Why tension, difference, and change are part of harmony—not the opposite.
Author: Esther Sarlo, BA, Founder | Visionary ~ Mynd Myself
As I’ve been intentionally thinking about ‘harmony’ these past few weeks, I keep noticing the primary association we seem to have with harmony—music.
Harmony is the sounds that occur when multiple different notes are played at the same time. Or, as Oxford dictionary says,
“The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords
and chord progressions having a pleasing effect.”
Most often, I believe harmony is associated with something lovely. We link it to agreement, order, and resolution…not to the strident, dissonant, or discordant.
And yet, maybe this is where we need to look more closely.
As Marcus Aurelius observed,
“He who lives in harmony with himself
lives in harmony with the universe.”
We certainly seem to be experiencing much discord these days…and less harmony. I have some questions around that:
- Has any of this been orchestrated?
- If so, what are the roots of this dissonance?
- If not, how come there’s so much fragmentation occurring?
- And, why do we not seem to be able to resolve this and move more into harmony with each other?
A Bit of Historical Summary for Context
(If you don’t like history…feel free to skip this section!)
In the wake of rapid technological advancements, urbanization, and disillusionment following World War I, Modernism evolved in reaction. It became a far-reaching cultural movement that grew its roots from approximately the 1860s to the 1960s. There was an intentional rejection of traditional ‘realistic’ forms and conventions in favour of novelty, abstraction, and subjectivity. Modernism spurned customs and values that the Western Classical and Romantic traditions had elevated—movement toward resolution, order, and congruence.
Intersecting artistic realms expressed this pervasive unrest and discontent.
In music, Igor Stravinsky shocked audiences with the dissonant and rhythmic violence of The Rite of Spring. American composer and pianist, Philip Glass, became known for pioneering minimalist, repetitive structures, with an intense, hypnotic feel. Early Jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, used dissonance and unconventional chords and progressions with intention.
In theatre, playwrights like Harold Pinter redefined modern drama with works that featured relational tension, silence, ambiguity, and the absurd. Others, including Samuel Beckett and David Mamet, followed suit.
In art, a whole new variety of trends swept along the Modernism timeline and into today: Post-Impressionism (van Gogh, Cezanne, Gaugin,) Expressionism (Kandinsky, Klee,) Cubism (Picasso, Braque,) Futurism (Boccioni, Severini,) Dadaism (Duchamp, Picabia,) Surrealism (Dali, Magritte,) and Abstract Expressionism (Pollock, de Kooning.)
In literature, radical explorations of alienation, subjectivity, disillusionment, stream-of-consciousness, and fragmentation reevaluated language, values, societal norms, and faith. You’ll likely recognize some of these names as well. Writers like Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franz Kafka, and William Faulkner produced some key works of the time.
How About Now?
Why all that history you ask? It occurred to me that perhaps where we find ourselves today—in the morass of chaos and discord—we may need to consider where we’ve come from.
- Pre-modernism focused on tradition, faith, community, and the supernatural.
- Modernism focused on science, reason, individualism, and progress.
- Post-modernism focuses on subjectivity, pluralism, consumerism, and digital interconnection.
Have our reactions to “the old ways” pushed us too far?
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
~ Dalai Lama
What would happen if we actively sought out ways to live in harmony? Ways to ‘get along’ and find agreement—despite our differences?
The Harmony of Spring
One of the metaphors I am appreciating right now in terms of harmony is the season we are in—the ‘springing’ of Spring on BC’s West Coast. Little pops of colour are showing up everywhere: violet, periwinkle, sapphire, yellow, coral, fuchsia, rose, white, burgundy, and green.
It’s all a feast for the eyes. And somehow, it’s opening people up to a harmonious feeling of renewal.
As Mary Oliver reminds us,
“To pay attention, this is
our endless and proper work.”
When I pass fellow beings on my walks, almost everyone meets eyes and smiles. Dogs are positively ebullient with all the fecund and burgeoning scent opportunities.
Going to the Dogs
And speaking of dogs—could they be the perfect representation of harmony?
We recently had the privilege of dog-sitting a lovely little one named Bruce for a few days. What a treasure!! He’s got to be the most chill dog ever. And sensitive but determined. A personality any dog parent would appreciate! I learned so much about harmony in those short days with him:
- Every walk is a new experience, even if I’ve taken the same route before.
What will I encounter? Who will I meet? What choices will I make? What choices will have to be made collaboratively with my companion? Will I dig in my heels, resisting…or will I indicate my desire(s) and then compromise? - Being chill in the face of other stressed and ‘barking’ beings is paramount.
How they react and what they choose to do is really of no significance to my choices. - Always engage with other beings.
However, when sniffing someone else out, if they are less enthusiastic than me or choose to walk away…carry on.
Someone else’s opinion of me is none of my business. - Make my mark. It’s okay to let people know when I’ve been somewhere. 😉
Checking “pee-mail” is really important.
However, I need to check it, reply…and move on. - If something threatens my home, take immediate action.
Don’t wait. Protect those I love. - When I need something, ask for it.
Don’t ignore my needs. Pay attention to what my body is telling me. - Play…whenever possible.
Lighten up. Life’s too short to always be serious. - When there’s an opportunity to snuggle, do it.
There is absolutely no substitute for connection.
Closing Reflection
When I step back and take all of this in—the history, the questions, the season, the simple wisdom of a dog—it feels like harmony may not be what we’ve been taught to believe it is.
Perhaps harmony is not the absence of discord.
Perhaps it is not neat resolution, agreement, or sameness.
Perhaps harmony is simply something we participate in.
What if harmony is not about fixing everything—but about how we are in relationship with what is in front of us…with ourselves, with each other, and with the world as it is.
“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once,
but of stretching out to mend the part of the world
that is within our reach.”
~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés
And maybe it begins more simply than we think.
In how we walk.
In how we listen.
In how we respond.
In how we choose to meet one another.
Because even now—amidst complexity, volatility, and change—there are still notes available to us that, when chosen with care, create something that feels…right.
Something that feels like harmony.
Much love to you.
