[Whit Blauvelt]

Hi Anthony,

Nice poetry. Thanks.

Being open to what’s before us involves not just passive perception of what simply is, but also active imagination as to what might be, and what we might do to achieve the best of that. Some better prospects happen when we just let things be; others happen when we pursue them intensely. Many need not simply individual action to achieve, but require coordination across larger groups. That larger coordination involves inspiration and leadership. Even coordination within ones own actions benefits from care in arranging them.

When I was first reading McGilchrist I had a day job. So I’d finish work, and then be free for reading, listening to music, walking in the woods … switching what per the hypothesis is LH focus during work to a RH focus afterwards. Then I retired, looking forward to a further RH tilt in my attitude. I do like retirement! But it’s become apparent, at least in my case, that each perspective, LH and RH, is more valuable when we swing between them over a day, rather than keep a lean to one or the other as a more static attitude and, yes, discipline.

As for social leadership, we have gurus like McGilchrist and his associates, and then of course we have politicians who may be so largely disappointing us, whatever better futures we can foresee if we as society but applied ourselves. But I don’t know as we can do better without leaders, even though I love Dylan’s line “Don’t follow leaders / And watch the parking meters.” If the bad folks have leaders, and the good folks attempt to go without our own (by whatever definition of “good” you like), which group wins?

Best,

Whit