Thinking Out Loud
Here we are again with another selection of thoughts and ideas that have crossed my mind recently. As always, some could be developed into blog posts of their own but that really isn’t the point of this recurring post. This is more of a curated “brain fart”, where I just put a virtual pen to paper and get some of my thoughts written down for your consideration. As always, please feel free to leave a comment.
Winter
At present the UK is enduring some relatively harsh winter conditions. Usually November to February is continuously filled with rain and drizzle. When it is not enduring either of those things it tends to be overcast and gloomy. However, for a change the nation is currently experiencing snow, ice and heavy frosts. Even as far as the South East of England (IE where I live) the weather is cold, reaching temperatures as low as -3° celsius. Oh and before we get into the usual “You call that cold? It’s -X degrees here” argument, more fool you for living somewhere freezing. You can move, you know. Getting back on point I hate this time of year because it is so dreary. There’s nothing immediately on the horizon to look forward to and the cold weather just makes the matter worse. The UK is never equipped for snow to begin with. The idea of a fortnight somewhere warmer suddenly becomes a lot more appealing.
New Year Honours
Each year on January 1st, the New Year Honours are announced as part of the wider British Honours System. This often attracts a great deal of negative and partisan debate because a percentage of those nominated are serving or former politicians and titles and awards are seen as a “reward” or “payoff”. This is especially so when someone is made a Lord and gets a permanent seat in the second chamber of the UK parliament, The House of Lords. The UK tabloid press also dislikes it when celebrities or those connected to the arts receive honours due to diverging political opinions and affiliations.
But the vast majority of New Year Honours are given to members of the public for their service to others. Furthermore they are nominated by their peers and friends. Hence, decent people such as those providing school crossing patrols or running charities such as food banks will receive “gongs” and initials after their names. I do not consider this a bad thing and find it frustrating that a worthy form of public recognition is hijacked by the media who focus on a few political nominations. It’s a shame that people who have dedicated their lives to others don’t receive comparable press exposure.
New Year Resolutions
New Year resolutions are bullshit. You know this. I know this. A sham, a waste of time and a pointless self indulgence. If you want to make a change to your life then research it, plan it and implement it. As Yoda wisely said, “Do or do not. There is no try”. Or as German comedian Henning Wehn said “ Westphalia is not an option”.
You Cannot Always Achieve a Positive Outcome
If you keep abreast of the latest data collated by those with appropriate qualifications, you will notice that Western culture is becoming very risk averse. A lot of positive developments such as a greater focus on mental well being and being open about one’s feelings have also fostered a mindset where people don’t want to make mistakes or be seen to do so. This leads to a culture of either misplaced assuredness and possibly to the Dunning-Kruger effect, or alternatively to a complete inability to make decisions and a withdrawal from anything where definitive action is required.
When I was a young teenager I can remember several teachers at my school from different disciplines impressing upon us that it is not always possible to achieve a positive outcome. They illustrated this with points from history. This axiom also occurs in the literature and wider pop culture of the time and still persists today. Captain Picard stated that “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life”. It is a shame that more people don’t understand this concept and reconcile themselves to it. Because I suspect that global events over the next 4 to 5 years will hammer the point home. Don’t allow yourself to be broken by a misplaced philosophy.
