The foundation of average people lies in the 'One says' (Man sagt) — in this, they see the justification of themselves

Heidegger clearly grasps the foundation of the average and massified human being.
All of his being is grounded in the "They" (Das Man) rather than in an original and personal vision of events.
Heidegger provides a perfect interpretation of this in his discussion of death:

Das Man hat für dieses Ereignis auch schon eine Auslegung gesichert. Die ausgesprochene oder auch meist verhaltene »flüchtige« Rede darüber will sagen: man stirbt am Ende auch einmal, aber zunächst bleibt man selbst unbetroffen (***)

"Das Man (The They) has already secured an interpretation for this event. The explicitly or usually implicitly ‘fleeting’ talk about it suggests: one dies eventually, but for now, one remains personally unaffected."

The attitude of the average and massified person is not only correlated with "one says" (man sagt) but also with "remaining unaffected" (sich unbetroffen bleiben).

"One dies" (man stirbt) has the same significance as "one says" (man sagt).

Death is treated as any idle talk (Gerede); when we say "one dies" (man stirbt), we proclaim our own "unaffectedness" (Unbetroffenheit) regarding dying.

And in this desire to remain unaffected, the average and massified person permanently excludes themselves from an active and original search for any interpretation and feels justified and safe in it.

Das verdeckende Ausweichen vor dem Tode beherrscht die Alltäglichkeit so hartnäckig, daß im Miteinandersein die »Nächsten« gerade dem »Sterbenden« oft noch einreden, er werde dem Tod entgehen und demnächst wieder in die beruhigte Alltäglichkeit seiner besorgten Welt zurückkehren.

"The concealing avoidance of death dominates everyday life so stubbornly that, in being with one another, the 'closest' often persuade the 'dying' that they will escape death and soon return to the calm everydayness of the world he was previously taking care of." (****)

----------------------------

(***) Seind Und Zeit § 51

(****) Ibid.

Comments

Similarities between Lithuanian, Sanskrit and Ancient Greek: the sigmatic future

by Fabrizio Ulivieri Lithuanian is the most archaic among all the Indo-European languages spoken today, and as a result it is very useful, indeed, indispensable in the study of Indo-European linguistics. The most important fact is that Lithuanian is not only very archaic, but still very much alive, i. e., it is spoken by about three and a half million people. It has a rich tradition in folklore, in literature, and it is used very successfully in all walks of modern life, including the most advanced scientific research. Forced by our interest for this piece of living archaism, we go deeper in our linguistic survey. One of the most noticeable similarities is the future (- sigmatic future -). Lithuanian has preserved a future tense from prehistoric times: it has one single form, e.g. kalbė-siu 'I will speak', etc. kalbė-si kalbė-s kalbė-sime kalbė-site kalbė-s This form kalbėsiu is made from the stem kalbė-(ti) 'to speak', plus the ancient stem-end...

Yellow moons

Yellow moons at nighttime, Beyond the windows loom Stretch along and rise to bloom Flooding streets and singing rhyme. Downtown trains are full tonight. White pale girls try hard Their world shy discard Cross pale and dull the light. Like crows wave hands Uneasy scatter and chat around Watch the light now profound. But proudly keep their stands. Nothing captures their heart. Like thorns they are - without a rose. Oh, if I were the one they choose I would span silent the dark. I know that window, I know it's late I know the stairs and the doorway I stand by the light at the four-way I walk down past the gate and wait. Will I see her eyes tonight? From a downtown train A girl among many faces, insane Will I catch her slight dim sight? Oh my dreams, if she falls away, Am I going alone nowhere? Following the moon's glare I lonely wait - watch the train stay. -------------- PS. " Downtown Train" is one of my favourite songs. Tom Waits’ voice, or Rod Stewart’s voice sing...

Poetry dwells near the divine light's breath

The comparison between poetry and divine light that we have proposed HERE finds its perfect explanation in Saint Paul, Epistle to the Romans 1:19: τ ὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν — “that which may be known of God has been made manifest in them (in men), for God has manifested it unto them”. Poetry unveils within the human being the need to be human, that is, the need for Beauty, the need to feel Beauty within oneself and alongside oneself; and this feeling is sustained by divine light. Since we are influenced by the Augustinian idea of saeculum , we hold that poetry belongs to the saeculum and therefore comes to a halt upon the threshold of divine light [I] without crossing it, though perceiving the light that lies beyond that threshold. We are led to that threshold by the human feeling of Beauty that dwells within us and guides us to that point: to that door which cannot be crossed in our human condition. And yet, the mere act of stan...

Fabrizio Ulivieri - TrendSetter

Search This Blog