"... On Aug 13, 5:14 am, DarkwaterBlight <[email protected]> wrote: ..."
> I agree with the latter! The question is; Why do we not practice that > wich we know to be the highest of virtues? Is this virtue commonly ill > percieved? What is the cause of that fear which prevents us from being > the best of beings in the best possible world? It truly is an excellent question, especially since it's been well known since the time of Christ. Anyone who bothers to read what he taught knows that love was the underlying basis of his entire creed and belief. From love of one's fellow creatures springs generosity, kindness, empathy, sympathy and every other good character trait. Yet here it is 2,000 years later and it may just now be catching on. Or maybe not. I attribute this to the obvious fact that that portion of Christ's teachings is deliberately ignored by just about everyone because it means giving up a lot of narcissistic pleasures and self-indulgences. Perhaps we fear the loss of those base attractions. I doubt not developing the intellect has much to do with love and it's various offspring. I know quite a few very intelligent and self-aware people who are really nasty and mean-spirited. Even I admit to such behavior and I consider myself to be relatively well developed in a number of areas. I think it has more to do with a sense of oneself which can lend a core confidence that frees one from the need to be mean. Lack of openness is a very harmful fear. It forces one to always be behind a mask, of living a lie. And I somehow doubt that love can blossom when one's life is a lie, even partially. The negative aspects of the past three generations are not new. Human beings have been fearful throughout our existence, thus having been mean and hostile toward each other. Read Dickens. His portraits of 19th century Victorian England are classic works of the meanness of the human heart. Going back further one encounters an increasing brutality toward each other. In a way, we are gentler toward each other today than ever before in history (notwithstanding occasional isolated islands of love and peace.) Liberal, conservative, independent and all other such divisive ideologies have no edge on love and peace. In fact they work against it given the radical divisions we have around us today. I've never read Bloom's book but the title really says it all. The American mind has been closed for as long as we've been a nation. I think I see glimmers that it is finally beginning to open up. Actually I should better say that the human mind has been closed for as long as we've been a species. My same sentiment still holds. It seems we may finally beginning to open our minds. Just look here at ME.
