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“On A Mental Note”
“Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”
- Confucius.
I founded the Demitasse Players with the mission to write and produce plays to bring about awareness to our state of mental health. I was motivated by the sad statistic that only 17% of adult Americans are in optimal mental health. That is further compromised by the seven capital sins of our frail human condition; pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, and sloth. And most sad, there are no vaccines to prevent mental illness, and no masks will stop its spread.
To place this in perspective, there are currently 8 billion people in the world. Now just do the math, and we can easily determine what a pandemic poor mental health really is. History will help us to see just how this low percentage of being in optimal mental health impacts the workings of human government and society. Just think of the history of Rome, one of the greatest empires in history. Rome had approximately 70 emperors during its 500 years of existence. During Rome’s history, only five out of the 70 emperors belonged to a group of the “five good emperors.” Five! Out of 70! That’s a 7% success rate if we’re measuring for morality and enlightenment. And does this surprise you? That the vast majority of those attracted to absolute power turned out to be ruthless and selfish and deranged? This also confirms that a certain percentage of the population is going to be shameless.
“I took a test in Existentialism. I left all the answers blank and got 100.”
- Woody Allen
Optimists are fond of telling us our current era is the best possible time to be alive. Though, along with its undoubted benefits, modernity has brought with it a host of challenges that our ancestors were spared. And, although America today may be physically and materially better off than ever before, yet arguably we have never faced so much psychological pressure and/ or spiritual impoverishment.
How we survive the modern world along with its unique challenges with the difficulties they pose to our psychological health (including consumer capitalism, mass media, and the rise of individualism), will be determined on how well we learn to rethink existentially to find our essence amidst the mental strains imposed upon us by the stresses and strains of modernity.
In closing, we may want to consider reclaiming the wisdom of the past in order to live a more-livable present.
I will now refer you to the details of our coming fundraiser and the premiere of our movie, An Existential Date, below and a clip from An Existential Date
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