Francis Bacon and the Neo-Aristocrat

Nature to be commanded must be obeyed

- Francis Bacon

This quote may be the most concise explanation of the Neo-Aristocrat's philosophy on life that I have seen yet. For those who don't know, Francis Bacon was a scientific philosopher born in London in the 1500's. His book, Novum Organum Scientiarum (a new method for science), outline the beginnings of the process known as the scientific method which is the foundation for modern science. Opposed to the ancient methods where truth about the world was believed to be reached through careful thought an consideration, the Novum Organum emphasized a focus on the physical world and the importance of experimentation and experience. I would recommend at least reading his introduction, if not the whole book. It is a really fascinating read.

The above quote is one of his most favorite and is extremely applicable to today's reality of climate change. It is a little confusing to parse on the first read through because it appears, at first, like another paradox (yay!). How can you command something if you must obey it first?

There are certain laws in the universe which exist: gravity, the conservation of momentum, the feed back cycle, the interchange of yin and yang, etc. Or, for the Neo-Aristocrat, the realization that certain external factor influence your perception of reality, personality, and day to day life. If you are studying in school and working a job, this will make you tired. If you are alone, listening to sad, wispy music and the sky is overcast, you will end up feeling lost and forlorn. Granted, the effects differ between people. A certain set of factors may have little effect on one person but a huge effect on another. But the fact is, our environments and activities have effects on ourselves. 

But if we ignore these laws- if I decide to attend a party after a long week of school rather than sleep, or if a child jumps from the roof attempting to mimic the birds- we will suffer necessary consequences. The introvert will end up more drained rather than refreshed and the child will suffer broken bones and bruised skin. We must obey these laws of nature.

However, man does fly in airplanes. He may not be able to overcome gravity through the force of his will alone, but he can observe the other animals who are not constrained to land. He can study wingspan, aerodynamics  lift and propulsion and- still obeying, still using the laws of nature- build himself an airplane to take to the sky.

In the same way, the Neo-Aristocrat can use the laws of how the environment to affect her personality and world view in a conscious, deliberate way. If, at the end of a long week, she is exhausted, she knows to go to bed rather than a party. If she realizes her soul has taken a twist for the melancholy, she knows not to indulge in activities, such as lying in bed and sighing soulfully at the ceiling, that will entrench rather than fight the mood.  The laws of her personality are still obeyed. At no time is she trying to will herself out of the state. Instead, she is in control, commanding her nature rather than being a victim of it. 

The first step to this ability to command is the recognition that these laws can not be ignored, but first must be obeyed. Then comes the long and never ending study into the delicate interplay between personality, worldview and environment. This study will never end, so begin employing the laws you learn as soon as you learn them. Also, be careful in the application. In psychology, even more so than biology, too much of a good thing can be deadly. 

The Neo-Aristocrat looks clearly upon the laws of the world, but is not cowed by them. Instead, she realizes the power she has to control them and her situation and uses that to improve and better herself. 

You Both Already Are and Never Will Be....

I love paradoxes.

I love the momentary confusion of seeing two apparently contradictory statements. The pause in daily life as your eyes narrow at the sentence and you wonder, "how can that be?" Take, for instance, this sentence:

You both already are and never will be a Neo-Aristocrat.

By our rules of grammar, this sentence is nonsensical. How can someone both be and never be something? This violates our sense of time, of being, of reality. Yet, these senses of ourselves exist only in language and the paradox exploits the limitations of our understanding.

I love paradoxes most for this reason.  Not only do they lead us to a deeper understanding of the world when we resolve them, but they also remind us of the limitations of our language. And that is a trap we all fall into too often.

What is meant by the above paradox?

Neo-Aristocracy is not a set point, it is a process. It isn't a state of being, but a way of being. It is the ideal that is always out of reach, but in the process of striving anyways, we reach it. We live in a world of cycles upon cycles upon cycles. Things are always, constantly changing around us and we must continue to adapt to them. There will always be new things to learn, new revelations to have, new bests to achieve. You will never reach the form of the Neo-Aristocrat, but reaching the goal is less important than the reaching itself.

Focusing on the process is not as comforting as being able to fulfill a list of requirements necessary to reach the perfect state. There is a great deal of assurance that comes from the idea that you have arrived, no longer have to strive, can bask in your completion. But that is not how reality work. What Neo-Aristocratism lacks in comfort it makes up for in freedom and reality.

Do you have any paradoxes in your life?

First Principles of a Neo-Aristocrat

Neo-Aristocracy is a highly individualized aesthetic and alternative lifestyle. After all, a person's best is a personal determination. However, we do not live in a vacuum. The laws of the universe do govern- even if the more superfluous laws of society can be ignored. Therefore, there are some first principles which anyone embarking on the path of Neo-Aristocracy should embrace. For sake of mnemonics, I've categorized them under three key words: sustainable, attainable, and benevolent.

Sustainable:

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines sustainable as:  of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.  Sustainability is increasingly becoming a key word and will become even more prevalent in the future. As we realize that we do not live on a planet with infinite resources, we are going to need to stop acting like we do. Sustainable practices are a recognition of the cycles and laws of nature and attempting to use those to benefit ourselves in the long term rather than ignore them and reap short term gain. 

A Neo-Aristocrat applies this principle to different levels of her life. On a global level, she realizes that the earth is indeed finite and strives to do as little damage to the environment as possible. Buying second hand, reducing carbon footprints, buying local, reusing, reducing, and recycling- all the catch phrases that have become so popular in the past years- she knows are possible to embody without sacrificing a luxurious, decadent life. 

On a personal level, as much as a Neo-Aristocrat might like to spend her entire bank account on good stationary, beautiful clothes and interesting books- she knows that the future must be considered first. Buy champagne or next weeks groceries? There is a hierarchy of needs (though it may be unconventional) and since the Neo-Aristocrat is life affirming, starvation isn't a choice.

Sustainability, in short, is the ability to weigh the tradeoffs today for the benefits in the future.  A Neo-Aristocrat is able to look into the far future of generations to come, the middle future of the course of her own life, and the near future of the next few years, months or days and balance her goals and luxuries with the concerns of time. 

Attainability 

All our lives, we are told "You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it!" or "Reach for the stars. Be whatever you want to be." Encouragement of children's passions is a necessary step for their growth, but over encouragement can lead to unrealistic expectations. 

When we were children, we dreamed of being astronauts, presidents, prima ballerina's. But there comes a time when it is necessary to wake up and say "I am 23 years old. Based on the choices I have made up until this point, I am not going to be the president of the United States or a ballerina or an astronaut." It is hard to admit- very, very hard- that our potential isn't infinite and that it is better to stop wishing for things so far beyond our reach. A person in a position that exceeds their ability is even worse than someone whose potential isn't being fully utilized. 

A Neo-Aristocrat has the self awareness, the clear sight, and the courage to take a breath and say "This is who I am. That is not what I will or can become. Instead, I will focus on becoming the best that I am able to be. Not the best as the world decrees." Because there is a difference between doing your absolute best and being the absolute best. The first we have control over. The second we don't.

Attainability is applied not only to our careers  even if that is how it is most commonly found- but also to our possessions and lifestyles. A Neo-Aristocrat must be able to come to terms with the fact that she will not have a sprawling mansion in France, a wardrobe commissioned by the best seamstresses in the world, time to lounge about the house or devote herself to studies or pleasure, and every little thing that she dreams about. 

This principle probably deserves another post, because there is a difference between being realistic and settling. Realistic desires balances between the unhappiness of never achieving your grand dreams and the resentment of betraying your potential to have something lesser.

Benevolence

 A Neo-Aristocrat knows that if the pursuit of their desire brings too much harm into the world, then the desire should be reconsidered. Benevolence has no set laws because there are times when your actions will cause pain to another, but both the action and pain are necessary- such as getting a job that your co-worker didn't. But there are some actions, such as toying with another's emotions to reach your ends, which are unacceptable. 

Benevolence is the most outward looking of these qualities. It is the principle which sets the Neo-Aristocrat in society. No one can pursue their desires heedless of how those desires affect others. Benevolence is the art of making sure you aren't destroying more relationships and benefit than you gain from your desire. On the other hand, Benevolence is also the ability to help others with their path towards their best as well.

As a  Neo-Aristocrat works towards her best in life, she must keep these principles in mind so as not to forget her connections and relations to the rest of the world. She does not exist outside of reality, outside of herself, or outside of society. Whatever best she decides to pursue can not ignore these factors. Beyond that, she is open to be everything she can.

What's in a Name?

Over the past few years, I've talked to a few people, both on and off the internet, about my aesthetic, the Neo-Aristocrat. Invariably, the first response is something of distaste or confusion. When pressed further, the explanation usually runs along the  lines of "the aristocracy oppressed people for hundreds of years. They are a small elite. Why would you want to associate yourself with something hierarchical and prejudice?" 

It is impossible to deny that the historical term of 'aristocrat' has baggage associated with it. For centuries, the upper classes treated lower classes as chattel or less while monopolizing the money, leisure, education and culture. However, if we could step back from the historical connotations and consider the etymology of the word.

Aristocrat is the pairing of two greek words: "aristos" or the best and the suffix "-cracy" which meant to rule. Literally, translated it means to be ruled by the best. In a country, this translates into power, money and influence being centralized in the hands of  a small group of elites. Democracy was supposed to counteract the ills of the prior centuries, but if you have doubts about how well the American experiment in democracy is working, I urge you to read Christopher Hayes "Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy."

What I am doing with this blog and my own idea of Neo-Aristocrat is applying the idea of "the rule of the best" not to a country, but to my own individual life. What does this mean? That is a work in progress that will never fully be answered. As I grow older and accumulate new experiences, education, and wisdom, my idea of what is best will undoubtedly shift. Will it, at times, mirror aesthetics and philosophies of other alternative lifestyles or even the mainstream? Probably. But I am a unique individual and deserve a tailor made life and philosophy, just like anyone else. (This is one of the beautiful things about uniqueness. Everyone can be unique without losing their uniqueness- whatever cynical quips might declare.)

Since Neo-Aristocracy is applying the rule of the best to your own life and since best is not a set standard but differs from individual to individual, there is no limit to the number of people who could become Neo-Aristocrats. I would frankly love it if everyone did become one, because Neo- Aristocracy isn't about being better than others- only better than your past selves. 

But questions about discovering what is best for you and other qualities of a neo aristocrat will have to be saved for another discussion. 

A Responding Manifesto

My previous post about the necessity of refocusing on my aesthetic, drew a comment from Nadja Sands of La Domna. If you haven't had a chance to take a look at her blog, I highly recommend it. She is an excellent writer but her main, amazing skill is in writing some of the most evocative and gorgeous descriptions of perfumes that I have ever read. My nose is terrible, but reading over her descriptions of, say, Midnight Gypsy Alchemy scents made me want to go out and buy a collection myself.

Now, her comment (bolding mine):

I don't focus very much on creating a cohesive aesthetic in my style.... I don't want to have a set of rules, self imposed or not, to follow... that would just kill my joy and creativity! My only guideline is to wear only what feels good and feels "me". This method has actually led me to have quite a cohesive personal style, but one that doesn't fit into any single mainstream aesthetic (but drawing inpiration from many). I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I like a particular aesthetic, or parts of one, I can always find a way to make it mine and part of my personal aesthetic! I feel no need to classify my style, put a name on it or impose rules...

First, this comment really show cases an alternative method of pursuing one's aesthetic than mine- a method that may be more common in the community. Which is great. Different people have different methods for choosing their aesthetics just as they have different aesthetics in general. For me, I like overthinking things. Finding rules, laws and patterns in my life is a source of entertainment and learning, even if I know the laws won't stay in place for more than a week. But, not everyone spends as much time up in their heads, and it is great to be reminded of that.

But what really struck my attention was the line that was highlighted above: my only guideline is to wear only what feels good and feels "me". 

I don't have a "me." Oh, there are some broad generalizations: strong introvert, cerebral (see above or this blog), etc. But for a me? A me that I can look or wear an outfit or a piece of clothing and say "ah, this is me?" I don't have that.

Part of my personality is that I am very, very easily influenced by external stimuli. In psychological terms, I'm highly sensitive  If you were a hypnotist on stage, you'd want to pick me out of the audience. The books I read, the music I listen to, the clothes I wear all have distinct and noticeable effects on my personality and actions.  

For example, the longer a skirt I wear, the more quiet and mature I feel. Cardigans make me feel tired and dumpy. Wearing my vest makes me more more put together. High heels mean that I stop to smell the roses and am more outgoing. Wearing all black, makes me feel more dramatic and melancholic. More rugged, outdoors clothes, really do make me more adventuresome. Etc. These aren't the most original changes to happen depending on the clothes I have nor have I learned all of the changes that can occur. However, the change can be striking.

As with everything, there is both good and bad in every character trait. My extreme impressionability is unfortunate because I don't have that core of personality and strength to draw on. I can't look at a dress, a job, a potential friend, an activity, and think "this is right for me." It has always been, "let me be right for them." The problems that relate from this are  numerous and don't need to be entered into at this point.

However, there are strengths. Imagination and flexibility are important qualities. I can empathize very highly with someone if I take the time to stop and think (another reason I don't read the news). But most importantly, with enough foresight  I can stop and make conscious decisions about how I want to act and feel in a certain situation and then take steps to deliberately alter my mood to reflect that. This deliberate alteration is becoming a theme of this blog.

Neo-Aristocracy is, for me, my attempt to create an aesthetic and lifestyle that is the ideal lifestyle for this world. The parameters of that are always changing, but five important characteristics of a neo-aristocrat are: capable, life affirming, seeing and living in the real world, finding and cultivating beauty in your world, and practicing these qualities daily. 

Given those qualities that I want to practice and thus embody, I can make conscious choices about my wardrobe to make me feel and act like a Neo-Aristocrat every day. Right now, my closet holds a lot of options that don't make me feel capable or beautiful or are coherent with my aesthetic. But lacking a strong inner compass for just wearing what is me, I need a set of guidelines and rules to help me develop a self. 

This has been a really interesting enunciation of my dedication to Neo-Aristocracy. It's clear that I'm going to need to go back and re-examine my application of this to my life. Thank you, Ms. Sand for prompting this!

Now, this blog is dedicated to my aesthetic, but also my method of coming to terms with this aesthetic. I would love to hear and discuss your methods for creating a coherent aesthetic, discovering what you like and why you like it and even if you think these questions are important.