A Meditation On Participatory Reading

23 April 2020 - #MAGAAnalysis #CoronavirusUSA A meditation on participatory reading. These four books weren't chosen randomly, but chaos surely plays a part. I am NOT recommending any of them right. I'm using them to illustrate something.

We will get to the three books I am recommending below. First, however, we are going to discuss what participatory reading is, how it works, and exactly why you MUST master this practice. I did NOT invent this term, but I will be sharing my own very personal approach.

So first, why those four books above? I have read all four, and can identify, without cracking any of them open, each of their most important points. If, like me, you're booky type of person, and read them, we'd likely disagree and that would be grand fun! We'd argue.

Each of those books did more than merely change my life, at a far deeper level, they changed me. I read them each in adulthood, and turned to them at need. I had a reason, reasons, why I read them. I made a decision to read them thoughtfully.

This brings us to the first skill, following the know-how to select an important book for a purposeful reason. This skill is that of monitoring one's own attention. It's not hard to learn, but does take a great deal of practice. You have to notice when you lost focus and confess.

To my knowledge, no one ever reads an important book without losing attention during the hours of serious reading required. A novel, like the Godfather, grabs and holds your attention instantly, and never lets go these books are called page turners and bata bing, you read it all.

The page turning component, having pulled you along to the bitter/sweet end, does some real damage to the depth of the read. That is, you may be able to relate to one character more than others, and followed their story very closely, but there's something you can't do, yet.

8) Whoops! Here's a perfect example of losing attention. I totally forgot to number the posts above. My method is to start at the second post, like so: 2) Xxx xxxx xxx. and continue forward with a neat count. I use the numbers to help you read, as a little map.

9) So, getting back to our story, you know your favorite character but one reading of the book alone will never empower you to look at that character for both his positive and negative influence on you, yourself, in your real life.

10) To empower your character to be your role model, you have to back and read the book a second time, in a different way. You do NOT merely participate vicariously, as a voyeur. No you judge ever act and skill, every success and failure, as a guide to living your real life.

11) Another book I am NOT recommending today, not pictured, is Napoleon Hill's great masterpiece: Think and Grow Rich. In the introduction he tells us there is a secret hidden in plain view that is the true point of the book. For a wonderful 2 bonus points, tell us the secret.

12) Hill was a lifelong reader. He converted his characters, many of whom were very real historical figures, into a guiding conclave over his life. He tells us that Abe Lincoln was often late to the meetings, and often bored. Hill had to learn to argue with Lincoln. Not easy.

13) Do you see? To participate in the book you must become one of the characters, yourself. When you do, you read in a totally different way and MUST NOT allow the story to trip you up because its so fun and interesting. You have to actually destroy the plot's power on your mind.

14) And there's really only one way you can destroy the plot's power. You have to memorize the story itself so you know what's coming next before you get there. With the story memorized, you can now begin to play in the story itself, yourself. Now I have to give an example. 15) Slap me into my Tardis Time Machine, me, say when I was in my 30s, and take me to Long Island where Don Corleone demotes Tom Hagan, retaining him for his legal work and loyalty, of course. But, the good Don would obviously hire me for the family.

16) I am both a peacetime Consigliori, and even more, a wartime Consigliori. Here's only one change I would have made. I'd have saved Don Santino (always disrespectfully known only as Sunny). He would have become MY Don, and I his revered Consigliori for life.

17) How would I have done that? I would have threatened to quit over his lack of anger control. I would have forced him to confess his silly too-violent reactions to me, BEFORE he put them into anger-driven play. We work on his character, and I would have be fierce to him.

18) But remember, I was hired by his father. How would that have worked, then? I'd have been in the meeting with Sollozzo, of course. And, as a wartime Consigliori, I would NEVER have allowed the slightest reaction or surprise. I would have EVERYONE on the same page, first.

19) I would have war-gamed the entire meeting with many scenarios. Good as I was at being a wartime Consigliori, it's very possible I'd have missed Fredo's real threat. So, I sincerely apologize that I might not have protected my Don properly.

20) I might have failed to foresee the attack at the fruit stand where my Don fell. I would, however, not have been fired as young Don Santino would need me more than any other member of the family, at his side. So, I didn't save the father, but I did save the son.

21) And that's why my true lifelong Don, whom I never disrespect and whom I have never failed, is my beloved Don Santino. And that's how I saved his life.

22) Alright you grammer-trained readers!, did you notice how I slipped from the past perfect tense - I would have - which still holds a bit of the passive voice, and landed in the active, first person past tense speaking in the active voice? If you noticed, give yourself a point!

23) If you know me, you know I actually am The Consigliori. The Godfather is the book that taught me how to do what I do in the real world. I love Tom Hagan, and have followed his acting career, under the screen name of Robert Duvall, with great joy.

24) At first, Tom hated me for obvious reasons. But we grew into the best of friends over the decades since, and I ALWAYS ask for his legal advice over all legal matters. He has never failed me in this. I really do love him.

25) You can imagine it freaks @KateScopelliti out when I slip into my fictional character with my fictional family. So, I usually don't do it around her. It couldn't be helped, today, though. She'll forgive me, I promise.

26) Now here's the funny thing. The other 3 books in the image above are not novels, as you can see. Yet, each in their own way have had almost as profound an impact on me as does The Godfather, believe it or not. There are 3 characters within that matter to me.

27) The characters are - whoops again! - there are 4 characters. They are: 1) Rene Descartes 2) Friedrich Nietzsche and his miraculous translator 3) Walter Kaufman, and 4) Sigmund Freud Each of these characters has influence my life and being beyond my ability to measure.

28) I'm not going to share how, right now, so you might as well not even ask, okay? You'll just lose a point and suffer under my sardonic unforgiving smile. We must move forward now, the the 3 books I am recommending, today.

29) Here's what struck me. Yes, I was up reading again last night, one of the books I'll be recommending in a moment, and an insane thought took hold, wouldn't let go, and shook me turning into a grain of corn in a popper. I want politicians who read.

30) Once upon a time, long ago, we did have politicians who read books. You can see it your mind's eye right now. You can see young Abe Lincoln staying up all night reading in front of his log fire through the cold, dark night, till his eyes couldn't see anymore.

31) The Library of Congress was started with the bequest of Thomas Jefferson's books. The list goes on and on. James Maddison? A reader. James Monroe? A reader. John Quincy Adams? An amazing reader. Ben Franklin. George Washington. Henry Clay. Daniel Web,ter. The list goes on.

32) I want men and women like those people in positions of leadership. And I want them to talk about what they've read and what it means to them, and apply it to the real world right now, as true participant, seeking wisdom and testing that wisdom in action.

33) It became a dream, and one that I signed on for with no hesitation, although this damnable new dream interrupted my reading. I think I'd read 4 or 5 pages with my mind completely elsewhere, getting absolutely nothing out of what I was reading. Damn. I hate that.

34) There's another twist coming, but now, here are the 3 books I need any politician to read and discuss if he or she wants my support for any reason. And in this order: 1) Unrestricted Warfare 2) The Prince 3) The Art of War I'll give you the links of each below.

35) Speaking in my own actual (not fictional) voice, here's why. You cannot achieve anything in this world if you first cannot think about it. You must contemplate. You must know how to think. You must discover the most important influence for your thinking.

36) Any leader I support must read Unrestricted Warfare. And, if I was really going to support them, they'd have to pass muster with me. I know what they'd need to learn from this phenomenal work. amazon.com/Unrestricted-W… 37) Each of these works has its own Wikipedia article. I will include each article right here for easy access. I will be reading each such article personally, participating as I do. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestric…

38) The moment, last night (this early morning) that this damnable new dream struck, was when our two phenomenal authors, both Lieutenants in the People's Liberation Army of China, mentioned both The Prince and The Art of War in one paragraph. I am a master student of each.

39) I've been posting here at Twitter since February 2018. My account is far older, but I never used it until @TamaraLeigh_llc became my Twitter Coach and fellow-in-arms on behalf of the great @GenFlynn. Since then, I don't believe I've mentioned Machiavelli, but I may be wrong.

40) If I did mention him, it would have been due to another book I've worked on extensively, Saul Alinsky's Rules For Radicals. You know, he had me at the name. I'm nothing if I'm not a radical. Obviously. At any rate, I am a HUGE fan of Niccolo. Huge. amazon.com/Prince-Penguin…

41) I do not know who did the translation of Unrestricted Warfare. I hope soon to find out. When it comes to The Prince, I'm much more in the know. I have read 9 different translations of The Prince. The one above is simply the best. Tim Parks brings it to life, flawlessly.

42) So, here's the wiki article. I haven't read it yet, either, but surely will. What I can tell you about The Prince is that modern sensitive politically correct thinking abhors this book. They also don't like the idea of putting America First! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince

43) I have to offer a nutshell for you on this one. Nations do not have morals, and neither do Princes. Rather, they have interests that they serve or fail to serve. By the way, I disagree with Niccolo. I believe nations DO have morals. But, we're talking about him, not me.

44) Tactically, Nico is very hard to dismiss. Here's a single for instance. Either kiss a prince, or kill him. Those are your only options. If the prince believes your kiss, you'll be okay for now. But, if you wound The Prince, it's all over for you. That's just flat out dumb.

45) I need my politicians to have read this book with an open mind. You don't have to always agree. It's okay to disagree. You should see some of the fights Nico and I have. They'd blow your mind. He doesn't like to be called Nico, either. Tough. That's what I call him.

46) This really is simple. Even if you reject every single one of Nico's bits of advice, you damn well better know that your enemies do not. Consider the war China is waging against us right now. They read Machiavelli, carefully. I promise you they do. Better than we do.

47) And finally, what can I say about Master Sun? I know. Our authors of Unrestricted Warfare have embraced his guidance perfectly. Mao Tse Tung did so previously. Unrestricted Warfare is the most terrifying book I've ever read. Here's why: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_o…

48) That's the wiki article, here's the best translation of the book itself in its long history. amazon.com/Art-War-Pengui…

49) In case you're interested, I went for about 290 days, once upon a time, writing a commentary on Sun Tzu every single day without failed, until I failed. Here's the first:

51) Being me, of course I'd like for any politician to read all my commentary on Master Sun's guidance. But, I honestly do NOT care about that. It will never be a requirement for my support. That one has read the book itself, now that's a horse of a different color.

52) Ready for the promised twist? And, no kidding, a full 5 extra bonus points are on offer to anyone who claims to have seen where I was going with all this. Any takers? Don't worry if you tell me after I post the twist below. I'll take your word on the honor basis. Got it?

53) It may someday be the case that a politician might want my support. But, the only support I have on offer right now is my vote. I might offer analysis and post my thoughts. But, well, leaders tend to bore me. No kidding. I've spoken with scores, some in high places.

54) So, here's my twist. We will NEVER earn politicians who read, and think, until we, all of us, the entire #MAGA Movement become readers and thinkers ourselves. Boldly I say to you. I want you to be more like me.

55) I want you to step into the books you read and open your mind, heart, and soul to their influence. So, I hope it's obvious, you MUST choose your books with tremendous care and consideration for your own values, strengths, beliefs and all you are.

56) We're told a mind is a terrible thing to waste. And, when we read our own history, we know that a vote without a mind behind it, an informed and thoughtful mind, can never lead to leaders who help us keep our Republic. Rather, they'll just sell us claptrap with joy.

57) Again consider China. Imagine the lies we've been told. Imagine the lies our "leaders" have bought. Imagine their vast naivete, and our own worse naivete. They believed trade with China would make China good. We believed our leaders could lead. Who's dumber?

58) We need to wise up. We need to wake up. We need to demand leadership from the people we tolerate as leaders. It's on us, not them. They have absolutely zero power we don't give them. The power is ours. It belongs to We The People. ..... Unless.....

59) Unless we don't read, unless we don't read with participation. Unless we fail to inform ourselves, and then demand that our "leaders" follow OUR wisdom. I want our "leaders" to read. But more than that, I want them to follow us.

60) For that to happen we must be worthy of leading our leaders, and of selecting them by our vote, with wisdom. A Republic if you can keep it, eh? Alright Ben. I'm going to re-read your autobiography soon. I'm a reader. Proud and strong. And I judge leaders, to see if they lead.

Thread ends at #60.