WHO SAYS SO?

On Saturdays evenings, the next show after APHC (A Prairie Home Companion) on WGBH in Boston is SAYS YOU!, a radio game show of bluff and bluster, words and whimsy as they always say at the opening. I can't identify my fascination with such a low key show. It's the same show every week except for the words and sometimes that's not true if they bring back a classic round. Perhaps it's the collegial interaction and word play that makes for an hour of obfuscation, conjecture and humorous wit similar to early game shows on TV like I've Got a Secret, What's My Line? and the various forms of To Tell The Truth.

As I recall, Says You! was a sarcastic rejoinder indicating disbelief, questionable veracity or unsubstantiated opinion. Similarly, you could use the question Who says so? Many kids asking their parents the question Why? got the usual Because I told you so? Apparently, their authority was sufficient. I was brought up in an era where you were to respect your elders. But many of them were real dumb asses. I should have made more inquiries but the usual adult answer, or judgment, wasn't really worth the possibility of punishment. Nevertheless, the well placed request for further clarification served me well at times.

If Because I Said So! doesn't work, the usual is to cite some even higher authority, perhaps an expert in the field or someone higher up in the chain of command or a popular figure whose understanding has more merit just because of their celebrity status from acting, playing sports, reporting the news, writing book or books that are commercially viable (especially if they have been made into movies), making scientific discoveries, having exceptional musical or artistic talent, or excelling in any other area that represents the best that the mainstream has to offer and of course, have been on Charlie Rose more than once.

If citing a popular mainstream figure doesn't work, there are a few steps, but only a few steps, before the dialogue escalates to the ultimate authority. Appeals to philosophy, spirituality, personal responsibility, rationality, practicality and basic human values can be made to some effectiveness but are often skipped for what we think is irrefutable. 

Even though I've done so myself, I'm not sure exactly sure why this approach is taken. I never put it on a placard, but I certainly saw things that way for some time. It's all rather convenient to have all your duckies in a row. It's not just a coincidence that you're right about everything.

It seems that we like to make rules, codes, standards, and laws that are expected to be obeyed, especially by others. We also like to form groups that are governed by procedures, policies and regulations. I guess all of this is so we can immerse ourselves in political processes and interactions as we struggle over money and power in our pursuit of recognition and superiority. It's amazing how comfortable that can feel. Being a part of the whole is very important. And labels make all the difference.

I read the other day about a group of the people who started an atheists' church, which doesn't seem so odd if you think about it. But the church ended up splitting over how much they should emphasize their atheism. I had to chuckle.  

What is the name of your group? Feel free to string together as many identifiers as you need. How much does it control you? Someone wisely said, "What you can't freely criticize or question controls you." I think they were from New Jersey. There are now more registered Independents than ever before. And the number of people who say they have no religious affiliation is climbing. I'm not sure how much of this counts as a trend but additionally, it also seems there are more groups within the big, main groups that want to be heard. Some of course would just want to take over.

I don't think we'll see an outbreak of individual freedom anytime soon, but more possibilities are obviously being considered. There are a lot of reasons not to be part of the crowd, to find your own way, to be open to other ways of knowing, to believe you only need some truth not all the truth, to be more a part of creation than the world, to float upon the waters of fear and hate until you are able to walk on them and perhaps above all, to always ask, "Who Says So?" 

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CREDITS

PEW RESEARCH CENTER, SAYS YOU!, POTHEOS.COM, AJJOSHI.COM, STEFAN SAGMEISTER,  MATHFAIL.COM, LOTUS GROUP, HUFF POST FGU, GETTY