Those following this website may have noticed a difference by now: the appearance of Amazon advertising in a project that expresses its concerns, grave concerns, about the rise of global materialism and global capitalism.
For my own part, what is even more noticeable, is a certain psychological process in myself since the adverts went up. I see I have assumed a new role in this world. I have become a marketer. Or a marketeer.
As I observe that, I observe interiorly a new hunger for some kind of “success” in regards to these adverts, which was not so conscious before they went up. If I am honest, I notice within myself an urge to see – even if it is not very likely – if anybody has bought anything yet …
The point I want to make here is as much global as personal. As I observe this process within myself, I realise I am hardly alone. The same kind of dynamics I now observe within my fallen psyche, I imagine going on everywhere.
In becoming a marketer, however small-scale, I have joined a global club of countless souls actively hoping , longing and working for other’s attention to their own financial benefit …
I have joined a global club with the fallen refrain running through their souls: Look at me! Look at me! Buy me! Buy me! Buy me!
I find myself reflecting that there was a time when many people were more humble than this. They were content to let attention accrue to certain figures they judged worthy of attention, figures in academia perhaps or the Bishops and the priests. Or even the Monarch …
They were content perhaps with lives where they did not need to draw attention or money to themselves. But now everyone wants to be a star.
I exaggerate. But it seems clear to me that what I am feeling inside myself acutely since this advertising went up is but one small indicator of a vast global phenomenon, going on outside myself, whereby egotism is being nourished and stimulated again on an immense, unprecedented scale.
Now whatever the fallen refrains humming through my soul, I believe in this decision. Otherwise the adverts would come down. The decision was arrived at after lengthy prayer and pondering.
Indeed years ago, I did a less traditionally Catholic blog – when I was less convinced of the burning need to preserve the Tradition – and in that blog I refused the temptation of advertising, judging it then as merely temptation. Today my situation is different and I judge it differently. No need, I think, to say more …
Here I am not so much trying to condemn myself or others, as simply reflect. We are all fallen with greed hopelessly running through us, however much we pray. And we certainly need markets and marketing. But I do think it good to reflect – outloud in this case – on the results in the human soul across a vast populace.
These kinds of things I am sure are deeply changing the content of the human soul.
On another more personal note still. I said sometime back that I was having trouble with “this weblog – at least in the way I had originally envisaged“. Now in part, what I originally envisaged was a weblog that aimed to be more systematic than some, building up a coherent picture. Perhaps it was simply fallen pride, but I wanted an approach that was less random and simply personal than many weblogs. But that takes considerable planning.
I have decided to surrender! As a result, this weblog may lose in terms of the careful construction work I wanted. On the other hand, it will be appearing more often I believe and may even gain from more spontaneity.
Thus less of a construction, more of a medley will be commencing of many heterogeneous elements. Some of my old webwritings will also re-debut, probably with some new additions and re-writing. There will be more on many things including for example Valentin Tomberg’s jurisprudence writings. But again, the result will definitely less orderly.
As a final note for now, I hope to comment on some of the very striking parallels I see between Valentin Tomberg’s Jurisprudence writings and the masterful and stunning new social encyclical from the Holy Father, Caritas in Veritate, which you can find here, if you like.
Foreword for Monarchy by Roger Buck
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