Keeping calm in the face of war and uncertainty
This is an entry from my journal.
The conflagration in the Middle East threatens to pull Cyprus into the conflict. The Republic of Cyprus is not directly involved in the hostilities. Though the island has two “sovereign” military bases of the United Kingdom, at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The bases can be used by the Americans and their allies and, thus, are prime targets of Iran the same way all such assets in the region are.
I monitor the news as I am expecting things to get worse over the short-term. But I do not lose my calm. If I need to act, I am ready for action. In the meantime, work continues as usual. I am working on an infrastructure project in my land to reinforce parts that might be exposed to soil erosion under intense rainfall. First, I need to collect a lot of soil, as well as plenty of stones. I will use the raw materials to raise and then flatten the area I am targeting. It is laborious though I enjoy the process.
Improving the conditions in and around my house reminds me that (i) I am sufficiently powerful though (ii) my ability to affect the world is limited. Whenever I have free time, I go out to do something. I never remain idle, bemoaning my fate or complaining about the prevailing conditions. I live by an ancient Greek saying that roughly translates as “the start is half of the whole” (η αρχή είναι το ήμισυ του παντός). If I can make a small improvement today, I do it and set things in motion for more work to-be-done. Then I rely on my consistency to bring the task to its completion: I do not start too many projects at once and then leave them hanging. I only do one or a few at a time.
This work has a short feedback loop. I do something and experience the results either immediately or after a few months. I thus am intimately aware of what is missing and what is already finalised. Though I also understand the limits of my industry. No matter how hard I try, I can only do relatively little. Just mining and then moving around a few hundred kilograms of soil all by hand requires several days of physically strenuous work.
I thus know not to be overly ambitious. I do not set arbitrary deadlines. Each project is done organically. I iterate on it continuously, though do not stress about any particular timeline. I find that adding a dimension of time-sensitivity to a task that is not inherently time-sensitive only creates confusion as to what is actually non-negotiable on any given day. I let the genuinely time-sensitive tasks, such as coaching sessions I have scheduled, determine when I need to be on the computer. And then I have time to commit to my house and land or the maintenance of my Emacs packages, depending on what I am working on in that moment.
My immediate reality informs my approach to the bigger issues of our times. I have the capacity to voice my opinion, though I know that it does not amount to much in the grand scheme of things. I am not in a position of authority, I have no influence whatsoever over policy-making, and I do not intend to become a politician. The ruling elites have made their choices, in terms of aligning Cyprus with the Western sphere of influence. The locals here are generally content with what they have. And since I live at the margins of their society, I suspect that my opinions will not share the sensitivities they have. So I better remain silent and accept the realities of my condition.
I cannot claim to be successful in any major way. My experience is about a few minor wins. The usual markers for success all point to me being a loser. Even if I personally do not internalise that thought and remain resilient, I am aware how the world works. Whatever I say can easily be dismissed by attacking my person, in the form of employing the twin sophistries of “coping” and “projecting”.
If you say something about how you do things different from the rest, then you are coping, meaning that you are just making an excuse for your failure to be like the others. And if you describe something happening out there, then you are projecting your own frailties of character. Coping and projecting are convenient tools. You do not need to think deeply about any of the stated points. Just filter the contents of your rival through the relevant tool and—voilà!—you are insightful now.
For political views, in particular, you are expected to have no nuanced opinion at all. Instead, you have to play the game of “this good, that evil”, as if you are a complete moron. It is how Cyprus submits to the suzerainty of the Western empire. Pointing this out does not mean that I have sympathy for the regime in Iran—screw them! Though I will not accept the one-sided narrative that the Iranians are “evil” when I know that the West is ruled by the Epstein class.
If war comes here, I will deal with it. And if it does not affect me directly, it will definitely hit me financially. Things are already tight in that regard. Economic crises are always felt early by those at the lower parts of the income distribution.
None of this matters right now. I focus on the present and continue working with the same intensity. Tomorrow I have to break down some more soil and then distribute it around my land. I will always try my best.