The International Society of Fools

Sic erunt novissimi primi

2010-03-08T05:12:00.000-08:00

The Oscular Imperative

2009-12-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Funambulism

2009-04-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

"On the threshold of the zone of nonconsciousness, Ego must shed its own properties; it must be moved. Passion is the tightrope, stretched between us and Genius, on which our funambulant life [la funambola vita, not properly 'our'] steps forward. Even before we wonder at the world outside us, what awes and stuns us is the presence within us of a part that is forever immature, infinitely adolescent, and hesitant to cross the threshold of any individuation." (Giorgio Agamben, Fort trans.)

Dream Course, Co-Taught by Roberto Benigni and Giorgio Agamben

2009-04-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

How It's Done

2009-04-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Flower Metal

2008-09-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Be Brave, Be Happy!

Fratello Metallo!

2008-07-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

Each Day

2008-07-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

"And let each day be a loss to us on which we did not dance once! And let each truth be false to us which was not greeted by one laugh!" (Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 3.23)

Upcoming Folly Event: Ghazalville One

2008-07-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

All fools are encouraged to attend Ghazalville, a pre-apocalyptic convocation of local (new york) ghazalists, a verse-experiment in post-civilized companionship, a monthly poetry reading.

Standpoint, Beginning, Foolishness

2008-07-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

"The average man dresses more or less like others; and he sits, talks, and walks like others. The attention that he pays to his bodily needs, the habits that he builds up for self-expression, and reactions that he shows to his fellow beings may, no doubt, have some few differentiating characteristics and peculiarities; but the variations of these characteristics and peculiarities have definite limits. They do not considerably deviate from ordinary ways. They change within the range of normality. Thus, owing to his conformity with the average pattern of responses and actions, the ordinary man of the world does not arouse any special interest: he is taken for granted, and does not seem to need any explanation. Explanation is necessary when the variations of his responses and actions transgress the limits of the normal range.

The average man of the world is tied to the world, and is moulded by the ways of the world. He reacts to the world according to the prompting of inclinations developed as a result of the diverse impacts that the world has on his mind. His main basis of reaction is the mind, as shaped by the imprints of the bipolar experience of the opposites—success and failure, joy and suffering. The responses and reactions given by the mind of the ordinary man of the world are not determined by true values, or by a real understanding of life; they are determined by the chaotic and conflicting tendencies built out of experiences that have neither been properly assimilated nor understood. Though the outer behaviour of the ordinary man is in conformity with the average pattern of responses and reactions, his inner life is subject to severe mental conflicts and suffering and to an ever-renewing sense of frustration.

Outwardly, the average man may seem to have equanimity; but his equanimity is only apparent, and not real. When he gets profoundly dissatisfied with his uncritically accepted pattern of actions, he struggles to achieve a standpoint which would be unfailing under all types of circumstances, and which would ensure for him unbroken peace and fulfillment. Purely intellectual understanding of the world and its experience fails to provide him with such an unfailing standpoint. He therefore re-examines his previous assumptions and ways, and makes intelligent and new experiments in his own life, in order that he may discover, and obtain within his own being, a reliable directive.

Such new experimentation with life entails a severance of consciousness from the average pattern that is current in the world. It implies the faith that consciousness would be able to discover, and reach, a directive standpoint within itself. This is the beginning of true search."

(Meher Baba, The Wayfarers, 1-2)

Today I Ride with Pippi

2008-07-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

A Fool's Wish Fulfilled

2008-07-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

Majnun is banging his head on the saint's tomb, and then . . .

Who Are You?? I Am Me

2008-06-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

What's the Matter . . .

2008-05-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

haven't you ever seen a fool before? Said the Mulla.

In other words, the fool is an, the expert at (not) being identified, at self-(non)identification.

Has this principle kept you, dear reader, from joining this currently most elite club of two: Simone Weil (most dear Simone) and Nicola Masciandaro (who is he?)?

Do not suggest it is an advertisement issue. Don't be foolish.

This summer, summer 2008, NOW, is a good time to get foolish.

New Member: Simone Weil

2007-05-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that Simone Weil (simoneweil2@yahoo.com) been accepted by unanimous vote into the Society. Welcome! By way of introduction, I will let the email she sent me speak for itself:

Dear Nicola,

perhaps you know me, my name is Simone Weil. When I was alive I was foolish enough to think that I should die for some cause, which, in another sense, means that when I was alive I was not given to foolishness on enough occasions such that I could save myself. I underestimated foolishness, and even joy. I starved myself to death at the tender age of 32, thinking it would show solidarity with the French soldiers fighting against Hitler. When I was alive I was so serious about everything that I gave myself terrible migraine headaches, I never fell in love [except with god], never had sex, and I devoted myself to fighting for lost causes and writing things like the following:

"L'homme ne peut jamais sortir de l'obéissance à Dieu. Une créature ne peut pas ne pas obéir. Le seul choix offert à l'homme comme créature intélligente et libre, c'est de désirer l'obéissance ou ne pas la désirer. S'il ne la désire pas, il obéit néanmoins, perpétuellement, en tant que chose soumise à la nécessité mécanique. S'il la désire, il reste soumis à la nécessité mécanique, mais une nécessité nouvelle s'y surajoute, une nécessité constituée par les lois propres aux choses surnaturelles. Certaines actions lui deviennent impossibles, d'autres s'accomplissent à travers lui parfois malgré lui."

I was always burning burning burning on the inside and the world was too much with me. Now that I'm dead, I'd like to try to be more of a fool. And I wonder if you would be so kind to admit me to your Society?

Avec regard,

Simone

Membership

2006-03-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Membership in the International Society of Fools is available to any person, living, dead, or fictional, who furthers one or more of its aims. Membership bestows the right to say "I am a member of the International Society of Fools" and to participate in all meetings, events, activities, projects, and decisions of the Society. Membership is granted by a majority vote of the current living members, upon consideration of a proposal submitted to the Society. Membership proposals may be emailed to nicolam@aya.yale.edu.

2006-03-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

The Fool

Aims

2006-03-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

To understand foolishness.

To be foolish.