One can be happy watching the pup play with a bone or sleeping on my bed flanked by two cats rigsy. It's very disappointing to discover most people don't care to try much to recognise reality. I have my distractions and most of what goes on in the world created by others can be ignored. The lack of fellowship on what might produce a material world of less 'urgency' is hard for me. An old crusty port helps tonight!
On Feb 19, 5:23 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm sorry you feel this way. Maybe it is just the moment/mood. You > certainly work hard looking for positive solutions for humanity so > your heart must be in the right place. Trust your heart. > > On Feb 18, 3:59 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > And the temptation is to give up to some form of bliss or other > > potential deception. Much of what is supposed to satisfy us as > > purpose in life turns out not very fulfilling - marriage, family and > > so on have limitations; we are alienated from work. > > > On Feb 18, 9:08 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > And in the sense above I'm always struck that any being involved in > > > the design of us in nature does not have to take on omniscience This > > > and the Dawkins' stop on why questions seem cop-outs to me. > > > > On Feb 18, 8:38 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I'm struck that nature can do all kinds of stuff we can't. We can > > > > trace our history in nature to a point when we don't exist other than > > > > (possibly) an unfolding design. We have little clue on purpose other > > > > than in weak forms operationally defined or told in stories involving > > > > omnipotent blue and white rabbits, mediated by talking snakes and > > > > salamanders hidden in hats. Gods figure large but we don't meet any > > > > in demonstration. What speculation on purpose is possible on this? > > > > One aspect that interests me is what reason would 'send us here' > > > > without purpose information and yet an apparent built-in quest for it. > > > > > On Feb 16, 6:43 pm, Allan H <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Rigsy all believes can actually be stretched to paganism... depends > > > > > on how > > > > > you examine them. > > > > > Allan > > > > > > On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 2:35 PM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Our ethical systems evolved from paganism. Maybe "evolved" is a > > > > > > stretch. > > > > > > > On Feb 15, 4:59 pm, Eman Abdulla <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Maybe not to some,but one could argue that finding God is the > > > > > > > ultimate > > > > > > > moral act because one gives recognition and gratitude to the One > > > > > > > who > > > > > > > provided life, opportunity to experience the world and really > > > > > > > everything else. I realize that people believe in God for so many > > > > > > > reasons, but ultimately one has to think it is the truth in order > > > > > > > to > > > > > > > embrace it. > > > > > > > > On 2/15/12, gwilliamsny11 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I appreciate Eman's perspective re the experience of God > > > > > > > > leading to > > > > > > wanting > > > > > > > > to make the world a better place. However > > > > > > > > > I am of the opinion that connection with "God" is not necessary > > > > > > > > to > > > > > > live an > > > > > > > > ethical life. For me whether there is a God in the sense of > > > > > > > > > a supreme Goodness, Truth, originator of divine wisdom, all > > > > > > > > powerful > > > > > > etc. > > > > > > > > isn't all that important. The fact that there is continuing > > > > > > > > > suffering, apparent injustices on a world wide scale, > > > > > > > > fundamental > > > > > > > > unfairness, random good and or bad luck - limited control over > > > > > > > > one's > > > > > > > > > destiny and a multitude of additional realistic limitations > > > > > > > > plus the > > > > > > fact > > > > > > > > of human creativity means to me that each of us has a core > > > > > > > > choice > > > > > > > > > to live an artistic ethical life in promoting that which is > > > > > > constructive, or > > > > > > > > cave into cynicism and a lazy what the hell attitude of > > > > > > > > everything is > > > > > > > > > equal so in the end nothing really matters very much. > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > > > From: Eman Abdulla <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > To: minds-eye <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > Sent: Wed, Feb 15, 2012 10:54 am > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Life's Purpose > > > > > > > > > There is room for variation and idiosyncrasies as to the > > > > > > > > meaning of > > > > > > > > life for each of us, each within his/her angle of the world and > > > > > > > > inner > > > > > > > > dynamics. I do believe, however, that a general view of the > > > > > > > > purpose of > > > > > > > > life can be twofold: one aesthetic, and one ethical. > > > > > > > > Thoughtfully > > > > > > > > savoring life with all it has to offer to the best of our > > > > > > > > abilities > > > > > > > > and marveling in the magnificence and uniqueness of our > > > > > > > > existence can > > > > > > > > be an end in itself. Ethically, we need to try to make the world > > > > > > > > better with than without us, each within their means. To > > > > > > > > connect both > > > > > > > > ethics and aesthetics, human beings are endowed with such > > > > > > > > incessant > > > > > > > > thirst for knowledge and pursuit of truths of their existence > > > > > > > > and the > > > > > > > > world they inhabit. I think that under that bridge between > > > > > > > > marveling > > > > > > > > in the wonders of life, and making a positive imprint on it, > > > > > > > > lie much > > > > > > > > of the sciences, arts , and even religions that human beings > > > > > > > > have > > > > > > > > created, developed and pursued since the dawns of their > > > > > > > > existence as a > > > > > > > > species. Being a Muslim, I will add that to me pesonally, > > > > > > > > finding God > > > > > > > > through His magnificent and complex creation is a purpose that > > > > > > > > I place > > > > > > > > within the first category , which had to do with experiencing > > > > > > > > life, > > > > > > > > but once God is found, it leads up to the second layer, which is > > > > > > > > trying to make the world a better place, or at least preserve > > > > > > > > what is > > > > > > > > good about it. > > > > > > > > > On 2/15/12, gwilliamsny11 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > >> After 75 years of experience on this earth plane here is my > > > > > > conclusion as > > > > > > > >> to > > > > > > > >> the meaning of -at least - my life: > > > > > > > > >> Living from day to day confronts us with a never ending array > > > > > > > >> of > > > > > > problems > > > > > > > >> ranging from practical issues such as > > > > > > > > >> what is on the top of my to do list - to philosophical such as > > > > > > > >> why am > > > > > > I > > > > > > > >> bothering to get up at all - to urgent: I have to do something > > > > > > > > >> about the pain in my tooth- > > > > > > > > >> Since I am preoccupied with one or more problems to be solved > > > > > > > >> and it > > > > > > gives > > > > > > > >> me satisfaction to master each and all of them --it follows > > > > > > > > >> that the good life must be concerned with becoming an expert > > > > > > > >> problem > > > > > > > >> solver. > > > > > > > > >> Adopting this ethic reinforces my interests in science > > > > > > > >> (particularly > > > > > > > >> scientific method); philosophical theory and discourse > > > > > > > >> (particularly > > > > > > > > >> Spinoza, the Pragmatists, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle); > > > > > > > >> continuing > > > > > > to > > > > > > > >> examine the implications of viewing the nature of meaningful > > > > > > > > >> coincidences from two alternative perspectives (Jung: mystical > > > > > > magical > > > > > > > >> transcendent collective unconscious and G Williams > > > > > > > > >> naturalistic, personal unconscious, by products of the > > > > > > > >> idiosyncratic > > > > > > > >> creative process); depth psychology notably Freudian > > > > > > > > >> classical psychoanalysis, British Object Relations theorists > > > > > > especially > > > > > > > >> Guntrip, Winnicott etc); continued learning about the nature of > > > > > > > > >> psychodynamics; continuing learning about the nature of the > > > > > > > >> self and > > > > > > how > > > > > > > >> it > > > > > > > >> develops (particularly Spitz, The First Year of Life) - > > > > > > > >> Freiberg: > > > > > > > > >> The Magic Years; and adopting the seminal incite that the key > > > > > > > >> to > > > > > > > >> emotional > > > > > > > >> success is adopting and practicing the discovery that the > > > > > > > > >> best attitude to coping with the daily experiences of anxiety, > > > > > > > >> depression, > > > > > > > >> frustration and stress (tension) is an attitude of bring them > > > > > > > >> on > > > > > > > > >> and I will tolerate them the best I can which is essentially > > > > > > > >> the > > > > > > > >> concluding > > > > > > > >> message of Molly Bloom in Joyce's must read classic: > > > > > > > > >> Ulysses - that after a life time of experience much of it > > > > > > > >> traumatic > > > > > > she > > > > > > > >> sums > > > > > > > >> up with yes, yes, yes, yes yes yes, again yes. Top that ethic > > > > > > > > >> if you can. > > > > > > > > >> Gibbs A. Williams gibbsonline. com > > > > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > > > > > > > >> From: pol.science kid <[email protected]> > > > > > > > >> To: minds-eye <[email protected]> > > > > > > > >> Sent: Tue, Feb 14, 2012 11:53 pm > > > > > > > >> Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Life's Purpose > > > > > > > > >> Do you mean ... to always do the right thing?.... > > > > > > > > >> On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 3:37 AM, gabbydott > > > > > > > >> <[email protected]> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > >> I understood that Erica meant it was our cognitive abilities > > > > > > > >> which had > > > > > > > >> made > > > > > > > >> us aware of better streamlining ourselves. > > > > > > > > >> I hope this opens up for a more mortal and less moral > > > > > > > >> interpretation, > > > > > > yes. > > > > > > > > >> On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 9:08 AM, pol.science kid < > > > > > > [email protected]> > > > > > > > >> wrote: > > > > > > > > >> yes... thats such an interesting thing... happiness is a > > > > > > > >> choice.... > > > > > > but > > > > > > > >> we > > > > > > > >> dont quite know about it do we.. nor do mot of us care.... > > > > > > > >> sometimes i hate happiness ... but thats really not possible > > > > > > > >> is it... > > > > > > it > > > > > > > >> only exposes the essentially morbid mind... > > > > > > > > >> On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 1:26 PM, Erica Moreau > > > > > > > >> <[email protected]> > > > > > > > >> wrote: > > > > > > > > >> I thought happiness was the purpose [not that people can > > > > > > > >> recognize > > > > > > > >> that happiness is not a feeling, but rather a choice...] > > > > > > > > >> On Feb 5, 10:55 am, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > >>> Life has no purpose except evolution ; a person > > ... > > read more »
