Evolving Irony

Humans have used irony for millennia—if not for all of our existence. It comes in many forms—sometimes used intentionally for either humorous or sarcastic purposes and sometimes unintentionally, when its humorous quality can mock the user. An example of intentional irony could be when a lecturer says to a quiet group, “Don't everyone speak at once.” An unintentional ironic example could be a sign in front of a business that reads, “We are committed to excellense.”

A dictionary definition of irony is “the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite—typically for humorous effect.” Its root comes from the Greek word eironeia (“simulated ignorance”), which stems from eiron (“dissembler”).

Perhaps the best-known ancient practitioner in the West of irony is Socrates—whose use corresponded to the above Greek root meaning of irony. In fact, Socrates' behavior was to feign ignorance when he encountered an unsuspecting victim on the streets of Athens, some 2500 years ago. He dissembled by faking admiration for the wisdom of that citizen, and then quizzing them to the point of confounding them. His behavior did not make him popular with Athens' gentry.

The use and understanding of irony has transformed, over the centuries. By the 19^th century irony was often used by Romantic philosophers in multi-layered ways—often implying a divided self that could contain a variety of perspectives. It was a time when elites were on the verge of floundering somewhere between the perspectives of the Enlightenment and the modern periods.

In the early 20^th century irony often found itself being expressed as a reaction to current events. For example, in the context of the two world wars, when politicians seemed to spout fraudulent propaganda, many common people used irony to puncture the phoniness of those politicians. They used obvious lies to expose the deceitful lies of authority, in a way to indicate the nature of the insanity that sent millions to die in futile wars.

Today's use of irony has yet further evolved, often becoming more cynical. Truth, morality, sincerity, and sentiment are increasingly rare today. We now understand that politicians habitually lie and we do not expect sincerity or truth on their part. 

Finally, the use of texting and emails does not allow for subtleties of irony that tone or facial expression can indicate, so we try to clarify our intent by using emojis and abbreviations such as LOL and OMG. Maybe the ultimate ironic current expression is, “Whatever;” but is it not really expressing alienated carelessness, rather than irony? In the meantime we wear T-shirts that read “Buy American,” or “Make America Great Again”... T-shirts made in China. Is that an example of unintended irony? Where will the use of irony evolve to next.

[Note: this post was stimulated by a June 2003 Guardian article by Zoe Williams, titled "The Final Irony."]

Aliens Around Us?

I have posted several times on this blog about the possibility of life existing elsewhere than just on Earth. It's a subject that fascinates me and one for which we inch closer to an answer, each year. One important development in the search is that scientists are increasingly broadening the definition of life. Recent discoveries of strange life forms right here on Earth have pushed scientists to ponder the possibilities of alternative kinds of life. NASA's current definition of life is “a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.” That's much broader than the thinking was, just a few years ago.

In fact, some microbiologists have proposed an even broader definition of what they have dubbed “lyfe”—trying to become more open to alien possibilities. Lyfe has been proposed by them to have four qualities: it (1) draws on energy sources in its environment, (2) grows through replication, (3) can adapt to a changing environment, and (4) learns and remembers information that it acquires from that environment. Gone are the former criteria that life must be carbon based or even require liquid water.

Additional open-minded possibilities about lyfe are that—other than on Earth—its pace might be far slower or faster than life forms as we know them; thus making it difficult to even notice that it could be lyfe. Furthermore, could lyfe use energy sources that life does not? For example, bacteria have been discovered in deep Earth mines that do not use the sun's energy, but get their energy from radioactivity. Could there even be something that might be called “sub-lyfe,” which doesn't have to meet all four of the above criteria? Or even “super-lyfe,” which surpasses the four criteria? It's possible, furthermore, that a form of super-lyfe might look upon us humans (and all our fellow Earthly life forms) as we do upon crystals; or viruses, which are a form of not-quite-life, (requiring a living biological cell to invade and hijack its life functions).

When pondering the possibilities of life (or lyfe), other interesting questions come to mind. Are there ways to store information, other than by DNA? Where is the boundary between lyfe and non-lyfe? Must lyfe possess sharp, physical boundaries?

This past July, three missions left Earth for Mars—from China, the United Arab Emirates, and the US. They are all aimed at the next step of characterizing the nature of our fellow planet Mars—one that long ago had oceans and an atmosphere somewhat like Earth. The US and Chinese missions are both landers that will seek signs of current or past life there. Should we redefine their quest as one of looking for lyfe?

For future projects NASA is planning missions to Europa—a moon of Jupiter—and Titan—the largest moon of Saturn—both of which have the best chance of nonEarth life (lyfe?) in our solar system. By opening up to the definition and possibilities of lyfe, those undertakings may be more successful and unambiguous.

Meditation Motivation

Meditation has become quite popular in the last few years. It seems that this practice waxes and wanes over time, as interest in it—or lack of thereof—drives the cycles. The current trendiness in meditation is often motivated by those who live in the fast lane and are beset with struggles of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty associated with a frenetic existence. Those who seek meditation for these reasons are usually practicing primarily for the purpose of achieving a state of calm and relaxation. That's fine, but there's a far more profound purpose for meditation.

The deeper motivation for pursuing meditation transcends the simple goal of reducing one's stress and tension. Dedicated meditators throughout history have sought the more meaningful impacts of a long-term, devoted practice. I recently came upon a teaching of Shenzin Young, an American mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant. He listed five benefits of an extended practice of contemplation, which I will briefly summarize here. The first four of these benefits do result in positive effects that the practice can have on oneself, and the fifth will motivate the practitioner to engage in some kind of service to the world. Popular forms of meditation rarely address work on behalf of others... they are overwhelmingly focused on the self.

The first benefit of prolonged meditation described by Shenzin Young is the reduction of suffering. This is precisely the motivation that led the Buddha to this insight, over 2500 years ago. He was deeply disturbed by the fact that virtually everyone suffers from what he termed dukkha, which can be translated as a form of affliction caused by an underlying feeling that often arises… an uncomfortable and periodically persistent feeling of dissatisfaction with one's life. He identified the source of that suffering as our propensity to grasp and hang on to things that will inevitably fade away. He laid out a program of action to face that dissatisfaction—the major element of which is a steadfast practice of meditation that gradually clears the mind of illusions. As a result, suffering begins to diminish.

The second through fourth benefits of meditation soon follow. They are: (2) to come to see what the fulfillment of one’s life truly is, (3) to begin to understand your deeper self, and (4) to begin to make positive behavioral changes in yourself. This process is a gradual awakening that enriches life and improves one's conduct. These are all worthwhile accomplishments for oneself.

I was particularly struck, however, by the fifth benefit that Shenzin Young listed: that a person will spontaneously feel the rise of love from within and want to be of service to the world. I find this crucial, because it is not the result of a mentor or authority telling you to do good in the world—it naturally and spontaneously arises from within. That makes the motivation to meditate much more important, I believe.