Cluelessness.
From my perspective, cluelessness is the most typical feature of contemporary Czech society. How is this possible when my statement is in stark contrast to our traditional ability to improvise? After all, where a German can't, a Czech can. However, this positive characteristic is undermined by the very common unqualified estimation of one's own importance, which is manifested across all social and educational groups. Therefore, the level of cluelessness probably exceeds the ability to improvise. To this must be added the proverbial sense of humour that carries us through bad times and good, though it fares a little better in the bad times. When we're down, we help ourselves with laughs, dark humor, and wisecracks. And we need to add on top of that what is disappearing, and that is the ubiquitous musicianship that is now more of a tradition than a practice. The necessary, if circumstantial, evidence for these assertions is contained in many features of our times. Cluelessness is evident in crystalline form in filmmaking, in team sports, and on some levels of politics. In politics in particular, helplessness is also evident in the way citizens respond to the events and stories that accompany us on a daily basis. The now almost forgotten disproportionately long period of governing without trust is, notwithstanding similar historical experience, a sign of the current cluelessness. Just like some of the glued-together coalitions after the last local elections. At the same time, however, these facts are proof of the ability to improvise in conditions where it is not entirely clear what to do and no predefined instruments are available. There is certainly a sense of humour involved, whether wanted or unwanted. The musicianship is saved by President Zeman's performance of "Sentimental Journey" on the occasion of a foreign tour of non-European dictatorships. In this particular case, it is in direct relation to unintentional humor. That cluelessness is beginning to have an international dimension and may even be the distinguishing feature between civilization and the rest. While those of us who consider ourselves civilized do not dare to make some decisive decisions that demonstrate the ability to make decisions and bear the consequences of the decisions made, others can. I do not know to what extent the French are showing us the way right now, because there are always two sides to a civil revolt, the flip side and the cheek side. But it is undoubtedly about greater activism. We, however, are somehow lacking it because of cluelessness.
author of this image is Jiri Frank.
""