A perennialist like me tends to swerve from the oncoming flow of traffic, insistent upon the import of ‘now,’ and focuses instead on lessons taught over and over through history. Developing the muscles of character by adhering to a workout informed by the past strengthens a person to meet ‘now’ with ‘was.’
What can we learn from great thinkers of the past?
Who influenced them?
Where did their thoughtful insights originate?
When were the ideas appropriated?
How did these ideas benefit these minds for the public good?
Why do we not focus on the perpetual Truths in ways that can fashion our current culture?
I am after those perpetual ideas since they are ever with us throughout the ages; so, Ageless, in their application. Can we not see the longevity of loyalty versus popular fads? What is it about trust that we push it aside for human idols? Why can we not hold on to nobility, instead, opting for the spirit of revenge? How is it that the friendship deepened over years is thrown over for the next new face, a potential prop for our projects? Where is sacrificial love despite the constant lure of ‘I need to get mine before they do’? Ideas of lasting Permanence are the stuff of legend, heroic exploits, lived by great people in terrible times, held up for example, not because they are new but because they are, of Old.
Permanent things necessitate temporal things are not so important. Dr. Mark Eckel is president of The Comenius Institute. He has been teaching and writing over 40 years.