DISCORDIA: A Brief Critique

[tyrannosaurus vex]

It strikes me that with the wealth of skill and talent at our disposal, we should be making a much, much bigger splash than we are. This community is unique in that almost each of us is good at something and capable of learning how to be good at other things. We are creative, we have quite impressive rhetorical and media skills, and I don't think I'm really exaggerating when I say that if an advertising company had a pool as technically and creatively competent as this, it would have a marked advantage in the industry of making people believe stupid things.

So what is holding us back? We have the talent, the skills, and the ideas to make waves, but I don't think we are living up to our potential. So, in this post, I'll set out my sincere and constructive criticisms of the Discordian Society in general, and the PDCOM community in particular.


1. Lack of Identity

For all the energy we spend trying to make sure we're not getting stuck in dogmatism or typecasting the Discordian movement, it's ironic just how predictable and dogmatic we've become. Instead of saying FNORD or spouting 23 every ten seconds, we're laughing at FNORDs and 23s every ten seconds.

Discordia doesn't need a definition, but it needs a culture. As varied as Discordians are in our personal lives, we need cultural landmarks we can relate to and point to in order to communicate Discordian ideas that have no easy analogies in normal communication.

We shouldn't overhaul everything to be a carbon copy of the PD, but we need to recognize the cultural significance of those aspects of Discordia, and be able use them constructively without belittling each other.

Internally, we need to be able to communicate with a standard vocabulary and be able to recognize -- and accept -- one another quickly and efficiently.


2. Lack of Vision

We've got distaste for the Status Quo down to a science around here, and most of us aren't lacking in a general nonspecific desire to change things whether on a large scale or just locally. Many of us have taken to the streets in furtherance of various GASMs, so I don't think we lack motivation, dedication, or determination.

But we are, generally speaking, easily jaded and thoroughly cynical. We tend to think larger goals are either unacheivable or pointless. Either the task is too hard or it's too inconsequential; it's either impossible to change the world or such change is meaningless because it is corruptible.

This is complete horse shit, even if it is true. Of course any change we can make is corruptible. That's why we're HERE, because an idea that started out promising and new has become an entrenched, corrupted, stale, sour, and rotten System. That's why ten or ten thousand years from now, someone will be around to get rid of OUR stupid ideas.

The Discordian Community itself has become corrupt. Maybe it hasn't been mass-marketed or pre-packaged yet, but we have been sold out for some time on the idea that the ultimate goal of a philosophical revolution should be a static Utopia where everything is perfect.

History is not driven by periods of calm stability, but by tumultuous sequences of upheaval and cultural wreckage. It is only after the established order is demolished that a better order can be established.

Discordians, I fear, are sometimes worried about what would happen if we DID ultimately bring down the entire System. We are concerned about what we would do after that. But it isn't our job to put the pieces back together, it's our job to tear them apart.

Discordia isn't about being there, it's about GETTING there. That's the function of the Discordian Society.

So I think the first issue we need to address is, what exactly do we think we're trying to do? And the answer to that is, we're not bringing about the New Order, we're just getting rid of the OLD one.


3. Lack of Perspective

Today's world is far from the 1960's when Discordia was really born. Now, while people might read a flyer or a pamphlet, they won't spend much time reflecting on it. People don't spend much time reflecting on anything, and that's a problem for the bulk of Discordian materials.

These days everything is about image and convenience. People are hyper-stimulated and hyper-informed on everything, which means a simple analysis or question about reality or a person's assumptions will fade quickly into background noise.

And it would seem that there are entire denominations of Discordia devoted to complaining about that. But that's the way it is, and as with other social norms, it isn't in our best interest to wish it wasn't true. We need to engage our creativity and adapt. Discordia is, philosophically, still light-years ahead of the curve. But in practice, we are far too slow at changing with the times.

I think we also need a slight shift in our ideas about what constitutes a successful conspiracy. In the world of up-to-the-minute Media coverage of everything from war to fake penis enlargement, a fast headline will always outweigh a slow expose' in terms of perceived importance.

Discordia doesn't need to be a vast, well-planned, or very cohesive network in order to LOOK like that's what it is. We aren't really in the business of conspiracy anyway (we can leave that to the douchebags in the AISB). All we should be interested in is getting other people looking for the conspiracy that we aren't.

My suggestion here is to focus not on building a conspiracy that should exist, but on putting out CLUES to a conspiracy that doesn't exist at all. It would be infinitely easier to hoax a conspiracy than it would be to build one. And since it isn't really our job to manage expectations or guide people to the "truth," I say we just invent a bunch of apparently correlated evidence that is actually linked by nothing at all. If nothing else, it could provide endless lulz as we turn the Pinks into the conspiracy theorists and teach them about the Law of Fives the hard way.


I think that's about all I had at the moment in the way of criticism. I'm trying to offer some actual suggestions as well as bitching, though, so if you think I missed something please point it out.

[hooplala]

 

FUCKING YES.


I am going to ponder this, and post back later.

[OPTIMUS PINECONE]

     Something what I've wondered what after spending some time here (and this may have very well been discussed/ attempted in the past) is WHY is there NOT a radio show for this board? The talk/ rant slots are endless & the musik would be groovy, I'm sure. C'mon, CAIN could probably save his future body the arthritis by ranting for 4-5 hours a day, CRAM & TGRR at least some weekly slots, JENNE could probably do an 'activist' hour daily & JUST PLAIN AUDIO of what happens in NIGEL's office is worth 1-2 hours. Mostly, I need something to listen to while working here because Nigel's I-TUNES is filled with chick rock, it's kind of depressing.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Major Mittens, Vex.

More comments after I think more about it... I keep flipping between total agreement and disagreement with some bits.

[OPTIMUS PINECONE]

     A 'Discordian Art' show could be a great way of making a print. Discordia has an international base of contributors. Diverse AND entertaining.

     http://www.hexmagazine.com/heathen_art.html

[OPTIMUS PINECONE]

 CD/ DVD could include visual art, audio text/philosophies/ artwork, distro would be easy. AND could be launched by an event. Wouldn't an event be a fun way to meet and get to squeeze each others soft parts?

     SRSLY, the audience is out there, it just needs something it can grasp and say "where is it?"

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

FUCK YEAH!!



I am with everyone else, on the first read I was in complete agreement.  After the second, there is are a few points I want to ponder before I say anything!!!

As a Whole though!!!

Fucking GREAT PIECE!!

[Cramulus]

First - I think this post should be printed in Payne's issue of Intermittens in some form.


Largely, I agree with your post, and will interject commentary hither:

It strikes me that with the wealth of skill and talent at our disposal, we should be making a much, much bigger splash than we are.

Yes, it may be that we merely lack a goal, a target with an endpoint. We have a lot of resources in our network, but they're not being directed towards "big splash" cannonball projects...

need more leaders
need more do-ers

1. Lack of Identity

...Discordia doesn't need a definition, but it needs a culture.

What would help, I think, would be a significant presence.
How many Discordians do you think there are? I mean, people who if you asked them, "are you a Discordian?" would say "Yes" or "sort of" or some kind of affirmative even if they don't identify with with nouns. My guess is under a thousand?

All that culture stuff will emerge naturally as we approach critical mass.

we're gimped a bit because there's no Discordian Society to speak of, no actual group of people, just a network of concepts which connects disparate tribes and lone weirdos.

consequently, I don't think there's ever been a big recruitment push -- outside of Grant Morrison and Robert Anton Wilson's lectures. Like it or not, RAW used to carry the flag for Discordia, and now he's gone. To my knowledge - nobody's really taken the reigns.

There is a high number of Discordian movers and shakers who are making cool stuff in the mainstream, but little of it is an actual,  hm,  "ad" for Discordia.

So we don't have many open channels at the moment to recruit/convert/brainwash more spags for the Legion of Dynamic Discord.


Here's the problem: Getting dedicatedly evangelical gives a lot of us the heebie jeebies, right?

3. Lack of Perspective

Today's world is far from the 1960's when Discordia was really born. Now, while people might read a flyer or a pamphlet, they won't spend much time reflecting on it. People don't spend much time reflecting on anything, and that's a problem for the bulk of Discordian materials.

These days everything is about image and convenience. People are hyper-stimulated and hyper-informed on everything, which means a simple analysis or question about reality or a person's assumptions will fade quickly into background noise.

And it would seem that there are entire denominations of Discordia devoted to complaining about that. But that's the way it is, and as with other social norms, it isn't in our best interest to wish it wasn't true. We need to engage our creativity and adapt.

I think your assessment of the difficulies of breaching reality are spot on. In the end, I'm not sure if you're ultimately making a case against meme bombs / postergasm / other intrusions into pedestrian reality.

I do think we're getting better (read: more effective) as we go.

I think we also need a slight shift in our ideas about what constitutes a successful conspiracy. In the world of up-to-the-minute Media coverage of everything from war to fake penis enlargement, a fast headline will always outweigh a slow expose' in terms of perceived importance.

Discordia doesn't need to be a vast, well-planned, or very cohesive network in order to LOOK like that's what it is. We aren't really in the business of conspiracy anyway (we can leave that to the douchebags in the AISB). All we should be interested in is getting other people looking for the conspiracy that we aren't.

My suggestion here is to focus not on building a conspiracy that should exist, but on putting out CLUES to a conspiracy that doesn't exist at all. It would be infinitely easier to hoax a conspiracy than it would be to build one. And since it isn't really our job to manage expectations or guide people to the "truth," I say we just invent a bunch of apparently correlated evidence that is actually linked by nothing at all. If nothing else, it could provide endless lulz as we turn the Pinks into the conspiracy theorists and teach them about the Law of Fives the hard way.

what conspiracy are you talking about? I'm missing something here

just sowing paranoia in general?




anyway,
overall,
very good points

It's really important that we turn our analytical tools towards our own processes
and evaluate what works, what doesn't, where we're going, where we could be going, how to do it

so I highly applaud this effort

[OPTIMUS PINECONE]

      Is it possible to get Obama involved somehow? That'd attract attention.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Vex, that was extremely coherent and well-thought-out.

I am all for concerted jaking, however, I am dead-set against evangelizing and I honestly don't LIKE the idea of Discordia having a cohesive image.

Cooperative Art projects? HELL YES.

Group Pranks? HELL YES.

I realize that this image you have, of Discordianism With A Presence, this is your Discordia, and that's AWESOME. I just don't want it to engulf my Discordia, which is more along the lines of Discordia; WTF?

Discordianism, as a whole, has more exposure and more Discordians than ever before in the last 50 years, and it's gotten there by being scattered, divisive, ridiculous, quarrelsome, and completely disorganized. Let's keep up the good work!

[hooplala]

I just wanted to interject that I am including Discordianism and something of a history of Discordianism in my NaNoWriMo novel, and I am seriously (very seriously) going to try to get it OUT THERE.  I have been very conscious of the absence of RAW as Discordianism's cheerleader and have been thinking about taking it on myself.  Obviously there is a lot of uphill dancing against me, but keep in mind that RAW didn't start out famous either.  One could argue that he didn't die famous either.

I find I don't have a lot of 'new' ideas to bring to the Discordian table, and have becoming more and more aware of it in the last 2 years... I think The Sacred Bull might be my only truly valid contribution, and even it had been hinted at before.  Lacking new insights, I have been making a concerted effort to instead bring Discordianism to more people, and since I am primarily a story teller this seems to be the best way.

Perhaps an idea would be for people to decide what your talents are and to use these talents in a way which might bring Discordianism to a wider audience, pinealism, 23, BIP or what have you?

[OPTIMUS PINECONE]

     Theory/ philosophy/ art doesn't need to appear didactic or 'evangelical' to be influential. Some of the most inspiring art for myself is work which most people dismiss(ed) as not being "serious". As point, Milan Knizak's "broken" & "destroyed" music. The Fluxus & DADAist art of Joseph Bueys. Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" Lp!!
     Discordia has the sexy allure of WTF all about it. Use it girlfriend!

     http://www.artnotart.com/fluxus/mknizak--.html

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Beuys

     http://www.asylum-lunaticum.de/

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Cram:

I apologize for my vagueness, the idea is better formed in my head than it shows up in print, I have to admit.

I don't mean to disparage the PosterGASM stuff at all, I love that stuff and it would suck if it went away. I've done my own, admittedly undocumented, stuff in that vein, too. But I think the GASM stuff is a good tool that's not being used very well. It's sort of like a jackhammer that's just been switched on and left by itself to wander around doing whatever. It's not living up to its potential.

The "conspiracy" bit is more or less meant to be an example, I guess, to illustrate that we don't have to be a huge enterprise to make the same kind of impact that big enterprises make. Large, well-funded organizations are increasingly turning to viral marketing and the like rather than ultra-expensive ad campaigns, because people are becoming generally desensitized to that stuff. Viral marketing is exactly up our alley. It's the sort of thing we've been doing forever.

But just imagine a set of clues left out for the Media (or even the government, if we're careful) to pick up on, that point to each other but to nothing else. Conventional wisdom dictates that these must be clues to a larger phenomenon, which they would start looking for immediately, except they'd have nothing to find except whatever they expect to find.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I have to say that I am most interested in expanding on basic Discordian mythology and making it accessible and familiar to children. I'm working on a Discordian ABC, and I also want to make up some Discordian nursery rhymes, as well as short Discordian parables, especially holyday-related ones.

My ultimate goal is to have my daughter and my freak housemate illustrate these horrible little parables, and make a little book modeled after the "Pagan Parenting" type books, called something totally cheeseriffic like "Raising Eris: Bringing Up Your Children in the Discordian Tradition".

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I was also working on a Discordian revision of the Song of Solomon, but it got really boring.