The Ninth Street Center Infrequently Asked Questions

Can we help our neighbor
if we don't know what he needs?

It has been said that this is the Age of the Common Man. It is also becoming the age of the common man's problems — brought into the light of day and fought with all the resources at his command. For we must no longer be ashamed of being imperfect. We must stop seeing flaws as dirty laundry or unsightly dust to be swept under a rug. Our future survival as a species depends on making of our problems the very center of our existence and focus of our attention. Nowhere else but in their solution lies the future evolution of civilization.

For centuries men have been about as aware of their psychological surroundings as fish are of the water they swim in. Yet these unseen currents can betray us as well as bestow unexpected good fortune — in such ways as to render our lives seemingly irrational and thereby deprive us of foresight and dignity. Although philosophers of all ages have tried to reveal the hidden motivations of human nature, only in the last century has it become common for individuals to talk about their own idiosyncratic troubles to close friends and professional counselors.

We need to go further in this direction. Modern media have made information about people much more available and timely, and we are slowly learning both to produce and consume this information responsibly. Now we need to let go of the last shreds of the facades and posturing that have characterized social life so that our friends can know us as we truly are. For how can we help our neighbor if we don't know what he needs?

We are not children who fear the taunts of other children, after all. We are not climbing corporate ladders in three-piece suits, ready to spread false rumors about our rivals. We are not meek conformists terrified of character assasination and scurrying from witch hunts. We are self-organizing networks of individuals who link up to help one another and, by setting an example for others, make the world a better place. As we shed vestiges of shame for not being "normal", we become much freer to explore the human scene with the spontaneous improvisational vigor required to reach our full stature. Not only should we advertise our talents, we should admit our weaknesses. Talents make us interesting as resources. Weaknesses make us interesting as human beings.