Reading the Sunday New York Times this morning (sometimes it lasts me all week) I found this stunning article – as you read it, substitute the word facts every time the writer uses bureaucracy.

Reading about how various U.S. administrations have refuted or politicized facts made me reflect on how we each shape our view of the world by what we will allow to be true, by what we will see (often literally), by what we will acknowledge (and men in power shape it for millions if we aren’t careful).  This is both a useful and dangerous human trait- useful because it can keep us from going insane by facing facts we can’t fathom (Darfur) and dangerous because it not only allows us to hate and kill those who are different than us (See Darfur), it also feed complacency and detachment from life. 

As creators making art from words, paint, body, and life, we often have to face painful assessments of our creations- like I did yesterday- and if we aren’t willing to gently, carefully, honestly take in solicited opinions, we run the risk of doing what Bush and Clinton and Reagan did with the facts and assessments they didn’t like.

Thoughts?