Association

The Stone-Age mindlessness that is fostered by professional, violent sports is not helpful to society, in my opinion. The loyalty and conformity of fans to their teams approaches Fascist thuggery. Walking through the lobby of the local professional hockey venue on a game night will amply illustrate my point for you. A sea of yellow Bruins jerseys here in Boston. These jerseys are occupied by the overweight and partially inebriated, far from the ideals of good-spirited, health-minded competition. Walking through the crowd, which I must do to access my subway stop, is not an experience that inspires any sense of commonality, joy or social progress in me.

I am reminded of these fans when I attend other events, sponsored by various associations. Logo-printed T-shirts of one matching color send a chill through me. Sampling conversation with various members of these crowds usually informs me that few of these enthusiasts for the cause-of-the-day have a grasp on the philosophy, funding or leadership motivation of the event they are attending.

Association is becoming merged with a kind of conformity of correctness, which requires little thought or critical analysis: Belonging for belonging's sake or belonging in a desperate attempt to form a personal identity. Unfortunately, for many in these crowds, a personal identity does not come in the form of a cotton T-shirt, ribbon pin or elastic wrist band. Personal identity formation and, more importantly, maintenance comes with education, reflection, truthful communication and other forms of very hard, daily work.

Conformity feels safe for those who are otherwise adrift. Healthy association is not conformity in intimate relationships or community relationships. Association is an interactive and creative process in its best form. It is not a building or a passive audience for a group of ideologues. Healthy association of diverse opinions toward a common purpose can be very powerful, but it is seldom easy or tranquil. The fire of debate and disagreement, brought into eventually shared understanding and consensus upon action, are the fuel of healthy association.

I think healthy association is a natural fit for for those who maintain an individual practice, based on personal truth and principles. My own experience with many associations in my sixty-one years has taught me to mistrust apparent conformity in any organization I encounter. The culture of an organization based on conformity is by its very nature oppressive. Whether subtly encouraged or strictly enforced, the choice of passive conformity is evil, in my opinion. 

Being your own human being, committed to promoting the greater good in consciousness and action, based on your personal ideals and principles, is another way of defining humanist practice. But, that is my definition, related to my practice. I encourage anyone interested in committing themselves to a practice of healthy and progressive living to work out a definition of that practice. Refine it. Share it. Associate with others who are doing similar personal development. Turn away from conformity in favor of being your own human being in association with others who are also individual seekers.