To thine own self be true

Once in a while in the past, English films, like this one and Chariots of Fire, have unexpectedly swept Oscars with their simple, atmospheric, well-acted storylines. In 1966, this film deservedly won for best picture (the most tightly 2 hr. Oscar winner I can recall), best actor (the splendid big-screen debut of Paul Scofield) and best director (respected American veteran Fred Zinnemann of tightly edited High Noon fame).

If I was to list my top 5 of celebrated films illustrating the individual vs. society, Robert Bolt’s highly successful play and film script would easily make the cut. Sir Thomas More’s (1478-1535) struggle with Henry VIII about whether to mindlessly/conventionally take Henry’s oath proclaiming the latter head of the church in England and giving him the right to annul his marriage and marry Anne Boleyn, his mistress, is a significant memorable conflict that happened in real time in early English history.

Everything about the film, every frame, every sound, every piece of music, every bit of dialogue serves Bolt’s and Zinnemann’s purposes producing a very entertaining, concise, to-the-point film. The supporting cast is excellent with scene-stealing moments by a young John Hurt as the traitorous Richard Rich, Leo McKern as a nasty right-hand man of Henry, Robert Shaw as the Trumpian Henry VIII, Orson Welles as the conflicted all-knowing first Roman Catholic Chancellor Cardinal Wolsey (before More), Susannah York as More’s daughter, and Vanessa Redgrave in a memorable speechless debut as Boleyn.

This is also a fascinating study of faith, power, conflicting positions, and the centrality of language in defining one’s life. Spoiler: More ends/ended up being executed and was later canonized by his church into a saint in 1935. His story and how he ended up as he did are nicely and faithfully documented by A Man for All Seasons. ps/ There is also a good little documentary filling in other details of More’s life on this recommended Columbia disc.

Hannah’s aging poet-grandfather stands in for Tennessee Williams’ poetic view of human nature and the human story and recites the following ‘last’ poem before he dies:

How calmly does the orange branch
Observe the sky begin to blanch
Without a cry, without a prayer,
With no betrayal of despair,

Sometime while night obscures the tree
The zenith of its life will be
Gone past forever, and from thence
A second history will commence.

A chronicle no longer gold,
A bargaining with mist and mould,
And finally the broken stem
The plummeting to earth; and then

An intercourse not well designed
For beings of a golden kind
Whose native green must arch above
The earth’s obscene, corrupting love.

And still the ripe fruit and the branch
Observe the sky begin to blanch
Without a cry, without a prayer,
With no betrayal of despair.

O Courage, could you not as well
Select a second place to dwell,
Not only in that golden tree
But in the frightened heart of me?

The same might be said for many of Williams’ flawed or tragic characters as well as for many of us who might survive, adapt, or make significant change if we only had the courage and confidence that goes with that important quality.

“We are stardust, we are golden/And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”–Joni Mitchell, “Woodstock”

A pretty basic experience. Just ask the 3 North Carolina cows that have been found after the Dorian hurricane. They were part of a large herd of cows and horses that were tragically swept out to sea. Amazingly, these three cows survived and continue to stick together. They know which side their survival bread is buttered on.

From Duluth Trading Post again.
Numerous unsubtle references to male genitalia in their latest underwear ad.

Yes, I would agree that responsible personal choices would be central to a successful, fulfilled life well-lived.

Personal choices appear to be the most important aspect of whatever search for wisdom.

Re. limits (which you touch on several times): Certainly there are limited processes, contexts and choices. And numerous limits and limitations on processes, contexts, and choices. There are certainly the innumerable limitations of self and ego and those you identified via scientific facts and language, of course.

Freedom, as opposed to limits and limitations, is very significant, necessary, vitalizing, promoting growth, development, and significant changes.

Choices have consequences and effects. There is such a thing as responsible choices as the Existentialists identified relative to self (basic survival: Frankl) and those choices related to larger numbers as in “the greatest good for the greatest number” (Mill, Bentham, Utilitarianism).

In passing, the topic of knowledge opens up a similar, related search for Information, perhaps more basic to that of knowledge. I suspect that information, like education and experience, leads to knowing more and more largely, whatever broader-based ‘higher’ forms of knowledge/wisdom.

Patterns and patternic thinking are, indeed, important/essential in developing knowledge.
And you are likewise right that there are often limits to knowledge, too, such as “sinister” group-think.

Transcendences? Definitely. There can be transcendences:
-of contexts
-in processes
-from limited fields of choices
-via religious faith
-via the arts
-via science, even math and technology
-via language (poetry, literature and the power of vision and epiphany)
-within one’s own knowledge bank (Eureka!)

You are right about “self-conscious awareness”. In fact, for me, Consciousness opens up transcendent possibilities and may very well increase wisdom potential. Consciousness (something developing from awareness and patternic thinking and freedom) is available to many people and it is sad/a shame that more people do not think or exercise the dormant facility of consciousness to enhance/fulfill their lives and those of others.
……………………………………………….
Well, that’s my best shot and response to what is an interesting and thought-provoking article. I suspect that, although you were aiming for an overview of wisdom, you were likewise writing about various aspects of choices and their centrality in our lives (which the Existentialists concluded were basic and central to our modern lives.

And you are right, there are many limits and limitations on various levels, many coming down to what Blake called the “mind-forg’d manacles” of self and individuals. Freedom is the best context of all relative to all the limits and limitations. And, as the Existentialists said, we make conscious choices all the way for the most part and choose the self we want to be and the values we espouse. We choose, essentially, finally, our selves, who we are, and how we want to live. To which I’d add, informed choices sure help if that’s the case relative to information, knowledge, and contexts.

“Kings of Pain” (History Channel–what does this have to do with History?).

About two idiots desperate for fame who get deliberately bitten by dangerous snakes, spiders, iguanas, etc. and bare their injuries for mutually sick viewers to witness.
This major sets back the quality of nature programming and documentaries and instills gratuitous, unnecessary fears in those watching. Nothing inspiring, uplifting, or beautiful about this artificial crap catering the lowest of the low.

(Canada’s top fictional prose writer, pictured here in 1986)

The fake Twitter news about Alice Munro’s death is false. (One of many problems epitomized by and associated with Twitter and social media.)

Long may the great Canadian writer live a longer, happy life, apart from and oblivious to the countless lies and frauds of social media and our crazy modern world!

In the U.S., Trump is impeached in the House.
In Canada, Don Cherry is fired from HNIC.

Despite a long distinguished career supporting veterans and after being named as one of Canada’s Top 10 Canadians in a CBC poll, he is fired from HNIC by CBC for perceived racist comments.

Despite shamelessly dressing up in blackface several times and inappropriately wearing Indian garb, Justin Trudeau is easily re-elected.

Don Cherry Bad is, of course, this weekend’s rhubarb about his newcomer poppy comments, but, on balance, Cherry has also done a lot of good in raising awareness for veterans, legions, and war-related news.

The attached photo was one such promotion: a V-Day watch viewers could buy to support veterans, which he advertised on HNIC in 2005.

As he is being crucified today, ironically, it is worth remembering that he was, at the same time, supporting vets and raising poppy awareness in this broadcast. (It’ll be unfortunate if he does not eventually apologize, but his intentions were, ironically, motivated by the goodness of creating more Remembrance Day consciousness in all Canadians.)

A controversial miss for sure, but there were definitely good intentions as usual in the mix. And, contextually, one must recognize and remember his long-term cause and beyond-the-pale commitment to those who serve and served. I hope those facts don’t get completely lost in the predictably widespread trolling that continues.