On Building a War Engine III

On Building a War Engine III

In the past several years I’ve heard people use the word “Gatekeeping” as a form of moral censure when it comes to communities of practice.

The underlying moral position is that there should be no barriers to knowledge and that egalitarianism is virtuous.

Here’s the deal, gatekeeping is not a bug in successful communities of practice, it’s a feature.

I dare anyone to come up with one example of one system of masterful achievement from a Top Tier Engineering Program, to a Medical School, to the Navy Seals that doesn’t involve some form of Gatekeeping.

You don’t want your special forces, people building your suspension bridges, or operating on your heart to be mediocre so you set high standards.

No system that involves mastery of a body of knowledge and skills with high standards doesn’t involve some form of gatekeeping.

So why should this be any different in the pursuit of the mysteries?

No traditional Shamanic Initiation was without danger and stages, no classical mystery school was without ordeal and levels.

Attainment is not, and never will be easy and egalitarian in nature.

The path up the Holy Mountain will always be narrow and difficult.