Some thoughts from reading this thread
When you smile at someone ...
From what I observe, actions seem to create an effect. You smile at
someone, they generally smile at you. Go to college, and more types of
jobs are open to you. Save an invest some money, then later there is
something in the bank. Science has mapped out millions of things,
some quite precisely. Do A, B occurs. Some maps are more precise, such
as physics and chemistry. Others are more general, because all the
factors can't be isolated -- like the economy. But still, cause and
effect is pretty clear there too. Raise the price of something and
people tend to buy less of it.
How far does cause and effect extend? Hard to say -- but it
seems to operate at the small level of quantum mechanics, and at the
large level of cosmology. Given that track record, cause and effect
being every where I look, its not a huge stretch to postulate that
things that happen to me, good and bad, result from past cause. On the
other had, maybe some crazy monkey god on some unknown planet pushed a
button and cause someone to get angry with me. That perhaps is more
comforting when something bad happens -- "poor me, I am a victim of
the irrational monkey god from the galaxy Spartagolopdia" More
plausible to me, is that I did something to provoke the person.
Which is more irrational -- accepting or denying cause an effect?
I find it more odd to dismiss cause and effect, than I do in
accepting it -- at least as a good working hypothesis. In that sense,
to me, the universe "makes sense". To say its "perfect" is to place a
human value judgement or layer of perception over it. To me, while
"perfect" might be a nice poetic way to describe it, more accurate to
me is simply that's the way it is. Its "perfect"in the sense that the
first law of thermodyndamics is "perfect" (nothing is ever lost or
gained. It just keeps getting transformed). But FLOT is not "perfect"
is just IS the way things are.
Even if universe is irrational and unfair ...
And could the working hypothesis be wrong? Of course, But even if I
did not cause something that is now effecting me, I am still not a
victim. i find there is usually a learning opportunity, or the
experience cultures something of value. Irrational experiences, unfair
experiences happen. They become more understandable, rational, if can
see that I caused them. But even if I didn't cause it, I find that
many seemingly "unpleasant" events can be a gift.
Even if, especially if, its "irrational" and "unfair". If
someone is irrationally inflammatory and mis-perceptive -- at first,
it can be a bit unsettling to be the target of their baseless tirades.
But I often find such to be a gift. Those experiences have cultured,
for me, some things of value. And at times in my life, I have suffered
substantial loss. "Suffered" is a traditional way to describe loss. I
have found that often loss can be liberating. And gain can be an
albatros around one's neck. So to equate, absolutely, suffering with
loss I find can be a large mistake.
Should I tell a homeless guy its his fault -- or simply try help him?
Extrapolating my own personal views of how the universe (possibly)
works, onto the situations of others, I find is not particularly
useful. While a homeless person may, or may not have, caused their
situation, and it may be a horrible situation, or a
character-building, even liberating experience, all of that is
immaterial. It does no good to tell them that, or to justify inaction.
When someone is in need, its an opportunity for us to help, to
empathize, to act compassionately. Someone being homeless is not
"perfect". It is what is. Its false, and irrational to deny it. or
ignore it. Our ability to help is also What Is. If anything is
perfect, it would be our ability to act with compassion to help them.
Sometimes we react to our reaction to what someone said, not to what
they actually said.
To speculate that the vastly observable pattern of cause and effect
may be far reaching, does not "justify the caste system", is not "an
excuse to not help others", is not "some ancient supersticious
belief", does not mean "astrology works", or any number of other odd
conclusions that "do not follow". Yet, such a simple observation about
cause and effect, it appears, can invoke such phantom connections in
our minds, at times. Its interesting to observe each other reacting to
our reactions, and not the singular point made -- in and of itself.
