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Rake the Light is a welcoming intellectual space where writers and readers are invited to discuss contemporary issues and vital questions in an accessible, broad-minded exchange. The goal of this site is to bring together a cross-section of voices through meaningful conversations on important social, cultural, political, economic and spiritual issues—in essence, to create a virtual public square to break down ideological barriers, bridge divides, and connect strangers who may have otherwise never met.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Philosopher Turns Touchscreen into Well-Oiled Machine

I was scrolling through the Twittersphere late last night (against my better judgment) when I noticed there were more than the usual number of  #inspirational #motivational quotes floating down my glowing screen. I often find these quotes to be mildly annoying or marginally uplifting. Typical click-bait to some hope in a jar that shatters once you discover its GMO ingredients. Ok, I'll admit, that was pretty harsh. Social media does have the potential to elicit positive experiences from time to time. I’m no Luddite and I certainly don’t want all the #blessed chirps to be purged so that all we have left is one rotten egg. Maybe I could (or should) even pay it forward myself and tweet a few inspirational words.

Quotes to live by, I mused (still scrolling, hoping for quick inspiration). Bold. Wise. Nothing. I had nothing.  Bleary and weary I thought I'd had enough of artificial stimulation for the evening. I had no sooner put down my device than what can only be described as an electrifying image sparked my memory. Give 'em Humdinger! I chirped, muffling my excitement with my pillow so I wouldn’t wake up the whole house.



Most of you reading this blog, I imagine, have never heard of the infamous truth-seeker. Well, let’s just say that Hubert Humdinger (pronounced hum-din-jer) has been called one of the world’s greatest philosophers, thinkers, humanitarians, and psychologists.
A motivational voice from the 20th century for the 21st century—a gap bridger, mind-bender, no holds barred influencer. Here’s what the sagacious rogue has to say

on Aging:

“Years go by, but I do not believe in time. I walk with ease. My mind does not toil, nor does it wander beyond my conscious control. I eat healthy and light. I sleep like a dog. If I worried about my age, or about time my mind would toil, and that anxiety would seep into my body and disrupt my cells and make more difficult the immaculate lifestyle I’ve upheld for most of my life.”

on Popular Music:


 "It’s all about mental programming. With their digital tools, today’s popular music is what they called in the olden days a ‘witch’s spell.’ As a vigilant citizen, I’ve analyzed the pounding pop songs. It’s about brainwashing. Destroying the individual thoughts of a person and adapting them into a hyper-sexual world. It’s about acclimating young people to self-destructive tendencies, such as violence, drugs, alcohol, and a worshiping of the lower, darker energies. It’s an absorption of one’s identity into a sickened cultural hell pit.” 


on Manhood:


“Make sure you’re not walking with your legs pointed inward! It’s not attractive to females and it won’t give you a sense of being in control. Inward leg walkers look wobbly. Walk with a wide stance." 

___


The challenge, I’m sure, is how to make such sprightly insights Twitter-friendly without losing anything in translation. So while I start trying to sort that out, I’ll leave you with one more memorable quote uttered almost 45 years ago by the veritable ripsnorter. To be continued!


“I’m here to tell you ‘Your innards are pickled and your DNA is frayed. Your blood is syrupy sweet, and your thoughts are too sentimental to produce meaningful understanding of a complex world and your multifaceted existence in it. It’s time to wake up, or it’s time for society to perish.’ ” - Hubert Humdinger Lecture on Being a Jungle Man, 1970


Selected quotes originally published on DearDirtyAmerica.com
Image: Angry Philosopher/A Christmas Gift from Fairy Land, 1838 (Unknown Engraver)

1 comment:

  1. He won't admit it, but I think the old philosopher will be quite pleased when I show him this article.

    ReplyDelete