You are certainly not alone Gabby, even among some (at least one) who
choose to recognize such a world. It is my opinion that our nature makes
up for the lack of knowledge in this area by our ability to become so
attached with personal affections, combined with the mind comes our
ability to transcend the immediate affiliations to reach greater
understandings of the world. I also think it is possible to integrate,
because it is latent, this behavior without knowledge of it and taking
it for granted without even considering it a moot point, we behave as
such because we don't need to think about it. Cultural conditioning
probably plays a large part as well, but I think it's pretty universal
for us.
That is not to say I am convinced with the ontological reductions of
oneness I've heard of, I think they are inspiring but something has the
scent of premature knowledge. For some reason, I would be more impressed
with a system that makes the distinction irrelevant. Who can we trust to
identify the assumptions inherent in a system, if not ourselves, then
none. All very personal opinion on a whim... (ducks for cover) Perhaps
it is the dyadic, or just words in general, it makes me wonder what
symbolic forms we might one day develop to express and explore
experience, thought, ideas. This conversation leads me right into the
domain of science fiction, imagine how we could use the brain and
technology. What would the mind be like if it had access to the best
expert systems and interconnections like the internet with other minds?
What levels of intimacy or appreciation would be available? Or just
something simple like having the capacity to operate on a thousand
thoughts in working memory, what interconnections would be apparent to
someone with that ability or more? Just wandering... the stone axe was a
damn good tool for a very long time.
On 11/8/2010 7:09 AM, gabbydott wrote:
Am I the only one in whose world the I and the YOU don't add up to a
collective ME or we?
Simple, yes. Simple for simplicity reasons, no. My best answer.
On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 3:43 AM, James Lynch<[email protected]> wrote:
'Why do we succumb to self seeking insanity? How do we resolve the
conflicting, amplified emotions within us to restore sanity?'
My best answers to how have come in seeking and stumbling on why. The
only things that come to mind are two imperatives:
-We must choose as though we were free to do so.
-We must interpret as though meaning can be derived from the
apparently senseless chaos.
And again 'why', because that's what we do, because we can.
'chop wood carry water'
On 11/3/10, Molly<[email protected]> wrote:
Last weekend, Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity drew millions of
participants in cities all over the world while Stewart himself, led
the effort in Washington DC with a few hundred thousand in attendance,
asking everyone to “take it down a notch for America.” He did so with
the hope for an end to the partisan bickering and oppositional
rhetoric that prevents collaboration necessary for the efficacy and
success of the nation.
Stewart’s colleague, Steven Colbert, provided the counterpoint with
his “Rally to Restore Fear,” providing the comic (if not juvenile)
relief. Stewart’s closing remarks were a plea for prevailing sanity:
“This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith or people of
activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or passionate
argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have
nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times,
not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies. .. If we
amplify everything we hear nothing. “
Fear is the core issue behind violence, jealousy, bigotry, anger,
depression, greed, hatred, lies, insecurity or obsessive worry, just
to name a few. When fear is managed it is a vital, effective life
saving response which is critical to self preservation. It is vitally
important to discern what appropriate and inappropriate fear is, as
well managed fear can and will protect us, and unmanaged fear can
destroy us.
What is our tendency to seek experience that amplifies our emotion,
especially fear? Why do we keep feeding this tendency while knowing
that it takes us beyond the parameters of sanity?
Sociologist Tim Hallett of Indiana University asks: “How does an
inkling of anger develop into a blind rage? How does a little
happiness evolve into bliss?...I argue that interaction serves both as
a stimulus to evoke emotional responses, and as a conduit for
emotional feedback and amplification. ” Emotional interactions left
unmanaged seek the further interaction needed for further arousal and
emotional amplification. What becomes unmanaged emotion blinds us
from possibility, and takes us beyond sane mental states. In the
words of Jon Stewart, “Sanity will always be and has always been in
the eye of the beholder. To see you here today and the kind of people
that you are has restored mine. Thank you."
Why do we succumb to self seeking insanity? How do we resolve the
conflicting, amplified emotions within us to restore sanity?
What do YOU think?
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