Parrhesia: Suck It Up!

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A reader in Vancouver sent me a recognition, an acknowledgement of this blog - which blows me away to put me in my place - literally. A gift: one word! There actually is a descriptive term for my writing-process - focus, content/form and urgency behind it.

I have never been particularly concerned with cuddly validation from readers, simply having written what needs to be written. But - of course - what follows is that there would be those who feel safer hiding behind form than facing content, and they uniformly express this with a by now predictable monosyllabic reaction - pouting.

Done with vague institutionalized spirituality and Eastern religious dramatics, it's come down to integrity - the place to be for me now - but I still am not averse to a reassuring poke. Getting that with this hook - an added bonus is that there's no person attached to it: no conditional rewards.
In a word .....

Parrhesia

With two possible applications of this word, the one I refer to relates to rhetoric and originates in Greek. In Wikipedia it is a figure of speech described as: to speak candidly or to ask for forgiveness for so speaking. In the Greek-language word's construct: all + utterance literally means saying everything; this extending to saying it freely, with boldness. It implies not only freedom of speech, but the obligation to speak the truth for the common good, even at personal risk.

Parrhesia was a fundamental component of democracy of Classical Athens. In assemblies and courts Athenians were free to say almost anything.

Democracy in the original.

More recently, in his Fearless Speech, Michel Foucault, French philosopher out on a limb, says In parrhesia, the speaker uses his freedom and chooses frankness instead of persuasion; truth instead of falsehood or silence; the risk of death instead of life and security; criticism instead of flattery; and moral duty instead of self-interest and moral apathy.
Weeell, I don't see myself going as far as risking death within the Nelson-context - but I certainly choose life. Security not so much, as for the rest - bring it!

Also see post:
Nelson - Speak-Up!
6 Oct. 2011

                                      It is what it is.

Thank you, Margot!

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