An Economy of Truth
Practicing Non-Attachment to Words that Distract Us
Ta-Nehisi Coates (b. 1975) is an author and activist best known for his work denouncing racism and injustice. In his bestselling book, Between the World and Me, he describes himself as “godless.” So why am I quoting him in a newsletter about contemplative mysticism?
Because I believe that what he has to say about poetry is just as relevant to our exploration of mysticism.
Poetry aims for an economy of truth—loose and useless words must be discarded, and I found that these loose and useless words were not separate from loose and useless thoughts. — Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates is doing more than just critiquing bad writing here: he is reminding us that “loose and useless” writing is an outgrowth of sloppy thinking, and that both tend to be distractions not only from justice but from truth itself.
The corollary: poor writing and fuzzy thinking are obstacles to the mystical life.
It’s easy to assume that mystical spirituality, with its emphasis on silence and on non-attachment, is somehow opposed to all thoughts and language: good, bad or indifferent. But I think such an assumption is an example, ironically, of the kind of loose and useless thinking that Coates is warning us against.
Thought, at its best, serves as a kind of mental mirror of what is true and real. To be able to articulate that certain behaviors create suffering is an important tool in the quest to make this world a better place for everyone. But language is amoral, and we can just as easily use it to promote lies, which inevitably result in situations that are unfair, unjust, and lead to greater suffering rather than less.
Mysticism is built on two non-negotiable principles: “love God” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” Silence is the essential “language” for that first principle, but we need the language of words, thoughts, poetry and rhetoric in order to effectively fulfill the mandate to love neighbors (and self).
We need clear, honest, compassionate and just language to support our silence, and also our relationships with our selves, our neighbors, and our enemies. We cannot afford to indulge in language that confuses or obfuscates. May the discipline of contemplation inspire us to let such unhelpful language go — so that we may speak only words that serve life, and love, and justice and peace.