I attribute that to the inability of leaders to recognize the world as a completely new form, instead perceiving it and addressing it in antiquated political style. This ultimately leads to a perplexing situation over and over again, a repetitive state of quandary.
On Jan 15, 8:55 am, "willy minnen" <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
