Humanism?
Humanism is as good a word as any to describe the basic premise of my daily practice. In fact, I have used the word for 45 years, since studying the Humanism of the Reformation and the later agnostic Humanism of the Renaissance in college. The word is currently being repackaged and branded. However, I frequently clarify in my own mind what it means in my own life and practice.
My humanism is:
- a daily practice of mental and physical health-promotion
- a responsibility to myself and my environment
- a nonviolent and meditative way of being, a way of living
- an ongoing process and relationship with myself and my environment
My humanism is not:
- a religion to be preached and sold
- a monolithic identity
- a form of communal conformity
- a networking tool
- a career
My humanism is practical. This simply means that I attempt each moment of each day to apply my personal ideals of mindfulness and compassion. It also means I fail at this many times a day. The awareness of my shortcoming is a tool to encourage myself to try harder.
I live in a congested urban world. Some unconsciously turn to conformity in this world as a way of feeling secure. However, conformity automatically implies tailoring personal behavior to the lowest common denominator of group behavior. This is antithetical to the concept of mindfulness and open-eyed compassion. When individuals with strong habits of practice at being better people come together, great things can happen. However, when masses of the unconscious and irresponsible come together, the worst results can be expected.
I have been musing on this post since I read it. I agree - for me, Humanism is a personal reminder to myself to do and be my best and to continually try to improve. There are no rules and no monolithic entity and there is absolutely a danger in diluting what makes Humanism so helpful to us as individuals if it were to be into a commodity or used to create communal conformity.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, that's already happening. I come across people promoting Humanism lite all the time. Don't we who are Humanists have an obligation to help people avoid the problems by teaching them real Humanism and not the fake Humanistic mumbo jumbo that some people are peddling> I think so.
I do think Humanism should be marketed so that we don't abandon people to the charlatans of the world.
I also think we need professional humanists to serve our communities. So in that sense, I do think Humanism can be a "career" or a calling. I just got an email from someone yesterday saying that he would love to do what I do but he has to have a job. This is an ex-clergy member! He'd be wonderful, yet, unless he can figure out a way to feed himself and keep a roof over his head, what he can do on behalf of our movement is limited.
People are searching for a philosophy like Humanism and if we don't reach out and tell other people about it - we leave those people to the mercy of unscrupulous individuals who are selling them something that is less than and potentially harmful.
I think the dynamic is one of - Humanism is obviously a personal practice and I truly don't care if other people adopt it or not vs the need to share it so that other people don't feel like they have no other option but to join cults and give their money to charlatans.
People are really struggling. They need and want help and if we don't market Humanism to them, they will find help elsewhere and to me it is just immoral not to help them find what really would help them tremendously.
As for the career thing. The number of non-religious is rising. They need weddings, funerals, support, family guidance and more. The growing number of family groups and the questions and problems being posed in this group shows the need. People need and want help and right now, with the exception of a few places, they are dependent on the help of Humanist volunteers to help organize the programs and support they need. And as wonderful and well meaning as those volunteers are, they aren't enough! We have ex-clergy who were drawn to the clergy by a desire to help. Why can't their skills and knowledge and interests be put to use as professional humanist "clergy" to support the growing number of Humanists? And yes, they should get paid, because we need them full time!
Anyway - as always - love your blog and you definitely gave me plenty to think about with this one! How to balance the competing needs to make sure what is good about Humanism (the autonomy and personal practice aspect of it), doesn't get lost as Humanism becomes more popular.
Or to be more blunt - how do we popularize Humanism without it becoming a cult?
Jennifer, thanks for sharing this. As I always clarify, this blog is about my humanism. I am delighted it gave you brain food. However, I write this as part of my own practice. Not a prescriber here...just offering one person's experience of what I consider the humanist life.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Humanism can be a movement or sect without corruption, just as I do not believe that the Christ's message was intended to be an organized religion or the Buddha's message was intended to be an organized religion. These were messages spoken to the individual human mind and human emotion for the betterment of the human condition within each person and hopefully the world if enough individuals took the messages and applied them to their lives individually every day.
Thanks for your clarification - You are probably correct about the corruption problem. And I live your analogy with the great teachers. I think though that the creation of a movement is inevitable so planning on how to avoid the corruptin would be a good thing. But then I suppose reminding us all of the personal practice nature of the philosophy is what is ultimately needd.
ReplyDelete