A thought was raised to day. The concept that in America in this current time Thought/Mind/Intellect/Fact/Logic/Reasoning are the things placed highest emphasis on. It seems like Ancient Greece had this notion in place -at least for a while.
The Ancient Greeks went through several different phases before they faded out. I learned about them in college art history. It was a while ago. There were 3 main phases. I honestly don't remember the first. I know it involved the simplest type of columns.
The Second was the phase in Greek culture when Wisdom and Stature were held above all else. They were placid and stoic in thought and action. Well measured and deeply contemplative. They looked down on emotions as things that waiver man's clear line of thought. This is the period in Greek culture when head busts were made of officials looking serious-faced and analytical.
Then there was the third phase -the Hellenistic phase that emerged at the end of the second. People had grown tired of suppressing their feelings and the art and sculpture of that era reflected things like conflict, anguish, despair, romance, fear, loathing, spite, strength, courage, triumph... It got a little overly dramatic there for a little while.
* Post review of this blog's subject revealled that: "
"Greek sculptures are mainly divided into 7 time periods - Mycenaean Art, Sub-Mycenaean or Dark Age, Proto-Geometric, Geometric Art, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic."
I think this is where we are now. If you think back to the 1700s and the 1800s, they were ignorant of certain things, but they were also exploring science like crazy and discovering things like germs and atoms and gravity. Most of our basic understandings of science began at that time and Logic and Refined Composure were expected and respected trends of that time. Now look at us.
Before:
After:
Our values have shifted. They no longer rest in the Dignified, Repectable, Serene, Logical, Appropriate, Reserved, Composed...
They're in the Free-Spirited, Creative, Energetic, Charismatic, Lively, Endearing, Funny, Compassionate...
Thoughts like "Do it for the sake of Duty" that are grandfathers carried around with them from their childhood have been replaced with sentiments like, "You should do it out of Compassion".
We are living in a Hellenistic era. I imagine this means the end of something -as occurred with the Greek culture. As always I look forward to whatever life brings and will not fret over future unknowns. I possess far too much wisdom for that.
But it is good to acknolwedge where we are. Feelings way more in the hearts of men now that Thought rolling around in their brains. Spirituality is the new Religion. And as always -as with every culture and every time - The Middle Ground is still the Best Answer. For every Snooki there is an Einstein. And it is for us to reconize the two within ourselves and find which we have more of so we can lessen it to gain that which we lack.
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