views.  Agreement will only be necessary concerning the immediate needs at hand.  In the process we will come to know and better understand one another.  Dependable alliances and respectful collaboration will only emerge when we allow it.

The goodness in human beings is often veiled by injuries, sorrow and pain.  Lack of self-confidence often comes across as arrogance or aggressiveness.  We need to reach through the damage people have suffered, to free their hidden strengths and potential for loyalty.

It can require patience and compassion to uncover the beauty in someone who is being difficult or ugly.  We know it is there, because this is how human beings are made. Responsibility falls to each of us.  Freedom depends on it—for ourselves and for others. 

Those who persist in negativity should be left to themselves.  Still, whatever their attitude, we can assure them we stand ready to assist in time of need. It will be deeds and not words, giving and not taking, forgiveness and not blame, which will carry us through the darkness and out the other side.

Those of you who understand trust and responsibility—and who recognize the very high stakes involved—will build the foundations for the future. 

What is essential is that Americans stand together, making firm our commitment to easing and overcoming the anxiety and suspicion that swirl around us. We will refocus our vision and values with such strength of purpose that partisan politics will be powerless to subvert.

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about September 1.

From the forthcoming book:  An annotated Table of Contents, a revised Introduction, and several sample chapters are linked at the top of the homepage.

Courage and Authenticity

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We are Americans!  When we encounter other Americans who appear quite different from ourselves, either in their character or their views, do we shun them?  Or, are we curious?  Do we test our assumptions honestly?  How will we discover the potential for dependable neighbors if we walk away with our first impressions?

This is an important question: Do we investigate the positive contributions people might have to offer—despite our differences with them?  How many good people are we willing to toss into the trash barrel of willful blindness?  What are we afraid of?

If we have no need of trustworthy neighbors today, the time is fast approaching when we surely will.

Practical needs are not the only thing that require good neighbors.  There will be no trust and no possibility of a secure future without real dialog.

Yes, starting conversations with strangers can cause a little discomfort.  But only at the start.  When we discover who our neighbors really are, and how their experience makes them who they are, we sometimes discover unexpected dependability.

Strangers rarely turn out to be what we imagined. 

Some people will reject our good will.  This is inevitable.  When people are governed by their fear and unable to respond with civility, leave them to themselves.  We must keep moving on. 

However, it is essential that we identify every potential friend and neighbor, every diamond in the rough, as society deteriorates around us.

When it comes to local necessities, nothing can be done without unity on some level.  Safety is found in trustworthiness, not partisan politics. It will only be with dialog and cooperation that Americans can navigate effectively through the narrow place in which we now find ourselves.

This wisdom is rooted in American history and heritage.  Let’s think about what we already know.  Recognizing and rethinking cherished assumptions is always difficult.  There is nothing new about this.  It is normal to feel uncomfortable with people who appear different from ourselves.

Emerson famously said: “People only see what they are prepared to see.” Stephen Covey put it similarly: “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are—or, as we are conditioned to see it.” 

While this conditioning is natural, it interferes with constructive problem-solving.  And, in today’s world our ability to solve problems is the essential problem. We may need to help others push past this, but let’s not be responsible for it ourselves. Building the future will best be pursued with uncluttered emotions, clear vision and a pure heart. 

Albert Einstein once said, ironically: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The reasonable person shudders at the immensity of the task.  But we do have the means to respond constructively. Americans are resourceful!

The path to a future we can respect and believe in actually exists.   It must be secured.  And, we do not need to change our values or views to contribute our skills and positive energy.

Trustworthiness develops with interactive engagement.  Working relationships that accept the mystery of differences and diversity need not be threatening.

In my view, the key to this riddle is best described by the Christian philosopher Henri J.M. Nouwen: “You don’t think your way into a new kind of living,” he wrote. “You live your way into a new kind of thinking.”

The kind of creative action Pastor Nouwen is talking about would be impossible in isolation.  Living our way into a new way of thinking can only take place in dialog and authentic community.

I have used the word “authentic” often.  What does it mean?  Certainly, something that is authentic is the “genuine article”.  Or I could say I am my “authentic self” when I am being consistently genuine in my words and actions.

So, let me be clear:  Authentic community is far more than one structured in a particular way.  Rather, it is one in which we share “a new kind of thinking”.  It can only be built on the foundation of trustworthy relationships.  And trust can only develop with experience—with genuine interest, practical engagement, and productive consultation. 

Tom

You may watch for the next post on or about August 1.

From the forthcoming book:  An annotated Table of Contents, a revised Introduction, and several sample chapters are posted at the top of the homepage.

A New Way of Seeing

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The deterioration of social order in America has been led by the loss of trust over many years.  It was happening long before it was recognized by the institutions of civil society or leaders of thought.  This is not simply a symptom; it lies at the heart of our difficulties. 

We must try to understand this.  In the present moment, however, we must recognize that the profound loss of trust can foreshadow civilizational collapse.

Trust is essential to the integrity and well-being of any society, and trustworthiness its first requirement.  Without trust no family or community or nation can survive. 

At the present extraordinary turning point in history, we are confronted with a broken society in which trust has been steadily degraded.  The meaning of trustworthiness has ceased to be understood.

Trust is learned over time through our experience with active interpersonal relationships.  Civilization depends on it.

We face a multi-layered challenge.  Building trust in personal relationships depends on genuine dialogue and our lived experience with one another.  But we rarely find this possible in our lives today. Clearly, it is necessary to re-establish trustworthiness as the foundation for the character and prosperity of American society.

Learning to trust is most possible in functional local communities—because this is where genuine interpersonal dialogue and loyal engagement is most possible. When the going gets tough, local communities are where trustworthiness truly matters. 

When we build trust in important relationships, we gradually bring it to life in ever-widening circles and relational circumstances.

Trustworthiness becomes real as we experience its dependability.  We will want it because we need it. Yes, this will take a long time.  There are no shortcuts.  Building a stable, prosperous society will take as long as intelligent and determined people need to make it so.

This is the first challenge on the path to creating safety and resolving problems.  To seek interpersonal dialogue where distrust and alienation prevail, requires courage and foresight.  Only then will solutions follow.

Kind words can open doors and penetrate hearts, but making this effort requires steadfast patience.  An interest in genuine understanding, and the willingness to be the first to listen, makes many things possible.

Even the most stubborn attitudes can be penetrated with curiosity and generosity of spirit—however long it might take.  When we encounter pain or defensiveness in others, respond compassionately.  Make it clear that you have heard and tried to understand.

When others are not ready to listen or respond, leave them to themselves.  We must keep moving on. 

But remember: Personal integrity and trustworthiness live and grow through interactive engagement.  They are created in thoughtful relationships. Relationships that accept the mystery of differences and diversity need not be threatening. 

The greatest tests on this rocky road are those that call for grace, constancy, and generosity of spirit.  No one is asking us to change our views and our values, but only to seek dignity for others as well as ourselves.

This is indeed honorable.  But we are called to something greater.

Trust can grow from the smallest of beginnings.  People want to be able to trust.  And the light we bring to their lives can be a great gift. The integrity that takes root in dialogue—in the honest engagement of interpersonal relationships—soon spreads to implant itself in the character of the world around us.

A nation led by fear is a nation destined for tyranny.  The choice between freedom and fear, between empowerment and defensiveness, presents us with a fork in the road to the future.  This is the choice that leads to safety; the understanding that makes loyalty and cooperation possible, whatever the hardships and challenges we are made to endure.

Tom.

Note to readers:  You may watch for the next post on or about July 1. 

Past and Future

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Americans have an extraordinary history and heritage as a nation—a vision and exemplary model for governance which are unprecedented in the world.  As citizens, it is an honor to be responsible for this.  We are called to ensure a future that is free, just, and constructive. 

We are also challenged by the shadow of a violent and contentious past, and now the looming threat of a multitude of crises.  We can easily lose ourselves in self-doubt and endless recrimination—forever relitigating the details of a very human past.  But learning from the past is made real by living our best intentions into the future.

Americans cannot afford to compromise a commitment to an honorable future.  While it is quite true that responsibility depends upon truthfulness, the future also depends on the maturity, understanding, and generosity of spirit that will enable the United States to secure civil order and a free society.

We are Americans; we can do this together.

As individuals, there is but one way forward—personally and without constraint–and this is within our own local communities.  It is for this reason that I have challenged us all to rise above our differences, to engage with one another in the authentic dialogue necessary for problem-solving.

The necessities of shared needs cannot be compromised.  Safety and survival will soon require that we think about what we can accomplish by working together.

Doing this effectively will allow communities to address the future constructively.

We find ourselves confronted today by extraordinary circumstances, a multitude of dangerous and deepening crises.  And yet, this narrow place in American history presents an unprecedented opportunity.

We must rise to the next level, having no choice but to turn to the future with clear-eyed intentionality.

Herein lies the importance of knowing and understanding our neighbors; listening to one another with genuine interest despite our differences.  The failure to engage constructively will threaten the future as threats grow.

The number and diversity of crises confronting us is unparalleled.  Most of us know that something has changed.  The experience of normalcy has evaporated.  Our lives are disrupted and the end is nowhere in sight.

The world is experiencing dramatic structural change.  The rapid development of digital technology without accountability, exponential population growth, the loss of farmland and access to clean water, unprecedented weather—all this imposes on our lives even if it is happening elsewhere.

This is inevitable and no one’s fault.  That it has generated confusion and divisiveness is hardly surprising.  It is natural to look for someone to blame, but this is not useful.

Will we pull ourselves together as Americans did during World War 2, to make America whole?

In the midst of rapidly changing conditions, in a world confronted by hardship and awash with fear, we are forced to discipline ourselves as responsible, trustworthy people. 

The foundation for well-being is trust.  This is the secret of integrity in inter-personal relationships, in communities and in nations.

Dependable neighbors may soon become our only source of security.  We need to know how to make this work, and it begins with ourselves.  We might need to be trustworthy even when no one else notices or reciprocates.

It is true that trust lives in relationships.  It cannot exist in isolation.  And, yes, good-will is helpless if the relations between us remain unchanged.  However, trustworthiness is personal and in fact begins with ourselves!

To establish true community, we must turn away from the impersonal collectivism of mass society—to represent our real selves in authentic relationships.

We prove ourselves ready for community by living genuinely with others as dependable, trustworthy co-workers and neighbors.

Each of us is responsible independently.  No one can do this for us.

Tom.

You may watch for the next post on or about June 4.

A note for new readers: A project description and several sample chapters from the forthcoming book are posted in draft at the top of the homepage.