Found in his book Quest1. There’s a bit to unpack here. What initially grabbed my attention was the ”security vs. freedom” bit. It immediately brings to mind two other philosophical continuums:
- Dostoyevsky’s premise of “happiness vs. freedom” in Notes from the Underground (1864)
- the current geo‐political argument of security from terrorism, etc., at the cost of civil liberties, or “security vs. freedom”
These continuums are an engaging way to visualize where we stand on potentially revealing and/or polarizing moral stances. In many cases, it seems like a trap to find oneself on the end of either side, paving a Middle Path argument from the Buddhist tradition.
The second half of the quotation gets wobbly due to the narrow view of “…these trying times.” I feel like all times are essentially trying—are they not? And finally, money does provide a substantial degree of security (as does love). But, it is also true that love fails, as do banks.
While there are gaps in the mechanics of Mr. Dibbern’s passage, I do love his spirit of the quest and his courage in defying convention. I also appreciate that he was a man of action, not just words.
Dibbern, George, et al. Quest. 1st reprint edition, RockRead Press, 2022. ↩