As regarding any so precious freedom and joy so fervently desired, as: collaboration among equals in creative solution finding, the sheer eustress of creative tension, pleasure, of full engagement, meaning and intrinsic fulfillment, meaningful and pleasurable optimally reciprocally engaged social and intellectual stimulus struggle... - All achievement or provision whereof, remains typically presented either as the lone dilemma of Individualism, or as the collective lofty mission of any worthy society. But the truth must emerge only in some inspired Gestalt synthesis.  

Does interpersonal relationship exist only in context of larger society, or is society no more than aggregate or network of multiple interpersonal relationships? Obviously, both ever remain true, even all at once. But the latter perspective (that of society fundamentally as aggregate or network of multiple interpersonal relationships), a mandate even however companionable, nevertheless distinctly encourages individual will to power; while just perhaps the former perspective (of interpersonal relationship existing only in context of larger society), at least implicitly and via invited inference, enters into something entirely antithetical:

Not logical inference, conclusions inexorable merely given whatever premise, but only as elicited via even into whatever propagandistic pandering to invited inference. Invited inference, meaning: that which is implied but does not follow. Indeed, via precisely such invited inference, even if not actually by any necessary and accurate logical implication, instead alas all too often so blithely perceived an exhortation indeed into all the most blatant heteronomy to hierarchically predictive social cognition.

For social cognition denotes indeed that slavish and timid and consummately practiced sycophancy in the accumulation social credit, and all in such all consuming desperation of "getting along." Social cognition all by which to anticipate the responses of others, merely via the recognition of members of one's own social group in order to form direct relationships consistent with rôles of relative social standing, degrees of kinship and rank, recognition of third-party social relationships and prediction of future behavior. And all excepting that one humanly redeeming anomalously democratic grand afterthought of Cultural Anthropology, whereupon all herein shall pivot anon. Indeed, the grand afterthought of Cultural Anthropology, indeed a core concept of generally hierarchical and authoritarian Cultural Anthropology, a field of study otherwise so distinctly and uncomfortably non-egalitarian.

And “This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail” [Ecclesiastes 4:8 KJV] Indeed, sore travail, and all in vein, no matter how mightily one strives and struggles, figuratively barking up that proverbial wrong tree, to master whatever futile Terrible Trivium of vapid, superficial and non threatening small talk, craven, bogus, toadying, fraudulent sycophancy and facile social skills or competencies and aptitudes of thin skinned Anti-Critical Bias and heteronomy to hierarchically predictive social cognition.

  

But helpful and benign forum moderation must engage in no censorship, no service to any of the latter oppression, instead curtailing only flaming, bullying abuse and personal attack.

Alas, many Netizens currently experience ever greater difficulty and obstruction online, merely communicating and reaching out online, just going about whatever their own business and offering any value and considered opinion in whatever their field of capability. Alas, those who stand out and stand up, only find themselves beaten down. And all because of such often actually hypocritical and systematically overzealous moderation online, figuratively throwing out that proverbial baby with the metaphorical bathwater, by whatever overbearing powers that be, maintaining whatever zealous and exclusive grip upon and refusing to share whatever their own hard earned social capital, traction, connection and influence, while pretending so nobly to protect whatever communities. Yea, verily, like unto shepherds, tending to the flock, and fleecing their docile little lambs!

  

Instead, and entirely without currying favor or meek and boundless striving for acceptance within whatever community and trustworthy true culture of helping, even complete strangers most especially, need immediately receptive encouragement towards valuable and contributive free expression upon whatever their own concerns. And indeed, for creative people freely to share and to promote their own work, uncensored. And this is precisely what might best attract real assertive talent into whatever community thereby the more illustrious community. And that kind of productive freedom is what the Internet was once supposed to be all about, in that bygone era before free expression only became synonymous with entirely the most rabid and deranged hate speech and bile.

  

Whereas, instead, entirely legitimate communication may even ensue in the sharing of those self promotional personal hyperlinks, denounced as so selfish, arrogant and egotistically ! Le, gasp! For nowadays more that ever, in this era of such virulent conformism, petty suspicion and cliquish hostility online, again in those immortal words of Simone Weil: “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Individual attention freely given to salience of message content, without such obsession with howsoever standardized message form, style and rightthink. And always ever in such petty Ad Hominem (or: Adanim) subtext of peer pressure and prejudgment in extortion of conformity into an oppressive mode of social integration among We, the Sheeple, glorified pack mammals all!

For alas, as George Orwell so well understood, totalitarian adoration of membership collective identity, serves to subsume, undermine and ultimately to obliterate individual interpersonal bonds of attachment and genuine friendship, possible only in autonomy. And the persistent unthinkable taboo truth, indeed such as when ignored, just won't go away, remains. Indeed, all by very antithesis to all that we have been taught, and all notwithstanding every common wisdom of unchallenged and unrelenting socialization, behavioral conditioning that none dare call indoctrination, propaganda, or: brainwash. To wit, that real  agency, relationship and particularly team rapport building and the forging of attachments of true friendship possible only in autonomy, even Eros which is transport in liberating union with alien difference, indeed everything so essential to authentic wellbeing, all arise only for those nerdy unpopular serious people, precisely and entirely as unfashionable byproduct of truly purposeful interaction and/or substantive communication. And believe it or not, never otherwise. Alas how prevailing common sense social advice towards social success, so profoundly undermine human happiness. And hence the dire need somehow for a return to values of reason and autonomy.

All therefore, rather than somehow just sweeping the world out from leftfield, instead, much like unto forbidden love, disruptively leaderless subversion of hierarchy necessarily begins in microcosm, when any two or more individuals interacting, even if only amongst themselves, perhaps even somewhat covertly and conspiratorially, at long last must finally take initiative and innovate: to begin doing things differently and howsoever more capably together and persist. Indeed, as Henry Ford declares: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” And in the celebrated words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

And all just perhaps, ever mounting towards gradual piecemeal institution of any nescient infrastructure and social change, the forging of a steering committee coalescing in deliberation upon the priorities and order of business, managing the general course of successive pending operations across the long haul. All first baby steps, for serious people ever finding one another at long last, along Laozi's fabled Journey of a Thousand Miles, even upon any real world Hero's Journey attempting anything really cool together. And wherein, sharing one another's answers is not cheating in life's tests, but powerful and capable collaboration. Indeed even as in quest of nothing less than Heaven on Earth! For so famously to quote George Bernard Shaw: “Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.”

Thus, as in accordance with peer reviewed Empirical experimental results as published by Dr. Matthias Mehl, respectful, trustworthy, capable and indeed consummately "unreasonable" happy people, sociable, extroverted, are known to reach out and thrive, together talking more seriously, choosing creative effort, making things happen and attentively pursuing new understanding. And all with so much less of all that inane, incessant, boring and superficial small talk, such a happiness killer!

  

By contrast, even most anciently in the stifling curriculum of Plato's Academy, boredom was deliberately inflicted upon students as a conservative measure to test in favor of heteronomy and conformity by weeding out boredom prone original creative thinkers and innovators, purveyors of dangerous novelty, from rising to influential positions in society. And following from precisely that benighted tradition, that great and good captain of industry, John D. Rockefeller so famously declared: “I don’t want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.” Of Marching Morons, of veritable Borg drones, so happy to comply! And to that end, enforcing upon us all our unhappy system of formal education in such rigid and compartmentalized prelude to stupefying corporate employment, and all replete with dishonest and manipulative socialization that none dare call: indoctrination or even brainwash into prevailing heteronomy. Indeed, as so excellently and eloquently expressed in that Postmodern driving staccato refrain of The Godfathers: “Birth, School, Work, Death...!”

And how Existentially Absurd for each to do our part, as proverbial cogs in the machine, even in even the most tangible and needful collective practical objectives, and yet thereby so poorly to serve the drives of each living and breathing end user.

  

And all, of course, in the purest ideological holy name of collective efficiency. And what a racket! Efficiency perhaps, but even so, for whom and to what end or priority? Indeed, there remains no fine line, but indeed a vast gulf, an abyss, between the lucid materialism of scientific rationalism, and the anti-philosophical ideology and value-destruction of soul crushing crass materialism. A tragic and cretin superficial efficiency to this day so formative to all modern Existentially Absurd and oppressive Behaviorist failed conventionality and continued faith in ever declining upward social mobility, even as nowadays amid an ongoing and ever more alarming decline of the middle class.

Indeed, we have all been lied to, and in every walk of life, nothing seems to work, not even for good little girls and boys, approval seeking eager beavers, who all stick with the program or else prevail despite and not because of all that supposed tough love. Because in so many societies around the world sibs time immemorial, various traditions of manipulative misdirection, arduous exercises in such veritable Zen futility, are routinely instituted and enshrined precisely in order to exhaust and confuse the masses. Because society serves as no conduit, no primrose path, but as an obstacle course: Not unlike academic peer review, a massive bureaucratic filter favoring mediocrity by weeding out substandard incompetence along with just the opposite, excellence, rebellion and innovation, and both all alike. All and each of us falling by the wayside and finding our stations in life. Is conformist brutality remaining merely rationalized and endured for whatever ostensible greater good, any longer so widely, openly and enthusiastically embraced as guarantied royal road to social success? Indeed, as so excellently and eloquently expressed in that Postmodern driving staccato refrain of The Godfathers: “Birth, School, Work, Death...!”

Because, all ‘Bright Sided’ forced cheerful willful positivity and exhortation to can do spirit ever notwithstanding: It must come as little surprise how, abandoned each and all to our own devices, and ultimately only setup for failure,

we are never actually imparted with any clue whatsoever, of any method at all and lucid great wisdom, of just how to follow whatever example of those vaunted people of destiny, under whatever mythic incarnation. Those indeed whom such intended obedient worker drones as We, the Sheeple, glorified pack mammals all, are so manipulatively and propagandistically encouraged so fervently and obsequiously to admire and look up to, but never actually, perish forbid, effectively at all to follow suit. And to make matters worse, beware: Success stories cause false beliefs about success.

   

But just perhaps, there has been any more recent progress. For at least at all unlike any other mythical latter-day philosopher kings and self-realized Ubermenschen, so epically somber, ever brave and solitary, first long striving and unrecognized in obscurity entirely without support, impossibly solitary, rugged, Neoliberal, self-reliant self-made bootstrap self-sufficient, and therefore boundless and toughened under exactly such flagrant neglect, and then only later on at long last vindicated and ending up so lonely at the top: Indeed at least, by contrast, Mehl's happy people remain Empirically gregarious and sociable, extroverted, known to reach out and thrive, promoting trustworthy cultures of helping.

   

And as one might only hope, quite without overwhelming cognitive dissonance from any of the usual motivational grift of inane pep talks, so heartbreakingly insulting to the intelligence. Which is why Positive Psychology, the study and pursuit of authentic wellbeing instead of psychopathology, also actually rejects willful positivity and the perpetually ambivalent cognitive dissonance that comes from lying to oneself.

   

Instead, happy people according to Dr. Matthias Mehl, remain more likely to choose creative activities, seek new achievements, and only thereby to uplift their own thoughts and emotions. Indeed, such happy people actually known to achieve greater success and even to make more money. For indeed, as to site Martin Seligman's celebrated happiness formula of Positive Psychology: Pleasure + engagement + meaning = intrinsic fulfillment. And all by meeting one's needs for capable interaction with responsible others in any trustworthy culture of helping. Indeed, happy people, whom indeed we may all do best to emulate, to rôle model from their inspiring example, and yet still, if only we could ever fathom precisely how. And there's the rub!

        

An all but actually taboo agenda not despite, but precisely because of bridging abstract description into concrete call to action. And despite all such widespread infotainment passive enthusiasm across the Web, for those tantalizing insights of Seligman and Mehl. And as all therefore found only here on FoolQuest.com Elsewhere so often leaving only on the one hand, uninformed and misguided superficial practicality and on the other hand, paralytic ineffectual intellectuality. And never the twain shall meet! Both and each as are normally so mind numbingly insulated and deprived, one from the other. To reiterate, known only here on FoolQuest.com, indeed so flagrantly flouting precisely such taboo, can at all be located whatsoever, any explicit agenda of bridging abstract description into alliance and concrete call to action. Indeed of intentional application from these aforesaid very principles and observations, of Seligman and Mehl, to their much lauded, vaunted and dazzling salutary correlated circumstances.

However, of course, correlation need not imply causation. And therefore the open question yet remains: Which is cause and which is effect? Does serious conversation result in happiness, or is serious conversation and even social success, merely among the resultant symptoms of happiness? And for that matter, what if both are true? If just perhaps so happy a process might actually become reciprocal, functioning in either direction, back and forth, then just conceivably a virtuous cycle might ensue, perpetually improving only once implemented, entailing no more that whatever even tacit ratification amongst those who interact, indeed close and trustworthy culture of helping, agency even entirely without wider peer approval, consultation, consent, or even awareness at all. And yet, only here on FoolQuest.com, find presented any known proposal toward even participatory informal experiment, even simply in order to discover the truth of the matter. 

Although, as it already turns out, all such creativity, alas ever squandered and rebuffed, remains so much more than merely any solitary individual talent, trait, characteristic or mode of expression. And no virtue of mythically singular self-sufficient and exceptional people of destiny. Rather, instead, creativity, such a threat to conformity and heteronomy, may perhaps better be understood as a heightened and more optimal process of human interaction, indeed towards more optimal social and intellectual stimulus struggle. Because Creativity can and Should be Social. For as John Cleese expounds: “Creativity is not a talent: it's a way of operating.” ⁠With any such operation herein defined as organized action in whatever social context. Moreover, Creativity Can and Should be Popular, not only valued, but charming, engaging and attractive, duly celebrated and no longer dorky, awkward, bullied and persecuted. Alas, to quote Andrew Keen: “Those who know most can be persecuted by those who know least.”

And yet, there can be no even most cut-and-dry objective external reality, so concrete as to become penetrable without bridging from abstraction, imagination and creativity. For all science, ever free and uncertain, begins in hypothesis, sheer unfounded conjecture, only then subject to critical preference, let alone thereafter, Empirical reality testing and investigation. But more to the point, creativity, playful, pleasurably engaged and meaningful creativity as epitomized in collaborative brainstorming and solution finding, ever persists as uniquely gregarious and intelligent human motivating social and intellectual stimulus appetite. Indeed, as of hideous inbred mutation and engorged human cerebrality. All indeed as consequent in ‘The Survival of the Sickest’. But also concurrent with that anomalously democratic grand afterthought of generally hierarchical and authoritarian Cultural Anthropology.

Alas short attention Anti-Critical Bias ever thwarting the crucially important stubborn habits of philosophy, clear thinking and rational argument. Indeed, of Socratic Dialectic, open dissent, the art of controversy and the honest, invited and appreciated exchange of criticism, incidentally also including Literary critique. For in the words of John Storrs Hall: “Ideas should compete, bodies should cooperate.” Therefore, rather than allowing ourselves to be pitted against one another, instead coming together and choosing the best ideas, by engaging in controversy, the welcome and appreciated free exchange of genuine criticism, remains nothing to fear, nothing threatening or hostile. And all to common and ever lamentable thin skinned Anti-Critical Bias notwithstanding. Because criticism remains inherently friendly, valuable, an expression of abiding respect. And that is how in complete defiance of superficial harmony, even people who disagree even however strongly, heatedly and vociferously, and yet entirely without acrimony, are often the best at cooperation even quite without needless timid and slavish superficial harmony, consensus manipulation and ongoing heteronomy to social cognition and hierarchical dominance so oppressively quelling all dissent, honesty and creativity. Thus obliterating even any germ of trustworthy culture of helping.

But no less important than any of the above, remains excellent conversationally adequacy in ongoing communications struggle (the normal situation of humanity), indeed all similarly to the above, likewise pivoting upon ongoing Socratic Dialectic. But specifically a Socratic Dialectic of ongoing collaborative miscommunication detection and repair. And all replete with intelligently Effective Active Reading and Listening. And all in combating every alas all too common empty frustration of reciprocal incomprehension and bypassing (which is an idiom denoting blithe and chronically unsuspecting talking past one another, which is to say: conversation at entirely cross-purposes and understandings, perhaps even unto complete Wittgensteinean paralysis).

And all of that remains how and why, into creative witting and business project planning alike, or for that matter, anything else, writing is like photography: Though easy to do, nevertheless so difficult actually to do well. Indeed, writing is rewriting, patient, perpetually fulfilling hard work and never a waste of time. But not to digress.

  

For inevitably, all manner of error detection and course correction, the practice of controversy and of open dissent, remain ever crucial and relevant to happiness, progress, safety and capability. And likewise all striving to take things in whatever spirit as intended while affording the benefit of the doubt. And if you don't believe it, only imagine every doctor, scientist and lawyer, even plumbers and electricians, all conflict averse and terrified of speaking up even in an emergency. The (comparatively) free world itself would crumble!

   

Despite every boring and dystressful hierarchical structure and oppression since prehistory derived in authoritarian heteronomy to that of the clan or extended family, though however rarely and even with such great reluctance: Nevertheless eventually it must come to pass, in accordance with repeated Empirical observation informing the anomalously democratic grand afterthought of generally hierarchical and authoritarian Cultural Anthropology...

  

Amid family, kinship, membership in whatever sort of tribe, corporate employment, formal education, affiliation, religion, political party, or any other community or manner of social institution, indeed in every walk of life, even thralls to the most virulent and baleful enemies of the open society...

   

Nevertheless, all may however infrequently and under whatever special circumstances of crisis or windfall, all may find themselves called upon by whatever generally overbearing powers that be, to participate and together experience some fleeting glimmer of joy, so scarce, infrequent and fondly remembered, in the heady experience of collaboration in creative solution finding together.

Indeed as of necessity undertaken via the temporary suspension of authority, formal or informal, thus relaxation of hierarchy, thus near hierarchical distance with openness to honest argument and criticism, indeed as alas all so infrequently to permit even howsoever transient collaboration among near equals in creative solution finding. Alas then, how ordinarily, in most every formal or informal routine and tightly hierarchical social context, kinship, membership in whatever sort of tribe, corporate employment, formal education, affiliation, religion, political party, or any other community or manner of social institution, indeed in every walk of life, collaboration among equals in creative solution finding, like questioning, open dissent and honestly argumentative criticism, routinely remains under such  tight control and taboo, actually quashed, repressed and peer pressured into such drastically over socialized extremes of nigh fanatical self censorship, every day.

  

Until, indeed, collaboration among equals remains literally inconceivable under the mindset of heteronomy to authoritarianism, because uniformity of consensus is so blithely and unquestioningly accepted as indispensable for cooperation at all. And such consensus of course, as the indispensable benefit of submission to authority of undisputed leadership, as the only imaginably feasible social paradigm.

   

And yet, all notwithstanding, with every choice and decision, the human mind, nevertheless by nature so churning and unfettered, in futuring scenario continually projects ongoing narrative simulations of anticipated outcomes as conceivably resultant from whatever imaginable course of action to take. Desire, flights of fantasy and the Pleasure Principle then, by criticality and process of elimination, constrained and shaped by the Reality Principle and ongoing investigation into more feasible options in creative solution finding. All that is and thence all that can be. And all from the outside real world whence ensues all perceptual input into the subjective phenomena: Inner life experience consisting in ongoing cognitive simulation and affective evaluation indeed of one's world itself, of immediate objective external reality, being the question, topic and concern of Ontology.

And so, why then, as things stand, indeed as at all possibly in any due emulation and rôle modeling of those lionized and ever so capable happy people, instead must collaboration among equals in creative solution finding remain ever so scarce and fleeting? Indeed, instead of only pining away for that highly qualified dream job at IDEO (the world renowned ultra progressive design thinking work place), how else, instead actually upon our own initiative, might we all be so much better fulfilled, precisely so pleasurably and meaningfully engaged with collaboration among equals in creative solution finding, at all much more frequently, more regularly, optimally, reciprocally and over longer periods of time? And precisely what prevents us?

For all such therein, remains probortunity at hand, the more dire, the more propitious. The very rubric: ‘probortunity,’ coined by way of portmanteau from the two words: ‘problem’ and ‘opportunity,’ in optimistic denotation of how problems might be embraced as opportunity for innovative solution finding, planning, feasibility study and implementation. Thus our work all cut out for us: ‘Look for the Solution within the Problem!’

Indeed, just suppose, what if, in bold paradigm shift just to flip the script, one fine day, hitherto so restricted, taboo, scarce and fleeting tantalizing forbidden fruit so vital and elating collaboration among equals in creative solution finding, uncompartmentalized truly free exchange, all so routinely and dysfunctionally repressed in most every walk of life, instead where somehow to be instituted, perhaps even just in any new particular social context, and as the abiding new norm? Indeed at all much more frequently, more regularly, optimally, reciprocally and over longer periods of time? And moreover with any whatever hitherto so routine status quo heteronymous appeal to authority, instead and even however ad hoc and exceptional, to be evoked only as ever whatever passing need when and as actually arising?

And (as only in accordance with the true social and interpersonal nature of creativity as only hitherto expounded) just what if resulted additionally, indeed by strategic extension, a more meaningful, pleasurable and capable outreach interaction for forging attachments of genuine friendship, achieving better social embedment, and attaining all manner of beneficial individual connections to all manner of important resources for every purpose? Why then, as things stand, so scarce and fleeting? How might we all be so much better fulfilled, precisely so pleasurably and meaningfully engaged, at all much more frequently, more regularly, optimally, reciprocally and over longer periods of time? And precisely what obstructs us so? All of that is the question!

Perhaps even the first germ of interaction even as proposed herein, at least initially, within even a small intentional social circle or group, let alone ever any grander intentional community. Even  perhaps eventually any manner of interim steering committee. Indeed, as in the pointed aphorism from Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Even  just amongst ourselves together, turning away from the social rat-race, and perhaps even together undertaking outreach into the world at large, and yet even at all actually on our own terms, true to oneself.

And all just perhaps therein arising, in fully engaged Socratic Dialectical detail oriented piecemeal social engineering design probortunity at hand, such that in due course, all such grand endeavor as propounded herein, perhaps yet may nurture most practically by advancing gradually throughout the incremental institution of intentional community, or initially and more modestly, intentional social circle or group formation, thence forward momentum into an authentic and trustworthy culture of helping and autonomy supportive social support.

Although, in the here and now, perhaps what most reliably garners accolade and approval, will be whatever validation of that which is relatable in content of any message received, indeed in the nigh universal harmless benign narcissism merely of seeing oneself reflected.

Indeed according to Chatgpt (from my own carefully chosen and crafted prompts, of course): “Reflection and validation serve as key motivators for the ELIZA effect, the human tendency to project human-like qualities like intelligence and empathy onto AI systems. The original ELIZA chatbot used simple conversational mirroring to simulate a Rogerian therapist, and this basic technique was enough for users to become emotionally invested.”

Alas however, that mere validating reflection by itself, even however salutary and so soothing a balm, often therefore only pacifies; engaging thus, no rising discontent, no (as per George Bernard Shaw) "unreasonable" call to action. Indeed, much worse, in any of those typical bogus support groups, actively trying to render for one another, any responsible practical advice or assistance, may actually be penalized or ostracized so that only "marshmallowing" will be permitted. And in such an ethos, ever more widespread, crucial emotional support will only be reduced to manipulative Behavioral Modification to sooth and pacify those who suffer ever more helplessly for it. And all in the name of cowardly Zen futile Mystical sublime apathy and nonattachment. Utterly inconsequential. A hoax. Nothing comes of it.

So, please lets all just stop so aimlessly "sharing" already, and start setting purposeful agenda! Indeed, in all due emulation and rôle modeling of those lionized and capable happy people, let us forgo interminably vapid small talk, such a happines killer, and talk more seriously in sound preparation ever to take action. For as Benjamin Disraeli declares: “Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.” Beginning indeed, in collaboration among equals in creative solution finding. And just perhaps, ever if such might please us, even the sheer good fun of collaborative brainstorming. 

All ripe for testing the very bold prediction at all: that in liberating free exchange and optimal reciprocal engagement in imaginative yet unflinchingly honest, hard nosed and fully engaged Socratic Dialectical feasibility study, analytic yet strategic planning, indeed collaboration among equals in creative solution finding and even collaborative brainstorming, all as herein invited for all comers, all interested parties, upon precisely all such agenda of creativity, ambition and daunting challenge, will by itself already begin lifting spirits and honest hope, authentic wellbeing, and the will to power.