Z FOR ZEITGEIST

“Zeitgeist” is defined by Webster’s New World College Dictionary as follows: n. the general intellectual, moral, and cultural state of an era.

Each and every era definitely has its own intellectual, moral and cultural state.  During the days of the pioneers, when America was being expanded and people were searching for their ideal place to live, intellect was used to survive the terrain and the weather.  In that era, anyone who rustled a steer (a dear necessity in some cases), or stole a horse (a true necessity), was hanged by the neck until dead by law and a morality that demanded that punishment.  It made sense for the time it was practiced and worked fairly well for most of the people of the culture.

Then jump to the age of industry, the introduction of the automobile, and general labor practices.  Children worked in factories for 12 to 14 hours a day, were paid very little, and parents did likewise unless the woman was home caring for children deemed too small to work (usually under age five since they could stand on stools and run machines at age five or six).  Some aspired to education but those born in poverty and working at factories rarely received an education to break free and move upward in society.  Those with money who owned and ran the textile industry and factories were educated and were to be emulated as much as possible by the poor.  There were  people of an upper class and a middle class and then the poor.  Intellectual, moral states were left for the upper class to establish for all in that era.

Moving forward to another era, we enter a post war era where all classes began to prosper, for awhile.  Women had enjoyed a brief time of better acknowledgement during the war and then were relegated back to the status of homemakers who were kept in the kitchen and barefoot and pregnant.  Racism was open so minorities, in particular Negroes, were kept in an even lower “place” than women.  God, government, and church, were all run by white males either interpreting what God had told them, making laws and running the church dominated society and culture.

The era of rebellion and anti-establishment came into existence after this.  Women demanded to be heard, burned their bras, and refused the kitchen tradition.  They went to college to become professionals and not just teachers and nurses.  They worked in developing space programs, as physicists, doctors, business leaders/ owners, as did some Negroes.  Flower children and hippies marched against a senseless war, free love and LSD were the culture that strove to expand minds and find an end to hate and offer peace.  The draft saw many young men fleeing the country as killing was not something they could stomach.  Peace and Love were the by words of the era.  Nixon resigned as President as citizens refused to believe anyone was above the law, including him.  Education was valued and universities were thriving as creativity, new ideas were embraced.  Yes, there was chaos, but there was also an awakening that came as people began to think, create, challenge the status quo.  Wonderful music, art, writings came out of the chaos and the common person could speak, expound, be heard and things changed rapidly.  

Next came an era of complacency.  Going with the flow.  Laziness of intellect.  Morals were questioned, zealots were more and more ignored and the economy faltered, but still, advancement could be made.  Money became more and more important, and the moral climate shifted from fair pay for fair work to who you knew that could get you into that desired job.  More hours were spent watching TV than outside.  Job hours were longer.  Advancement depended on sexual favors demanded, intimidation, and there was less time to spend on fairness as a moral standard.  The culture was mainly concerned with technology, how they could acquire it, and how much money they could make to keep acquiring it.  The arts began to give people what they wanted, as they seemed to have little or no message to put out for anything other than temporary stardom and money.  Religion became televised and as people starved and were evicted from homes they could not afford, televangelists  begged for money for private jets to spread the word of God and lived in mansions while their supporters donated money to support the ministers’ lifestyles.

Now we are in a zeitgeist of upheaval once again, similar to that of the 60s and 70s.  People have been shaken.  There is a sense of ambiguity towards intellectual edification.  We say we want education, but we do not finance it or keep raising the bar so it moves upward.  Instead, we lower the bar, require less of students and smile shamefacedly because our children cannot read nor write script/longhand writing.  They print or type on a computer.  The educational standards for most universities and colleges guarantee a worthless degree in a chosen field where if a student is asked to name the three branches of our government, an astounding number do not know.  History will be whatever a teacher decides it will be.  Math is not important and few cashiers under 50 years of age can count change back to you when you pay for items.  If computers go down at public offices, doctor’s offices, schools, government offices—some will actually close their doors until the computers are up and running again.  Insofar as morals go in our culture, no one is sure.  Morals require truth.  There needs to be consequences resulting from actions.  But if no one knows what the truth is, how do you make sure appropriate consequences follow?  Morals also involve compassion, mercy, kindness.  Morals demand that one do what is right.  What was once right no longer applies to morals or ethics.  But as in the 60s and 70s, good is rising out of the zeitgeist now.

This era is seeing people actively searching, thinking, demanding answers to questions they never considered in the era of complacency.  They acknowledge the upheaval, how it affects them, their families, neighbors, communities, and every facet of their lives.  Differences fall away between races, sexual orientation, genders, religions that are true to a Supreme Being, the disenfranchised by poverty and illness or disability.  People are coming together, uniting.  Their worlds of complacency and apathy have been jolted, cracked, shattered.  Bigotry, class disparity, discrimination against those considered less than by the rich is not being tolerated.  This zeitgeist is now prizing intellectual prowess and progressiveness, encouraging creativity.  Music is coming forth again that speaks to and for the people not being heard.  Literature is coming out that speaks for the people, encourages and inspires.  The arts are flourishing with pointed paintings, cartoons.  Comedians are standing up for the oppressed.  Corruption is being exposed because the people are now demanding it be exposed.  Morally, people are demanding truth, justice, fairness, a democracy they can support and live under.  Morally they are marching, joining with those on the fringes and humanity is recognizing we all need each other and we need to embrace every human in need!  Our culture wants freedom, compassion, justice, equality for all, mercy as needed and is now willing to speak out for it.  

My truth about zeitgeist is that ours now is hopeful in that we are waking up, rousing ourselves and each other, and if those who are creative keep fostering hope, love, compassion towards each other, this era will be one that will be remembered for people embracing people and the world to better the lives of all!