About three weeks ago in Clockwork, I asked my blog Followers and any visitors to select one of four statements that best represents yourself, life around you, and within our Universe. Those four choices again were:
- I am a cog in a Clock.
- I am a Clock among Clocks.
- I am my clock Winder & Minder.
- I am the Time Guardian.
I also asked that you explain why you chose the statement, and then explain why not the other three statements as your choice. There were several good answers and elaborations, a few were comical and lighthearted, and others very intriguing and that I would not have expected.
It is probably wise for me to say “there isn’t a correct or wrong selection.” That might disappoint one or two of you, and others not at all. Think of it this way: Do we witness any of the four statements and their implied meanings in other humans we know? I know I do, regularly. In fact, I’m bewildered to the point of chuckling when I hear or read (essentially) #4 by someone!
I don’t care how wealthy or famous—or evil, or megalomaniacal(?)—or intelligent they might be or they think they are, but “no man is an island, entire of itself” as John Donne famously coined. And furthermore, we did not enter this life from the womb completely independent of anyone or anything, did we? And at some point late in our life—hopefully a very fulfilling, whole life at that—we will return to an existence of dependence. Perhaps complete dependence on family and/or friends. In this, none of us has a choice; embrace it we must! Therefore, I personally think #3 is quite audacious to claim and not entirely true, at least not at birth nor in our final weeks alive. And with that said, I personally might even say #2 is pretty bold to assert, but not as much as #3 or near as omnipotent and omniscient as #4.
As I mentioned in one or two of my replies to comments, this came about when a dear friend of mine told me, pompous and quite full of herself, that “You create your own happy successful world, life, and experiences.” We had known each other intimately for over five years. During that time both of our lives were effected in large ways by not only each other, but also by several others in our spheres including immediate and extended family members. Some of those events and family were effects on us in massive ways which changed the course of life/lives, personally and in extended external ways! However, none of these events I allude to include severe weather phenomena that wreaked havoc on us, some of it permanent, nor do they include how COVID-19 effected our lives, obviously. None of us can choose our biological parents or the zip code(s) they’re born into; maybe all throughout their life. Many humans, through various forces, are propelled into painful, unbearable situations in life, impossible to avoid.
These many varying life conditions I mention still must abide in every way by Laws of biology, physics and Quantum Mechanics within our entire Universe, which certainly effect this “tiny Pale blue-dot of a planet,” to borrow Carl Sagan’s iconic prose, that we much tinier beings must coexist with, but not as commander or Time Lord, and maybe only as a clock Winder & Minder, temporarily as it will be.
Hence, for me personally, I’m not completely comfortable asserting number two. I have some reservations with it. If I’m perfectly honest, today March 2, 2022, I am much more comfortable simply with #1, and I am very fine with that. In Somewhere I Have Never Travelled,Gladly Beyond, the fourth stanza, E.E. Cummings speaks of a lady or lover, but what about life, our individual lives (clocks, cogs?) as the Lady or ourselves?
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals the power of your intense fragility: whose texture compels me with the color of its countries, rendering death and forever with each breathing. -- e.e. cummings
For those of you who participated previously in Clockwork, any final thoughts? Any final questions? I won’t promise I have the answers, but I promise to wonder, contemplate, and be a travel companion with you. 😊
Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Listen Close – Learn Always
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The Professor's Convatorium 
I stick with my original response … that all of them would come into play, depending on the circumstances.
As with life in general, I tend to think we “change our masks” as the occasion calls for.
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Intriguing final response Nan. 😉 ❤️
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My question is what did you think your question might elicit?
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Well, considering only 11 people participated, not too much can be read into or inferred from my question and four choices, right? That must be factored in. What it might elicit? I was prepared for anything and everything.
People’s individual perceptions are curious, even intriguing or perhaps outlandish… at least to me. 😉
What about you Pink?
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I answered “a clock among clocks” because my field of interest is relating to those around me. For example, yesterday a rehab/group home admissions director showed me around (for my Mom).
I made positive eye contact and briefly greeted many residents and workers. I patted 2 residents on the shoulder and chatted with one outside. An honest, positive attitude makes the world go-round. 😉
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Agreed there Arnold. No need for any external mythical divine entity—pick one out of the hundreds on Earth—when actual humans can easily do it themselves. Been doing the same thing most all my life around the world; on 4 of the 6 inhabitable continents. Smiles and kindness, it’s all very simple, very easy. 🙂
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Well I missed the study. But I’ll toss in my take as a twelfth participant.
I like 1. 2. and 3. Depending what my day is looking like.
1. Is everyday living. We are all cogs in the machine. Or clock if you prefer.
2. I’m pretty good at a lot of things, damn good at a few. I’d bet we all are in some way. But don’t let it go to your head. 😉 (which would put you on the road to 4.)
3. I’ve been self employed since my early twenties. Everything that exists in my little world is a direct result of the sweat and blood it took to get here. Every day you have to be motivated to get shit done, get stuff fixed, get to work, pay the bills, raise the kids, etc. etc. I am my clock winder and minder. Have the bad back to prove it.
4. I’m just not that into myself as the messiah. So… Yeah, not me at all.
All that said, it definately depends on the specific perspective you look at it from.
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I agree, SD. As I indicated in my answer, they ALL come into play for various and sundry reasons. You just gave excellent examples of why this is so. 🙂
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All excellent thoughts Shell, thank you Sir. 🙂
Reading and rereading your elaborations for #1, #2, and #3, as well as some others who prefer to choose more than just one statement/claim, what I’m inferring from these postures are that they are all flexing, adapting REACTIONS to other forces, other events. Is that a display of individual free-will? A partial display only? Or is it a cognitive dissonance to trick one’s self into thinking/believing we are in total control of our individual destinies? Or perhaps this posture is something else yet defined, at least here to me, that is.
Perhaps these are the “many changed masks” we put on ourselves as Nan stated earlier. However, I wonder… how far do these individual masks influence our environment, or our continent or planet on into all the Universe. Who or what is dictating its/their will upon who/what? 😉 And btw, this is as much a brain-teaser for myself as it is a direct question to you, or Nan, or Jo, and others who preferred more than one choice.
Further thoughts Shell?
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Your thoughts are trending toward the free will argument. And I’m allergic to free will arguments lol.
I understand the concept that we really do not have free will, but I just can’t get past my perception of having free will to fully accept that. Free will to me is something I can kind of see it both ways, an unsolvable palindrome in some odd sense, and my brain is too concerned with other stuff to work on that problem.
Apparently, my non existant free will prefers things that are not directly counterintuitive to my perception of having free will… and I’m just going to leave it at that. 😉 It’s hard to get past the notion that I just got myself a glass of water, instead of tea, and had no choice in the matter. I’m sure Mak will pop in soon and set me straight 🙂
As far as masks go, I’m too down to earth to need one. (Granted I may have misread the intent of “mask.”) I’m a lot like Popeye, I am what I am. I might check my language for the ladies, or the banker etc. I might be a wee bit nicer to the cop. Other than that, what you see is pretty much what you get. That said, I have noticed that many humans are layered up like an onion. You see what they want you to see at first, but over time those layers unmask and you begin to see what’s really down there. Usually the deeper those layers go, the worse it is at the core IME. Scary even.
Change Nan’s statement to hats, instead of masks, and I can see that, dependent on the occaision. I change hats all day long. It’s about time to put on my “go lie down on the heating pad hat.” One of those days…
As far as our effect on the universe? Negligible. Our effect on the planet? Extreme. Our effect on each other? Depends on the personality of the effect-or and the effect-ee, and the degree of the occaision.
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Hahaha!!! 😄 I love how you’ve described in the beginning your dilemma with YOUR cognitive perceptions versus our reality, in our tiny part of the world, on Earth as a whole as a species, then within our miniscule corner of the Milky Way galaxy. 😉
On Nan’s “masks” or various hats, etc? Well, this seems to just be a huge masquerade ball, huh? LOL As my all-time fav drummer & lyricist (Peart) wrote once quoting ole Willy Shakespeare:
I suppose reality to each of us is… As You Like It in seven stages, huh? 🤭
Much thanks Shell for participating in my brain-game & teaser Sir! ❤️
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