I am just
Not right
In the head
Just left
Of center
Heart beats
For know reason
To love
The mathematician, physicist and philosopher, Blaise Pascal, said, “The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of.” For most of human history in most cultures, the heart has been considered the center of our being. Modern Western civilization is a notable exception. In fact, the infant modern state of America suffers from an exceptionalism founded on narrow logic gone crazy. This everyday insanity routinely considers it wisdom to destroy the natural world to grow business. We have rationalized ourselves into a path of destruction that seems necessary. We have come a long way since the so-called enlightenment, with its iconic cornerstone of “I think, therefore I am” famously penned by the philosopher Rene Descartes. I sometimes wonder if Descartes was actually at a bar when he scribbled his scrambled thoughts on a bar napkin, got home and couldn’t quite make out his writing: “I drink, therefore I am.” These days, it is common to consider nature secondary to business, a natural resource to be consumed in the course of making a profit. Of course, our war on nature cannot be won. Most people will assent to the overwhelming stupidity of this cruel logic, but our hearts may be so atrophied that we may no longer be able to muster enough courage to change our lemming ways. Fortunately, humans need not be bound even by logic. The heart has its reasons. The heart has its ways. No business plan can imprison love. It may be no accident that our hearts are situated left of center. Without love, logic starves. Now, the danger of a desperate, starving logic should not be underestimated or discounted. Nevertheless, when hearts reconnect and souls unite, human communities can be rebuilt, and in such a way that nature thrives rather than being consumed. When the logic of our dominant culture is self-destructive, only a fool would stay that course and not look elsewhere. That elsewhere is not some sci-fi future uncharted. That future is reconnecting to the ancient and eternal wisdom of the heart. There is a solution to not being right in the head. To delve into the workings of our hearts, not simply the machinations of our brains, is eminently reasonable. Let’s make it so…
