I go at life pretty hard. I don’t take many breaks to stop and think. So last week, when Amanda convinced me to really stop and think on a ten-day, tenth anniversary holiday, it was a big deal for me.
When I did, I found a bit of the awe in the everyday.
Here’s what I have to share about it.
Imagine The World Around Us
Our senses enable us to hear, smell, touch, see, and taste. So we think of what they take in for us to think about. But the larger miracle is what they keep out – the terrifying sights, sounds, and smells of the world as it really is would quickly overwhelm us.
Imagine if our sense of time was longer such that we saw volcanos, earthquakes, and asteroid impacts as regularly as we do windy or rainy days.
Imagine if our range of hearing were such that we could hear the low-frequency groaning and grinding of the earth as it moved through space. Or if we saw the wider spectrum of light – the chaos of infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, microwaves, and radio waves all around us. Surely we would be reduced to frightened children, lost in a never-ending nightmare of reality as it really is, with no possible way to explain or understand any of it.
Our minds work the same way. Few of us could get through the day in our modern confined, compressed, and blinkered society if we allowed our minds to wonder: where we came from, why we are here, where we are, and where we are going through this tunnel of time without meaningful measure.
Yet here we are, on the edge of the infinite, able to imagine and contemplate it all if we choose. Some of us are accidentally exposed to the infinite through fever, disease, or drugs, but we all have the capacity to choose to let a little into our thoughts.
The Narcissism of Minor Differences and Trivial Concerns
Instead of opening ourselves up to the world around us, we concern ourselves with the most trivial things. We have a shared hypersensitive concern for things that – in the grand scheme of the universe… or even the neighbourhood - meaning nothing. My mother’s dying words were, “Remember to pay the cable bill.”
The term Narcissism of Small Differences was coined by Sigmund Freud in 1917, based on the earlier work of English anthropologist Ernest Crawley. Crawley theorized that each individual is separated from others by a taboo of personal isolation, which is effectively a narcissism of minor differences. Jonathan Swift in his 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels described this phenomenon when writing about how two groups entered into a long and vicious war after they disagreed on which was the best end to break an egg.
In his 1922 book, The Meaning Of Masonry, W. L. Whilmshurst writes,
“We of today pride ourselves upon being wiser and more advanced than primitive humanity. We assume that our ancestors lived in moral benightedness out of which we have since gradually emerged into comparative light. All the evidence, however, negatives these suppositions. It indicates that primitive man, however childish and intellectually undeveloped according to modern standards, was spiritually conscious and psychically perceptive to a degree undreamed of by the modern mind, and that it is ourselves who, for all our cleverness and intellectual development in temporal matters, are nevertheless plunged in darkness and ignorance about our own nature, the invisible world around us, and the eternal spiritual verities.
In all Scriptures and cosmologies the tradition is universal of a "Golden Age", an age of comparative innocence, wisdom, and spirituality, in which racial unity and individual happiness and enlightenment prevailed; in which there was that open vision for want of which a people perisheth, but in virtue of which men were once in conscious conversation with the unseen world and were shepherded, taught, and guided by the "gods" or discarnate superintendents of the infant race, who imparted to them the sure and indefeasible principles upon which their spiritual welfare and evolution depended.”
Many certainties of the past have been lost through ill-founded criticism of past customs and institutions. It is easy in the light of present-day knowledge and achievement to ridicule and condemn the people, the ideas, and the customs of a past age. But this is a mistake. Much of the wisdom and most of the beauty of the past is lost because we do not have sufficient knowledge and imagination to divest ourselves of our modern refinements and to relive the struggles, the hopes, and fears, and faiths, and beliefs of our ancestors who were in contact, more than us, with the mystery of life.
The Sublime
The sublime is a concept that reaches beyond the ordinary, brushing the edges of the infinite and the ineffable. It refers to experiences that provoke a sense of awe, wonder, and even terror, often tied to the grandiosity of nature or the profound depths of human thought and emotion.
Think of standing on the edge of a vast seaside cliff, beholding an ancient volcano caldera beneath a star-filled sky, or encountering a piece of music or art so powerful it moves you to tears. The sublime transcends everyday life, making us acutely aware of our own smallness, standing by a vast sea, on a small planet, in a small solar system, in the face of something limitless and powerful.
I do not know what I may appear to the world,
but to myself, I seem to have been only like a pelagic boy playing on the seashore
and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble
or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
Isaac Newton
The sublime comes from within a person as much as it is found in the external world. It is an interplay between our internal perceptions, emotions, and the external stimuli that trigger them. When we experience the sublime, it stirs something deep within us—a combination of fear, admiration, and a sense of the infinite. This internal response is rooted in our psychology and our capacity for awe, curiosity, and reflection.
Our ancient ancestors likely experienced the sublime in a raw, visceral way. Their world was filled with unexplained phenomena and powerful natural forces. Where our world is compressed and even, for them light was lighter, dark was darker, loud was louder, and quiet… well, it’s hard for us to even imagine. The vast, starry skies, thunderous storms, and immense landscapes must have inspired both fear and reverence. Without modern scientific explanations, these experiences were imbued with a mystical quality, pushing our ancestors to seek meaning and understanding in the world around them. Rituals, myths, and early religions often stemmed from these sublime experiences, providing a framework to understand and connect with the overwhelming aspects of their environment.
In the 21st century, our experiences of the sublime can be more diluted. Modern life, with its comforts and conveniences, often insulates us from the raw power of nature and the profound mysteries that once dominated human thought. Urbanization, technology, and a fast-paced lifestyle can dull our sensitivity to the sublime. We may find it harder to disconnect from the noise and distractions, making those moments of awe and deep reflection more fleeting and rare.
However, the sublime is still accessible. It often requires intentionality—seeking out nature, art, and moments of quiet contemplation. Purpose and meaning in life can be deepened by reconnecting with these experiences, allowing us to feel part of something larger than ourselves. This connection can ground us, inspire us, and remind us of the vastness of the human experience.
To explore and expand on this thought, consider the following ideas:
1. Nature and the Sublime: Immersing ourselves in nature, time, and tide, away from the trappings of modern life, can help rekindle that sense of the sublime. Sauntering through a forest, watching a sunrise, or listening to the waves crash against the shore can invoke a powerful sense of awe. Most people go through life unaware of the fascinating complex of events around them, of climate and terrain and vegetation and animals and people and their inter-relatedness.
2. Art and Creativity: Art, music, and literature can also evoke the sublime. These mediums allow us to explore and express the depths of human emotion and thought beyond words. Engaging with great works of art or creating something deeply personal can be a pathway to experiencing the sublime.
3. Reflection: Taking time for reflection can enhance our sensitivity to the sublime. Simply sitting in silence can open us up to moments of profound insight and connection.
Books can cause us to reflect on our own perceptions, make distinctions of new areas of reality and become sensitive to them.
Reflection is to give ourselves over, for at least a part of the time, to the lonely contemplation of some kind of beauty and order. It is also to enrich ourselves so that we have something to contribute to the lives of others.
4. Connection with Others: Sharing experiences of the sublime with others can deepen their impact. Whether it's discussing a powerful book, attending a concert, or traveling to a breathtaking location, these shared moments can enhance our sense of purpose and meaning. To do this we have to accept and learn that there are many people in the world who differ from us profoundly in habits, ideas, and ways of life. We must perceive these differences not as occasions for uneasiness or hostility but as challenges to our capacity for understanding.
The Plan
By actively seeking out and embracing the sublime, we can enrich our lives with a deeper sense of wonder and purpose. The key lies in balancing our modern conveniences with the timeless quest for awe and meaning that has driven humanity since our earliest ancestors stood in awe of the same world that surrounds us.
somewhat ironically the lawyers have it right-"time is of the essence". if we don't take the time we become strangers to the sublime.