Meaningful Insights in Unlikely Places
“If the Pokemon I liked were there, I’d go anywhere. That’s what a real trainer does.” - Ace Trainer Emma (Pokemon Gold/Silver)
In furtherance of the ideas presented in my first-ever Steemit article, Seeking Personal Value, I thought it would be fun to provide a demonstration of how we may find meaningful revelations in the most unlikely of places.
Our object of interpretation will be the Pokémon theme song from the first season of the animated series. This is a reciprocal exercise – we provide a new context for the words, and they provide unexpected insight in return. The context we'll be using is Truth-seeking.
We’ll go through it line-by-line to see what profound discoveries may be lying in wait beneath the surface. Bear with me, folks! I assure you, this methodology has far-reaching implications and will prove immensely valuable if embarked upon in earnest.
Pokémon Theme Song
I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was
We begin with the longing to reach one’s full potential; to push the boundaries of knowledge and conscious awareness, expanding into territory heretofore unexplored. This is the desire compelling us to embark upon the endeavor of growth.
To catch them is my real test
Interpreting ”them” to mean truths, discoveries in knowledge, enlightening experiences, revelations, etc., the “real test” indicates how finding, discerning and acquiring these can be one of the most challenging endeavors we’ll ever take on. We will be pushed to the limits of our patience, commitment, courage, and comprehension. It will require that we overcome our ego, our conditioned paradigm, and preconceived notions. Calling it the “real” test may also mean that this is our true purpose, as distinguished from the many false purposes which may be adopted (like fame, material accumulation, control over others, etc.).
To train them is my cause
The relevant definition of “cause” here is reason or motivation. This indicates a desire and commitment to not only discover Truth, but to use it; and through that use, make it a more powerful influence in our lives. Once these truths are found, they must be “trained” - assimilated into our consciousness through practice. Employing them in our thought process and exercising them through contemplation and discussion will allow them to become a firmly-established aspect of our perspective.
I will travel across the land, searching far and wide
To attain greater wisdom, it’s necessary that our search has sufficient breadth. We must reach far outside the usual channels to expose ourselves to the widest variety of information possible. This means taking lessons from various genres, cultures, authors, and mediums. Reading books, watching videos, listening to audio lectures or podcasts... Reading the great writings of Europe, Asia, and America... Studying the histories and mythologies of various cultures like Africa, South America, and India... Learning through metaphor, allegory, symbolism, or art forms like music, dance, and sculpture. Truth is all-encompassing: a vast network of interconnected areas of knowledge. Its lessons may be found under every rock, around every corner, even in the most unlikely of places (as this article is intended to illustrate).
Teach Pokémon to understand the power that's inside
This is about revealing the potential of Truth. It is often said that knowledge itself is power, but power in the world is the force of action. The potential power of knowledge lies dormant until it is employed to some purpose. By discovering the myriad applications for insight, its true power is expressed. By its usage, we’ll likely find that it contains far more than we originally anticipated.
Pokémon, gotta catch 'em all
The ”Gotta catch ‘em all” slogan illustrates the most advantageous attitude in our quest of Truth discovery. The following oft-recounted story provides a relevant example:
It is said that a dispassionate young man approached the Greek philosopher and casually said, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge." The philosopher took the young man down to the sea, waded in with him, and then dunked him under the water for thirty seconds.
When he let the young man up for air, Socrates asked him to repeat what he wanted. "Knowledge, O great one," he sputtered. Socrates put him under the water again, only this time a little longer.
After repeated dunkings and responses, the philosopher asked, "What do you want?" The young man finally gasped, "Air! I want air!"
"Good," answered Socrates. "Now, when you want knowledge as much as you wanted air, you shall have it.”
We don’t just "sort of" want Truth, and we don’t just want some of it – we want all of it, and we want it more than anything. This is the way of the philosopher, and truly, it is the deep inner calling of every person. However, it's often suppressed amidst more mundane concerns... sometimes to the point of utter obscurity.
It's you and me
Truth, when deeply understood and fully embraced, becomes a lifelong partner to us. Verily, it may be said to become part of us.
I know it's my destiny
This refers to the aforementioned inner calling. Each of us enters the world with a natural wonder and curiosity. Many have suggested it's our very purpose to (re)discover Truth, particularly that of our nature as conscious beings, the nature of the wider universe, and the way it all fits together as a unified whole.
Oh, you're my best friend
Again, the notion of partnership; like the warrior and his/her trusted weapon, or the proverbial dynamic duo. Also, the concept of friendship implies mutual aid and support. The seeker is bolstered and made strong in Truth, and Truth itself gains greater influence in the world by the word and deed of its adherent. Truth can be trusted utterly, and the earnest seeker can be trusted to remain steadfast in Truth’s expression.
In a world we must defend
It is perhaps here that we reach the crux of this article’s relevancy. Truth is a force of order, uplift, and emancipation. Evil is all which stands opposed to this influence. Our world is deeply mired in deceptive manipulation. We see it everywhere we look (if we have eyes to see it). Intellectual pacifism is collusion with deception. We must stand firm in defense of that which is true and right. Just as we must actively embody Truth into the world through our words and actions, we must also defend against falsehood and fallacy wherever its ingress breaches our sphere of influence. These are the two complementary aspects of righteousness.
A heart so true
A straight-forward reference to our earnest intent, and the steadfast alignment of our course.
Our courage will pull us through
The first role of courage is to grant us power over our own fears. We must face the challenge presented by the ego, which equates being right with survival. We must overcome our reluctance to admit we were previously misguided in order to step into the advanced understanding proffered by greater knowledge. In addition, the resolve to stand bravely in opposition to culturally-pervasive deception will carry us through the hailstorm of slings and arrows we will no doubt endure while on this journey of discovery. Truth is abrasive to the ears of the deceived; and there will be no short supply of those fervently seeking your defeat. Mahatma Gandhi observed that ”Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth”, and staying committed under such conditions is a circumstance requiring much courage.
You teach me and I'll teach you
Of course, new knowledge will uplift us personally, but what do we have to offer in return? You’ve likely had the experience of a single revelation inspiring a cascade of apt metaphors or additional insights. It is not a one-way street, whereby information flows in, but not out. The relationship is cooperative in the sense that we bring our own creative consciousness to the exploration, and may add our own unique interpretations and extrapolations to the knowledge pool.
Pokémon!
An offering of praise for Truth!
We will stop the exercise here so as not to belabor the point, as the second verse largely treads over ground already covered. I will provide it below so that you may exercise your own interpretive process and see what may be garnered. I would also suggest listening to the song from this new perspective - it's surprisingly inspirational!
It may seem rather masturbatory to apply such subjective interpretations. After all, if we are the ones providing meaning, how can we learn anything new? But all we’ve actually provided was the initial metaphorical context – we loosely equated Pokémon with Truth. From there, the rest of the song may speak to us in a new way, providing original insights.
It’s fascinating to try this out with various contexts and objects of interpretation. It’s a way of mining additional value from both likely and unlikely sources, and it has the potential to enrich our experience in surprising ways.
Apply this to bathwater previously discarded, and you may recover babies you didn’t know were there. This can be religious scripture, low-quality fiction, children’s media, or art outside your preferred genres. It’s a general approach to life - an altering of our perception that reveals hidden gifts. It’s a way of milking our experience for all its worth, a great exercise for the mind, and a ton of fun! Feel free to share your interpretative experiences, I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for checking in!
Brian Blackwell
Pokémon Theme Song [Verse 2]
Every challenge along the way
With courage I will face
I will battle every day
To claim my rightful place
Come with me, the time is right
There's no better team
Arm in arm we'll win the fight
It's always been our dream
Relevant articles supporting a full understanding of the ideas presented above may be found here:
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hi @bbblackwell
a very interesting consideration yours !! Actually sometimes the illuminations happen through highly unexpected sources !! I think it is important to point out that in many cases it is necessary to be able to use creative thinking in order to get out of our established tracks and see in an alternative way.
Congratulations and thank you for sharing with us
“Where there is no vision the people perish.”
Creative imagination is the cornerstone. Much obliged for the insight and kind words.
Unfortunately, modern society often cages us in predefined visions that make the man blind. We must hope that education can open these eyes, especially those of young people
Thank you Brian for these meaningful insight. The Pokémon shall know The truth and The truth will him free.
Peace
I appreciate you taking part in this unusual exercise. Only the open-minded are willing to admit such ostensibly ludicrous propositions into their critical process. It is to them that the rarest gifts will be revealed.
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I do not yet see with whom you go arm in arm.
You can't be friends with a windy term. But friendship is possible with a person of flesh and blood, with whom you have an ambivalent relationship and it is the ambivalence that makes a friendship alive. In the space of tension between unity and disunity, you can deal creatively with that which can never be finally resolved or found.
Which man in your life do you love from the heart?
With whom do you have a friendship that allows contradiction and yet contains friendliness?
Your publications remind me of the knights of the Round Table who set out to find the Holy Grail. And when they meet by chance, they try to outdo each other in who has found the greater truth or to fool themselves into continuing the search.
Where is your love from man to man? As long as you don't cultivate it in your ordinary life to an ordinary man, any search for the truth is like trying to find the end of a rainbow.
My love for man is in not harming him or advocating for his harm. It's demonstrated by speaking in support of his authentic expression: Not the expression of his misguided caprice, but the expression of his authentic nature.
I desire to go arm-in-arm with Truth itself, and thereby with all people, as to acknowledge and embrace what is most true about a person is the greatest friendship.
I do not want to be competition with others - I want them to stop competing with me and others, and for us all to live in cooperation. I don't think this to be an unattainable goal, as it is in greatest accord with our true natures.
I admit that I do not offer my message in the softest terms, as I'm not sure this is always the best course. Many people are enabled to do evil - like the soldier - when, perhaps, if they were socially ridiculed instead of praised, they may think twice about embracing that immoral profession. We all must defend boundaries - both personal and social, and sometimes forcefully - but this does not preclude loving the wrong-doer.
I do love all people at the most fundamental level, but if you're actively beating me with a club, expressing that love tenderly in that moment doesn't serve anyone's uplift. I do not love others more than myself, such that I will altruistically abide their abuse with kindness, but I love all equally and desire no superiority.
So I would be allowed to ridicule you because I think you are following an error? For example, because I don't believe that "all of us will ever be able to live in cooperation". There is no all and no once and for all.
There are moments of encounters. Like between you and me.
You will be seen by others as imperfect, even aggressive or stupid. You won't be able to stop them any more than I won't be able to stop you from continuing to do so. Wanting others to stop doing what they are doing is a useless wish.
Our dialogue is a good example of this. I think I wanted you to stopp struggling. :) I think I failed. LOL
You claim to know what our true nature is when there is no such thing as true nature. Only moments of living experience that are always changing. Only that you believe that man's true nature must be fixated, while it can be good once and evil once (and everything in between), and there is basically no man in the world who could throw a stone at another, since he himself has been subject to misconduct countless times.
I had asked you about a real man in your life, you know that, don't you?
Oh, a particular man that I love from the heart? I don't know in what sense you use the word love. I love everyone equally, though I like some people more, feel connected to some people more, or feel greater responsibility toward certain people. I cried when I thought my father had died (luckily he didn't). I did not cry when George Bush Sr. died. Is this the distinction you're making?
There is no once and for all, that is correct; but there is an overall general circumstance (the sum qualitative trend of all momentary experiences). Right now, that circumstance is slavery. It is possible for that circumstance to be cooperation in service to mutual uplift.
Wanting others to stop raping, pillaging and murdering is a useless wish? Perhaps, if it is only a wish; but I am actively trying to persuade people to recognize the error that inspires these actions (in particular, to stop good people from committing evil-by-proxy by supporting immoral actors). I'm passing along knowledge. I think that's fundamental to humanity's cooperative effort toward creating a better world.
Of course there is such a thing as man's true nature. It is the most basic common denominators between all humans: free will, an adaptable mind, etc. That doesn't mean we're the same in every way, but surely we can say something about every man (he needs oxygen to continue living, for instance). And yes, I claim to know this until someone can demonstrate how it is other than I have described. I've yet to hear it.
Good and evil have nothing to do with it. These are qualifications that describe actions, not people. Colloquially we may say someone is an evil person, but this is not literal. We only mean that he routinely commits evil acts and shows no signs of stopping.
To stone someone is to murder them while they stand defenseless and inactive - it is punishment, not defense, not ridicule, not education. I do not advocate punishment. I do advocate a certain amount of scorn for harmful actions. Words and their related ideas are hugely important, but emotion speaks to people more clearly. Love is best, but it is not always perceived as authentic in the short-term (especially by the self-loathing, who do not believe they can be loved), and so does not have the intended effect. Scorn is doubted by no one, and is heard loud and clear. There is a place for righteous indignation; though only as a subordinate, short-term tactic in service to Love.
Personally, I have been struggling less over the last few days. I have been working to gain emotional poise, and this has not been in vain. I am calmer now - as a general state - than I was a week ago. Energy flows where attention goes, and I have included more spiritual study into my daily endeavors.
Your efforts were certainly part of this process. I recognize the truth of your overall message here - that anger and resentment does not define the path to uplift and progress. That Love is always in order. That personal moment-to-moment experience is important (all there is, really). So do not feel you've wasted your time. Just because I have an answer for everything doesn't mean I don't hear you ;)
I perceive this "general talk" as avoidance to talk in personal terms.
We cannot be in an authentic contact when you talk in general to me. I ask you personal questions, you answer me in general. If this open space is not the right place, I can accept that. No problem. But since I read and am confronted about general slavery and evil so much in the rest of the media as well as in talks within social circles I hardly can bear it within personal conversations.
I'd rather hear about where you were successful in creating cooperation and what the outcome was. I need best practice and good examples, to broadcast them and to tell them my people. I recently asked about minor initiatives of people from Venezuela, how street communities can be built in order to prevent the next power shortage and knowledge about filtering water. So far I was given more complains. But maybe the inspiration kicked and was worth something from which I will not know.
I am not this type of person. When I can help I help. When I cannot help, I accept that I can't. Or at least this is the philosophy I try to establish.
Sorry, I was not responding to the details you but I am a bit overwhelmed.