The long and short of defecation

"The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it." - Criss Jami, lead singer in a rock band, and also author, a poet, essayist, existentialist philosopher, and the founder and designer of Killosopher Apparel. He studied philosophy at George Mason University.

For most people, defecation means only one thing: To discharge excrement. Of course, it is the most common act in which all human beings, and most life forms, partake without exception.

The usual procedure for such acts are generally, well defined by nature; and any variation that may occur is the result of, either human folly or the greed of over indulgence. However, my intention here is not to dwell on, nor delve into, the health benefits that a proper lifestyle confers on individual practitioners of this common art, or vice versa.

In fact, every living body continuously eliminates feces, it rejects what is not serviceable to the assimilating organism: what man despises, what arouses his disgust, what he calls evil, are excrements. Yet, many of us think nothing of the despicable, the disgusting, and evil that emanates, not as excreta, but as words from the opposite end of our anatomy.

Harsh words

We realize not: that empty words, meaningless words, harsh words, fertilizes nothing; at least the human excreta does more. Some people's bowl movement, by the way, may be perfectly exceptional, smooth, and odourless; but what they emit as speech is far worse.

For human beings, the animal that is capable of rational thought, it would seem but natural that no desire is more natural than the desire for knowledge. Yet, all our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason; and at times, when reason fails, experience helps.

Civilization rests on two things; the discovery that fermentation produces alcohol, and voluntary ability to inhibit defecation; and I put it to you, where would this splendidly civilized world be, without both. Many things about man are not very godly, even though the belief is that god is, seen only in the form of men of god.

The question may be posed as to how, when, and whenever a person excretes feces, how can he be a god then? But, it is even worse regarding the other muck, we call talk: man still surely wants to retain this ability, and not excrete it. Now however, I must believe that a person can be god and still excrete feces; but not talk "shit" and be god. Thus, let me tell you, excrete your feces by all means; but control your words, for words is not just the sound that comes from your throat, but they express the feelings that comes from your heart; and if they be good, kind, and loving, you become gods.

We discourse freely without shame of one form of sensuality, and are silent about another. We are, so degraded that we cannot speak simply of the necessary functions of human nature. In earlier ages, in some countries, every function was, reverently spoken of and regulated by the natural law. Nothing was too trivial for the supreme lawgiver, however offensive it may be to modern taste.

He teaches how to eat, drink, cohabit, void, and the like, elevating what is mean, and does not falsely excuse himself by calling these things trifles. Yet, no one has taught man to choose kind word, loving words, meaningful words.

Some kid asked what a dilemma is. The reply came: When a starving man has to choose between a plate of food; and, a roll of toilet paper or a pot of water, as the case may be. In the hierarchy of man's activities, eating was the lowest. Eating had become the object of a cult, but in fact, it was but the preliminary to the other, utterly contemptible: motions. Rules governing defecation, hygiene, and pollution exist in every culture at every period in history.

Talk training

It may in fact be the foundation of civilization: what is toilet training if not the first attempt to turn a child into an acceptable member of society? Yet, where is talk training? In Matthew 15:17 New International Version it is, written: "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them." That, of course is, said in a different context: The seat of corruption is within - it is the heart itself; and if people are to be, made pure; this, the heart, must be, cleansed. For, if that is corrupt, the whole man is corrupt. This said, nowhere in any text is taught, anything about everything that goes out of the mouth. Most people honour other people with only their lips, but their hearts are far from their words; and as a result, their words and they themselves, perish in their own refuse.

If a community of people, do not get serious about what they speak; the shit will hit the fan and I am sure everyone knows what happens when something hits the fan: It will splatter and spread in the surroundings, unpredictably and widely. Thus, speech, like meditation, is not only to tell other people what we think, but also to tell ourselves what we think.

After all, speech is a part of thought. In fact, Yogic tradition has it that speech must pass three barriers prior to speaking. These barriers come in the form of three questions: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? If your speech, pass the test of these barriers; you can be sure that your name will be carved on hearts, and not tombstones. A legacy is, etched into the minds of others and not onto their lips. Nevertheless, to talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop.

Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches, and there is growing evidence that they cannot read them either. In fact, their speeches are like defecation that emanates from uncouth tongues; and uncouth tongues are nothing but shirking of despair, cries of pain and rage; the whirlwind's eddying cage of empty heads.

An empty head, after all is not really, empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence, the difficulty we face of forcing anything into an empty head.

It is, often told that a full tongue and an empty head are seldom parted. I suppose that is why animals have long tongue, but cannot speak; men have short tongues and should not speak. Finally, I must say that, I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels.

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