"The Organization Man" was a bestselling book by William H. Whyte, (1917 – 1999) an American scholar on urban development, organizational analyst, journalist and people-watcher, published in 1956.
A central tenet of the book is that average Americans subscribed to a collectivist ethic rather than to the prevailing notion of rugged individualism.
Rugged (raw) individualism, derived from "individualism", is a term that indicates the virtuous ideal where an individual is totally self-reliant and independent from outside assistance.
A key point made was that people became convinced that organizations and groups could make better decisions than individuals,
and thus serving an organization became logically preferable to advancing one's individual creativity.
He observed that this system led to risk-averse executives who faced no consequences and could expect jobs for life as long as they made no egregious missteps.
Add to this the observations of Riesman and Galbraith: the rise of the mass society and mass consumption, advertisement related to economic growth,
and you stand eye to eye with "The Lonely Crowd", alienated from themselves, conformist and adhering to middle-class petty bourgeois behavior.
The generation, born in the 1920s, were between 30 and 40 of age in the 1950s, the young people, that didn't want to comply to this sleep-inducing existence.
An interesting chronological detail is, that I was born in 1949 and in the first ten years or so of my life the American society was confronted with a cultural rebellion.
I was playing with my toys, while people like Alan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac opened all gates of hell, as the petty bourgeoisie claimed.
This cultural proces happened in Europe about ten years later. Contrary to the US, Europe was exhausted, half destroyed and totally occupied with rebuilding, hence...
Another interesting observation, especially in relation to our present situation is, that the rebellion against the petty bourgeoisie was shaped by literature.
Just imagine that time. It is 1955. Radio existed and TV was in its infancy. In other words, people read magazines and books.
Thence novels and poetry could have great influence on the public opinion. That is why I mentioned Ginsberg and Kerouac.
Let me quote, what Wikipedia tells about Allan Ginsberg, just to set the tone for what we are heading at.
Irwin Allen Ginsberg (1926 – 1997) was an American poet, philosopher and writer.
He is considered to be one of the leading figures of both the Beat Generation during the 1950s and the counterculture that soon followed.
He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism, and sexual repression and was known as
embodying various aspects of this counterculture, such as his views on drugs, hostility to bureaucracy and openness to Eastern religions.
More to come.....thank you for your attention again...
The Discussion
[13:22] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank you Herman
[13:22] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): the problem I see with the beat generation is that most of them ended up wasted, with drugs, alcohol, bad habits
[13:22] herman Bergson: We now enter our own history
[13:23] herman Bergson: True Elisabeth...
[13:23] herman Bergson: Kerouac died at 47 due to all that
[13:23] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): as opposed to what we have now, people obsessed with self care, biohackers trying to optimize brain function, physical health
[13:23] herman Bergson: Yes....we have to think about that change......
[13:23] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): the craze of nootropics, exercise, high interval training, meditation, intermittent fasting..
[13:24] herman Bergson: the obsession with physical health
[13:24] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): as opposed to grabbing a jack daniels bottle and ruining your liver
[13:24] oola Neruda: are these periods that overlapped with wars... like the one in Korea?
[13:24] herman Bergson: I yet prefer the Jack Daniels :-)
[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe
[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well JD is tasty now and then
[13:25] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): thats the beatnick in you talking :p
[13:25] oola Neruda: and internment of Japanese
[13:25] herman Bergson: Indeed it is Elisabeth :-))
[13:26] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): so what was the beat generation looking for? they wanted to evade?
[13:26] herman Bergson: But these 1950s are interesting times....and the effect on European culture
[13:26] herman Bergson: ten years later
[13:27] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): escape reality? escape the banality of existence after the WWII trauma?
[13:27] CB Axel: They eschewed button-down collars and drone work in offices.
[13:27] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): nods
[13:28] CB Axel threw the word "eschewed" in there for Elisabeth's liking for English vocabulary. :-)
[13:28] herman Bergson: Had to look it up, CB :-)
[13:28] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): :)
[13:28] herman Bergson: allthough we have the dutch verb "Schuwen"
[13:28] CB Axel: Sorry. I did picture you all scrambling to pull up google translate. LOL
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): haha
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): not yet
[13:29] herman Bergson: Might even be that your eschewed comes from it
[13:29] CB Axel: Could be, Herman. Our large vocabulary comes from our stealing from every other language.
[13:30] herman Bergson: Well...do we have a class of old beatnik here....or those close to that era?
[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed
[13:30] oola Neruda: nods
[13:30] herman Bergson: Anyone read On the Road by Jack Kerouac?
[13:31] CB Axel: Compared to my parents and my brothers I could be called a beatnik.
[13:31] oola Neruda: was so long ago that i forget a lot of it
[13:31] CB Axel: I haven't read it. I often think that I should.
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): when i installed assasins creed (given away for free to the 25th to support the Notre dame disaster) i learned that the word Assasin is not english but persian
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): from the beginning
[13:31] herman Bergson: yes indeed oola....
[13:32] herman Bergson: But our goal here is to see what we in the 21st century inherited from them (= us:-)
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:32] oola Neruda: flexibility in Jazz
[13:32] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): lol
[13:32] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): good one oola
[13:32] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): :))
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): haha well jazz is nice when coding i think
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that and deep house
[13:32] oola Neruda: snap snap
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): (snaps out of it)
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): WHAT!
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lol
[13:33] herman Bergson: Yes in music we inherited a lot....
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:33] herman Bergson: But we'll get to that later
[13:33] oola Neruda: a leaning toward free verse in poetry
[13:33] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): in a way, they were people who disliked the status quo of society and opted out, but their coping mechanisms were sketchy
[13:34] herman Bergson: the fact that whites took over black music.....someone like Elvis for instance
[13:35] oola Neruda: an exaggeration of the abstract in art...
[13:35] herman Bergson: Yes...Elisabeth...so in the end neo-liberalism still seems to be the big winner here :-)
[13:35] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): um
[13:35] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): thats a non sequitur :p
[13:36] herman Bergson smiles
[13:36] herman Bergson: ok :-)
[13:36] herman Bergson: Let me elaborate on my statement....
[13:37] herman Bergson: Riesman and Galbraith showed us the consequences of liberalism in the US
[13:37] herman Bergson: and People like Ginsberg an Kerouac represent the rebellion against the Organization Man
[13:38] herman Bergson: but when you look at the landscape of today....what did we inherit eventually?
[13:38] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): would Elon Musk fit into the Organization man description?
[13:38] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): if you dislike society, instead of getting high on drugs, writing poetry and playing music.. you can also train yourself as a scientist and try to implement changes for the better
[13:39] herman Bergson: Yes....I was thinking of the multi-nationals indeed....the big money
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): or be a creator like me
[13:39] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): yes, a lone wolf but still creative, with good self-care habits, and a plan
[13:39] herman Bergson: I agree with that, Elisabeth
[13:39] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): :)
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): computer games is as i get it the ultimate artform combining them all into 1 format
[13:39] oola Neruda: i think it laid a groundwork for Martin Luther and the events that followed..... also Ghandi
[13:40] herman Bergson: But I think these artists represent the discomfort with actual reality.....
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well that seems logical
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): they wanted to escape from what was then
[13:40] CB Axel: Some people find certain drugs (hallucinogens and marijuana) aid in their creativity.
[13:41] herman Bergson: You get that philosophy about the function of art in those days......meant to awaken people....not to please them with aesthetics
[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I guess that can be very posible
[13:42] oola Neruda: i saw fellow artists try to create while high... the results might be "colorful" but they are not organized or statements
[13:42] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): if you are creating an abstract painting maybe, but if you are trying to design a drone, or an engine, or a solar panels system, or to develop Quantum Physics devices.. hallucinogens and marijuana are not going to help
[13:42] CB Axel: True
[13:42] oola Neruda: true for art too...
[13:42] herman Bergson smiles
[13:42] CB Axel: I wouldn't trust an airplane designed by someone on drugs.
[13:42] herman Bergson: Got a point there Elisabeth :-))
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): im not sure if my digital creations would be so good if high on something, dreaming ideas up maybe but not when drawing/programming them
[13:43] CB Axel: Or does that explain Boeing?
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm you got to wonder
[13:43] herman Bergson: Creepy thought CB :-)
[13:43] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): CB lol
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): sadly i have seen many cases where they put money and production before safety both in production and service killing 100s of people as result and then denying it all
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): as said before money rules everything
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): sadly
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): has to change
[13:44] herman Bergson: An issue indeed Bejiita
[13:44] oola Neruda: money is behind climate change denial... there is oil to be pumped and sold
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and if there is a whistleblower they just take his license avay making him unemployed for life,
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): so that they can go on with it
[13:45] herman Bergson: But money is related to a view of ma and a view of life.....
[13:45] herman Bergson: money as such is meaningless
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but if i gt onto a plane i want to trust that machine i get up there and down safley same as i do for ex elevators
[13:46] herman Bergson: A gun is just a piece of metal...it gets meaning by the hand that holds it
[13:46] oola Neruda: yes
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i suppose the machines are safe and therefore ride them
[13:46] herman Bergson: So....we still have a number of issues to look into :-)
[13:47] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): yeah.. conscientiousness over openness to experience.. thats the kind of people we need
[13:47] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what about fastfood after WO11 that became popular?
[13:47] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): to design boeings at least lol
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed
[13:47] herman Bergson: It cant be the case that it were only the artists that created this rebellion....so we should have a look at other eras too
[13:48] CB Axel: Part of that, Beertje, came from women have worked outside of the home during the war and finding that they liked it better than cooking and cleaning.
[13:48] CB Axel: Fast food freed women from the kitchen.
[13:48] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): made an unhealthy popularity
[13:48] oola Neruda: excellent point CB
[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Boeing try to chase after airbus even they passed them long ago (the 320 already had glass cockpits and fly by wire way before boing, they missed that train)
[13:48] herman Bergson: interesting CB
[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and result is disaster
[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): rushing stuff
[13:49] herman Bergson: ok....time to move on to our next lecture......:-)
[13:49] CB Axel: Right, Bejiita. And we rush our food, too. More disaster.
[13:50] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): (I´d like to make a petition for a future lecture)
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): u should not rush food either but enjoy it
[13:50] oola Neruda: we got tv and COMMERCIALS
[13:50] herman Bergson: I won't rush lectures.....:-)
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): thats good cause like them
[13:50] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): (the role of free-masons in the international politics and events would make a really cool lecture
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and have nothing else planned either so
[13:50] herman Bergson: ok...unless you have that big one question to ask......?
[13:51] Wisdomseeker (lissena) is online.
[13:52] herman Bergson: interesting subject indeed: the role of free-masons....but...some other time :-)
[13:52] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): nods
[13:52] herman Bergson: SO...thank you all again for your active participation today ...
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa thats a theme for sure
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): for a project
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well I guess then Im gonna continue work on my interactive art in Blender and Unreal Engine
[13:52] herman Bergson: Class dismissed......:-)
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and see what i comes up to
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu thursday
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:53] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): bye Bejiita
[13:53] Elisabeth (elisabeth3210): ty xxx
[13:53] herman Bergson: See you on Thursday Bejita :-)
[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:53] CB Axel: Thank you, Herman.
[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu
[13:53] bergfrau Apfelbaum: thank you Herman and class!
[13:53] herman Bergson: Muchas gracias, Elisabeth :-)
[13:53] CB Axel: See you all Thursday. Bye.
[13:53] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Gute Nacht Bergie
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