“The academic game is the game of knowledge (and ignorance) which is inextricably, if not always intentionally, also a game of power. The only way to put an end to this game (…under conditions of domination…) is to play it better than the players themselves. The only way to undermine the power of Western definitions of the world that burden the rest of the world is to beat the powers at their own game….play enough or as much as necessary to expose it for what it really is — only a game — a game not because it is innocuous but because it is arbitrary and cannot be grounded anywhere.”
— Vassos Argyrou, “Anthropology and the Will to Meaning”, cited at Zeroanthropology
(My only caveat with this is to suggest it needs the word imperial added before the word West. It is the fundamentally imperial (state-centric) nature of the organization of knowledge – the privileging of elite schools, of certain forms of learning, of certain evidence of expertise – that is the problem. It is Western in so far as the west is the predominant carrier and transmitter of the virus. But the state everywhere is infectious….)
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner – revisted.
or THE GAME OF YOUR LIFE
By Audrey Albatross
“What are fears but voices airy?
Whispering harm where harm is not.
And deluding the unwary
Till the fatal bolt is shot!”
— Wordsworth.
Let’s play a game:
Pop down to your nearest sports store; buy a bow and one arrow (on credit) and get back home ASAP.
Give the bow and arrow to you partner, or friend, anyone will do and then go out into the back yard.
Get your friend to load the arrow into the bow then draw the stringy thing back as far as possible. Then get your friend to aim the arrow directly at your beating heart. Tell your friend to let go of the stringy bit.
Come back and tell me how you feel.
The albatross, in human mythology, incites mental imagery of a burden hanging around one’s neck. People make jokes about us and it hurts. It’s a bum rap really and that Coleridge guy has a lot to answer for. Why not a sea gull or penguin? But an albatross it was, in fact it was me and it’s time we sorted some stuff out.
Firstly, did you play my little game? Why not?
At least I let you in on my game; you knew what the consequences would be. Don’t you think it’s sad that you guys didn’t give me the same courtesy? Nope you simply crucified me, and it hurt. And then you made a joke of it, and that hurt too.
Right up to the moment of my demise I trusted you. If you remember we got off to a flying start. I was wandering around the mall just like any other blonde and happened upon your good selves sailing in your ship.
It was all good for a while. I did tricks for you and you feed me all sorts of exotic food. It was fun. And I never missed “vespers nine” by moonlight. It was ever so romantic. Golden times they were. I truly believed our relationship was based on honesty and trust; the (necessary) seed crystal of intimacy and love. I felt secure.
And then it all went pear shaped, you started to play a very silly and dangerous game – with yourselves. Sadly, for me, you didn’t realise you were playing the game and for no good reason you chose me as the perpetrator of your own stupidity. You allowed your fears and superstitions to justify the cold blooded murder of an innocent life – me.
And to make things worse I have become an insidious archetype of ridicule. Is that how human beings play their game? Draw you into their confidence then take you for all you’re worth and more?
They say life is a game and I suppose it would be hard to disagree. I suspect the challenge is being aware if one is participating in a game; and knowing the players (your competitors) and rules – for games usually have winners and losers.
Unfortunately, those who prefer not to play games will be disappointed, for in the real world individuals are being constantly drawn into the games of others; the political game, the religious game, the games our corporations play and the games we play with each other.
Life is a competition and sadly the rules are nebulous and favour the well informed, cunning, connected, deceitful, manipulative, and in many cases the mean and brutal. These are the types who (in general) rise to the top; these are the ones many choose to follow. Mostly they end up disappointed then have to cop it on the chin.
The game of life is unavoidable but we can mitigate the (destructive) games we play in our personal lives – our direct relationships. We have a choice: to play or not to play. Once again one must know if one is playing a game, and if so what is motivating the game, otherwise the consequences are quite often unfortunate.
The self personality quite often acts as a very selective filter, a personal censure, distorts stuff and creates unnecessary conflict; many of us end up playing games with ourselves and don’t even know it. We all know and understand this on an intellectual level but comprehending it from a personal psychological perspective quite often escapes us – to the detriment of our personal lives and relationships.
We seem to find it easy to identify short comings in others without even considering we could share same. We think we know how to cure others but find no reason to look at ourselves.
The mitigation of games reduces competition and fosters co-operation. It also reduces conflict, creates stillness and most of all fosters trust.
Who do you trust?
They say competition is an excellent catalyst for progress; it would be hard to disagree for the greatest competition of all – war – has proven to be an excellent accelerator for the sophistication of the art of destruction including socially advantageous stuff as well – but at what cost?
Some games are not worth playing.
It would be very naïve to think we could eliminate games all together, for our leaders will never allow that, but we can choose not to play some of the unnecessary games, ones that create conflict:
The racist game; the envy game; the get rich at all cost game; the winner take all game; the power game – you know the ones.
They say we are all connected by six degrees, I would argue that in many ways 99% of humanity is connected by nil degrees; it’s just that we are so distracted by the game of life we simply miss the obvious.
On that note it’s now time to withdraw from this little game and return into the ether; sometimes games just go round and round.
Take care Lila, I do enjoy reading your posts.
Audrey Albatross.