Verbal Worlds

This term is taken from the English translation of various works by Ellul. At the time, a similar less developed concept, which I called Virtual Worlds, was emerging in my own notes, but mostly concerning imagery. The synthesis will be called by the former in deference, and also to stay away from any association with virtual reality.

Draft 4.0

i. On the Herd:

The herd mentality has many manifestations. Its shadows are cast across many levels and extremes of human existence. Although corrupted by the decadent and anti-natural, the herd may be considered a natural consequence of human social interaction. The degree evident denotes the level of the anti-natural. Cultural sickness and decay, which should not be confused with parasitic adaptation, is a consequence of ignoring the world. The distasteful is not necessarily ill. The appealing is not always healthy. Strength is always corruptible. Denial is so much easier. Eclipsing those dark bodies which more slowly orbit their respective stars, stagnation may appear the fastest possible change or progress. The herd gazes transfixed upon the brilliance of the night sky. The corner of a painting is more than a brush stroke. The difference will never be appreciated by eyes dazzled by the darkness. Preservation instincts are turned inward, rather than outward, and degenerated by the alluring view. Eventually no different way can never even be conceived, let alone realized. Eventually, the blind herd tumbles off a precipice of its own making. We call that denial.

Progress is often seen by the herd as a magnificent shining fortress atop a distant hill containing all the promise of tomorrow and the potential for realization of all ideals. History contains many examples where the reality proved itself far more base. Utopia is a lie. The lowest instincts may be necessary for the continuation of the species and herd. Else why build anything or establish tradition for those generations following? The crucial unasked question pertains to whether our ideas have any actual basis in reality. Being susceptible to false projections and lies, a mix is not always possible to weigh and balance. The herd always reasons worse than the individual. Inaccuracies or falsehoods are greatly magnified and mutated. The blood-drenched 20th Century illustrated the tendency for popular appeal to prove itself disastrously wrong. Always proving lower than its loftiest seeds by necessity, the popular is base. The practical is often discounted when surveying the future, and best learned by ruin. The world is never neat and tidy. Anything may be justified in the name of a supposed higher good. The herd will accept much when popular appeals are accepted by the instincts of preservation, which may be irrational to an extreme. Lacking any grounded reference points, the herd will act upon impulse, and may be exploited accordingly. In the past, religions were formed thus among those spiritually adrift. Recent quests have followed technical routes. Preservation proves a strong herd instinct, but only considers the whole, whether it be nations or peoples. The populace must receive some benefit for any system to run smoothly. Security and comfort are perceived as indicators of stability. Were these foundational pillars undermined, the system built atop empty consumerism will collapse under a mountain of unfulfilled promises. Successful systems are stable, partly made so by a minimum level of apparent uncertainty. Wheels which never stop turning propagate belief even while spinning in mud. Only the roar of the engine is acknowledged. The believer promotes confidence. On the other hand, agreement is mostly unnecessary, as long as all factions are confident in the system to resolve disputes one way or another. Hence, anything not encompassed will either be ignored or demonized for maximum advantage in all things. The masses must legitimize any system for greatest endurance and internal stability. External threats are best mitigated along with any internal consequences. Issues become unified and confused. Vietnam was not correctly managed. Therefore the conflict produced internal strife, and eventually ended in defeat. A media saturated population lives vicariously. Soldiers returning home in body bags, for a pointless and brutal cause, brought home that conflict like no other before or since. One saw the war nightly. Such things had never before occurred. Too much public information is detrimental to any campaign. Data is an efficient substitute. Wars must endanger a minimum of personal. The officially released footage looks like a video game with poor resolution. The human element is mostly eliminated at these heights and speeds. Meanwhile, coverage is just one more distraction among many. The NATO war against Serbia was a minor concern for many. Yet, the Serbs bled just like the Vietnamese, or the Iraqis... Besides, the perception existed that they deserved it. The propaganda mill relentlessly flamed such sentiments. As the economy was perceived strong and no American casualties occurred, the populace was unaffected and mostly indifferent. The populace shares a common socialization and cultural mythology, including freedom and progress, which may be exploited to maximum advantage. The nation reigns strong and uncontested in most world matters. Employment prospects are good, if often mediocre, which keeps the populace busy. Only the idle question. Those busy working do not have the time or motivation for civil unrest. In addition, various electronic and other distractions compete for individual attention. Fewer social connections are maintained and people grow more physically isolated. Hyper-stimulated by the constant dull roar, weary from working to pay for consuming, the individual becomes mentally withdraws and becomes isolated from the natural world. No alternative to the present power structure may be conceived, therefore change is sought through reform, and legitimate channels. The greatest questions are never even conceived. The individual is immersed in a verbal world, created by beliefs constantly reinforced through shared associations and beliefs. The mass media is a major point of transmittal. The contact vectors affect even the elite and powerful. Few question everything. Some have less reason. Why give up comfort and security, even when it kills? Dissenters are demonized. Consequently any associations, no matter how distant, are painted in a dangerous light. Effectively, the system is never challenged beyond the superficial. All argument is over details rather than the larger picture. Value beyond dollar amounts are never discussed. Death is exploited to the maximum advantage of the system. The herd does not like to be reminded of death, and blinds itself even while hurling from a cliff. Survival instincts become decadent when isolated from the natural world. Verbal worlds may always be manipulated by base appeals, and nothing less so than death anxiety. A kind of death where few see beyond, the unknown becomes the end. We call that fear.

ii. Verbal worlds are shared perceptual environment formed and shaped over time by common experiences, beliefs and associations. The binding threads are many, not entirely universal, spun in a complicated pattern never fully appreciated, entwining almost all to degree. Mostly second hand, a general comprehension is always partially abstract. Direct experience or witness is rare. The weavers do not even understand their own weave. Propaganda is a preferred material. However, this strongest strand material is also the thickest and becomes easily tangled. Hence, even the propagandist becomes intertwined like a spider caught in its own web, and identifies with the product. Weaker threads, combined in a whole, are stronger and more easily managed with those from other sources. Ties may be secured by multiple connections. Eventually, the advantage becomes apparent and technique is universally applied. Those failing cannot compete and fall by the wayside. Eventually, even the opposition avails the same methods, attaches to the whole, and becomes as strongly bound as any other. Curiously, none will ever admit it. We call that pride.

iii. Verbal worlds emerge over time, and consequently experience inertia. Older forms may be grasped by certain segments for a variety of reasons. In the western world, mechanisms have evolved for apparently overcoming conservative tendencies. We call that progress.

iv. Verbal worlds are integrated with the personality, incorporated through the socialization process and mass influences, like religion, media (including advertising), and propaganda[1]. Reinforcement is achieved through family and peers, superiors, elected officials and others such as veterans. The whole comprises the system, through many different avenues, which promotes stability through its own promulgation. The individual perceives a benefit based on subsequent comparative standards and advantage. After weathering a few storms, one does not want to upset stability. We choose it, because we could theoretically walk away. Most never will. We call that freedom.

v. Verbal Worlds promote certain activities beneficial to the collective system as a whole. Through their acceptance and legitimacy, verbal worlds facilitate economic arrangements. Monetary schemes are therefore maintained by economic confidence reinforced by collective belief concerning the strength of the economy as a whole. We call that clout.

vi. Containing a reflection of those things best unspoken, cognitive development may dictate a certain predisposition to acceptance of verbal worlds. Terrible deeds may be thus justified. We call that war crimes.

vii. Verbal worlds are based upon, but also create and sustain their own mythology. In the U.S.A., we call that the American Dream.

viii. Verbal worlds may only compete, compare or contrast with other verbal worlds. Science and religion conflict due to some degree of fundamental incompatibilities in their inherent verbal world views.[2] The technical and faith are very different things, but often find expression with the same terms, like progress and freedom. Verbal worlds speak their own language and dialect. Having become decadent, the spiritual is thus trampled further by attempting to incorporate these concepts. Contact vectors find success at the weakest points. Life becomes pointless by lacking any greater meaning. We call that confusion.

ix. Verbal worlds are shadows of a will to preservation. Most productively accomplished by stability, a certain appeal is necessary. Lacking any external reference, stagnation is mistaken for stability. Hence, verbal worlds may sometimes crumble very abruptly. The decay of the Soviet Union is a prime example. The Marxist myths could not dispel the underlying reality. A new verbal world may yet rise out of these ashes, but never return. Other verbal worlds are best in the open, away from excessive shade. Verbal worlds affirm our actions. We call that freewill.

x. Verbal Worlds are often obtuse when exploited for maximum advantage. Nothing beyond the reductive may explain or justify any action or deed. Different objectives, based on the same concept, merit increasingly less concern. We call that apathy.

[1] Being a verbal world applied spiritually, religion is a far higher order of rank and therefore different...

[2] Not all religions have produced verbal worlds...

1996 - January 1, 2001