Ouroboros
Will this be the next symbol to be Demonised?
On searching for an appropriate symbol to assist in seeing the truth of our roles as individuals within a problematic species; the apparent sole source of the problems we see in the world today, something sprang up in Wikipedia.
The Ouroboros.
Is there a more appropriate symbol to represent the human species eating itself, than a serpentine lizard-like creature, in process of devouring itself?
Probably not.
As the good folks in these videos are quick to point out, these snakes are not particularly bright.
Of course it is a fascinating concept, but definitely not good for the thing swallowing itself.
At risk of spoiling the plot; I found it quite encouraging to see how quickly each of the animals in these videos dis-gorged itself of its own tail, when it had been brought to its senses.
This is despite how we might have seen the idea of the Ouroboros immortalised through the ages.
We’ve been eating the tail of our own species for thousands of years, but we can let go of it in an instant.
There are a plethora of fascinating stories around the Ouroboros, Wikipedia has some great information, and many variations of the symbol.
Thank god for the people’s encyclopedia. Long may it remain untouched by profit.
Interestingly, and perhaps disturbingly, I could not find an entry for “Ouroboros”, in either of the Oxford or Cambridge online dictionaries available by Google search.
Perhaps it might already be painted as something “Not PC”.
How could this be?
Check the image below. As well as the Ouroboros, most obvious, in this ornate artifact, is the presence of some other religious symbols.
Less obvious, is the presence of a symbol that might be thought of as an anathema of at least one of the other religions associated with these symbols, from a period in which our species experienced a somewhat profound spasm of eating itself; the “Holocaust”.
I didn’t see it until I followed the link from Wikimedia, to the fascinating historical “Theosophical Society”.
There, I found another image, the one below:
In this, a possible problem is apparent, near the top, something that looks like a Nazi symbol, reversed.
If Medium’s algorithms or human curators spot this, what will be their decision? To ban this article, which might include some very useful information for humanity to save itself, or just allow it to be published?
We’ll see.
In either case, the article is written, because it has to be written.
There are a few facts we need to face.
Banning and cancelling the symbols, artifacts, and concepts, associated with atrocities is a form of lying about history, which enables all manner of other ways of distorting history, in a way that narratives can be shaped to whichever agendas suit a minority in power.
Even if it is only to “Whitewash”, and thus cover up our collective guilt for playing a modern part in it as individuals, the end result is that we will keep ignoring the real harms happening until it is too late, unless we change to feeling the shame we should feel, for allowing it to happen.
Cancellation culture does not help us come to terms with what it was that actually drove real horrific historical events. It only helps us ensure they will continue to happen, because we are not learning the lessons as a species, which can only be learned as individuals, from our own honest evaluations of authentic history.
Such analyses require all humans to re-examine all of our own core values, both as individuals, and as a species.
Specifically, we need to look at what drives us.
Why, for example, should we believe that it is reasonable to expect more back, in return for something given?
Isn’t this the very mechanism that continually shifts wealth from the “Weak” to the “Strong”?.
How did we forget, that each of us generates wealth of our very own, that can be appreciated by all others, who appreciate what we do, without us having to “Rob” them for it?
Why, for another example, should we believe that an economy must function in such a way that requires and awards all individuals for operating in that greedy mode, and punishes all individuals who fail to do that?
Is this normal for humans?
Absolutely not. It is conditioned behaviour.
No-one conditioned us to do this.
There is no lizard-like extraterrestrials species at the helm of some dastardly plan and machine, to exploit humanity.
We conditioned ourselves, and we are continuing to do so, as long as we continue to ignore that this is the real source of the problem.
We are the species, eating itself, probably the only one in the universe, amongst many other truly intelligent species.
We are the not-so-bright lizard.
This time, maybe no-one will come and intervene.
After we realise that, and get our tail out of our mouths, we might be in the right frame of mind to think of other ways to most usefully pool the resources of the huge spectrum of our differences, however great or small, as attributes, working as one together, to obtain the strongest, most valuable species that ever existed; humanity.
Then, and only then, we will be ready to accept that there are other, better ways of creating, and operating, in a much needed new economy, so as to benefit our planet and the other species we share it with.
