Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. Gilbert Keith Chesterton
I came upon this quote last night on Twitter.
Twitter is part of the new mode of communication. It’s still new enough to be regarded with scepticism by some. But it has proven that it can spread news like wildfire, be a useful organising tool and help build new communities of interest, across borders.
I think those new communities are exciting and are challenging existing boundaries. I want my children to pursue the opportunities they provide. That the internet provides.
But every new community needs to be grounded by a clear understanding of its roots. From where it came. Its values. And have faith that those values will prevail through time.
My father has quoted GK Chesterton at me all my life. Not this particular quote. But it resonates.
I am not particularly religious, despite a Catholic upbringing. But I do believe in a collective soul. Some would call it nationhood. Collective knowledge. Consciousness. Conscience.
I believe ours is at risk.
Twitter isn’t a mode. It’s a medium.
Collective Consciousness I prefer.
That tipping point, where just enough people all believe in one thing enough, then all of a sudden, everyone else knows something about it, is talking about it, is doing it.
Witness: Magnetic Pole Shift, the slow waking up of the horde as to the farce that has been foisted on us under the guise of “Goreism” aka Global Warming/Climate Change, and my new favourite “Climate Challenge”.
Look up the 100 Monkey Theory. That explains it better.
You start by saying Twitter is part of the new way we communicate, and conclude NZ’s losing it’s collective soul? Sorry, but I must’ve missed something here.
It(our collective soul), was showing signs of entering it’s death throes when i came home in 2004. i hate to think what was done here that could have done so much damage in less than the decade i was away.
things were grim when i left(ruthie was slashing with gay abandon), but there was still the will and confidence to get on and try things… still a bit of fight left in the old dog, so to speak…
something is definitely missing… i hope we find what it is before we lose ourselves completly..
btw.. compliments on the incisive repartee there nick..
@anton.. i think it’s called a segue..
When your philosophy is collectivism, it follows you would believe in a “collective soul”. But what you seem to be describing, at least in part, is nationalism, more normally associated with conservatives. Your notions are fanciful.
“The rich are the scum of the earth in every country.” GK Chesterton
Perhaps if he quoted someone more positive.
Lindsay how is Nationalism associated with conservatives? Nationalism goes above politics it is an idea and I would argue that every political party is nationalistic.
That being said it’s an odd post… she first sais that education is the soul of a society, then that the soul of a society means the same thing as nationhood, so therefore … education is nationhood? And then something about communication that seems irrelevant. I don’t know. She seems to be trying to say ‘our education system is at risk’.
Clare,
Have a chat with your colleague Charles Chauvel and ask him about the Future NZ Strategy presentation he hosted tonight at Parliament.
Regards
Raf
“A Nation” is basically a circle drawn around an area of sand, those contained within supplying the tax/bodies to fight the occupants of other circles.
We live on an island… which makes it seem less stupid, but it’s not any less stupid. Sport is a proxy for war, war is a proxy for sport. I don’t buy any of it.
@Nick Nationhood also gives us an extra reason to love one another and that gives it legitimate cause for me.
On the other hand, it was great how we came together as a nation to help Christchurch!
Nick I don’t see New Zealand going into a war soley over Nationalism any time soon… by the way is that not what we call Fascism instead?
That quote from twitter is 116 characters too big for a twitter tweet.
Woops, rss had wrong bit quoted lol
Clare, Clare
*sigh*
You talk about soul
while National is getting it sold
If this is Labour attempt at an April the first joke it went over my head
It just dosn’t make much sense
My personal favourite Chesterton quote:
“The oligarchic character of the modern English commonwealth does not rest, like many oligarchies, on the cruelty of the rich to the poor. It does not even rest on the kindness of the rich to the poor. It rests on the perennial and unfailing kindness of the poor to the rich.”
Why ARE we so kind to the rich? For so little return?
Clare, can you tell us precisely what it is that’s causing our collective soul, nationhood, collective knowledge Consciousness and / or Conscience to be put at risk? This might help some of us understand your segue (or perhaps help us to avoid needing to understand it) but am guessing from some of the comments you’ve probably given up on this post by now?
@Lyndsay – I find almost everything you say totally incomprehensible. You try to write with authority but what you say almost invariably lacks any sense or has even a modicum of logic. Often, as with your comment here, you make no point whatsoever. Nationalism “more normally associated with conservatives”? This is up there with your belief that paying benefits causes poverty therefore to eliminate poverty we need to stop paying benefits. Somebody needs to base a cartoon character on you. It’d be brilliant. You’d be great on Southpark.
Nationalism has harmed more than it has moved.
Come on Lyndsay, where are you? It’s be good to hear you respond to your critics.
I don’t think anyone involved in politics can be an athiest. They can be agnostic, but that’s not the same thing. They have beliefs in something (capitalism, socialism etc).