Change?

Here's a topic that is rather...topical! It's about change. Change is all around us. Some of it is natural: seasons, the shape of a river, ageing etc. And some of it is manmade. Whilst I accept the changes that nature incurs, I do not necessarily accept the changes within the man made world. Let me say this: that I do not believe that all change is for the 'better' and that all change is 'good'. And whilst we seem to accept change as a fact of life, there have been huge swathes of human history in which very little changed at all. And yet now, we accept change on a daily basis. It seems that the rate of change has increased. So...why is that? And if the changes are not necessarily for the 'better' then why are they happening at all? My apologies in advance for getting you to think a bit; though I feel certain that if you got this far into the paragraph, you probably are already the inquisitive and questioning sort. Good for you!

You have to accept that not all change is inevitable, even if we have come to accept it. Perhaps it is a form of conditioning; though I don't wish that to sound conspiratorial. Some are more resistant to change than others. I would bet that the 'young' are less resistant to change than the older. Why? A few different reasons. For one thing, they accept whatever world they are born into because they have never personally experienced anything else. Whereas the older have known another world before today and see the change and now have the misfortune of having to try to a adapt to the changes. Ah that remarkable feature of us humans to adapt to the changes. However, it is not a question of whether we can adapt to change, but whether we should or not? Sadly individuals on this planet have very little power to do much about anything; unless they get organised. Again I do not wish this to sound necessarily conspiratorial; as if some power elite have got selfish plans to control what goes on in this world. Yes, there are individuals like this on planet earth but I think it is giving them too much credit to suggest that there is a conspiracy.

I think there are better explanations for change and the reasons for change; and why the rate of change seems to be increasing. Ultimately it comes down to individuals - the choices they make and their individual behaviours which are often short term, self interested and are logical/reasonable from their own standpoints but add up to a net consequence (in global terms) that are undesirable. It is a pity that we cannot see how we are all responsible for the world we create. And instead of accepting change as a consequence of this, if we could see how important our personal agency is in all of this. From the individual point of view, life on planet earth is a scenario riddled with anomalies and conundrums. But nonetheless, they are vital; and individuals need to see this. Of course, some don't care and so we get the world that they deserve. The man made world is characterised by tragedy. Sorry about that!

Here's something to think about that I feel characterises the situation we find ourselves in as individuals roaming the planet: I call it the burning building situation. Consider that in a burning building, more people die as a consequence of individual decisions (to run like hell for the exits) than would happen otherwise. From the individual's standpoint: running like hell may make sense but when these individual decisions are added up, it makes no sense. I think there is something in this that tells us about the human condition. Perhaps it explains change in some sense. I'll let you figure it out.

Arguably a lot of the change in the world is driven by short term self interested goals in one sense or another - or the desire to compete, offer a better product or service etc etc etc....Does it lead to a better world? What is better? Are we ever going to agree what better is? Hmm.

But I will say this: not all change is for the better; and we should try to resist the changes that are not better for us all. That is how it must be seen..somehow. A future which makes humans redundant is not better in any sense. It will have consequenes that are not desirable. Oh sure, most humans are concerned with how it will impact on them and whether or not they can ride the changes. Well, it isn't just about you buddy - it's about the whole man made world. It seems our spiritual requirements are being ignored - that is the price being paid for what is deemed better. Consider all of the mental health issues out there - as a consequence of this and that. It's all within the man made world and an unfortunate consequence of the man made world and the changes.

These changes also impact on us musicians - consider that AI could make song writers and composers redundant. I mean REALLY???? I think that would be to undermine the spiritual/intellectual value that real humans can bring to musical matters and the real human connection. Getting a machine to serve that up is a joke.

So...I continue to fly the flag for music made and performed by real people. That is a metaphor for the kind of world I wish to live in; whether you like it or not. Amen.

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