Shirley Temple had it right at a very dark period in human history when she sang Be optimistic and smile.
While some of those books reviewed by Andrew Leigh (The Future is Unnerving, Herald March 21) may present some hope amidst gloomy future scenarios, can I please ask who is writing the books or for that matter making the plays, films, paintings or speaking through any medium towards the “certain” positive stories of our future?…Or doesn’t that sell as a subject in our cynical horror/violent/anger fuelled times?
I note that eight feature films listed on the top ten for my streaming service are stories with a general negative outlook, some outright vicious and nasty, and just plain humanly destructive.
I don’t know about other cultures but certainly our Western capitalist economic rationalist consumerist values system has darkly focused on negative destructive human interaction since Shirley Temple had millions focused on her simple heartfelt messages.
All of this negativism that is so prevalent today has been fuelled by ourselves and some addictive need to smash up the place. Why? Whether we want to face this or not, it is the truth. Part of the human condition is a lust to put down “the other,” That is a deep flaw in too many psyches. Why so much self-hate that has to be paid for by someone else?
Sure, there will always be the story of good vs evil because that is the very foundational playbook of our lives. The journey from dark to light is what it is all about… isn’t it? But where are the storytellers and positive advocates such as a modern speaking Miss Temple who can light the way?
Masculine energy has proved itself too limiting and self-defeating. You will note that I’m not talking about male and female but masculine and feminine energies. Each is present in both sexes. We need more balance in live and our story writing and who we choose to listen to if we want to make a better future for ourselves.
The stories the likes of Trump, Netanyahu and Putin (and others) are spinning us only lead to a very short shelf life. Their playbook could be characterised as pulp fiction made real. So very destructive.
What about a story where we are encouraged to accept more individual responsibility for ourselves, each other and a fragile beautiful world that we seem intent on turning into a trash novel simply because it sells?
Miss Temple please take your place centre stage. We need many more stories filled with hope.
