Continuing on pieces of text I never published before, here is a metaphorical chronicle I wrote in July 2015.
‘‘Imagine yourself as an intestinal bacterium. What would it be like to reflect on the source of the flow of digested food coming from the stomach? To the bacterium, it is all very mystical. How and/or why start to investigate what lies beyond the intestine? Curiosity never ceases…
So, at what point are we, human beings, like such bacteria?’’
<cold-pools_edges_and_beyond>
It is complicated to try to show the immensity of possibilities beyond the cold pools and their edges.
Of those who dive in, most find it absurd that anyone is on the outside; they advocate how pleasant it is to swim, interact with their peers, and how good the water is. They worry more about convincing those on the outside to dive in than about their own limited state of action and freezing.
“After all, many are swimming around here; what is there to do (alone) outside the pools? Only those with nothing to do stay wandering around there. Or are you going to join those on the edge of the pools and settle for criticizing those who dove in?” – thinks someone who hasn’t left the pool in a long time.
There are others who swim so habitually that they have no perception that they are in the water: “There are people freezing out there, right?! How can that be?!”
Upon gaining a sense of the perspective from outside the pool, the first intuitive reaction is to try to warn them; however, words are never enough (besides, the sound of the moving water is of greater volume than simple words).
There is, then, much reflection…
Why is something that seems so obvious to be deconstructed so firmly secured? How can the infinite possibilities of life be reduced to freezing in the water or laughing at those who freeze? How can the work of those who walked into the uncertain (beyond the pools and their edges) be consecrated, but the walk itself so condemned? One ends up mentally touching upon the reasons for the failures of democracy, but deconstructing this particular branch of reasoning is left for another opportunity.
There is, then, a feeling of being chained. It seems that the free and uncertain path of infinite possibilities cannot be continued unless something is done to express what is visualized in the situation. It sounds like much disdain for one’s peers. After all, how could they be truly alive, restricted to such limited options of action? How to communicate this to them without sounding aggressive, offensive, superior, or pragmatic? Maybe it’s paranoia, ignorance, or perhaps it is impossible to transmit something that does not want to be received. Maybe this is the great art of life.
Then, in an impulse of boldness and compassion, he dove in.
Those watching the pool from the edge judge him as crazy, a masochist.
“We warned you not to mix with these frozen people. You know well what you are doing.”
The intent is to show that hypothermia freezes gradually and ultimately leads to a premature evolutionary interruption; but, even so, no matter the level of freezing, it is always possible to leave the pool; nothing is ever completely lost. If one is too frozen, unable to leave alone, they can ask for help and try to work on the idea that perhaps the frozen pool is not indeed the only or best option. Life could be much more beautiful and free.
“‘They told me to dive in, here I am; and I assure you, there are infinite cold pools like these; all surrounded by "scoffers" who watch those who entered freeze; just as there are also infinite possibilities beyond this freezing swim or laughing at those who freeze. We do not need this; let us work on the different, let us believe in the realization of the uncertain.’”
Everyone rejects him. They mock. They laugh.
“‘Are you crazy? You just grumble and complain; knowing it is so bad, why did you enter here, then? Just to complain and show yourself superior?’”
Now, besides freezing, he is in danger, being threatened by his peers who have been freezing for longer. They take his speech as offensive.
“‘You cannot imagine how hard we struggled to be able to swim in this pool! Why do you do this? Do you like to see others suffer? To spread bad energy? Do you want to drown? We are happy swimming among ourselves, without you. We prefer the company of freezing peers who also fantasize about happiness over a stranger who dares to speak ill of our pool! Go back and stay there with the scoffers who do not have the courage to swim here!’”
The so-called ‘scoffers’, who have never jumped into freezing pools, condemn:
“‘Fool! You knew it was bad and wanted to jump. Now you are contaminated with thoughts of the cold water people. If you wish to return to those on the edges of the cold pools, you will bring more freezing influences and, thus, will be eternally labeled a "traitor of the cold waters" or "frozen fool".’”
Before leaving the pool, he identifies that none of them do what they do out of malice, whether inside or on the edge of the pool. Not that this is an excuse to unleash prejudice and proudly secure oneself in shallow certainties of malice toward one’s peers, but each has a perspective and is at a certain evolutionary stage. After all, it takes courage to dive into the freezing pool, as well as discernment and critical thinking to know the reasons not to dive.
“‘Could it be that, at some point, everyone settles? Do they raise the banner of fear, the slogan "There is no way out, there is no way to think of options other than these" and no longer seek any deconstruction of what is and can be real and how far the cognitive capacity and the capacity to transform this reality can or cannot go? …
… That there are not only freezing pools and their spectators, ah, of that I have a certain conviction! I have been both on the edges and in the pools; I do not regret nor condemn. I just want to try to transmit what I have gathered and forge my own path.’”
Analogous to organisms that reject a foreign body, people who gather and establish themselves in groups emphasize their common attributes and condemn the different who want to poke at this comfort zone formed by the preservation of these proud common attributes. However, when alone, each individual tends to remember their uniqueness and proposes a greater openness to the deconstruction of what was previously established.
Thus, with this in mind and certain that he will leave the pool soon, he remembers that only the here and now exists for action, and sets out to swim in all directions in order to spread small sparks of thought that go beyond this already calcified scenario. Even though the majority continues to ignore him and pay him no mind, he notices small questionings regarding the very way of life of some swimmers and continues tirelessly. After all, that is what can be done here and now.
He leaves the pool sufficiently satisfied. No one left with him. Nor does anyone plan to leave. But the pool no longer seems the same.
The ‘scoffers’ ask:
“‘So, traitor? You returned?’”
He contemplates doing the same regarding what was done in the pool, but the ‘scoffers’ are resistant to individualism. The group is very closed. So, he finds it easier to simply leave, leaving them without an answer – this may cause reflection. He doesn’t care how his image will turn out. He remembered the bacteria: ‘I cannot settle for simply treating as mystical and unattainable any information and/or knowledge regarding where this flow of food comes from; why from above? What would digestion be? And the stomach? There is much to question to live in certainty; to content/conform oneself with what the intestine presents.’
To those who will never leave the pool, he is certainly seen as crazy. But to those who never entered the pool and do not leave the edge, would he be permanently seen as frozen? Will he ever know? Many have and will have envy, and will manifest it as accusations and prejudices. There is the certainty of not worrying so much about everyone’s views, because you can never please everyone; no one ever has. May this not lead to throwing everything away, but instead serve as a source of self-compassion to follow one’s own path.
For now, he remains satisfied. He likes the people who stay in this scenario, but loves being alive. There are many pools and respective edges and, in general, they are limited. He prefers the uncertain, dangerous, doubtful path… But alive. And moving forward.