It is More Important than We Are

This I am sure, is on the back of everyone's mind - and we make sure we accommodate ourselves to it. And not that it accommodates itself to us.

Certain priorities have been established in the world - and this is the most fundamental one.

It was not always this way. When we first came out of East Africa, perhaps two million years ago - we were like any other animal, interested mainly in ourselves - and finding out about the rest of the world. We were a success, and made ourselves at home everywhere in the world.

Today, we are not so sure whether we are a success or not - because we are a small part of something much bigger (and much more important) than we are.

We need to ask ourselves "What is It?" And take this question seriously. Even though It does not want us to do this. Note that I have capitalized It - just as we do for Deity.

And our belief in gods, and especially God - is behind this, I am sure. There is something big, out there - and It is in control. And all kinds of things, can fit comfortably into that divine space.

Most recently, the Machine. The basic discovery of the Industrial Revolution. Once we discovered it - It discovered us - and took control of us.

One of the products of this revolution, was Classical Music. Where each instrumentalist is an expert at playing his instrument - reading carefully the music on a printed page, in front it him (or her).  And a huge audience, sits respectfully, in a concert hall - and may or may not, applaud the music produced by the orchestra.

This was what I expected to do, when I went to work, in the Fifties - make beautiful music. I was shocked, to find this was not the case. Something else was going on - and it was not good.

Something had changed, in the logic of our social machinery. A simple switch, that reversed our values - making the good bad, and the bad good. No one noticed this - and they proceeded as though nothing had happened.

Then another kind of machine came along - the Computer, with its Software and Networks. This is putting People in control again - because only people can write Software.

We are living in a time of a Great Transition, or equally - a Great Confusion.