In a deep and meditative look I seek the root of the problem, an image that shows the core of the imbalance that the world lives.
I try to leave rationalizations aside, as they distract us from what we really need to see.
The feeling of urgency moves me, and I let it guide me.
I see a CAGED LION.
Overly polite people trying to hide their aggressiveness. People afraid of their own instinct, fearing it destroys their own lives, the other, their self-image. The esoteric doctrine of death to the ego was so effective that it ended up killing it. What people fear most now is the free expression of this ego, with its emotions, impulses, instinctiveness.
How many people feel free to create an open conflict? Saying that they don't like something, don't want something, give a direct "no" without the need of a thousand excuses and justifications? How many people feel free to speak those truths that everyone knows, but don't have the courage to express?
There is a fear of confrontation, a constant attempt to be pleasant, to smile and say things as sweetly as possible. This is the attitude considered positive, virtuous and elevated in social life.
The wild force has been banned from society - for a very long time actually.
The big problem is that this ban is becoming unbearable. The savage force wants to be recognized, the savage feminine asks for passage. And some people have already understood that this is what the world needs to balance itself - the patriarchal escalation has already reached its limit.
This force provokes the necessary changes, shakes the broken structures, pulls out the hypocritical masks, screams and exposes the truths that nobody wants to see. It is the storm that brings renewal.
What is the problem with the caged lion? What does this have to do with the current situation in the world?
People are forceless. People deny strength-
and because they deny, they try to search it anywhere, even if disqualified.
The expression of instincts strengthens the being. The expression of emotions strengthens the being. The expression of anger brings a sense of individuality and power. There is no sweet lion. He is the king of the jungle because he roars and defends himself. If he starts to suppress his anger, he loses strength and languishes. This is what happens with excess politeness.
Without strength there is no capacity for change and achievement. That’s what we see today: scared, discredited people, with a deep feeling of impotence, because we don’t know how to change the social structure imposed to us. We know there is a select group of extremely wealthy and powerful families that rule the world. We see governments with fascist tendencies rising all over the globe. We know that we are controlled by the Big Techs, which own our data and private information. We know that deep social problems like racism and discrimination continue to kill more people every day. All of this seems above us. Too big to handle. Too powerful to fight. We start rebellions, but it is difficult to continue - and everyone questions deeply if this is going to change something.
The core for me is in ANGER. Perhaps it is the most feared and therefore the most denied emotion. Anger makes the warrior, gives limits, fights for life. Without anger the warrior does not win. Without anger we stagnate in depression.
And this is what I see: a HURT WARRIOR.
People who are afraid of exalting themselves too much, appear too selfish, violent, inconvenient, angry. It is ugly to contradict, ugly to promote oneself, ugly to be proud. It’s better to swallow, be very quiet, crestfallen, act as normal as possible. Hypernormal.
The force, however, keeps wanting to express, so now and then it explodes in violent demonstrations. Tyrannical presidents who have no problem to impose, yell and say whatever they want rise to power. Since I have no position, since I’m afraid to express myself, I delegate my power to someone who does something. For someone who can be brash, but at least says what he thinks. Someone who feels very comfortable drawing all attention to himself, even in the most inelegant ways possible. Someone who does for me what I don’t have the courage to do.
And so we create a dichotomous world: on the one hand, a huge impotent population that cannot position itself; on the other, a tyrannical minority that appropriates the denied power. The lack of a collective voice is the perfect condition for dictatorships.
Individuality is not balanced in either of the two poles. The true individuality recognizes its unique and singular value, but at the same time sees the value of others and the circumstances in which it is inserted - specifically because this is the only way to transform it. It is the tenuous and complex balance between the Individual and the Whole.
The population that cancels themself is not seeing its own value. The powerful minority that only wants to take advantages is not thinking in the Whole. Individualism is not individuality. Omission is not individuality.
We need individuals.
We need leaders.
We need HEROES.
Not false myths created by illusory projections. Heroes of flesh and blood, who do humanly what needs to be done.
The hero within each of us, the one who has the strength of expression and especially ACTION. Who desires and fights for what he wants. Who puts all instincts in the most honorable way possible in achieving his goals. That does not let himself undermine in the endless ideas of failure, defeat, nihilism and hopelessness for what he sees. Who wakes up every day with a willingness and energy to fight how many wars are necessary to overcome challenges, and especially oneself.
This is the strength that we need.
And if this lion needs to be tamed with humanity and wisdom - and he does, because the real strength is in this domain - there’s something I’m sure of: his place is not in the cage