Right, Slip, here in Belgium as well as in the U.S.A., politics become more openly a comedy. The last joke here was a prime minister resigning for declaring himself incompetent. ----- Original Message ----- From: Slip Disc To: "Minds Eye" Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 2:48 PM Subject: [Mind's Eye] Re: Moronic Human Compassion
I think ethics in a huge way has given way to antics, especially in government. If you think about it, much of the past decade has been quite entertaining, at our expense of course. On Jan 15, 1:33 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Ethics is also held to be core in deconstruction. The idea here > (mounds of waffle later) is to do one's best with what is > undecidable. I worked in a university in which the boss promised > empowerment, only to deny she had ever used the word once she realised > most of us thought it was a very jaded buzz word, a managerialist > rhetoric serving only to suppress us with fine words, promises and the > confusion of "governmentality". Molly has an interesting tilt at the > motivation of the lobster version of Free Willy above and the creation > of conditions of possibility for decent, free action. I'm afraid I go > back to openness and accountability in these areas. the need not to be > suckered by rhetoric and promises and to account for selfishness in > our systems (public choice theories etc.) In Animal Farm, Snowball > made it through a hole in the hedge and we could do with him back. > > On 15 Jan, 03:36, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > "uh oh!"??? > > > It IS interesting that today was the first day in over a year that I > > listened to the recording of a retreat I participated in in 2004 while > > traveling on public transit. It was Alan Wallace. And, one of the > > central points he made was that at the heart of almost all Buddhism is > > ethics. ….I won’t do the analysis nor detail…but it is of note in my > > way of thinking. > > > On Jan 14, 4:15 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Well put and I guess that covers the many aspects of compassion. Orn? > > > uh oh! lol > > > > On Jan 14, 4:08 pm, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > A basic teaching in the Buddhist tradition (Orn knows a lot more about > > > > this than I) is that compassion is followed, appropriately, by right > > > > action. Sometimes - as Molly has pointed out - right action is no > > > > action, because no action is appropriate. Part of the suffering of > > > > life, which is not alleviated by compassion, is the realisation that > > > > one is frequently powerless in the face of suffering. Discernment is > > > > important in this context. As a wise man once commented to me; There > > > > are problems you cannot SOLVE, and there are problems YOU cannot > > > > solve. But the capacity for compassion is one of the things that makes > > > > us human. > > > > > Francis > > > > > On 14 Jan., 21:09, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I can see your point based upon webster and so I would sum it up as > > > > > the Awareness precedes the Emotion which precedes the Act, should one > > > > > decide to take action. However, if one can Have Compassion without > > > > > Showing Compassion (in action) then there really isn't much to say > > > > > about the persons compassion. Technically I guess there would be > > > > > circumstances where it is impossible to act as in Natural Disasters > > > > > afar (but I could send money). But what I'm trying to say is that if > > > > > a person were standing across from someone who was suffering, had the > > > > > ability to alleviate the suffering but chose not to alleviate the > > > > > suffering then having compassion seems a moot point. It seems to me > > > > > that when action is possible then the Emotion and the Act become one > > > > > in the same. I guess there is a difference between Having Compassion > > > > > and Showing Compassion. One person could say to the other "Don't you > > > > > have any Compassion?" the other replies "Yes of course"........"Then > > > > > why aren't you showing it?" What could the answer possibly be except > > > > > the "Other" does Not really have Compassion. > > > > > OK so I will concede to Fran on this one as Compassion being the > > > > > awareness of and feeling of another's suffering. (even if I don't do > > > > > anything and let the person drop dead). > > > > > > On Jan 14, 1:01 pm, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > The Merriam-Webster Unabridged definition of compassion is: > > > > > > > Main Entry: 1com·pas·sion Pronunciation Guide > > > > > > Pronunciation: kschwamprimarystresspashschwan, -aash-, -aish- > > > > > > Function: noun > > > > > > Inflected Form(s): -s > > > > > > Etymology: Middle English compassioun, from Middle French or Late > > > > > > Latin; Middle French compassion, from Late Latin compassion-, > > > > > > compassio, from compassus (past participle of compati to have > > > > > > compassion, from Latin com- + pati to bear, suffer) + -ion-, -io -ion > > > > > > -- more at PATIENT > > > > > > : deep feeling for and understanding of misery or suffering and the > > > > > > concomitant desire to promote its alleviation : spiritual > > > > > > consciousness of the personal tragedy of another or others and > > > > > > selfless tenderness directed toward it <to have compassion on a > > > > > > person> <with compassion (so different from pity) she shows the sordid > > > > > > impact of this convict settlement on the lives of the natives -- Sarah > > > > > > Campion> > > > > > > synonym see SYMPATHY > > > > > > > Looks like I have to go with Francis on this one, Slip. Compassion is > > > > > > the feeling or understanding. If we act on that, it is an act of > > > > > > compassion. Like an act of love, it is not the love itself, but an > > > > > > action based on the feeling of love. > > > > > > > As a sidebar, anyone can post crap to Wikipedia, and I don't really > > > > > > use that as a credible source, although I do check it from time to > > > > > > time just to get a lead on what might be a real credible source. > > > > > > > It seems to me that this woman's action was based more on her need to > > > > > > belong to a group whose cause is more compassionate treatment of > > > > > > animals and other creatures, than any real compassion or act of > > > > > > compassion for the creature itself. Getting publicity for the group > > > > > > by this kind of grandstanding is good for the group's promotion! > > > > > > Important, when your cause is positioned against something. > > > > > > > Whether or not we can actually alleviate another's suffering is > > > > > > different question. We can certainly establish the physical > > > > > > conditions to promote alleviation, but ultimately, it is up to each > > > > > > individual to access, accept, allow or assimilate the conditions. > > > > > > This is why our compassion stops at our desire, and often breaks our > > > > > > own heart when it is not enough. Conversely, we cannot empower > > > > > > another. We can create the conditions optimal for a person to empower > > > > > > themselves, but ultimately it is up to each of us alone to choose to > > > > > > utilize the conditions that will empower us. > > > > > > > On Jan 13, 6:54 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Compassion is a profound human emotion prompted by the pain of others. > > > > > > > More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an > > > > > > > "active desire to alleviate another's suffering."<< wikipedia first > > > > > > > sentence. > > > > > > > > It does go on to say>It is often, though not inevitably, the key > > > > > > > component in what manifests in the social context as altruism. > > > > > > > In "ethical" terms, the various expressions down the ages of the so- > > > > > > > called Golden Rule embody by implication the principle of compassion: > > > > > > > Do to others as you would have done to you. Ranked a great virtue in > > > > > > > numerous philosophies, compassion is considered in all the major > > > > > > > religious traditions as among the greatest of virtues. > > > > > > > > There are after that there are several Different Traditions > > > > > > > representing the Different "Religious and Spiritual Views of "What > > > > > > > Compassion IS to Them". > > > > > > > All this does not invalidate my post of what compassion is as said in > > > > > > > the first sentence "active desire to alleviate another's suffering. > > > > > > > Obviously there are many components and levels to compassion. "You > > > > > > > say compassion is deep awareness of the suffering of another". Well > > > > > > > that precedes all else, Of Course we have to have an awareness of > > > > > > > others suffering before we can experience the "Emotion of Compassion", > > > > > > > that goes without saying. It is all much the same except the words > > > > > > > are different, basic semantics. I think you are just overly nit > > > > > > > picking at the terminology. > > > > > > > Again I would say that compassion IS alleviating someones pain or > > > > > > > suffering (after the awareness of it), mental or physical, through > > > > > > > some action, interaction, or intervention. > > > > > > > Awareness precedes everything that we are to have a reaction to. > > > > > > > Without the awareness we can't react. > > > > > > > > On Jan 13, 2:03 pm, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > On 13 Jan., 20:49, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Compassion definitively infers the alleviation of > > > > > > > > > > pain or suffering, mental or physical, through some type of > > > > > > > > > interaction or intervention and I would think that compassion is a > > > > > > > > > valuable asset to all of humanity. > > > > > > > > > The problem is, Slip, that this is NOT what compassion is - compassion > > > > > > > > is deep awareness of the suffering of another, literally, "feeling > > > > > > > > with ..."http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/compassionTheproblemin > > > > > > > > George's case, it seems to me, is that the practical reaction to > > > > > > > > compassion about his situation was not particularly well thought > > > > > > > > through. A particularly useless "beau geste." > > > > > > > > > Francis- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
