Elders, Christmas, and the Community

It used to be, in days gone past, that youth would sit before their elders and listen to the tales of experiences from their lives. Lessons were learned from the mistakes the elders had made in a lifetime. Therefore, the youth could approach life armed with years of wisdom they would never need to live through. Think about it, even in tribal days, where 50 might have seemed old, a trio of elders would yield 150 years of experience. Much of those years would be unimportant, of course, but the elders (especially those who would be defined as successful) would know what was of interest and what was not. They could customize their stories to fit emerging situations in the youths' lives, guiding them in the proper direction with more confidence.

Our "elders" today, it seems to me, are seeking desperately to be like the youth. Instead of going through struggles and finding a purpose in helping the youth, they have spent their lives dodging risk and responsibility. Many are so afraid of failure that they are left with no understanding of what failures teach. They live the same year over and over again, waiting for their ship to come in, never realizing that it's only the beginning. Great sailors are not made on calm seas. It is our choice to live the next year better than the last.

As the New Year rolls around think about what you mean to change. Decide to change it, and, here's the tricky part: actually FOLLOW THROUGH! Many start great things, few ever finish. The result of this process is a world where 95% of us are fighting like dogs for the scraps that fall from the master's table. Life is not supposed to be that way. Someone harvested the feast on that table and someone will enjoy it, why not you or me? Even a smart dog knows there's more food on the table. So let's be the masters. If GREAT is an option, why settle for GOOD?

Imagine a world where we stop thinking we're trapped by our class or circumstances. Freedom is out there, but you have to take it. While it is even given, no one CAN force you to be free if you don't want to be. Imagine a world where the young have the guts to chase what sets their hearts on fire. Imagine caring enough about something that you would suffer the slings and arrows that are going to come whenever you step up and dare to think differently. Imagine if we failed enough to learn what the truth is, then taught that truth to those who are new to the battle. This is out there. Mentorship can be found.

Imagine a community that formed like this, those that had the truth about life leading those who are lost to the truth. Imagine if those who were once lost could see fit to help their kin. Do you think these people on this journey would have something to say? Do you think those stories would have value?

We can take back the media, using for our purposes and spread the truth about life rather than a false lifestyle of self-indulgence and greed. When you think of Christmas, do you think more about giving or getting? The true elders give. The youth want to get. Who are you? If you're a youth, then your journey is just beginning, if you're an elder, welcome! we still have a long way to go.

God Bless, Happy Holidays!

The Natural Result

Where does Hollywood's incentive lie? Butts in seats. That's all. If they can get you to buy a ticket, the quality of the movie does not matter. And so the quality of movies suffers. Now granted, there are artists in Hollywood who do care about the quality of the film and most studio executives know enough about business to know that the studio's name is on the line if the audience doesn't have a good time, but what long term value is there in just having a good time?

What I'm talking about is a short-sighted perspective. Many people, companies, and industries are to blame, but sources of fiction propagate this negative trend by portraying it as reality. While what's in front of you might be the truth, it may not be the whole truth.

Our culture today has some significant problems. We are an unhealthy people, facing heart disease, obesity, and cancer. We are in an economic crisis; many of us are unable to get out of debt, much less accumulate wealth. Our relationships are in peril: divorce rates are high, family members aren't speaking, and everyone shifts blame.

Health is the natural result of our bodies functioning properly. Key distinction: you may be HEALTHY right now, but if your body isn't functioning PROPERLY, you won't be for long. Our bodies function properly when they are properly maintained. Like a car, we need the proper intake of certain chemicals to keep our parts working smoothly. Is it fair to say that we don't eat properly? Is it fair to say that few, if any, of us follow the FDA's scientifically backed food pyramid? Many believe that health food is a lot of expensive hype, that as long as they're full, it doesn't matter what they consume. Many would rather watch TV than go for a jog because it's easier. The truth is there are things you need to do now to prevent health problems in the future.

Wealth is the natural result of living within our means. You see, wealth is not about how much you make, despite popular opinion. It is about how much you keep. Not budgeting your money is like trying to build a house without a blueprint. And red-lining your income (or spending every cent you make), is like driving on a narrow bridge with no guard rails. Many think it's just too hard to budget, or that they need to spend money to make money. The truth is the vast majority of millionaires in America are very frugal, and the people that look like a million bucks are broke.

Solid relationships are the natural result of putting other people first. People who feel respected are more likely to respect you. Could it be that sometimes the other person needs more from you than you can get from them? What would happen if you chose to invest in people? Many have a "take care of number one" or a "look out for me and mine" mentality. They figure other people's problems are none of their business and they are happy that is the case. The truth is, it's not. People need people. Relationships both build and crumble by small acts compounding over time.

Is Hollywood causing this? No. The only one I can blame is me. You and I are the community of people who consume these movies, what we buy is what we support. As a society, we are in love with the idea that we are victims of our environment. Hollywood, TV, and other mass media simply caters to this want. The natural result of enabling victim-thinking is the death of progress.

What if we formed a different kind of community? One where there is incentive in the teaching of truth? Stories (true or fictitious), have historically been used to teach lessons about life. Many are still with us in some form today. I believe that classic films are those that hold the most truth, because truth lasts. The films that continue to be watched hold the greatest long-term value and create the greatest residual incomes for their creators (the studios included.)

What if we learn the truth about these three areas? What if we teach the truth by bringing people into an association of like-minded people? What if we banded together to create truthful media that we could proudly promote? What if we inspired people to found organizations of their own, and create truthful media from their unique perspective? What if the process perpetuated?

Let's solve problems, build a community, and put Truth in Fiction!

Hypotheses

Below are some hypotheses about truth in fiction that we will be attempting to prove or disprove as we move forward. This is not necessarily a complete list, but I hope it serves as a basic overview of the concept.

1. A person rates a story based upon the truth it holds for him.

2. As he is exposed to more truth, his capacity to find truth expands; he becomes more "sophisticated."

3. As the person becomes more sophisticated, the lower he rates stories of lesser truth.

4. And the more diligently he seeks stories of higher truth.  This drive must be satified, else he become snobbish.

5. The higher the truth, the more irrelevant the plot, and the more relevant the character.  Art transends genre, because genre is plot-based.

6. Therefore, the degree of truth determines the size of the market.

7. Truth is found through the objective study of subject matter.

Whenever we talk about truth, the temptation is to go with our opinions rather than the facts. Sometimes distinguishing between them can be difficult, especially in areas of strongly held beliefs and other abstract or intangible concepts. I also want to put forward the thought that there is one truth that can be found through a sort of scientific process, whether you believe in God or science or both.

The bottom line is that fiction which is truthful to the deepest levels of reality holds the widest appeal (largest audience) and greatest value (money) for longest time (stability). Can fiction survive on the opposite?

The Origin

Why truth in fiction?  It sounds like a bit of a contradiction in terms.  Is it even possible to have truth in a story that is inherently false?  I now believe it is, but the thought had never crossed my mind until recently.  And even so, it was a long time in the making...

I've always been the analytical sort, passionate about determining why one film is better than other.  This concept came about from three specific sources, which were connected by a principle I uncovered one day.  I can't say how they came about chronologically, but one was a quote from a talk show, another a documentary, and the third, a TV Series.  The principle was that in all things, we should seek to create value (that means value to others, not just ourselves), rather than seek to make money.  Money is not the only thing of value, but anything of value can be traded for money.

I have tried to find the source of the quote, but cannot remember what talk show or what guest said it.  I do, however, remember the gist of the conversation.  I believe it was Oscar season, and the guest was talking (or perhaps complaining) about the old-school way that the Academy chooses movies to be nominated.  From his point of view, he thought that the movies that made the most money should be the movies that won the awards.

I immediately felt there was something wrong with the statement, but wasn't quite sure what.  For a while, I wrote it off, saying that the money was the reward for those movies, but GOOD movies needed to win awards to get noticed.  Eventually, I thought it through, and came to the realization that entertaining films (such as summer blockbusters) make a lot of money by promoting an adequate film to a broad audience for one big weekend, while artistic films (i.e.: the Best Picture Oscar films) create a culturally relevant, valuable, film that makes its money over time by winning one fan at a time.

"The Lost Tomb of Jesus," was a TV documentary which sought answers to the question of whether Jesus' remains might actually have been found (contrary to scripture).  Having been raised a christian, this was unsettling for me at the time.  But what struck me was how irrelevant it seemed, whether Jesus actually rose from the dead.  That was when I realized that the truth of the Gospel story was not necessarily in historical accuracy, but in the impact the story had on culture: it has given hope and purpose to people for 2000 years.  It spread one "fan" at a time for a very long time.

The final piece came when I watched through David Chase's "The Sopranos."  For those who haven't seen it, The Sopranos is unlike any organized crime story I've ever seen (though I don't profess to be an expert on the subject).  It follows the life of fictitious New Jersey mobster, Tony Soprano, who, though very successful in his "trade," is having a sort of midlife crisis.  He begins seeing a psychiatrist to deal with his stressful life.  For those of you who are thinking of a particular movie along the same lines, bear with me.

Now, I find that most mob stories take sides.  They either paint mobsters as honorable, men of respect, and law enforcement as insufficient or clueless; or they paint mobsters as thugs and murderers, destined to foolishly fall into the hands of keen detectives.  From the very beginning, "The Sopranos" seemed to me to be what life in the mob would really be like.  Though I've never been in the mob, or read anything about the mob, I was sold on its "accuracy."  Why?  Because it was truthful on a deeper level.  Tony Soprano could have just as easily been a corporate manager, struggling with fairness and ethics in a legal business, or he could have been a dad struggling to keep his kids in line despite a messed up world.  David Chase chose to create a mob story, and all the violence and sexual content speaks to the truth of the story.  It neither glorified, nor patently criticized organized crime.  And though no story is perfect, I believe "The Sopranos" presents one of the greatest examples of Truth in Fiction, and will, therefore, stand the test of time.

How does this all tie together?  It goes like this: William Shakespeare took many, if not all, his stories from mythology.  Those who've studied Greek and Roman myths know that the various gods and godesses fought and loved, betrayed and conspired amongst themselves.  These tales portrayed interactions: those that work, those that don't, and why.  Like may scriptures, including the Holy Bible, the stories always presented the consequences.  The consequences of the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues was that their children, Romeo and Juliet, died tragically.  "All are punished," quotes the Prince.

The point is this: we can't let short-sighted economists destroy the value of our art for the sake of making more money faster.  To make money quickly, they must appeal to what most people want to hear right now, but most people are selfish right now, so the consequences of appealing to people's selfishness is that you enable them to be more selfish because you provide justification ("everybody's doing it").  Stories that portray the consequences of selfishness are inherently less popular, but because they are truthful, they remain relevant for longer AND they influence culture in a POSITIVE direction.

Fewer films made with quality will produce more value, and thus, more money than big business Hollywood over the long haul.

The Will to Question Everything...

May it never be that we believe we know everything, because no one does.  May it never be that people think we know everything, because we never will.  The Delphi Oracle said that Socrates was the wisest man in Greece at the time.  When questioned about why, Socrates claimed it was because he was the only one who knew that he didn't know everything.

The Consortium for Truth in Fiction is a learning culture.  We each bring the best of our knowledge and understanding to the table, and when all cards are laid out, we determine the truth among them.  Truth can only be related when it is fully understood, and it can only be fully understood, when it is studied from many angles.  One person can do this, but it may take a lifetime, many people banded together can do this in a matter of years.  And if the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, the synergy of the group could shorten it to a matter of months.

Therefore, let us each have the will to question everything and the courage to stand by the truth.

The Consortium

Wiktionary.org defines a consortium as, "An association or combination of businesses, financial institutions, or investors, for the purpose of engaging in a joint venture."  Our stated purpose is to promote and develop objective media, but in order to do that, we need resources.  I am a firm believer that everyone has value, therefore, if you, dear reader, are at all interested in what we are attempting to create here, you are precisely the person we need.

As I see it, our project falls into three phases.  In Phase I, we will begin building the community that the Consortium will draw from.  Though our primary developmental focus in on film and literature, we welcome creative minds from all fields.  Individuals and business entities that enter the association will bring with them information, perspective, ideas, materials, and capital.  Through free association, these resources can be drawn upon by anyone through fair trade; the same as in any physical community.

The process of developing Phase I will lead to Phase II, where we begin the life-long process of defining truth and solving problems.  This information can and must then be repackaged as teaching tools, which remind those who helped create them and educate those who are new to Truth in Fiction.  From Phase II will arise leaders who promote objectivity in the media that already exists, and develop new media according to the same objective principles.

We will enter Phase III, when the products of Phase II begin to receive recognition.  At this time, the Consortium for Truth in Fiction will begin to be seen as a source for quality fiction, and will be in a position to positively influence the direction of modern culture and the art it creates.

Art aids a culture in remembering it’s purpose.

Truth in Fiction

What is fiction? Why do we love to be entertained? What makes a story a timeless classic? Why do some stories start great, but fall flat? Why do we feel special when we are the first to discover a piece of art; a new band, book, or film? What do we do with it when we find it, and why? And finally, why is it that "great" films and books, etc. fail to receive recognition equivalent to their value, or do they?

Truth in Fiction is a philosophy of culture that seeks to explain these questions, and solve problems arising from them. The core principle is that everything is connected on a deeper level. Picture the water lily: hundreds of leaves and flowers floating on the surface of a pond, but how many plants are in the pond? Are there hundreds or just one? The truth exists below the surface.

As in life, truth in fiction must be determined through an objective, almost scientific, approach. To create great stories, timeless stories, those developing them must understand the truth of reality. To define this is the purpose of Truth in Fiction.