The mirror has such an ancient history replete with myths and superstitions so I think it must be a human need of some sort. However, we don't need a mirror to lie to ourselves- it is a moveable trait. Children are naturally honest so the ability to lie must be learned, I think. Plus, for some, it is a kind of protection as the truth can be too hard to bear. Often the lie appears first in a physical tic, I've noticed. Photographs often mimic the mirror.//Well, first we grow into our bodies and then there's time to grow into our souls.//Yes- I have often thought of the amazing cultures of Russia and Germany and been at a loss to explain the acceptance of Stalin and Hitler.
On Jun 26, 11:45 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > "... On Jun 26, 7:36 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: ..." > > > I believe we lie a lot about human behaviour and need to recognize the > > flaws we carry. > > Without a doubt. We lie to everyone everyday about so much of > ourselves it makes me wonder sometimes who among us really knows > anything about themselves. But the lies which are the most > destructive, the most debilitating, are the lies we tell ourselves. > The lies we can tell when seeing ourselves in the mirror. Not only > are they the worst sort of lie they are also told to the one person we > should never ever lie to. Ourselves. Nothing is accomplishing by > telling ourselves lies and a lot of good is destroyed. Yet > accompanying this harsh indictment there is some forgiveness due as > well because we are just starting to learn about ourselves and what we > are capable of from one end of the scale to the other. I believe it > was some ancient oracle who sagely advised that the person who set out > on the journey of self-knowledge should be prepared to do battle to > the death. It's not such an easy task and a whole subset of > philosophy could (and probably has) been built around self- > knowledge. > > > What I'm after is an understanding of how we end up under mad leaders like > > Mao, > > Hitler and Kim Jong IL, the extent to which this afflicts all > > leadership and how we might be able to structure freedom from whatever > > this is. > > I've no rational explanation for such aberrations other than random > quirks of genetics which removes from some individuals any semblance > of empathy for others and replaces it with madness. However, > regarding those who allow themselves and their society to be dominated > by such individuals, I would have to rely on Occam's timeworn razor > and say ... fear. It is the simplest answer that fits all the > circumstances and therefore most likely true. > > Fear also is the simplest answer to all the violence and corruption in > the world. It is not difficult to read thr history of humankind in > terms of fear and our reaction to it. So if this proposition holds > water, it would then follow that anything that relieves or removes > fear makes us the better for it. Having had fear as a constant > companion throughout most of my life, I'd have to agree. > > "... On 25 June, 07:24, ashok tewari <[email protected]> > wrote: ..." > > > > Great thought, Gruff ! The only hitch is this evidence that no amount of > > > formal education or prosperity, political and economic growth, law and > > > order > > > or judicial improvements, will lead to elimination of those bondages ... > > It's not so much a hitch as it is simply the way things are. All the > factors you mention are but our attempts to deal with the wrongs we > perceive in ourselves and in the societies we create. Sometimes we > stumble on such major truths and enshrine them in our most sacred > documents: "... in order to form a more perfect union ..." We are a > work in progress. > > > > because they are the negatives which human beings secrete from within > > > themselves, because that is the nature and limitations of the psychical > > > world we carry and inhabit within ourselves, because awakening into the > > > spiritual realm is essentially a non - material, supramental and quantum > > > process ... that needs love and desire for truth, for its own sake, for > > > fuel > > I decline to admit to such limitations. It seems the nature of our > species to continually reach beyond our abilities and this drive is > what has led to the world we currently have. It is entirely of our > own creation and we can not deny that fact nor the responsibility that > comes with such a creation.
