May We Live In Interesting Times

Interesting Facets of both Outrage & Inspiration

“May you live in interesting times.” - Unknown

While the origins of the above quotation are unknown, its sentiment rings true in 2025.

How so?

Many facets of the new year are interesting, if by “interesting” we include both the outrageous and the inspiring.

First on the list of “interesting” but outrageous are the ongoing wars causing destruction, death and misery. From the Congo to Ukraine. And especially the genocide in Palestine.

These cause outrage to any human not motivated by war profiteering, lust for hegemonic power, and/or a delusional Zionist dream of a “Greater Israel.”

Another “interesting” yet outrageous facet of our times is the apparent death of any semblance of democracy in the United States (and much of the West) in favor of all out oligarchy.

As billionaire investor Warren Buffett stated frankly, “There’s a class war, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” In the United States, a billionaire is once again president, his cabinet is staffed with thirteen billionaires, and his BFF, Elon Musk, is a celebrity billionaire being put “in charge” of cutting anything government does to help non-billionaires so billionaires can have taxes cut. Interesting, indeed.

However, our times are interesting also in the sense of the inspirational. In what way?

I sense an interesting “tipping point” in the United States (and much of the West). Many who were raised on “American Exceptionalism” and fed the propaganda of the superiority of “Western Values” and capitalism are having the blinders removed bit by bit.

Young people on college campuses who bravely set up “encampments” to protest their institutions of learning being invested in Israeli and war profiteering entities, and expressing their outrage to the Gaza genocide, had blinders removed when their universities called the cops on them and their peaceful protests were met with violence.

In the recent U.S. election - because U.S. citizens saw no real difference between the major parties with regard to supporting war and genocide, bowing to the oligarchy, or giving a damn about its citizens - decided to either vote third party or simply stay home. A new poll shows that Kamala Harris’ support for Israel and its blood-thirsty genocide cost her the election.

Another example of blinders being removed was the recent banning of TikTok and users migrating over to RedNote - a Chinese social media app. Video after video of Americans essentially saying “OMG! My government has been lying to me about China … they have it so much better than us … our government doesn’t give a f*@k about us … we should try communism!” Interesting. I am certain billionaires and their lapdog politicians are ready to shut down RedNote as quickly as possible.

Another interesting facet of our times is something I have personally been exploring - a shift away from the mechanistic/materialist model of reality in favor of an understanding that consciousness is fundamental to reality. That is heady but interesting stuff. If you are curious and want a fascinating introduction, I would recommend the Telepathy Tapes.

I am currently reading what it means to understand that consciousness is fundamental to reality and exploring what it means to live in a conscious universe. I have been a student of Stoicism for a decade and this interesting shift away from the mechanistic/materialist worldview dovetails nicely with Stoicism.

So, as you begin this new year, my hope is you find the times “interesting.” May we all work together to have less and less interesting-yet-outrageous events marring our planet, and more and more of the interesting and inspirational in our lives.

PEACE!