I apologize for the delay with this second post — passing moments of confluence and divergence interceded.

I’ve come to realize that my use of the word “poet” can take on a couple of different meanings and connotations. By no means do I wish to be exclusive with my language. There are some who may feel they have no talent with regards to language, there are those that hoard it; and language can be a tricky thing. It requires one person attempting to pass on to another individual her or his perspective of the world (in the broader sense — but in reality, everything we say is an effort to explain how we see reality).

In a book entitled “Minimalism”, in a section concerning matters of knowledge, reality, subjectivity and objectivity, the scientist William Hatcher describes a process of understanding reality. One such approach is to view each person as having an inner model which relates to reality like a map relates to a territory. He states “Ontologically, a map of Canada has nothing in common with Canada. Canada is a geographical territory made up of earth, water, forests, cities, people, and animals, while a map of Canada is a piece of paper…” What generates a sense of meaning, or creates a relation between the two, is the existence of an “appropriate correspondence”. Relating the inner model to reality can be done in the same way, there must exist mediums and specific reference points for the two.

What if we’re all looking at different maps?

This, I feel, naturally leads into the next point I wanted to touch briefly upon, because in essence these posts are in no means exhaustive, but simply probing. The power of words to affect is my next consideration.

If we follow along with the analogy of the map presented earlier, the difficulties, even when a common language is shared, are immense. The question arises, how then, in a world fraught with dichotomies, are we to express ourselves in a way that touches someone’s heart? This is the important point here. The thrust of the question is how to use language, words and expressions so that they become means of generating a change in consciousness as we seek to build an ever increasing sense of unity in the world (for this is underlying principal of the Bahá’í Faith), and thereby transcend and develop language that redefines our “map”. When this happens, when we’re able to begin to reshape our “inner model” so that it resonates in unison with others around us, this is the point at which our words become those means of attraction, binding together others and expressing universalities that have the potential to heal and build.

This is what I also mean by the use of “poet”. We all have the potential to utilize language for this constructive purpose, and when our words and phrases mirror this positive force and attempt to seek truth, that is when we’ve reached the essence of true poetry.

Utterance is another concept in the Bahá’í Faith that stands alone as unique.

Baha’u’llah, the Expounder of the Bahá’í Faith, revealed a prayer that speaks to this:

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them ho have drawn night unto Him, that the sweetness of the melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of men. Whose reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom.

In part III, I’ll touch upon the topic of the potential of youth and junior youth, while following this train of thought with regards to the impact of language.

I see that one of my co-posters, Negin, has recently published a post entitled “Youth Can Move the World”. I’ll make sure that repetition is limited or negated all together. What I want to talk about today is “horizontal thinking”. Recently I watched a YouTube video of Thomas Friedman on his book “The World is Flat“. He was giving a keynote address at MIT, and though he covered a lot of material, some of which I did not agree with (but this is for another post perhaps), he did touch on one thing that I was really able to latch on to – it was this process of “horizontal thinking“.

The main thrust of this conjecture about the state of the world is that growth in opportunity, coupled with the integration and growing connectivity of the world, has basically made it flat. And that a person’s ability to access a much larger market, or to interact with a variety of other people across the world, has increased at an incredible rate. Thus, our orientation with respect to the rest of the world is side-to-side rather than top-down, which is a break from traditional vertical thinking (where hierarchy rules and systems of class dominance are perpetuated). Horizontal thinking allows us to see greater opportunities for equality and implies devolution of authority and an increased sense of autonomy for the individual.

Now, in one respect, this does nothing to stem the tide of, what a good friend has called, the cult of individualism, but what it does do is allow greater chances for influence — particularly for youth.

I’ve also recently been getting increasingly fascinated with the medium of podcasting. I mean, I’m only about three years late in becoming interested in this form of media. But it’s never too late I guess. And I look at blogging too, of course. Here I am, writing to… no one and everyone… about things just spinning around in my head… and I hope against hope that it is somehow interesting to someone, somewhere.

And now we find ourselves in a burgeoning world of global connectivity, creating these golden threads of light that circumnavigate the world — creating what though? That we can only guess — what will be the outcome of all this? The only thing we can do is to grasp it, use it and exploit it to its fullest and make sure that this mode of connection can help bring us together.

Where are the poets? We are here; we are everywhere.

This servant appealeth to every diligent and enterprising soul to exert his utmost endeavour and arise to rehabilitate the conditions in all regions and to quicken the dead with the living waters of wisdom and utterance, by virtue of the love he cherisheth for God, the One, the Peerless, the Almighty, the Beneficent.

(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 172)

It would be exhaustive at this point to speak of the power of youth, about their potential. What is more important perhaps is how this potential is used. Wisdom and utterance are of the utmost significance with regards to communication. They are the foundations of mutual understanding and beneficial interactions. The youth of today, as we continue to create a virtual mesh over the entirety of the world, need to utilize, must tap into and be educated in these processes that lead to the “quickening” of men.

And especially in a horizontal world, where communication has become the catalyst for so much, the use of wisdom in incredibly important.  There is a passage in the Baha’i writings that says “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age in which ye live, and certain your deliberations and exigencies upon it”.  The use of language as a means of power, influence and ultimately love are, in reality, among the greatest goals of today, whether we realize it or not.

The youth of today, indeed, are the vanguard of this endeavor.

O SON OF DUST!
The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing, even as the cup-bearer, who proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker, and the lover who crieth not out from the depths of his heart until he gazeth upon the beauty of his beloved. Wherefore sow the seeds of wisdom and knowledge in the pure soil of the heart, and keep them hidden, till the hyacinths of divine wisdom spring from the heart and not from mire and clay…

(Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

Let me retract me initial statement.  I am a youth.  This is where the real power of civilization-building lies.

O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer Thy bounty upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him knowledge, grant him added strength at the break of every morn and guard him within the shelter of Thy protection so that he may be freed from error, may devote himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the wayward, lead the hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless, that all may be blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Prayers)

As you can see, I feel strongly about this.  Ellen, who majored in gender studies, feels equally strongly about gender-bias in language.  When we implicitly make women an especially vulnerable group by always grouping them with children, for instance.  And it’s not just in words.  Linguist Deborah Tannen, in an NPR podcast, says that there is even power in making someone laugh.  And that there are gender imbalances in our relationships because of that power.

But what about our daily interactions?  Do we realize the power of that off-the-cuff comment to embarrass or belittle or hurt? Every conversation has the potential to be an emotional minefield.  Dr. Michele Toomey, on her “Liberation Psychology” web site, says words have as much effect as physical actions:

Words can inform our mind, caress and comfort our feelings, excite and thrill our spirit, or warm and kindle the flame of our hearts. They can also slap our face, punch us in the stomach, rattle our nerves, kill our desire, or destroy our self-confidence. Of course this is metaphorical, but these metaphors capture in words our physical reactions to what is said, and that is the power of language. It can emotionally move and affect us as powerfully as physical actions.

The Baha’i Writings speak about the power of words, exhorting us to “beware lest [we] deal unkindly” with each other:

A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding….

For me, that confirms that when my intentions are good, my sincerity will colour my words and actions, softening my clumsy interaction. And even if there is contention and disagreement, there can be no excuse to hurt or upset someone:

If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one another for My name’s sake and as a token of your love for My manifest and resplendent Cause. We love to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord within the paradise of My good-pleasure, and to inhale from your acts the fragrance of friendliness and unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship.