January 21, 2006
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Nothing to Lose
Once, in my misspent youth, I went through a period of renting a movie a night. I grouped my viewing by the star (males only - so okay, I was young and female). The salient lessons learned were that even established performers do some exceptionally execrable work. And that actors who love their craft as much as the limelight (Bridges, Hopkins or Cage) can, in the course of a career, explore an amazing range of the human condition, from the heights of honor to the depths of depravity.
Yesterday I read a piece of compelling oratory in the New York Times centered around the age-old concept of "he who has nothing to lose." Propelled, I suppose, by the same sentiment that drove my movie-viewing, I Googled up the phrase and came out with a set of other orators through the ages who've worked that theme for a range of purposes: theatrical, military, political, emotional.
Comparing the use of one phrase, like comparing the use of one actor, is an artificial construct that begs the question of its formulation as much as it informs. It's fun as trivia (how many of these speakers can you identify without peeking?), but is it otherwise useful?
I think so. Ironically, as these quotes all imply, the man reduced to nothing assumes great power: of empathy, of fear, of entreaty. He rightly demands that attention be paid. And particularly in light of the last citation; in light of our tendency to ignore the message because we abhor the messenger, I submit that it's useful to step back from the context to explore the concept, before making summary judgement.
1590
[He] now lives ... at his ease / Where, having nothing, nothing will he lose. (1)1755
The origin of political society....it would have been insane for the poor, having nothing to lose but their freedom, to give up willingly the only possession that remained to them, to receive nothing in return; but since the rich, on the other hand, are sensitive, so to speak, in all parts of their possessions, it would have been much easier for them to be harmed. They therefore had to take greater precautions to guarantee their security...(2)1847
[We] labor everywhere for the union and agreement of the democratic parties of all countries. [We] disdain to conceal [our] views and aims. [We] openly declare that [our] ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at [our] revolution. [We] have nothing to lose but [our] chains. [We] have a world to win. (3)
1940
He will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, [we] may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world ... including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age ... Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if [we] last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' (4)1967
There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society, with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have a stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it. (5)2006
Your minds will be troubled and your lives embittered. As for us, we have nothing to lose. A swimmer in the ocean does not fear the rain. You have occupied our lands, offended our honor and dignity, let out our blood and stolen our money, destroyed our houses and played with our security. We will give you the same treatment. (6)
Comments (8)
When ya got nuttin' ya got nuttin' to lose --Janis Joplin.
I went through a movie craze to fill the time after a rather bitter split. She thought western movies were "violent". So, after she got out of my life, I watched nothing but westerns for months. During that time, I learned many things!
One of the things that your blog has made me consider is the depth of the list of the things that I have to lose. And that consideration makes me think that in reality everyone has something to lose be it life, health, intellect and on up through relationships, hopes and dreams. I'm now interested in what makes someone look at his life and say, "I have nothing ..." And it is of course from this place of seeing no value in one's own life that the willingness to destroy the lives of others arises.
One of the things that has always struck me as significant about the animal rights' arguments is the evidence that even animals we presume to be without any form of consciousness will act in ways that protect their lives and yet by human standards their lives are about as close to nothing as it gets.
So what is it that makes a human with so much more to lose, so devalue his treasure that he will deem it "nothing"? That he would seek ways to end his life and to end the lives of others out of the pain of nothingness?
I'm circling back around to a place where I conclude that the person who believes that he has nothing in actual fact merely has less. Less than that which he perceives others to have. In that position we have a choice, we ALL have a choice. We can either attempt to equalize things by detroying someone else's having, or we can attempt to improve our own. I think it ironic that the much documented wealth of bin Laden is "nothing" in his eyes. And that couched in terms of high moral indignation he has chosen to destroy rather than using his resources to build.
It seems to me that it takes a pretty hefty trick [lie] to convince yourself that you have "nothing". And it's hard for a right choice to come from a wrong premise.
wow, outstanding post! It really made me sit and think about that one prase over time.. very thought provoking!
Thanks.
Excellent essay by lovingmy40s and excellent comment by quiltnmomi. With people like you around, the future looks brighter, says ol' lady frugality.
I have nothing to add except: thank you for the provocation to think. Blessings abound
Wow, thanks for making me think, and thank you for putting the authors at the bottom. I had no clue who had written those quotes. I spend my time reminding myself about everything I do have. I have lots ot lose.
yes.
I would love to ponder this recurring theme in the human condition - what happens when you back a man so far into a corner that he feels he has nothing left to lose?
(This among a great many other things I would love to unscramble my mind enough to ponder)
I missed Rousseau, damnit! Got all the others, though, by context as much as content.
This subject is especially pertinent with the election of Hamas. A desperate people with nothing left to lose - wasn't it inevitable?
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