Sunday 22 January 2012

Post No. 366 - More reading and speculations

I'll begin this with a few reading links:

And now from my local paper, beginning with one about the source of some of John F Kennedy's inspirational words:
I post usually at the time of the end of the Western year about some of the social problems associated with that time of the year, including kamikaze pedestrians. Seems from the following that I was, sadly, right:

And now some articles about the problems of fireworks. When I was a kid, someone at the school I went to, who I met after this happened and he confirmed the story to me, was injured when a (by the time I met him, former) friend of his, as a "joke", put a firecracker into a pocket of his - which already had firecrackers. On the recently past New Year, we have one person killed and at least two seriously injured, and I spent a good part of the night comforting our seriously upset dog. The ban on fireworks here is more than justified, and I hope they can be enforced somehow.
Another link about those problems:
Now, a few more quick speculations ... quicker for me than writing a formal post, but without the links and wordsmithing.

There are people who object to those who do service for others for the motivation of feeling better about themselves. Whilst there may be an element of hypocrisy in SOME of those people, the more one learns and evolves, the more one inevitably KNOWS that what one does to others is being done inextricably to oneself, and hence the impossibility of doing something truly selflessly. The objectors need to look at their bitterness more importantly than the hypocritical offerers of service need to look at themselves - at least the latter are attempting to DO something of value.

In general, if you can't pay for your lifestyle, you need to cut back your lifestyle - live within your means. So, if you can't do the mount of housework that is required without exceeding your available energy - an you don't have either health problems or small children, maybe you need to simplify your living arrangements.

I've started my Asuri studies, and some of what I argue for under the word "maturity" could also be covered by that tradition's use of the word "balance" - watch for a coming post on the topic of Positive Balanced Force!

I recently read an article about how to create a "karmic shield". How selfish and uncaring! Do these people not want to help the people they have harmed in the past, and learn what it is they themselves have done wrong and how not to repeat that error? And it is also stupid, as - if it works as inferred - it would also stop the return of good.

I have come across quite a bit of discussion about topics like non-duality, and how we are really all part of formless energy, etc. Yes, that's all true, but I am here for a purpose: to learn, and if I get that awareness too early, or focus on it at the expense of learning my lessons here (which means I must accept the "rules" of the "play (act)" that we call physical reality), then I have wasted coming here.

I read an article in an old National Geographic suggesting that the immaturity of the teenage forebrain is and evolutionary matter to enable more optimal learning. Crap - the stereotypical teenage attitudes ranking immediate reward above consideration of risk means they are less likely to survive, which can hardly be considered an evolutionary advantage (unless you are trying to weed out idiots?), and their attitude means they miss out on learning from others. Also, it is important that not all teenagers are like the stereotype! Some actually seek to learn from their betters - I used to pester the more experienced sailors when I was learning to sail (which is a bit like life generally, in that you never stop learning ... ) to see what I could learn from them. There is also the point that those around teenagers have rights as well ...

And finally, from http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/fuelling-rational-debate-20120118-1q6gz.html#ixzz1jrYvA7X4
"Former US senator Daniel Moynihan once said: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts." " Hmmm ... still thinking about that ... could be something in it, but ...

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")

Tags: environment, irresponsibility, John F Kennedy, myths, privacy, responsibility, shamanism, society,

First published: Sunnudagr, 22nd January, 2012

Last edited: Sunday, 22nd January, 2012