Why self-pleasure overcomes personal risk, entertainment swamps art and neoliberal democracy killed responsible independence.

With the application of ability, we engage ourselves in a selected method. The intended final output of selected methods are the realization of goals. Yet, the successful realization of a given goal is not in itself an exclusive purpose. Not all established goals have resulted in what was originally intended. Additionally, some goals, like establishing common languages with which we communicate have been lasting and beneficial, other goals, like dropping an atomic bomb on a tenacious battle-foe have been relatively catastrophic, but limited.

Whether beneficial or catastrophic, the result of an established goal is learned experience. With learned experience we master the old methodical processes that got us our intended goal and in so doing acquire more advanced ability. More advanced ability enables different methods which parallel the old, improved methods which replace the old and unrealized methods for the purpose of achieving new goals once thought out of reach. With the understanding that we may yet realize more advanced and complex goals than those that have come before, our confidence grows.

Experience is not limited to those who have enough ability to engage in methods which are intended to establish goals; this is learned experience by way of active participation. Observers, or those who live with the consequences of method in action or the realization of a goal in itself, by way of inference, gain their own learned experience. From active participation and sometimes to a lesser extent, from observation, we derive our abilities.

For the capable hunter, the kill is his goal, yet it is the hunt itself, the experience, that makes the hunter ever more capable. It is in this manner that confidence and growth occurs, not simply in the filling of the belly with animal meat, although such an event is predictably gratifying for the self. If the hunter's intended quarry escapes, the goal has not been realized. Yet, the failure to realize an intended goal does not always result in total loss in any absolute sense. With the next sunrise, the hunter might set out yet again. He has the option to repeat the same process more carefully or to select a new process based on learned experience acquired from the previous day's hunt. The pursuit of the goal, our hunt, is in an existential way, that which has lasting meaning for us.

It is unlikely that someone who is both reasonably fit and intelligent, over the course of life's many seasons, finds himself lacking in any ability. Yet, it is not uncommon today to find people deficient in learned experience. The possible reasons for this waste are many. One explanation is that our society offers a broad selection of easy goals so that those lacking ability may have some brief material realization. This gets us our growing population of overly gratified, happy citizens, the briefly realized goal of liberal democracy, a lasting activity for us to observe and by way of inference, deduct learned experience for future goals of system change. Our money system together with unchecked capitalism have enabled this growing host of easy goals, where before the getting of basic goods and services required meaningful learned "hard" experience, by practice or observation, over the course of greater time. Easily bought goals have ultimately robbed our society of people who are confident and accustomed to regular growth by way of learned experience.

perspectives (http://www.anus.com/zine/articles/)