Everybody Knows

I've been asked to be more vocal about my beliefs. I initially came up with one flimsy excuse after another for why I shouldn't, but it's reached the point where I have been accused by both friends and foes alike of cowardice, a lack of energy or empathy, and other character flaws. So I will explain once and for all why I remain mostly silent.

There's an old song by Leonard Cohen: "Everybody Knows". I'm listening to it as I type this. It's a bit depressing, but the basic message it espouses is this: everybody knows the truth about where this world is and where it is headed. Much as people pretend to be ignorant, stupid, or oblivious, everyone is intelligent enough to know what is going on, both at home and abroad. They know of the injustices being committed. They know that humankind is in trouble. And most just plain don't care.

If I were to add any lyrics to the song, they would be that everyone knows about global climate change, the starvation and war fueled by modern economics, the near inevitability of nuclear warfare, and other hot-button issues that are endlessly "debated" and "discussed". Some people would rather not think about such things, because fixating on them is uncomfortable, but deep down inside they know.

So were I to speak up, I would not be convincing anyone of anything that isn't already blatantly obvious. Among mere mortals, wisdom and truth really need no advocate. They advocate on their own behalf, and they advocate on ours. The only thing I can really convince people of is to recollect those things they have tried their best to forget: those moral rules of conduct they were taught as children, and then gradually compromised away as they grew older.

Anything beyond that coming from a person like me would be considered pedantic and patronizing. So I will neither teach nor will I preach. I will only annoyingly remind others of what everybody knows.