Alan and Newt

I've been reading a biography of Alan Watts. His writings impressed me greatly years ago and I have used information from his book PSYCHOTHERAPY EAST / WEST many times in both lectures and writings. Now upon reading his bio I am impressed that there was such a discrepancy between his writings and his life. What brought this to mind was a recent article about Newt Gingrich. Newt has lived the life of a libertine jackass while maintaining his stand as a rock of the so-called moral majority. I do not know how people can reconcile the gulf between moral preaching and immoral living. Newt was unfaithful to his wives and his mistresses. What makes people think he will be faithful to America? The man is a ruthless opportunist. Watts also wrote glowingly about living a life of honor and humility but was serially unfaithful to his wives having a string of affairs. Jung wrote that fanaticism is always overcompensation for doubt. I find that comment enlightening. I wonder if Alan and Newt, both having been raised rather conservatively, live/lived in that state of discomfort brought about by acting upon the arrogance of appetite but feeling compelled to maintain a mask of respectability, not even able to be honest to self. The deeper the shame, the more elaborate the mask. When one knows himself to be an utter fraud it sometimes is essential to hide from one's own truth behind a mask of the opposite. It would be interesting, although probably terrifying, to see into the mind of Newt. I suspect that there are demons laughing down there. I will never know if either of these men was actually bothered by conscience or if they reveled in believing they fooled the world. It may even be both. I damn sure wouldn't want either to be in charge of anything upon which my security, safety or sanity depends. I don't envy politicians. It would be difficult to satisfy enough of the nuts at either end of the political spectrum to get elected and still maintain any sense of honor. We live in a strange country. When I look at the people in office I can hardly believe people actually voted these guys into office. What were we thinking? I recently met the RocketMan. It was a wonderful afternoon. Check his website at www.the-rocketman.com