In his essay “Let’s Be Reasonable”
Rev. Todd Eklof [The Gadfly Papers]
reduces reasonable to logical;
This is a common left-brain dominant error,
confusion between deductive premises
and coldly reductive conclusions
calculated assuming cause v effect linear formulas
more than feedback loops
of complex neurological relationships,
ecological analogical
experiential math
not reducible to algebraic calculus.
So, this is a big topic
and I can already see right-brain feelers’ eyes glazing,
longing to step into warmer,
more fluid
green organic systems
in which light feeds natural growth
and darkness starves into nutritional dormancy.
Narrowing down to a specific example,
“If an organization has a policy [a left-brain dominant product]
against hiring nonwhites for top management positions,
[T]hen it will not hire a[n Asian heritage candidate]
as its next CEO.” (p. 88)
In linear cause-effect logic,
IF…is the antecedent clause
and
THEN…is the consequent clause;
If x, and only x,
then y–
a perfect positive correlation
seldom seen in real life’s geometric non-equations,
except where found true
by left-brain definition,
rooted in either true cause
or false effect
dark v light
competitive thinking.
Notice a similar statement
about historical experience,
left- and right-hemisphere resonantly remembered;
not cognitively/affectively dissonant,
IF a culture has a history of not hiring nonwhite leaders,
THEN it is unlikely to hire a nonwhite CEO in the future.
Why would the sun shine on a culture tomorrow
that has never done so in past collective memory?
For left-brain deduction,
either cause
OR effect,
practice could only consistently follow explicit policy
or it would be wrong,
incommensurable with safe precedent,
arbitrary
illogical
dangerously unnecessary risk-taking
and unexplainable
within SWM privileged and dominant monocultures.
On the other hand,
perhaps literally
and figuratively,
right-brain’s interdependent web
of complex cause-effect-recause-re-effect
feedback loops and lattices
networks and sometimes chaotically scary lack of stable systems
with accompanying anxiety about what is significant
and safe climate
and what is unpredicted and therefore unknown
and alarming wildness habitat,
dissonant,
uncomfortable.
Procedural choices,
including designing and development processes,
in a privileged culture
normally follow past historical practice.
Stabilization
predicts calcification;
not positive deviance.
Precedent predicts practice
especially where no explicit prohibitive policy
intending to inhibit past practice
is anywhere within sight
to empower change
in a more therapeutic direction,
to restore justice
connection
relationship
non-violent communication
ease
health
nurture
where it has been sadly lost.
Left-brain deductive reason
is reduced to predicting
within the context of linear
either x is an explicit healthy/toxic antecedent
or y is a logically implied
and predictable valid outcome.
Right-brain wisdom from positive and negative experience
is able to extend reasonable connections
beyond what is explicitly logical
within an assumed Win/Lose competitive
predative
patriarchal
colonizing
corporate capitalist normative system.
IF, and only if, we uncover beliefs about what feels right,
what neurologically AND biologically
and naturally AND spiritually resonates,
within a specific polycultural experience
influenced by far more
than explicit laws and regulations,
by far more than scriptures
explicitly translated and transcribed
down through ages of oral history,
by far more than moral behavioral codes
that do not add to experiential internal conviction,
THEN compassion,
sufficient motivation
to do
and say
and choose what is valid
for healthy interconnected
resonant
fluid
grace-filled sacred life systems
may be less ignored
shunned
depressed
repressed
suppressed
oppressed
In favor of merely logical conclusions
that can feel too aggressive
assertive more than merely rational,
self-assuredly privileged
yet cold
and calculatingly hurtful
when weapons of empowered narcissists
instead of limited tools of non-elite compassionists.
IF StraightWhiteWesternMale incorporated privilege
seems to validly conclude
what also feels organically
and interdependently unreasonable
given contrary historical NonElite experience,
THEN we might release
competitive and privileged assertions
conserving right-brain ignored darkness
where light longs for multicultural
bicameral liberation,
education
transubstantiation
communication
where bright longs for better safe and sufficiently resonant systems
of polypathic thoughts
with long polyphonic systemic feelings
of harmonic secular/sacred
natural/spiritual stability,
centeredness,
health-seasoned
[not so much ecological wealth anti-reasoned]
balance,
health,
therapeutic integrity
EcoPolitical
and NeuroPsychological
