Guidance for a Complex World...
Jean Valjean in America...
Action in a Complex World must be based on Principles...
The world in which we live has passed a threshold of complexity which will never be reversed. No longer is it feasible to intelligently base one’s actions on the old rules of thumb, nor on political ideologies, nor on any of the other utilitarian self-serving approaches. In fact, in a world this complex, one can never know for sure the outcomes of one’s actions, nor even can one calculate the probabilities of whether one’s actions will result in good or ill. The only recourse for an intelligent person is to base decisions and subsequent actions on a consistent set of Principles.
In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo told us the story of Jean Valjean; convict, thief (of a loaf of bread to feed his family), and peasant, Jean Valjean, transformed by the acceptance without hesitation by one good man, sacrificed himself repeatedly in an escalating spiral of giving up of himself and his physical, mental, and emotional well being for the good of others, without thought of reward nor chance of gratitude. Jean Valjean, successful entrepreneur who, having given the greater part of his business profits away consistently to the poor, finally gave up his business, his honor and good name, his love, and his life in order that others might prosper.
When Victor Hugo published Les Miserables in 1863, it caused a sensation in Paris, London, New York, and other cities around the world. So moving was its message of self-sacrifice that the mere book created a stir similar to the greatest movies of our time, perhaps greater.
I wonder, what would be the reception of Les Miserables in 1998 America? Perhaps Jean Valjean would be viewed as the most stupid person on earth, a hopeless businessman who lacked the killer’s instinct. Jean Valjean did not die with the most toys; he didn’t gratify his ego; he didn’t experience a romantic love at all; he was, by today’s standards, I fear, a complete and total dud.
The choice seems, to me at this moment, to be clear. On the one hand, our contemporary culture recommends to us a full life, full of gusto, experiencing as many thrills as possible. In today’s terms, the essence of a life is pleasure, wealth, power over others, and absence of pain.
Or, like Jean Valjean, one can abide by certain principles, carefully chosen no doubt! By this standard, the essence of life is to make a difference for humanity, for civilization, for the future; dare I say it? for God.