Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
How the World Works
How the World Works.
Picture in your mind’s eye a pyramid with the Rulers of the world at the apex, underneath there are the servants and those deemed of some use to the rulers, then come three tiers of Classes, the Upper, Middle and Lower Classes, who enjoy varying degree of privilege but never enough to be totally secure or free from the rulers at the top. Finally there is a vast base of disenfranchised, marginalized and disadvantaged, which represent the true threat to the Rulers. Because like Chicken Coop psychology those that are picked on the most will at some stage target the Rooster and not those in immediate vicinity. And that is why the bottom tier is the one that is most targeted by the Rulers.
Now if this image is a true representative of the way of the world, what then is its key underlying principle? In essence it’s that Rulers have only one wish and purpose, and that is to protect and augment their power. There is no such thing as benevolent rule or striving to build a utopia of abundance where all benefit. In fact the best way that the rulers keep their rule is to put everybody else in a state of confusion fear and servitude, through any means deemed effective.
To get a true grasp of the situation it is perhaps best to break the world down into components. For me that means five basic categories, Economics, Politics, Psychology, Culture and Society. Each in turn is a battle ground where the Rulers exercise their power and keep things on track.
1. Economics through Control of Resources
2. Politics through Conflict and Co-operation
3. Psychology through Control of Truth
4. Culture through Control of Beliefs, Fears and Hopes and
5. Society through inclusion and exclusion.
Now mountains could be written about each of the above, and I turn it over to you to do your own investigations. A good place to start is by reading and listening to Noam Chomsky, who really tells it like it is. Another resource is Peter Joseph’s Zeitgeist Movement web site, although think deeply about its solutions. And finally one should also refer to the Classics, especially Sun Tzu “Art of War” and Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, which although dated is still very much a standard by which a lot of rulers operate under.
Anyway I won’t go on too much because my intention is to stimulate your own investigations. My reason for doing so was that at one point some weeks ago, my niece asked me the question, “How does the World Work?” And I’m afraid that despite being 50 and having spent a good part of my life studying and witnessing the events of the world unfold, I never really stopped to consider what was really going on.
I think in essence it is a game, a dangerous game, where there are two outcomes, one is total submission to the rule of a few, and the other is Freedom, True Freedom, not the BS being touted by the Rulers in the form of Democracy.
For those on the wrong end of the equation, I guess our only real hope is to be informed and to get organized. One person on their own will only ever be semi effective. And unless you can get to the real decision makers, then as they say in Star Trek, Protest is Futile.
Cheers P
Picture in your mind’s eye a pyramid with the Rulers of the world at the apex, underneath there are the servants and those deemed of some use to the rulers, then come three tiers of Classes, the Upper, Middle and Lower Classes, who enjoy varying degree of privilege but never enough to be totally secure or free from the rulers at the top. Finally there is a vast base of disenfranchised, marginalized and disadvantaged, which represent the true threat to the Rulers. Because like Chicken Coop psychology those that are picked on the most will at some stage target the Rooster and not those in immediate vicinity. And that is why the bottom tier is the one that is most targeted by the Rulers.
Now if this image is a true representative of the way of the world, what then is its key underlying principle? In essence it’s that Rulers have only one wish and purpose, and that is to protect and augment their power. There is no such thing as benevolent rule or striving to build a utopia of abundance where all benefit. In fact the best way that the rulers keep their rule is to put everybody else in a state of confusion fear and servitude, through any means deemed effective.
To get a true grasp of the situation it is perhaps best to break the world down into components. For me that means five basic categories, Economics, Politics, Psychology, Culture and Society. Each in turn is a battle ground where the Rulers exercise their power and keep things on track.
1. Economics through Control of Resources
2. Politics through Conflict and Co-operation
3. Psychology through Control of Truth
4. Culture through Control of Beliefs, Fears and Hopes and
5. Society through inclusion and exclusion.
Now mountains could be written about each of the above, and I turn it over to you to do your own investigations. A good place to start is by reading and listening to Noam Chomsky, who really tells it like it is. Another resource is Peter Joseph’s Zeitgeist Movement web site, although think deeply about its solutions. And finally one should also refer to the Classics, especially Sun Tzu “Art of War” and Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, which although dated is still very much a standard by which a lot of rulers operate under.
Anyway I won’t go on too much because my intention is to stimulate your own investigations. My reason for doing so was that at one point some weeks ago, my niece asked me the question, “How does the World Work?” And I’m afraid that despite being 50 and having spent a good part of my life studying and witnessing the events of the world unfold, I never really stopped to consider what was really going on.
I think in essence it is a game, a dangerous game, where there are two outcomes, one is total submission to the rule of a few, and the other is Freedom, True Freedom, not the BS being touted by the Rulers in the form of Democracy.
For those on the wrong end of the equation, I guess our only real hope is to be informed and to get organized. One person on their own will only ever be semi effective. And unless you can get to the real decision makers, then as they say in Star Trek, Protest is Futile.
Cheers P
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Home Truths
Home Truths
They say in the Good Book, that the Truth shall set you free. But one could also add, that first the Truth will piss you off. With that as my preamble, I want to relate a few home truths that I have discovered of late, which given the nature of Truth, one could agree with or reject, meaning that as far as I’m aware, there is no Absolute Truth only relative truisms.
So what do I have on my mind?
Three things.
1. Love is the answer.
2. God is “The” Mystery.
3. Life is Absurd.
I won’t add too much to these three, because I feel that they need to be digested, mulled over, brooded on, in short Contemplation and meditation. I hope that by you doing so will come to see the Truth of these three statements.
Anyway whatever the outcome I invite all to post a comment, because I could really do with some feedback at times. If not then take this as a cry in the wilderness, and maybe the onset of another dark night of the soul. Either way at least I’ve stated something which, given where I’m at, see as the most honest statements I can make, without being thrown into the Looney Bin.
Cheers and Peace Profound
Frata Pas
They say in the Good Book, that the Truth shall set you free. But one could also add, that first the Truth will piss you off. With that as my preamble, I want to relate a few home truths that I have discovered of late, which given the nature of Truth, one could agree with or reject, meaning that as far as I’m aware, there is no Absolute Truth only relative truisms.
So what do I have on my mind?
Three things.
1. Love is the answer.
2. God is “The” Mystery.
3. Life is Absurd.
I won’t add too much to these three, because I feel that they need to be digested, mulled over, brooded on, in short Contemplation and meditation. I hope that by you doing so will come to see the Truth of these three statements.
Anyway whatever the outcome I invite all to post a comment, because I could really do with some feedback at times. If not then take this as a cry in the wilderness, and maybe the onset of another dark night of the soul. Either way at least I’ve stated something which, given where I’m at, see as the most honest statements I can make, without being thrown into the Looney Bin.
Cheers and Peace Profound
Frata Pas
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Three Worlds.
The Three worlds.
It’s funny that when I look at my existence it’s always in relation to one of three worlds. There is the inner subjective world of I in relation to me, there is the outer subjective/objective world of me in relation to you and you in relation to me, and then there is the extended world of I in relation to the We and the We in relation to the I. In a sense it gets a little confusing at times, given my condition to readily separate these three worlds and put them into some perspective. I guess in the end I do feel a little bit nauseous and suffer from vertigo, especially when I try to wrap my head around all the issues that exist in each world, but then that seems to be part of my lot in life, and something I can’t avoid, if I want to be a part of the human race.
So how to maintain a sense of balance and avoid the nausea and vertigo. Maybe it comes by accepting what I can and can’t do. Like the serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. It’s no surprise that the AA took this prayer to their heart when they set about trying to overcome the pitfall of alcoholism. Also I guess that with age comes maturity and wisdom, and I can vouch that I do have some of the former, but modesty stops me in claiming any of the later. But I do pride myself in knowing the extent of my powers and abilities and some degree of discernment when it comes to displaying them.
With that in mind, I think I would like to comment on some of the events taking place in the world and maybe offer my insights. First things first I claim no deeper understanding to the events of the world then the next bloke, in fact I sometimes go out of my way to switch off when issues like the events in Europe, the Middle East or for that matter anywhere else in the world are presented before me. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s only that I find I am really impotent to act and any opinion or conclusion I may have seems either too confused or ill-informed to sustain any action that is permitted to me.
But I will say that I believe most of our problems boil down to a lack of a real understanding, and how best to act, given the situation. Sure we can strive to know, but how likely is that when you have so much bullshit mixed in with small snippets of truth, that somehow get buried. There are of course a few web sites that are worth looking at, three spring readily to mind, those being Fred Burk’s WantToKnow.info, The Huffington Post and Australia’s Crikey.com, but then I suspect that there are many more that I’m not aware of or have failed to find, and I guess it is important to share information with people you know and trust. But it does get harder and harder each day, given the volume and complexity, it is little wonder that we end up confused and demoralized.
Case in point. The events in Iran of late are really ringing alarm bells in my head, because I can see all manner of deadly scenarios being played out in the next few months and years. I do wonder if there is any real hope for peace in the region, or for the world as a whole. But that is just one of many, and the list if you care to look seems endless and almost insurmountable at times, leaving me with my ever present nausea and vertigo. So is there a way out of our continuing troubles and strife. To tell the truth I don’t believe there is, because all Life involves struggle and suffering. The moment you start to care, is the moment you start to experience worry and pain. But that is part of being Human, and it goes without saying that Life is but a vale of tears punctuated by moments of happiness.
Sometimes we have to be clear that for the majority of us, Life sucks and things are shitty, but that is nothing to what others more unfortunate than us experience on a day to day, moment to moment basis.
I’ve mentioned a couple of books on my last posting that I felt worth considering, one was by Ha-Joon Chang called “23 Things they don’t tell you about Capitalism”, and the other was by Eric Knight called “Re-Frame”, but I kind of left things blank as far as telling my imaginary readers of my blog, why I felt these two books were well worth reading. To be frank I think what attracts me is that they look at the World out there situation from a different angle, and that’s important when you want to make sense things. One other book I should mention while I’m in the mood is by US expat Susan George, entitled, “Whose Crisis, Whose Future?” But I have to make a confession at this stage and say, that when it comes to world events I’ve only really started taking it seriously this past couple of years. I think it’s because I’ve reached an age where I feel I won’t get the chance to see how things pan out, and I am worried for the life of those I leave behind will have.
The crazy thing is that all of this is tied up with the three worlds and how they operate. As I’ve mentioned the first world is really a subjective world, with only one occupant. The next world does encompass people who I directly interact with, and it’s this world that gives me my most pleasure and pain. But it’s the third world, or the world out there, which causes me the most concern; when really my involvement is pretty much limited to watching events unfold in the media or boning up on things via books or on line. Yet as hard as I try to divorce myself from the third world, it’s always there in the background baying for attention and asking me to engage.
In the past I did a bit of engaging, attending a few meetings of Greenpeace, and adding my voice to petitions and voting at the ballot box during elections. But somehow I lost faith in one man’s ability to make a difference, and kind of drifted into a forth hidden world of Mysticism and esotericism because I felt it was the one avenue left to me that could lead to peace profound and a means to assist those around me more effectively. But lately I’ve come to appreciate the truth that if you want to really make a difference the best way is to arm yourself with the truth, and venture forth into the world around you by taking some firm positive action.
Lately that has meant writing on my Blog and sending the occasional email to the White House and Prime minister’s office, with as yet little if any effect. I wonder if it’s all for show that people are given a means to voice their views which doesn’t mean anything, because no-one is really taking notice. But all I really know is that something is wrong with the world and yet I don’t know how to express it.
Maybe it’s the system, maybe it’s all the problems, ranging from poverty to injustice to global warming to population out of control, or maybe it’s inherent in Human nature. I just don’t know. Or perhaps like a lot of people I see what’s going on and I am left feeling that the Shit is going to hit the fan at some point, and there is nothing we can do about it. In a way it feels like there is an end game being played out.
I don’t know what you call it, perhaps if I put things into perspective and focus on the first two worlds I can sleep at night. And yet every time I turn on the TV or the Radio, it seems they are talking about some problem or some looming crisis and if we don’t act soon all hell is going to break loose. The only effective means to combat it is to turn off the TV and Radio and ban all interest in the world out there. But that is near impossible if you consider yourself part of the human race.
It’s funny but when my late father retired from work he spent all his free time in getting informed about the world out there, and in a way it led to his early demise. I say this because he was racked with worry and felt incompetent in the face of it. And like him, I guess I’m falling for the same trap.
So my advice to anyone who cares to read this posting, is to not be sucked in. Keep the world out there at arms-length. Know your facts but more importantly know your limitations, and live in the first two worlds, but if you feel some responsibility for the world out there, then limit your actions to what you can effectively do and can control, and not with what others do and what you can’t control. I think an important lesson is that you need to develop trust and faith. No one has access to perfect information, even if they do, it’s no guarantee that the best optimal outcome will eventuate. But with trust and faith, perhaps one can attempt to live a life, which doesn’t feel like you are under siege.
To tell the truth sometimes when I get to feeling this way I recite the Lord’s Prayer, and meditate on the line: Thy Kingdom Come, thy will be done. And the funny thing is that in most instances it does help. It’s kind of nice to believe that no matter what there is a God who is in charge and that it does care. We may not be able to fathom God’s will or its ways, but Trust and faith can and does sustain you. At least that is how I view things.
And maybe like Richard Bach who wrote in his book “Illusions”:
The Mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy.
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.
Cheers and Peace Profound
FRA Pasquale
It’s funny that when I look at my existence it’s always in relation to one of three worlds. There is the inner subjective world of I in relation to me, there is the outer subjective/objective world of me in relation to you and you in relation to me, and then there is the extended world of I in relation to the We and the We in relation to the I. In a sense it gets a little confusing at times, given my condition to readily separate these three worlds and put them into some perspective. I guess in the end I do feel a little bit nauseous and suffer from vertigo, especially when I try to wrap my head around all the issues that exist in each world, but then that seems to be part of my lot in life, and something I can’t avoid, if I want to be a part of the human race.
So how to maintain a sense of balance and avoid the nausea and vertigo. Maybe it comes by accepting what I can and can’t do. Like the serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. It’s no surprise that the AA took this prayer to their heart when they set about trying to overcome the pitfall of alcoholism. Also I guess that with age comes maturity and wisdom, and I can vouch that I do have some of the former, but modesty stops me in claiming any of the later. But I do pride myself in knowing the extent of my powers and abilities and some degree of discernment when it comes to displaying them.
With that in mind, I think I would like to comment on some of the events taking place in the world and maybe offer my insights. First things first I claim no deeper understanding to the events of the world then the next bloke, in fact I sometimes go out of my way to switch off when issues like the events in Europe, the Middle East or for that matter anywhere else in the world are presented before me. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s only that I find I am really impotent to act and any opinion or conclusion I may have seems either too confused or ill-informed to sustain any action that is permitted to me.
But I will say that I believe most of our problems boil down to a lack of a real understanding, and how best to act, given the situation. Sure we can strive to know, but how likely is that when you have so much bullshit mixed in with small snippets of truth, that somehow get buried. There are of course a few web sites that are worth looking at, three spring readily to mind, those being Fred Burk’s WantToKnow.info, The Huffington Post and Australia’s Crikey.com, but then I suspect that there are many more that I’m not aware of or have failed to find, and I guess it is important to share information with people you know and trust. But it does get harder and harder each day, given the volume and complexity, it is little wonder that we end up confused and demoralized.
Case in point. The events in Iran of late are really ringing alarm bells in my head, because I can see all manner of deadly scenarios being played out in the next few months and years. I do wonder if there is any real hope for peace in the region, or for the world as a whole. But that is just one of many, and the list if you care to look seems endless and almost insurmountable at times, leaving me with my ever present nausea and vertigo. So is there a way out of our continuing troubles and strife. To tell the truth I don’t believe there is, because all Life involves struggle and suffering. The moment you start to care, is the moment you start to experience worry and pain. But that is part of being Human, and it goes without saying that Life is but a vale of tears punctuated by moments of happiness.
Sometimes we have to be clear that for the majority of us, Life sucks and things are shitty, but that is nothing to what others more unfortunate than us experience on a day to day, moment to moment basis.
I’ve mentioned a couple of books on my last posting that I felt worth considering, one was by Ha-Joon Chang called “23 Things they don’t tell you about Capitalism”, and the other was by Eric Knight called “Re-Frame”, but I kind of left things blank as far as telling my imaginary readers of my blog, why I felt these two books were well worth reading. To be frank I think what attracts me is that they look at the World out there situation from a different angle, and that’s important when you want to make sense things. One other book I should mention while I’m in the mood is by US expat Susan George, entitled, “Whose Crisis, Whose Future?” But I have to make a confession at this stage and say, that when it comes to world events I’ve only really started taking it seriously this past couple of years. I think it’s because I’ve reached an age where I feel I won’t get the chance to see how things pan out, and I am worried for the life of those I leave behind will have.
The crazy thing is that all of this is tied up with the three worlds and how they operate. As I’ve mentioned the first world is really a subjective world, with only one occupant. The next world does encompass people who I directly interact with, and it’s this world that gives me my most pleasure and pain. But it’s the third world, or the world out there, which causes me the most concern; when really my involvement is pretty much limited to watching events unfold in the media or boning up on things via books or on line. Yet as hard as I try to divorce myself from the third world, it’s always there in the background baying for attention and asking me to engage.
In the past I did a bit of engaging, attending a few meetings of Greenpeace, and adding my voice to petitions and voting at the ballot box during elections. But somehow I lost faith in one man’s ability to make a difference, and kind of drifted into a forth hidden world of Mysticism and esotericism because I felt it was the one avenue left to me that could lead to peace profound and a means to assist those around me more effectively. But lately I’ve come to appreciate the truth that if you want to really make a difference the best way is to arm yourself with the truth, and venture forth into the world around you by taking some firm positive action.
Lately that has meant writing on my Blog and sending the occasional email to the White House and Prime minister’s office, with as yet little if any effect. I wonder if it’s all for show that people are given a means to voice their views which doesn’t mean anything, because no-one is really taking notice. But all I really know is that something is wrong with the world and yet I don’t know how to express it.
Maybe it’s the system, maybe it’s all the problems, ranging from poverty to injustice to global warming to population out of control, or maybe it’s inherent in Human nature. I just don’t know. Or perhaps like a lot of people I see what’s going on and I am left feeling that the Shit is going to hit the fan at some point, and there is nothing we can do about it. In a way it feels like there is an end game being played out.
I don’t know what you call it, perhaps if I put things into perspective and focus on the first two worlds I can sleep at night. And yet every time I turn on the TV or the Radio, it seems they are talking about some problem or some looming crisis and if we don’t act soon all hell is going to break loose. The only effective means to combat it is to turn off the TV and Radio and ban all interest in the world out there. But that is near impossible if you consider yourself part of the human race.
It’s funny but when my late father retired from work he spent all his free time in getting informed about the world out there, and in a way it led to his early demise. I say this because he was racked with worry and felt incompetent in the face of it. And like him, I guess I’m falling for the same trap.
So my advice to anyone who cares to read this posting, is to not be sucked in. Keep the world out there at arms-length. Know your facts but more importantly know your limitations, and live in the first two worlds, but if you feel some responsibility for the world out there, then limit your actions to what you can effectively do and can control, and not with what others do and what you can’t control. I think an important lesson is that you need to develop trust and faith. No one has access to perfect information, even if they do, it’s no guarantee that the best optimal outcome will eventuate. But with trust and faith, perhaps one can attempt to live a life, which doesn’t feel like you are under siege.
To tell the truth sometimes when I get to feeling this way I recite the Lord’s Prayer, and meditate on the line: Thy Kingdom Come, thy will be done. And the funny thing is that in most instances it does help. It’s kind of nice to believe that no matter what there is a God who is in charge and that it does care. We may not be able to fathom God’s will or its ways, but Trust and faith can and does sustain you. At least that is how I view things.
And maybe like Richard Bach who wrote in his book “Illusions”:
The Mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy.
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.
Cheers and Peace Profound
FRA Pasquale
Proof of God's Existence.
Proof of God’s existence
I wrote to “Ask a Philosopher.com” and posed the question, what would qualify as proof of God’s existence? Their response when I got it was somewhat critical that I would even contemplate such a question, but to me it seems pretty obvious, and I did pose the question in good faith, believing that if a Philosopher couldn’t answer it then there isn’t much hope for the rest of us plebs. But I have to admit that they did present something which I wasn’t aware of. In essence, if there is to be proof of God’s existence it would take the form of something which was to all accounts something we could all agree on. Saying this it boils down to God performing some act like curing the world of all its ills.
But there are so many it’s hard to know where to start. Sure if God does exist and chose to prove it, God could eliminate poverty, injustice, pollution and restore the world to a pristine state. But why stop there, what about giving each person what they most need, like direction or purpose or even the meaning of their existence. Why not also give people a shared vision, answers to all their questions, solutions to all their problems, a way forward, the cure to all disease and restore people to health and vitality. Come to think of it why not reinvent the entire world and eliminate all our cultural, political, gender and generational differences. Reconcile everything, let the truth be known and set us free.
Yeap, if God does exist then there are plenty of ways in which God could prove his, her or its existence. But then would a perfect world be so perfect if it were the price?
For what it’s worth, I stopped to ask myself a rather strange question at this point. If God were to prove God’s existence, then perhaps rather than perfect the world, wouldn’t it be better if God did so by allowing us to enter into communion with God. What I’m getting at is something my order puts front and center as part of the Mystical path, and that is develop a direct relationship with the master within. This master is not some slave master thingymagid but rather one of guide and confidant, a true master who can help and show you the way.
But to find the Master within is only the start, one needs also to enter into a relationship with the master within, and by the way, when I talk of “The Master Within”, I’m really talking about God. It’s not some second tier angel or sage or saint, but a direct link to the head honcho Top banana eye in the sky all mighty absolute supreme ultimate. After all why bother if you had to accept second best. At this stage I’m left with a kind of uneasy revelation. On the one hand I now know what would qualify as proof of God’s existence, but I worry that the price is too high, and rather prefer the Master within option.
Why I say this is because it may be the worse thing possible for our evolution, development and unfoldment, if we lived in a perfect world, because I fear that a Utopia could never be perfect in the long run. It could in a way spell the end of us as a force moving forward. Besides I do subscribe to the notion that Life means struggle with its accompanying pain and suffering, even evil by way of pointing out contrasts. So in essence I’m saying that Heaven or Paradise can never be achieved in this world, because this world is not meant to be that. Rather this world is like a testing ground a place where an experiment called Humanity can be conducted.
In the end I guess I need to be realistic about what I expect God can and will do, if ever God decides to Act. I can see the attraction in living in a perfect world, but I wonder about all the unexplored short comings it may entail. After all I can’t think of anything worse than having all your wants and desires met, without you having to work for them and learning and growing from the experience. In a way I’m flying the flag for the notion that the treasure is in the effort, not in the prize.
Anyway I doubt that a Top down solution is really the best way to approach this question of whether or not God exists. Perhaps in the corner of my soul and mind I believe that the best proof is a personal relationship with God, rather than an In your FACE act, like curing the common cold, which is what “Ask A Philosopher.Com” came up with. Mind you I don’t think they really got the point of my question, which really is a reaction to all the same old tired arguments why God does not exist. Just for once I would like someone to come up with what would qualify as proof. At least I’ve posed the question and maybe a few people will take notice.
But one person who I respect a lot, my shrink, told me once that for God to be God, then it wouldn’t be a problem for God to prove that God was God. I’m not sure I quite understood this enigmatic statement, but I could see that perhaps we would already know once we do encounter God. The only question then becomes when and if this encounter ever takes place. And perhaps that is the one desire that I really would love to make true. After all it gets rather depressing when I look at the world and see all the events taking place on the media, and leave feeling that somehow we are on our own, and the best we can come up with are this round of world leaders, who seem to be long on appearance but short on substance.
Anyway if we are on our own, then I guess we need to re-frame our problems and maybe take a different approach. I say this because I’ve recently read two books that have opened my eyes when it comes to the World out there. One is by Korean Economist Ha-Joon Chang, called “23 things they don’t tell you about Capitalism”. And the other a book by an Australian economics consultant, Eric Knight, entitled,” Re-Frame (how to solve the world’s trickiest problems)”.
Both in a way lead me to think that perhaps there is common ground between Top-Down, and Bottom-up, which I like to call, Middle-out. By this I mean it’s best to Think Globally and Act Locally, at far as making a difference is concerned. I won’t spoil the pleasure for you of reading these two books, by giving you a detailed rundown of their message, but I do want to quote something from Eric Knight’s book to end this posting:
“Our best decisions did not come from dictates delivered from the top down. They came from initiatives carried out from bottom up. There had long been a view that big, collective action problems were best solved from commanding heights. The average citizen was either too simple or too selfish to tackle the big issues. We need intelligent bureaucrats to solve our trickiest dilemmas from on high. But an alternative view said that this was to undervalue ordinary people. People were actually surprisingly good at organizing themselves. Most had good hearts and wanted a better future. The greatest challenges were not ones of intention, but ones of execution and information. In the fight for a better world, where did you start?
Localism argued that execution started with the close at hand. Big problems were best solved locally, not because magnificent, top-down leaders weren’t important, but because fellow citizens were most moved by what they saw in the person next to them. Society moved forward by the effort of little platoons. There was a method to how these platoons coordinated their activities. What gave localism its connecting thread was not government, bureaucrats, politicians, international agreements and directives. It was information – the internet, word of mouth, stories and rumor”.
I wrote to “Ask a Philosopher.com” and posed the question, what would qualify as proof of God’s existence? Their response when I got it was somewhat critical that I would even contemplate such a question, but to me it seems pretty obvious, and I did pose the question in good faith, believing that if a Philosopher couldn’t answer it then there isn’t much hope for the rest of us plebs. But I have to admit that they did present something which I wasn’t aware of. In essence, if there is to be proof of God’s existence it would take the form of something which was to all accounts something we could all agree on. Saying this it boils down to God performing some act like curing the world of all its ills.
But there are so many it’s hard to know where to start. Sure if God does exist and chose to prove it, God could eliminate poverty, injustice, pollution and restore the world to a pristine state. But why stop there, what about giving each person what they most need, like direction or purpose or even the meaning of their existence. Why not also give people a shared vision, answers to all their questions, solutions to all their problems, a way forward, the cure to all disease and restore people to health and vitality. Come to think of it why not reinvent the entire world and eliminate all our cultural, political, gender and generational differences. Reconcile everything, let the truth be known and set us free.
Yeap, if God does exist then there are plenty of ways in which God could prove his, her or its existence. But then would a perfect world be so perfect if it were the price?
For what it’s worth, I stopped to ask myself a rather strange question at this point. If God were to prove God’s existence, then perhaps rather than perfect the world, wouldn’t it be better if God did so by allowing us to enter into communion with God. What I’m getting at is something my order puts front and center as part of the Mystical path, and that is develop a direct relationship with the master within. This master is not some slave master thingymagid but rather one of guide and confidant, a true master who can help and show you the way.
But to find the Master within is only the start, one needs also to enter into a relationship with the master within, and by the way, when I talk of “The Master Within”, I’m really talking about God. It’s not some second tier angel or sage or saint, but a direct link to the head honcho Top banana eye in the sky all mighty absolute supreme ultimate. After all why bother if you had to accept second best. At this stage I’m left with a kind of uneasy revelation. On the one hand I now know what would qualify as proof of God’s existence, but I worry that the price is too high, and rather prefer the Master within option.
Why I say this is because it may be the worse thing possible for our evolution, development and unfoldment, if we lived in a perfect world, because I fear that a Utopia could never be perfect in the long run. It could in a way spell the end of us as a force moving forward. Besides I do subscribe to the notion that Life means struggle with its accompanying pain and suffering, even evil by way of pointing out contrasts. So in essence I’m saying that Heaven or Paradise can never be achieved in this world, because this world is not meant to be that. Rather this world is like a testing ground a place where an experiment called Humanity can be conducted.
In the end I guess I need to be realistic about what I expect God can and will do, if ever God decides to Act. I can see the attraction in living in a perfect world, but I wonder about all the unexplored short comings it may entail. After all I can’t think of anything worse than having all your wants and desires met, without you having to work for them and learning and growing from the experience. In a way I’m flying the flag for the notion that the treasure is in the effort, not in the prize.
Anyway I doubt that a Top down solution is really the best way to approach this question of whether or not God exists. Perhaps in the corner of my soul and mind I believe that the best proof is a personal relationship with God, rather than an In your FACE act, like curing the common cold, which is what “Ask A Philosopher.Com” came up with. Mind you I don’t think they really got the point of my question, which really is a reaction to all the same old tired arguments why God does not exist. Just for once I would like someone to come up with what would qualify as proof. At least I’ve posed the question and maybe a few people will take notice.
But one person who I respect a lot, my shrink, told me once that for God to be God, then it wouldn’t be a problem for God to prove that God was God. I’m not sure I quite understood this enigmatic statement, but I could see that perhaps we would already know once we do encounter God. The only question then becomes when and if this encounter ever takes place. And perhaps that is the one desire that I really would love to make true. After all it gets rather depressing when I look at the world and see all the events taking place on the media, and leave feeling that somehow we are on our own, and the best we can come up with are this round of world leaders, who seem to be long on appearance but short on substance.
Anyway if we are on our own, then I guess we need to re-frame our problems and maybe take a different approach. I say this because I’ve recently read two books that have opened my eyes when it comes to the World out there. One is by Korean Economist Ha-Joon Chang, called “23 things they don’t tell you about Capitalism”. And the other a book by an Australian economics consultant, Eric Knight, entitled,” Re-Frame (how to solve the world’s trickiest problems)”.
Both in a way lead me to think that perhaps there is common ground between Top-Down, and Bottom-up, which I like to call, Middle-out. By this I mean it’s best to Think Globally and Act Locally, at far as making a difference is concerned. I won’t spoil the pleasure for you of reading these two books, by giving you a detailed rundown of their message, but I do want to quote something from Eric Knight’s book to end this posting:
“Our best decisions did not come from dictates delivered from the top down. They came from initiatives carried out from bottom up. There had long been a view that big, collective action problems were best solved from commanding heights. The average citizen was either too simple or too selfish to tackle the big issues. We need intelligent bureaucrats to solve our trickiest dilemmas from on high. But an alternative view said that this was to undervalue ordinary people. People were actually surprisingly good at organizing themselves. Most had good hearts and wanted a better future. The greatest challenges were not ones of intention, but ones of execution and information. In the fight for a better world, where did you start?
Localism argued that execution started with the close at hand. Big problems were best solved locally, not because magnificent, top-down leaders weren’t important, but because fellow citizens were most moved by what they saw in the person next to them. Society moved forward by the effort of little platoons. There was a method to how these platoons coordinated their activities. What gave localism its connecting thread was not government, bureaucrats, politicians, international agreements and directives. It was information – the internet, word of mouth, stories and rumor”.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Will I or Wont I
Will I or wont I
What lies behind the will, in fact I have a hard time trying to understand it given my impulsive nature and the fact I do go overboard with purchases of books and music when the mood takes me, and yet I should know better given my precarious financial situation. That of course leads me to ask “Just how in control I really am?” I know from past experience that unless I watch myself I could end up with insurmountable debt and no way of paying it off.
Take today for instance I went to my favorite haunts and decided I’d treat myself to a few things. The burger and the coffee weren’t the issue, but when I got to the book store, before I could say “confabulation” I was in the hole by 200 dollars. It seems I can’t pass up a decent title or a book that takes my fancy because of subject matter. And to tell the truth I have enough books and music than I could possibly read and listen to without retiring and spending all my time at home.
I guess, like a lot of other people, I have my compulsions and ordinarily I do keep a tight rein on things, but occasionally I do go off the rails and need to hide the credit card at least until I’m back in Black as far as Credit and Debit are concerned. Anyway the act is not so much unusual as unexplained. I think a lot of it has to do with how we are raised and how we deal with our desires and aversions. Perhaps in the long run we simply fail to adhere to all the sensible advice that our parents tell us because we minimize the impact that any of our actions will have i.e. the consequences.
I’m reminded of a scene I saw on TV with the late great Michael Jackson who waltzed into a really expensive antique furniture shop and sets about buying everything he lays his eyes on. Now of course this is Michael Jackson who was rich beyond compare and I guess he at least could afford it, but then I only point out this scene as an example of impulsive buying gone mad looks like, and in no way do I ever see myself in a similar situation. However in my modest ways I have been known to blow a few hundred on Books and Music in one afternoon.
So let’s focus on what this entry is all about. The Will, and how it operates, with the added issue of how it can be usurped by some impulsiveness. According to one definition, the Will is a force to act or restrain from acting and usually falls under two categories. One is willful conscious acts, and the other is reactionary or impulsive and compulsive acts. What restrains an act is ones sense of self, in other words if one is self-conscious in all likely hood, one should be in control, and then it is more likely that one will act in accord with ones reasoned desires, but not always.
Will power can generally be associated with thoughts, emotions, impulsive control and performance control. The first two is something we are all familiar with in terms of repression, but the other two need some explanation.
To tell the truth I guess it is a combination of Nurture and Nature. There has to be a gene somewhere or another that is responsible for impulsiveness and perhaps it is also akin to other genes which refer to such behavior traits as alcoholism and gambling. I know in Australia we have the unenviable reputation of being the world’s largest per capita gamblers, and we are also in the top bracket of drinkers and substance abusers. And maybe our “she’ll be right mate” mentality has a lot to answer for, especially when we max out on the credit card and have to declare bankruptcy. But then I know Australia is not alone, and I do hear reports about the credit abuses that happen in other parts of the world and wonder what’s really going on?
Perhaps we just can’t help ourselves and have no self-control when it comes to living within our means. Ideally you would hope that perhaps all the good lessons and strict upbringing would have some impact, but it seems to be the case that if you give someone the means and are tempted then even the Lord’s Prayer won’t save you. And we might as well join the growing cue of users and abusers trying to find help.
But really what do you do? I guess one needs to avoid certain situations in order not to be tempted, but this is only effective part of the time. I think it’s better to embrace your impulsiveness at least as far as understanding it, and maybe seek help if available, that is why some of the 12 step programs are very effective. Obviously the first step is accepting that you do have a problem and the next step is in wanting to do something about it. Once these two barriers have been overcome, the rest should be straight forward. But then there are always relapses, and it’s important to bear in mind that you can learn from each attempt and that if you truly wish to change, you will. Like the little red train who thought he could, ended up knowing he could, it’s only a matter of time and effort.
Nothing in life comes easy for people burdened with excess baggage, but if there is a thing called will, then I guess anything is possible. I’ve recently read a couple of books on “Will Power” that point to several important components, when it comes to impulsiveness and performance. I’ll list these as follows:
Know your Limits (each person has a limited reserve of will power, and no matter what exertion you use, it always needs to be replenished, this means not taking on too many efforts to change at once. For instance, it’s never a good idea to give up smoking and go on a crash diet or exercise program all on the same day, also watch your energy levels).
Pick your battles (in other words prepare, plan and execute with the aide of being informed and with the support of others)
Write up “A to do list” along with “A Not to do list” Things to consider are time, opportunity, finances, your past history and what’s realistic.
Do the little things. Bear in mind that change is never easy, but once a program is undertaken break it down into steps and focus on simple small requirements before taking on the more challenging.
Watch out for Positive Procrastination. In other words don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. An effective way is to set aside some time and dedicate it to change. Remember that you are trying to use your will power to create good habits and these start with good intentions and discipline is the key. That is why motivation is so important.
At the end of the day, will power is only effective if you use it. And it’s no mystery that those who do, usually end up succeeding.
What lies behind the will, in fact I have a hard time trying to understand it given my impulsive nature and the fact I do go overboard with purchases of books and music when the mood takes me, and yet I should know better given my precarious financial situation. That of course leads me to ask “Just how in control I really am?” I know from past experience that unless I watch myself I could end up with insurmountable debt and no way of paying it off.
Take today for instance I went to my favorite haunts and decided I’d treat myself to a few things. The burger and the coffee weren’t the issue, but when I got to the book store, before I could say “confabulation” I was in the hole by 200 dollars. It seems I can’t pass up a decent title or a book that takes my fancy because of subject matter. And to tell the truth I have enough books and music than I could possibly read and listen to without retiring and spending all my time at home.
I guess, like a lot of other people, I have my compulsions and ordinarily I do keep a tight rein on things, but occasionally I do go off the rails and need to hide the credit card at least until I’m back in Black as far as Credit and Debit are concerned. Anyway the act is not so much unusual as unexplained. I think a lot of it has to do with how we are raised and how we deal with our desires and aversions. Perhaps in the long run we simply fail to adhere to all the sensible advice that our parents tell us because we minimize the impact that any of our actions will have i.e. the consequences.
I’m reminded of a scene I saw on TV with the late great Michael Jackson who waltzed into a really expensive antique furniture shop and sets about buying everything he lays his eyes on. Now of course this is Michael Jackson who was rich beyond compare and I guess he at least could afford it, but then I only point out this scene as an example of impulsive buying gone mad looks like, and in no way do I ever see myself in a similar situation. However in my modest ways I have been known to blow a few hundred on Books and Music in one afternoon.
So let’s focus on what this entry is all about. The Will, and how it operates, with the added issue of how it can be usurped by some impulsiveness. According to one definition, the Will is a force to act or restrain from acting and usually falls under two categories. One is willful conscious acts, and the other is reactionary or impulsive and compulsive acts. What restrains an act is ones sense of self, in other words if one is self-conscious in all likely hood, one should be in control, and then it is more likely that one will act in accord with ones reasoned desires, but not always.
Will power can generally be associated with thoughts, emotions, impulsive control and performance control. The first two is something we are all familiar with in terms of repression, but the other two need some explanation.
To tell the truth I guess it is a combination of Nurture and Nature. There has to be a gene somewhere or another that is responsible for impulsiveness and perhaps it is also akin to other genes which refer to such behavior traits as alcoholism and gambling. I know in Australia we have the unenviable reputation of being the world’s largest per capita gamblers, and we are also in the top bracket of drinkers and substance abusers. And maybe our “she’ll be right mate” mentality has a lot to answer for, especially when we max out on the credit card and have to declare bankruptcy. But then I know Australia is not alone, and I do hear reports about the credit abuses that happen in other parts of the world and wonder what’s really going on?
Perhaps we just can’t help ourselves and have no self-control when it comes to living within our means. Ideally you would hope that perhaps all the good lessons and strict upbringing would have some impact, but it seems to be the case that if you give someone the means and are tempted then even the Lord’s Prayer won’t save you. And we might as well join the growing cue of users and abusers trying to find help.
But really what do you do? I guess one needs to avoid certain situations in order not to be tempted, but this is only effective part of the time. I think it’s better to embrace your impulsiveness at least as far as understanding it, and maybe seek help if available, that is why some of the 12 step programs are very effective. Obviously the first step is accepting that you do have a problem and the next step is in wanting to do something about it. Once these two barriers have been overcome, the rest should be straight forward. But then there are always relapses, and it’s important to bear in mind that you can learn from each attempt and that if you truly wish to change, you will. Like the little red train who thought he could, ended up knowing he could, it’s only a matter of time and effort.
Nothing in life comes easy for people burdened with excess baggage, but if there is a thing called will, then I guess anything is possible. I’ve recently read a couple of books on “Will Power” that point to several important components, when it comes to impulsiveness and performance. I’ll list these as follows:
Know your Limits (each person has a limited reserve of will power, and no matter what exertion you use, it always needs to be replenished, this means not taking on too many efforts to change at once. For instance, it’s never a good idea to give up smoking and go on a crash diet or exercise program all on the same day, also watch your energy levels).
Pick your battles (in other words prepare, plan and execute with the aide of being informed and with the support of others)
Write up “A to do list” along with “A Not to do list” Things to consider are time, opportunity, finances, your past history and what’s realistic.
Do the little things. Bear in mind that change is never easy, but once a program is undertaken break it down into steps and focus on simple small requirements before taking on the more challenging.
Watch out for Positive Procrastination. In other words don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. An effective way is to set aside some time and dedicate it to change. Remember that you are trying to use your will power to create good habits and these start with good intentions and discipline is the key. That is why motivation is so important.
At the end of the day, will power is only effective if you use it. And it’s no mystery that those who do, usually end up succeeding.
The Blind Men and the Elephant
The Blind Men and the Elephant.
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined
Who went to see the Elephant?
Though All of them were blind,
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
The First approached the Elephant,
And happened to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side.
At once began to Bawl:
‘Bless me, it seems the Elephant
Is very like a wall.’
The Second, feeling at the Tusk,
Cried, ‘Ho! What have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ‘tis mighty clear
This wonder of an elephant
Is very like a spear.’
The Third approached the animal
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up he spake:
‘I see,’ quoth he, ‘the Elephant
Is very like a snake.’
The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
‘What most this wondrous beast is like;
Is mighty plain,’ quoth he;
“is clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear?
Said, ‘E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very much like a fan.’
The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope;
‘I see, ‘ quoth he, ‘the Elephant
Is very like a rope!’
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right
And all were plainly wrong.
Moral:
So oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other means
And prate about an Elephant
Not one has properly seen.
End.
This Rhyme was taken from the Book: Pop Goes the Weasel, by Albert Jack (Penguin Books 2010), and was first published in 1873 as part of a collection of Rhymes and poems by JOHN GODFREY SAXE.
Albert Jack goes on to say:
That the Moral is that nobody can claim to fully understand a subject until they have grasped the whole thing. Even then, it is never possible to know the full truth about something, simply because everyone, however knowledgeable or experienced, will view it in a different way. Hence, on the deeper level, the elephant can be seen as reality, and we are all blind men, each of us able to perceive only a tiny part of a much greater whole.
NufZ.
PasqualeDiRago
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined
Who went to see the Elephant?
Though All of them were blind,
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
The First approached the Elephant,
And happened to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side.
At once began to Bawl:
‘Bless me, it seems the Elephant
Is very like a wall.’
The Second, feeling at the Tusk,
Cried, ‘Ho! What have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ‘tis mighty clear
This wonder of an elephant
Is very like a spear.’
The Third approached the animal
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up he spake:
‘I see,’ quoth he, ‘the Elephant
Is very like a snake.’
The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
‘What most this wondrous beast is like;
Is mighty plain,’ quoth he;
“is clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear?
Said, ‘E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very much like a fan.’
The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope;
‘I see, ‘ quoth he, ‘the Elephant
Is very like a rope!’
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right
And all were plainly wrong.
Moral:
So oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other means
And prate about an Elephant
Not one has properly seen.
End.
This Rhyme was taken from the Book: Pop Goes the Weasel, by Albert Jack (Penguin Books 2010), and was first published in 1873 as part of a collection of Rhymes and poems by JOHN GODFREY SAXE.
Albert Jack goes on to say:
That the Moral is that nobody can claim to fully understand a subject until they have grasped the whole thing. Even then, it is never possible to know the full truth about something, simply because everyone, however knowledgeable or experienced, will view it in a different way. Hence, on the deeper level, the elephant can be seen as reality, and we are all blind men, each of us able to perceive only a tiny part of a much greater whole.
NufZ.
PasqualeDiRago
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