Contradiction and Hypocrisy in Paradise
I have wanted to write about hypocrisy for some time now. I decided it would be wise to look up the official definition of the word. Hypocrisy is defined as ‘the contrivance of a false appearance of virtue or goodness well concealing real character or inclination is especially with respect to religious or moral beliefs’
It comes from the Greek word hypocrisy this which means play acting, acting out, jealous or coward
It’s very strange being in the public eye to some extent and I often get accused by my children of being a different person online than I am with them. There is a lot of truth to this accusation. Although I don’t consciously act when I man out on the street.
Recently I was giving a talk about veganism and a journalist approached me and said that although he was interested in changing his diet, he was concerned that once he made that move He was opening up a Pandora’s box and would have to change everything in his life.
I live with many contradictions in my life and currently I think that if I was to try and live without contradictions the only choice I would have would be to live in a field somewhere, completely away from society.
From almost the minute I wake up in the morning till the moment I go to bed and even during my sleep I am complicit in all kinds of destruction. For example whilst I’m sleeping and it is the winter, my boiler is burning gas. God only knows where that gas comes from. When I get into the car or even on a bus, I’m involved in polluting the environment and the extraction of that oil which often includes violence.
The food that I buy and the clothes I wear and of course the technology which I’m using right now are all stained Violence in many guises.
There are many more contradictions in my life, some of which I am comfortable sharing and some of which I would rather keep to myself.
I am writing this article from a luxury hotel room in Acapulco. I am aware that the people that work here getting paid very low wages. I am also aware that a lot of our oil was burned getting me here on the aeroplane.
In fact the conference I’m attending, Anarcapulco is billed as an anrcho-capitalist conference. I’m ok with then anarcho but. Not so sure about the capitalist part.
Having said all that, I feel like I’m in paradise.
They say that paradise is really a state of mind - that one can be in hell even in a beautiful environment and in heaven even when in prison.
Whilst that may be true, I feel like I am currently having a heavenly experience. I feel like one of the most fortunate people I know. I have been blessed with a life beyond my wildest dreams although I forget that every day without fail!
But here in Acapulco, it’s easier to remember. The weather is stunning and a welcome break from the British winter. It’s 30 degrees every day and I’m loving the vitamin D infusion.
The setting is like heaven. As you can see from the pictures, the beach is one minute away and the hotel is like a dream.
But what really makes it so exciting and inspiring are the people. All of us here are part of what @surfermarly recently coined the lunatic fringe. The people crazy enough to dive in with crypto and decentralised platforms like this very one. And all of us who are engaging in this are equally lunatic regardless of our financial success but here. Even though the UI is shitty, we haven’t given up. We have accepted that this is where it’s at currently. (Watch this space for an ‘ @ned wake the fuck up’ Competition) And for me, the rewards are starting to come in.
And everyone I meet here seems share the UNDERSTANDING of what governments really are, in almost every country. The enemy of life itself to differing degrees and In differing ways. Even the government agents say that here! And we know that there can be better ways of living together. Steemit is one such way. An exciting experiment. And there will be all sorts of others as technology and human consciousness advance.
And thanks to the gains I made from coming to This event last year for my 50th birthday, I am here with my awesome family. I know it’s not easy for them. They put up with a crazy father and husband. But I hope they’ll also get to meet some other crazy people and get to realise that as Krishnamurti said ‘It’s no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.’
Everyone I speak to here I can resonate with at some level. It’s such a pleasure not to have to even bother explaining the insanity of mainstream media, the monetary system, the legal system, the political system. I don’t have to speak about spiritual journeys as most people here see themselves as on one. I feel like we are all on the road to self stewardship and taking responsibility.
I am also aware in the back of my mind that there’s are still heaps of contradictions in my life. And that’s there are still so many people suffering in this world.
But being angry about that won’t help them or me. I pray instead for some kind of balance. Balance of feeling pain - my own and others, Whilst remembering to accept it all and feel the joy from all my blessings which are almost inumerable.
Let me know who you would like me to interview here and I will give it a go and I’ll put it on dtube.
Blessings
Danny
Awesome that you're at Anarchapulco again, Danny. I would like to see you interview Mark Passio, and I hope you will be attending his presentations as, in my opinion, he has the most holistic outlook and worldview in the entire anarchist community. I would also like to see you interview as many vegan anarchists as possible!
Have a good time.
follow me danny you introduced me to steemit and i was watching your youtube vids for years
@dannyshine
cheers danny love your art its much apperciated
Done
i allso mentioned you in my intro post keep it up brother
Glad you're enjoying the conference.
It's also badly overused these days. All too often, 'hypocrisy' is charged when the better word is inconsistency or inconstancy.
The folks who fling it around don't seem to realize that they're aiding a Darwinesque selection process that will knock down all but the squeaky-clean. I'll leave it to you to guess how the squeaky-clean crop will govern.
LOL, me too love the vitamin D infusion!
Enjoy your holiday and the anrcho-capitalist conference, Danny!
(I can't wait to see your new interview on @dTube!)
Ciaoooo
P.s.: will you come again in Italy, this summer?
Hi Danny really good post. Very much strung a chord with me on the point of hypocrisy - I know exactly where you are coming from. As you open your eyes to new possibilities and question the way of doing things - you just see more and more of it. I hope you have a wonderful family holiday as well as absorbing the thought provoking content over there. Thanks and look forward to your blogs for this week ahead.
I really enjoyed reading your article Danny, it resonates with me too. The way I see it is that we can only do our best under the circumstances.
Enjoy the conference and thank you for your support 😍
whooa , Excellent pictures. Lovely animals. Good to travel and tour round the world.
Nice.
Hey Danny, if you still there interview with Mark Passio will be interesting. Enjoy!