PARADIGMATIC TRIPLICITIES

1. Parks - buildings/streets - shopping centres: this, then, is one of the paradigms of our id-self - not-self and selflessness/ego-self - soul-self triplicity, i.e. the world flanked by anterior and posterior paradises. In point of fact it is really more of a quadruplicity, with not-self and selflessness standing apart from ego-self; but for the sake of simplicity and clarity I will persist with a tripartite structure. Let us now take some alternative paradigms.

2. Like cassettes - radio - CDs within the midi framework, where radio is a kind of worldly parallel beamed from stations of established knowledge and/or strength, in which the not-self and its selfless corollary are predominantly discernible, and cassettes or, rather, the cassette-decks in which cassettes can be played tend to suggest a closer link to the self, particularly in connection with the use of blank tapes for recording purposes, as, from an arguably profounder standpoint, do CD drives for the playing of compact discs.

3. Thus the midi that is 'liberal' or pluralistic in this way would suggest the possibility of two self-oriented alternatives to the world, i.e. radio, one of which would correspond, in its comparatively superficial and apparent presentation of centrifugal unfolding, to an alpha paradise, and the other of which, in its comparatively profound and essential presentation of centripetal unfolding, would correspond to an omega paradise.

4. Such pluralistic midis would indeed present the individual with two alternatives to the worldly radio, and the individual subject to such alternatives might find himself utilizing the cassette deck at one moment and the CD-player the next, thereby effectively alternating between the mechanical equivalents of his id-self and his soul-self.

5. Of course he might choose, in the course of time, to utilize one rather than the other, the 'outer' approach to the self as opposed to the 'inner' approach to the self or vice versa, and there are even individuals who won't have anything to do with such pluralistic devices, either because they are not up to them from the standpoint of a strong id-self bias or are too progressive for them from the standpoint of a strong soul-self bias, in which case they will favour radio-cassette players or radio-CD players or, stronger again, cassette players or CD players, not forgetting, however, those whose more inveterately worldly bias precludes them from bothering with anything much beyond and/or behind the radio.

6. Whatever the individual case, it seems to me that a park-like parallel can be inferred where the cassette deck and/or cassette player is concerned, which would contrast with the shopping-centre-like parallel of the CD-player, whether in connection with a midi or not, and that radio, standing in between the more self-oriented extremes of sound reproduction, induces a relatively worldly inference along the lines of buildings and/or streets, so that it is less of the self (except egocentrically) than of the not-self and selflessness.

7. In terms of the above-mentioned parallels, it should logically follow that a person with a strong bias for parks over shopping centres would prefer cassette players, and hence cassettes, to CD players, whereas a person with a strong bias for shopping centres over parks would prefer CD players, and hence CDs, to cassette players. People with no particular bias either way, on the other hand, would be happier with midis, if not radios, in what could metaphorically be described as a comparatively middle-of-the-road orientation.

8. In relation to literature, it may be that books correspond, in their various permutations, both hardback and paperback, to the world, whereas 'books' on cassette, marketed as 'spoken word', would, like their musical counterparts, correspond to the id-self, while 'books' or other literary presentations on CD, by contrast, would assume an omega-oriented correlation commensurate with the soul-self.

9. Hence books would parallel radio as the medium of the world, while both the paradises, alpha and omega, would have 'the word' reproduced on either cassettes or CDs - cassettes tending at present to prevail over CDs where the spoken word is concerned by dint, I would guess, of their greater if not more accessible audio capacity, with CDs being reserved for optical storage of more voluminous compilations, like encyclopaedias and 'collected-works' presentations of old masters.

10. Despite my own suspicion that establishment literature prefers to regress towards the alpha than progress towards the omega, I see a future for both the optical and audio presentation of original literary works on CD, and am confident that CD or equivalent media (like DVD) will supersede both tapes and books in the course of time, particularly if and when the world is 'overcome', no matter how partially, in the interests of 'Kingdom Come'.

11. Another parallel to the id-self - ego-self (in conjunction with not-self and selflessness) - soul-self triplicity that could be mentioned is one which takes a culinary or, rather, cutlery form, as in the use of knife and fork with most types of conventional dinner being regarded as of the world, but the use of fork held in the right hand in scooping fashion being considered as of the alpha paradise on account of its superficial absolutism, the absolutism, almost, of a fascist salute, but the use, by contrast, of a tablespoon held in such fashion suggesting an omega orientation by dint of its profounder absolutism, the absolutism, again to cite a saluting analogy, of the clenched fist.

12. Be that as it may, I find it impossible to escape the conclusion that our eating habits, including the means with which we raise food to our mouth, can be no less revealing of our ideological or moral position than the use of various technologies or environmental persuasions, and that as a man eats, so can he be judged!