In the deep mystical traditions of our peoples, whatever our religion, moral charter, or spiritual belief, there is a profound rite of passage, whether this be for an individual or a nation, where the ritual of weighing the heart is maintained. During this reckoning we’re encouraged to review our mistakes, our falsehood, our lack of love, our misdemeanors, our hatred of each other, and then on bended knee to ask for mercy. When mercy is given, we genuinely may make amends, repairing our transgressions, and healing our souls through grace.
So, there is nothing bizarre about the social and emotion reparation phenomenon Marianne is suggesting. It’s just that today we are unfamiliar with unpacking our hearts and souls to make amends. Rather we live out through the excesses of the ego, feeling good by taking someone down, and excoriating them with vicious reposts. Today we would rather take a pill, lose ourselves in cyberspace, or project our angst onto someone else, rather than be found to take responsibility.
But in this age our sonic landscape moves much faster than the 1960’s, and with the distinct nasal accent of the US intelligentsia. This is in consequence of the fact that we have become enslaved by machines in a way our forebears were not. The noise of the machine without, and the competitive chatter of the ego within, both bring us to create a particular way of speaking. Just examine the recordings of the 50’s and 60’s and you will hear a big difference in vocal position, diction, and melody. During former times voices were released from the constraints of “whatever”, “it’s like!”, “you not what I mean?”, when moral truth and noble thought were espoused as glorious. The essence of grace was elicited through educational practices, and formed into social behavior, admittedly alongside associated taboos, and class hypocrisy.
