Feed the inner duck

Not with human news 

Or greedy things that suck,

But give it quiet views;

Comments from the moon.

Opinions from the sky.

The insights of a tune.

The wisdom of a sigh.

-Michael Leunig

History Doesn’t Repeat, But It Rymes 

In a world hurtling toward what feels like an inevitable cliff, our daily algorithmically fed news cycles have evolved from continuous to relentless, reaching a brutal intensity that leaves many feeling shell-shocked and powerless. We may be shell-shocked, but we are not powerless.

In this episode, I explore parallels between our current political moment and historical patterns of crisis, highlighting the work of William Strauss and Neil Howe, who proposed the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory and the concept of “The Fourth Turning,” as described in their 197 best-selling book of the same name (and expounded upon in a 2023 sequel, The Fourth Turning is Here. The theory defines a Fourth Turning as a crisis period, a decisive era of upheaval that reshapes societies every 80 to 100 years. World War II ended 80 years ago. 

As we navigate what appears to be a contemporary Fourth Turning, characterized by authoritarian challenges, democratic erosion, and an alarmingly tepid response to the climate crisis, the question becomes not whether we can survive these historical forces, but how we can respond with wisdom and resilience.

Seeking Our Inner Duck and the Work of Michael Luenig

From here, my discussion takes a whimsical turn as I explore the wisdom of ‘following your inner duck.’ Australian artist and philosopher Michael Leunig renders a simple image of a humble man praying to a caring duck—his inner duck. The image is poignant in its simplicity.  

Amidst the noise, the notion of following our inner duck emerges as a whimsical yet profound metaphor for grounding ourselves in intuition and authenticity, reminding us to seek beauty and connection rather than get lost in the chaos. Leunig’s Duck invites a sincere approach to life, suggesting that by connecting with our inner selves—our ‘ducks’—we can navigate life’s storms and the historical forces bearing down with clarity and purpose.  

By prioritizing beauty, humility, and connection, we can cultivate a quiet resilience rooted in peace and empathy that not only helps us endure the present but also empowers us to navigate crises, a Fourth Turning, toward a brighter future. 

Ultimately, this episode is a thoughtful blend of history, philosophy, and practical wisdom, inviting us to reflect on our capacity for hope and action in the face of adversity.

Takeaways:

• The relentless nature of today's news cycle can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disoriented, much like historical political blitzkriegs.
• Understanding historical patterns, such as Strauss and Howe's generational theory, can offer insights into our current societal crises and challenges.
• The importance of finding calm and balance, symbolized by the metaphor of following our inner duck, is crucial in navigating chaotic times.
• The Fourth Turning, as articulated by Strauss and Howe, suggests we are in a decisive era that will shape our society for decades to come.
• Even in the bleakest moments, maintaining hope and resilience is essential, as history shows us that crisis can lead to renewal and transformation.
• Engaging with our values and seeking beauty amidst chaos can help us remain grounded and effective in our responses to societal challenges.

Resources:

• The Fourth Turning
• The Strauss-Howe Generational Theory
• Michael Leunig
• The School for Duck Whisperers Podcast
• TSDW on LinkedIn
• GlobalWarmingisReal.com

Our daily news cycle has moved from continuous to relentless, and now it's just brutal.

Our world is in hyperdrive, hurtling what appears to me like a fast approaching cliff.

Maybe it looks that way to you as well.

It's understandable if you're feeling shell shocked.

At the risk of torturing The World War II analogy beyond recognition, I wouldn't be the first one.

The blitzkrieg strategy gave the Germans a physical and psychological advantage.

Their land occupied, their lives upended or just ended.

The German army seemed unstoppable.

That didn't stop the resistance in France, Britain and throughout Europe.

A resistance that slowly eroded the German stranglehold that, along with the Allied military, eventually led to the collapse of Hitler's Germany.

Whether we characterize our current moment as a political blitzkrieg flooding the zone with shit or quietly sucking the oxygen from the room, perhaps all three at once, nonetheless the intent is the to overwhelm, disorient, demoralize, and disperse any opposition to the attack.

It may work at first with ground captured and imagined enemies vanquished, but the scale of the resistance is proportional to the oppression.

It has patience and resolve.

It is centered and quietly courageous.

It prepares for battle wisely and deliberately.

And meeting our current moment, I argue that it is worthwhile to consider what brought the world back then to such a devastating war, the political forces and social conditions at play, and how the human spirit can overcome its worst impulses.

So if it seems bleak right now, well, my friend, it is.

Under the barrage of destructive policies, hateful rhetoric and mass delusion, fed by a finely tuned misinformation machine that's now running on AI warp drive, we feel powerless against the forces of history, the relentless pace of technology, and the corrupt foolishness of the ruling class.

But as the adage says, this too shall pass.

We may not be powerful, but neither are we helpless.

The book gets into the weeds, but Strauss and Howe posit that Anglo American history unfolds in predictable 80 to 100 year cycles called Sicula.

That's S A E C U L A.

Each of these sicula is divided into four 20 to 25 year turnings.

These turnings oscillate between institutional cohesion and societal fragmentation, and driven by generational archetypes whose values clash or align with the dominant mood of the time.

The theory divides these turnings into four high, awakening, unraveling, and crisis.

High is upbeat, characterized by optimism.

Institutions are strongest and individualism is weakest.

Seeking unity, social values, convergence.

Awakening is a passionate era.

Values are questioned, individualism strengthens and institutions weaken.

In unraveling the Third Turning, things get downbeat.

Individualism peaks and institutions are at their weakest.

Society unravels as values diverge.

Crisis.

The Fourth Turning is a decisive era.

Whatever happens, it won't be like it was before.

Unraveling leads to upheaval and finally to a new normal.

For each turning, the dominant generational archetypes are prophets, nomads, heroes, and lastly, artists.

In the Crisis or Fourth Turning.

Strauss and Howe cite historical analogues to the Fourth Turning, including the American Revolution, the Civil war, and the 20th century eruption of fascism.

The particulars diverge, but the themes follow similar tracks, characterized by social turmoil and authoritarian challenges that tested democratic resilience.

The last crisis phase culminated in the paroxysm of the Second World War.

A fourth turning of the Sicila cycle progresses in roughly 20 to 25 years, from catalyst to culmination.

In response to this destabilizing catalyst, society gravitates to central leadership, unifying around new priorities informed by this perceived threat.

And finally, the era culminates in a decisive conflict, a war, a revolution bringing resolution, and a new civic order.

When the book was first published in the late 90s, the authors suggested that the end of the last century was an unraveling.

A third turning.

But we see the signs all around us.

Talking about it almost feels cliche.

The polarization, the persistent, alarmingly tepid response to climate change, the relentless assault on the biosphere and our attention spans.

Billionaires untethered to reality and rising authoritarianism and militarism fueling democratic erosion.

If only all that were a tired cliche.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.

So here we are.

According to how all of us who can hang out, say, six, seven or eight more years, the prophets, nomads, heroes and artists will all witness the culmination of a fourth turning, a new sicula, as Strauss and Howe describe in their generational theory.

The generation that put down fascist authoritarianism in the mid 20th century is fading into history along with the battles they fought.

Historical cycles do not preordain the future, but they do help us frame our responses to these overarching historical social cycles to gather strength and build community.

Understanding the outlines of history, seeing its patterns, can lift us above the fray, reveal the larger context of human history, and provide us with choices.

But how do we stay sane and productive, able to respond as best we can to these historical forces?

Yeah, that can be a can of worms.

All that highfalutin talk of generational theories with their turnings and archetypes is all well and good, but may I suggest we learn to follow our inner duck?

I was introduced to the world of beloved Australian artist philosopher Michael Leunig by Scott Poynton, founder of the School for Duck Whisperers.

Leunig often used the image of the duck as his leitmotif in his works, a simple drawing of a humble man praying to a duck, to his duck, to his inner duck.

The rendering's simplicity conveys a poignant potency.

In his introduction to A Common Prayer, Lunig writes, the duck represents one thing and many nature, instinct, feeling, beauty, innocence, the primal, the non rational and the mysterious unsayable.

The duck, Lunig writes, can be seen as a symbol of the human spirit and in wanting connection with his spirit.

It is a symbolic picture of a man searching for his soul.

In his introduction to the School for Duck Whispering, Scott Pointon writes that following our inner duck allows us to live authentically, guided by intuition, humility, and balance.

It's a philosophy that invites us to find calm, reconnect with our values, and align our actions with what truly matters.

There are many ways to approach what Leunig and Boynton suggest in the Duck through meditation.

We can live in the present moment by serving others.

We can find humility and balance by seeking beauty instead of ugliness, questions instead of answers, mystery in place of dogma, we can find calm and resolve.

In a chaotic world.

We risk our health and humanity by remaining perpetually enraged and constantly triggered.

This is not the way of the duck.

Through the dross of human ugliness and excess, there is calm, even transcendence, even in the bleakest of times, so that we can move through crisis into a better world.

A fourth turning is an era of crisis, but not one of surrender.

The long fight ahead requires rest, reflection and communion with beauty.

When I sit quietly and watch the ocean waves on a sunny Sunday afternoon or listen to the interweaving lines of music as I lie in bed at midnight, it's there I discover my inner duck.

We live, even thrive, to fight another day.

Check the Show Notes for more information on the Strauss Howe generational theory and the Fourth Turning, the work of Michael Lunig and the School for Duck Whisperers.

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Thanks for listening.

We'll probably be back next time with a guest interview, and we'll see you then.

On Global Warming Is Real.

There's always more we can do to stop climate change.

No amount of engagement is too little, and now more than ever, your involvement matters.

To learn more and do more, visit globalwarmingisreal.com thanks for listening.

I'm your host, Tom Schueneman.

We'll see you next time on Global Warming Is Real.

Feed the inner duck not with human news or greedy things that suck, but give it quiet views, comments from the moon, opinions from the sky, the insights of a tune, the wisdom of a sigh.

Michael Lunig It.