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Well, it
takes all kinds to make a mess.
The West is
full of Tiggers--restless seekers of instant gratification,
larger-than-life overachievers. The West idolizes them
because they're Bouncy and Exciting. Maybe even a bit too
exciting. And they're becoming more exciting all the
time. It seems that it's no longer adequate to be a True
Individual, or even a Hero; now one needs to be some sort of
Superman, living an overinflated life punctuated (in true
Tigger fashion) with exclamation marks. Faster than a
speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! This
is the age of Supereverything--Superstar, Superathlete,
Supercoach, Superpolitician, even Superbusinessman: Faster
than a speeding ticket! More powerful than a profit
motive! Able to lease tall buildings in a single day!
Tiggers are
not necessarily what they seem, however. While they may
appear to be self-propelled, they are in reality jerked this
way and that by whatever appealing object or sensation catches
their attention. And while Tiggers may appear energetic
to the extreme, their love of ceaseless action and sensation
is actually a form of spiritual laziness. Tiggers are
not in control of their lives, as is clearly shown by their
behavior.
Unfortunately,
it is quite easy to be an impatient, inconsiderate,
scatterbrained Tigger in a society that admires, encourages,
and rewards impulsive behavior.
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Advertisements tell us
to buy whatever-it-is and Spoil ourselves. An
appropriate word, spoil. We deserve it, they say.
(Maybe we do, but we'd like to think we're better than
that.) Store layouts are carefully designed to encourage
impulse buying. Movies, television shows, and magazines
promote impulsive behavior of the most questionable kind, in
the most flash-it-in-their-faces manner. Practically
everything from hairstyles to lifestyles is endorsed as some
sort of drug to be taken Now for Instant Relief. If you
have this model of automobile, this style of clothing, this
shape of girlfriend, or this sort of romantic entanglement,
you will be happy. You will be loved. You will be
Somebody. Those who can't have such things are doomed to
frustration. Those who can have them are doomed
to the inevitable disappointment. As Oscar Wilde put it,
"In the world there are only two tragedies. One is
not getting what one wants and the other is getting
it." We are reminded of the old Persian
curse: "May your every desire be immediately
fulfilled."
In chapter
twelve of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tse described what's
wrong with Tigger's sensationalistic approach to life:
The five
colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors deaden the tongue.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
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