"It is as difficult to appropriate anothers thoughts as it is to invent your own."
-Emerson
There is no shame in referencing another who has made fine points.
Subscribing to a god requires motive. As does any action. The man in this video points out a few motives that people like to used as an explanation in defense of their un-defendable belief in a god.
The deist would not believe that a god would add value to their lives. This may be why many individuals who choose to believe in god are uncomfortable with the stance of a deist. It removes all arguments, flawed as they are, to believe. What motivates a deist; peer pressure, too proud to change, sentimentality, saving social face... its hard to say.
For this deist it is probably a little of all of those. Still the choice is made to believe. I will have to take time to contemplate my own motives and perhaps make an exhaustive list of all my personal non sequiturs so that they may be hewn down by infallible logic.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
No more originality
I feel like every topic I wish to expound has already been explained in depth with more eloquence and clarity than I am capable. So until I stumble on an idea to which I can add value, I will just highlight others ability to do so.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Honesty
Honesty
Impecably stated, simply put-- Devulgances, confessions, antics, and wispered secrets are what I have long believed to be me. The volnerability one exposes in this type of autobiographical nakedness is trusted to very few. Personal perception dictates the individual reality each of us subscribe to. Acknowledging that we each live in alternate precieved realities causes experiencing many perspectives to become priceless. Only through edifying disscussion can perspectives be shared, through biographical nakedness the perspective comes to life. The self proclaimed bare trueth can't be trusted, on account of people projecting and revieling only a trueth that creates the image of themselves they desire to be presieved by others. I have not projected my desiered image deliberatly in a few relationships. Very few.
Over the past year I have devulged all of my true-self to my closest companions. My personal shortcomings have recieved critasizm. Naturally. As well it seams my failures have been recieved with more dissapointment to others than to myself. Others develop expectations for the people within their perseption. I'll use religion as one example in a sea of ether self-prescribed or peer-prescribed expectations. As a religius individual expectations to always perform in the prescribed behavior of the religion is inevitable. The expectations gone unmet that peers have projected onto me have let the projecting peers down. The peers in my life who's expectations have not been met seam offended. Recognizing my perception of reality will never be perfect I understand I may not see this precieved disstain for my past for what the reality of the reaction is.
The reaction, the words, they poison me. Honesty was going to set me free and instead has bound me to acts I will never do again. Acts that in my mind are now not WHO I am but part of the path that got me WHERE I am. The words "who" and "where" are in no way synonamiss.
If my failure hurts you I will stop hurting you by removing myself from your circle of perception. If my failure provides justification and reassurance that your own shortcomings need not be considered or addressed causing you feelings of relief from a just guilt, I will stop inablaling you and remove myself from your circle of perception. When my attendance in your circle of perception causes hurt or allows for justification my attendance is creating a reality that is not conducive to self-realization.
I recognize a few of my faults and respectully understand there are many I have yet to realize. One I have realized is my inability to spell many symple words. The effort required to learn to spell them seams like a wast of time. Which exposes another shortcoming of mine: slothfulness. If you have snickered and recieved some feeling of satisfaction while finding my spelling errors in these few paragraphs then you are exactly who this letter is directed to. I wish to be encuraged with respect, not made a fool of or taunted for my imperfections. I'm quite accomplished at achieving both those things on my own, no assistance required.
Seeking companions who will encuraged one to do and be better is behavior that will lead to personal progress and success. Spending time with those who degrade and dissable ones character is self-destructive.
One may read this and begin to pick out the imperfections of my logic successfully convincing themselves that I have errored in my dessission. This type of justification via critasizm is the behavior I have been referring to and stands as further evadence in support of my choice to distance myself from your circle of perception.
Fair well dear friends
Impecably stated, simply put-- Devulgances, confessions, antics, and wispered secrets are what I have long believed to be me. The volnerability one exposes in this type of autobiographical nakedness is trusted to very few. Personal perception dictates the individual reality each of us subscribe to. Acknowledging that we each live in alternate precieved realities causes experiencing many perspectives to become priceless. Only through edifying disscussion can perspectives be shared, through biographical nakedness the perspective comes to life. The self proclaimed bare trueth can't be trusted, on account of people projecting and revieling only a trueth that creates the image of themselves they desire to be presieved by others. I have not projected my desiered image deliberatly in a few relationships. Very few.
Over the past year I have devulged all of my true-self to my closest companions. My personal shortcomings have recieved critasizm. Naturally. As well it seams my failures have been recieved with more dissapointment to others than to myself. Others develop expectations for the people within their perseption. I'll use religion as one example in a sea of ether self-prescribed or peer-prescribed expectations. As a religius individual expectations to always perform in the prescribed behavior of the religion is inevitable. The expectations gone unmet that peers have projected onto me have let the projecting peers down. The peers in my life who's expectations have not been met seam offended. Recognizing my perception of reality will never be perfect I understand I may not see this precieved disstain for my past for what the reality of the reaction is.
The reaction, the words, they poison me. Honesty was going to set me free and instead has bound me to acts I will never do again. Acts that in my mind are now not WHO I am but part of the path that got me WHERE I am. The words "who" and "where" are in no way synonamiss.
If my failure hurts you I will stop hurting you by removing myself from your circle of perception. If my failure provides justification and reassurance that your own shortcomings need not be considered or addressed causing you feelings of relief from a just guilt, I will stop inablaling you and remove myself from your circle of perception. When my attendance in your circle of perception causes hurt or allows for justification my attendance is creating a reality that is not conducive to self-realization.
I recognize a few of my faults and respectully understand there are many I have yet to realize. One I have realized is my inability to spell many symple words. The effort required to learn to spell them seams like a wast of time. Which exposes another shortcoming of mine: slothfulness. If you have snickered and recieved some feeling of satisfaction while finding my spelling errors in these few paragraphs then you are exactly who this letter is directed to. I wish to be encuraged with respect, not made a fool of or taunted for my imperfections. I'm quite accomplished at achieving both those things on my own, no assistance required.
Seeking companions who will encuraged one to do and be better is behavior that will lead to personal progress and success. Spending time with those who degrade and dissable ones character is self-destructive.
One may read this and begin to pick out the imperfections of my logic successfully convincing themselves that I have errored in my dessission. This type of justification via critasizm is the behavior I have been referring to and stands as further evadence in support of my choice to distance myself from your circle of perception.
Fair well dear friends
Monday, April 12, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
My painting and comment on Mikes post
Out Of The Ocean Into The Knowledge Of Good And Evil
54" by 40" Oil on canvas
I think Mike made some great points.
Miracles are nether faith building or believable (by definition they can't be posable). I would go as far as to say it makes the witness to the miracle look even less credible than if they had not rehearsed the story at all.
Any how, I choose to believe in God and I choose to believe in revelation. At the same time I recognize it is not real unless proven. So admittedly I believe in a story about one type of God among many stories of many types of gods, and my choice to believe it is not based in any type of scientific process or miraculous experience.
Monday, March 8, 2010
of miracles summary
okay, as a really late response to most of the religious posts, i have an interjection. i'm not going to pretend to be educated in philosophy and to have just stumbled across this in my elaborate quest for understanding. so, david hume wrote "an enquiry concerning human understanding" and within focuses on miracles.
many of his ideas have been kicking around in my head but not fully developed and as well structured as his but... we receive miracles from the testimony of other. as such, we should treat them as second hand and be critical of them. when we analyze things we use evidence to prove them. when we have evidence for two sides we use the dominating one. when miracles are inserted into this we find the two sides being the testimony of witnesses vs the laws of nature. both sides are founded in experience. for miracles to be the victor they must have the testimony more dominating then the contradiction of the laws of nature. he then gives four reasons for not believing.
1 there are not enough people of trust that support the testimony to prove it true. 2 man is infatuated with wonder and mystery and has the tendency to reject the consistent history for gratification. 3 those who believe and perpetuate miracle are of ignorant consciences. and my favorite 4 anyone of one faith rejects other faiths miracles because of their opposition in theology. therefore miracles disprove miracles.
keep in mind this is just a regurgitation so i might be missing pivotal premisses. in response to these i am of experience to agree with hume. while serving a 2 year mission in canada i developed some rough versions of these concepts. jackD has some very intriguing ideas on this concept as well. I ran into people almost every day that would tell me they were of a certain faith and that they had seen an angle or god had spoken to them. i have recently decided that i won't believe something until i can reproduce the experience myself. that's obviously flawed but i use variance depending on the circumstances. there is way too much to get into about this article but i do want to quote a section.
many of his ideas have been kicking around in my head but not fully developed and as well structured as his but... we receive miracles from the testimony of other. as such, we should treat them as second hand and be critical of them. when we analyze things we use evidence to prove them. when we have evidence for two sides we use the dominating one. when miracles are inserted into this we find the two sides being the testimony of witnesses vs the laws of nature. both sides are founded in experience. for miracles to be the victor they must have the testimony more dominating then the contradiction of the laws of nature. he then gives four reasons for not believing.
1 there are not enough people of trust that support the testimony to prove it true. 2 man is infatuated with wonder and mystery and has the tendency to reject the consistent history for gratification. 3 those who believe and perpetuate miracle are of ignorant consciences. and my favorite 4 anyone of one faith rejects other faiths miracles because of their opposition in theology. therefore miracles disprove miracles.
keep in mind this is just a regurgitation so i might be missing pivotal premisses. in response to these i am of experience to agree with hume. while serving a 2 year mission in canada i developed some rough versions of these concepts. jackD has some very intriguing ideas on this concept as well. I ran into people almost every day that would tell me they were of a certain faith and that they had seen an angle or god had spoken to them. i have recently decided that i won't believe something until i can reproduce the experience myself. that's obviously flawed but i use variance depending on the circumstances. there is way too much to get into about this article but i do want to quote a section.
"With what greediness are the miraculous accounts of travellers received, their descriptions of sea and land monsters, their relations of wonderful adventures, strange men, and uncouth manners? But if the spirit of religion join itself to the love of wonder, there is an end of common sense; and human testimony, in these circumstances, loses all pretensions to authority. A religionist may be an enthusiast, and imagine he sees what has no reality: he may know his narrative to be false, and yet persevere in it, with the best intentions in the world, for the sake of promoting so holy a cause: or even where this delusion has not place, vanity, excited by so strong a temptation, operates on him more powerfully than on the rest of mankind in any other circumstances; and self-interest with equal force. His auditors may not have, and commonly have not, sufficient judgement to canvass his evidence: what judgement they have, they renounce by principle, in these sublime and mysterious subjects: or if they were ever so willing to employ it, passion and a heated imagination disturb the regularity of its operations. Their credulity increases his impudence: and his impudence overpowers their credulity."
i often wonder as to what promotes religionist to believe and preach what they do. for my personal experience of full dedication to christianity for two years, after being on the fence my entire life previous, and not getting one portion of evidence following. don't misunderstand. i'm approaching the theology and general "truth" of any religion. as i read this the only thing that was going through my head is the leaders of the mormon church.
so i thought about the extraction, which is available online legally free here, and realized this can be a criticism of man made religion . religion is the belief in the unnatural. man tends to need to explain the unknown. man also tends to enjoy the gratification of embellishing ideas. as hume closes he mentions that he believes as man becomes more sophisticated we will move on beyond these primitive ideals and realize the logic and experience are the only trustworthy beliefs.
"Hume asserts that no testimony can ever count as a probability, let alone a proof, of the existence of miracles. All testimony in favor of miracles is based in experience, and this same experience opposes this testimony with contrary testimony and with the laws of nature. While God may be all-powerful and could contradict the laws of nature, we cannot ascribe any attributes or actions to him except for those that experience teaches us."-sparknotes (too much to care to summarize myself)
if nature hasn't done it, god hasn't willed it, and man never experienced it.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Runaway Ambitions
“Some things are better than others. We should have preferences that lead us into one future over another. But when those preferences drive us too hard or too fast because we have over estimated the difference between these futures we are at risk… When our ambition is unbounded it leads us to lie to cheat to steal to hurt others…” –Dan Gilbert
This is not encouraging us in any way to aim low in life. Rather it is teaching us to bridal our passions.
Consequentialism would have one believe that the ends always justify the means. In reality when one sees the gross acts of people involved in things like the holocaust or the extermination of the American Indian, realizing that the men orchestrating and executing these atrocities really did believe that the ends would be preferable, one can see those ends did not justify the means.
Adam Smith stated that ambition unchecked will lead to, “remorse for the horror of our own injustice,” in pursuit of the thing.
Acts like the aforementioned undoubtedly cause me to lean more toward a utilitarian way of thinking. When shooting for lofty goals one should not only ask if the ends be good for the individual but if the ends be good for the whole of the population. If the ends will decrease the suffering of the majority then the goal is a worthwhile pursuit.
A bridal puts pressure on the corners of a horses mouth causing the horse to obey the riders commands. Passions when left unchecked are the unbridled horse - powerful, driven, and dangerous to the rider and those close by. As I clearly stated in the paragraph above men with unchecked ambition have and will lie, cheat, steal, kill and commit genocide to achieve the object of their ambition. If the goal calls for the suffering of others to increase, the goal should be abandoned.
Suffering is caused by desire. [our economy is driven by desire]
If one can eliminate desire one can eliminate suffering.
- Buddhism
Bridal all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.
- Christianity
Both ideas support what has been stated. Wish I knew a better Christian reference to stand as strong as the Buddhist one… I am frustrated when Christianity falls short of my expectations. I am comforted only by the words, “If there is anything virtues, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy we seek after these things,” allowing for other good ideas to be adopted by the Christian who remains tolerant.
Once again this does not mean one should not set their aims high, if one feels it is ones moral obligation to use ones talents to do an ambitious work that will alleviate some of the worlds suffering.
And watch the video you lazy buggers!
This is not encouraging us in any way to aim low in life. Rather it is teaching us to bridal our passions.
Consequentialism would have one believe that the ends always justify the means. In reality when one sees the gross acts of people involved in things like the holocaust or the extermination of the American Indian, realizing that the men orchestrating and executing these atrocities really did believe that the ends would be preferable, one can see those ends did not justify the means.
Adam Smith stated that ambition unchecked will lead to, “remorse for the horror of our own injustice,” in pursuit of the thing.
Acts like the aforementioned undoubtedly cause me to lean more toward a utilitarian way of thinking. When shooting for lofty goals one should not only ask if the ends be good for the individual but if the ends be good for the whole of the population. If the ends will decrease the suffering of the majority then the goal is a worthwhile pursuit.
A bridal puts pressure on the corners of a horses mouth causing the horse to obey the riders commands. Passions when left unchecked are the unbridled horse - powerful, driven, and dangerous to the rider and those close by. As I clearly stated in the paragraph above men with unchecked ambition have and will lie, cheat, steal, kill and commit genocide to achieve the object of their ambition. If the goal calls for the suffering of others to increase, the goal should be abandoned.
Suffering is caused by desire. [our economy is driven by desire]
If one can eliminate desire one can eliminate suffering.
- Buddhism
Bridal all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.
- Christianity
Both ideas support what has been stated. Wish I knew a better Christian reference to stand as strong as the Buddhist one… I am frustrated when Christianity falls short of my expectations. I am comforted only by the words, “If there is anything virtues, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy we seek after these things,” allowing for other good ideas to be adopted by the Christian who remains tolerant.
Once again this does not mean one should not set their aims high, if one feels it is ones moral obligation to use ones talents to do an ambitious work that will alleviate some of the worlds suffering.
And watch the video you lazy buggers!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Watch the video Jon posted below before reading my post.
Watch the video Jon posted below before reading this post.
I wrote a paper in college 5 years ago and used some statistics on buyer’s remorse that support the same idea, less options and an inability to changes ones mind will lead to less regrets and therefore more happiness (To read a good paper not written by me on this see here).
Applied to romantic relationships this idea may contribute to the higher success rate associated with arranged marriages.
The point made about happiness being tied to “bounded ambitions” vs “unbounded ambitions” reminds me of the scripture, “Bridal all your passions, that ye may be filled with love… ( Alma 38:12 ).” It is a rewarding way to live ones life, it allows us to make room in our personal agendas for tolerance and mercy towards others.
Although I agree with the speaker I also feel there is more than just limited choice that contributes to overall happiness. I will list a few I have been thinking about:
Meaningful emotional relationships (love)
Physical attention from others
Attachment to a grand purpose (not always religious in nature)
There may be more…
I wrote a paper in college 5 years ago and used some statistics on buyer’s remorse that support the same idea, less options and an inability to changes ones mind will lead to less regrets and therefore more happiness (To read a good paper not written by me on this see here).
Applied to romantic relationships this idea may contribute to the higher success rate associated with arranged marriages.
The point made about happiness being tied to “bounded ambitions” vs “unbounded ambitions” reminds me of the scripture, “Bridal all your passions, that ye may be filled with love… ( Alma 38:12 ).” It is a rewarding way to live ones life, it allows us to make room in our personal agendas for tolerance and mercy towards others.
Although I agree with the speaker I also feel there is more than just limited choice that contributes to overall happiness. I will list a few I have been thinking about:
Meaningful emotional relationships (love)
Physical attention from others
Attachment to a grand purpose (not always religious in nature)
There may be more…
Friday, August 28, 2009
Happiness
This video is to be the jumping off point for future posts on a new subject, happiness. It's kinda long, and a few years old, but we both found it worthwhile.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Alone
Alone
Waiting for a ring
Waiting with my phone
I'm crippled with out my phone
Cut off
Alone
Stranded
But I wait with it in hand
A text
A call
Something will come
But it's not
She can't speak
She can't move
She was muttering jibberish
Studderings that did not fit context
She said yes then no
Then threw a punch
A loose fist
No strength
A thin arm
Too thin
Skin hanging as long sheets on a chair
She is bleeding
We can't help her
She can't tell us what's wrong
I have to leave her side
I have to go
I'm bound by obligations
Obligated to stuff
Silly stuff
Useless stuff
Stuff I felt I needed but knew I didn't
So I go
Before I walk away
I lean over her
I hope she can understand
I'm leaving
I've got to go back to Utah
Get out of the way
Move damn it
Talk sweety sweety to me shit
Her eyes closed
Still bleeding
Mom I've got to go back home
I'm leaving
Silence
I love you mom
I... love you
Barely a breath
Less than a wisper
But decernable
I kissed her
Kissed her sunken cheek
Her blue lips
Her closed eyes
She loves me
She loves me
She really does
I'm home
Reality
Friends rally around me
Support me
Destract me
It's hard but it's harder for dad
Don't want to be selfish
Don't want attention from family
Don't want to be weak in thier lives
I'll be strong in their lives
In my friends lives I am weak
I cry in the dark
In my room
They destract me
They are gone
Places to be things to do
They are all gone
I'm allone
I go see the girl
She sits
Poorly lit room
Watching comedy
To destract the girl no doubt
Excapism
I choose not to excape
I'll write it down
Re live it
Rub salt in it
Pick at it
But let the family think I'm ok
Be steady in their lives
Not upset
For the girl I am cold
It's too much
This too
Is it important
Isn't it
I want it
I miss the girl
I feel I need the girl
But is the girl there
Or is the girl one sided
Is the girl thinking of me
Is the girl thinking of mom
Does the girl try
The girl said she is trying
But still the girl pushes
Even now
The girl will not let go
Is the girl afraid to let me go
Is the girl sad
The girl sits
The TV is on
The girl is sitting
I come in and the girl sits
Watching comedy
Am I selfish
Is the girl selfish
We are all selfish
We can be selfless from time to time
I need a friend
I have none here
This place is home and I have no one
No one to love me
No friend
The girl will hold me
The girl does not want to be my friend
The girl does not like my friendship
The girl is leaving
I am leaving
I am leaving
I am leaving
I need to get back
Back to where I am loved
Where I am held as a friend
Safty and affection with no stipulation
No expectation
No game
No tugging
No prodding
No pressure
It is low
It is unimportant
One is a permanent loss
One is a temporary unpleasantness
Unpleasantness I can't cope with
Not now
It's not about the girl
Life is not about a girl
It's about her
She is everything
She is mine
She loves me
In her darkest days she loves me
Unaware she loves me
Confused and angry she loves me
No one will love me the same
No girl will meet her again
I have no room for girls
I have no life for girls
I am strong for family
Happy
Jovial even
But can't do it for friends
Don't want to
Don't need to
She loves me
My heart is full
She says it
She is leaving
Half gone already
Half way down the hall
The great hall
With tapisties and pillors
Windows and stones
Light and shadow
She is half way gone
Hardly recognized
Face has changed
Hands have changed
Voice has shanged
Laugh has changed
But she loves me
And I'm alone
Alone at home
I am alone waiting with my phone
They will call or text
And I will know
She will have left
Down the hall
Far far away
Hidden
Gone
Alone
Waiting for a ring
Waiting with my phone
I'm crippled with out my phone
Cut off
Alone
Stranded
But I wait with it in hand
A text
A call
Something will come
But it's not
She can't speak
She can't move
She was muttering jibberish
Studderings that did not fit context
She said yes then no
Then threw a punch
A loose fist
No strength
A thin arm
Too thin
Skin hanging as long sheets on a chair
She is bleeding
We can't help her
She can't tell us what's wrong
I have to leave her side
I have to go
I'm bound by obligations
Obligated to stuff
Silly stuff
Useless stuff
Stuff I felt I needed but knew I didn't
So I go
Before I walk away
I lean over her
I hope she can understand
I'm leaving
I've got to go back to Utah
Get out of the way
Move damn it
Talk sweety sweety to me shit
Her eyes closed
Still bleeding
Mom I've got to go back home
I'm leaving
Silence
I love you mom
I... love you
Barely a breath
Less than a wisper
But decernable
I kissed her
Kissed her sunken cheek
Her blue lips
Her closed eyes
She loves me
She loves me
She really does
I'm home
Reality
Friends rally around me
Support me
Destract me
It's hard but it's harder for dad
Don't want to be selfish
Don't want attention from family
Don't want to be weak in thier lives
I'll be strong in their lives
In my friends lives I am weak
I cry in the dark
In my room
They destract me
They are gone
Places to be things to do
They are all gone
I'm allone
I go see the girl
She sits
Poorly lit room
Watching comedy
To destract the girl no doubt
Excapism
I choose not to excape
I'll write it down
Re live it
Rub salt in it
Pick at it
But let the family think I'm ok
Be steady in their lives
Not upset
For the girl I am cold
It's too much
This too
Is it important
Isn't it
I want it
I miss the girl
I feel I need the girl
But is the girl there
Or is the girl one sided
Is the girl thinking of me
Is the girl thinking of mom
Does the girl try
The girl said she is trying
But still the girl pushes
Even now
The girl will not let go
Is the girl afraid to let me go
Is the girl sad
The girl sits
The TV is on
The girl is sitting
I come in and the girl sits
Watching comedy
Am I selfish
Is the girl selfish
We are all selfish
We can be selfless from time to time
I need a friend
I have none here
This place is home and I have no one
No one to love me
No friend
The girl will hold me
The girl does not want to be my friend
The girl does not like my friendship
The girl is leaving
I am leaving
I am leaving
I am leaving
I need to get back
Back to where I am loved
Where I am held as a friend
Safty and affection with no stipulation
No expectation
No game
No tugging
No prodding
No pressure
It is low
It is unimportant
One is a permanent loss
One is a temporary unpleasantness
Unpleasantness I can't cope with
Not now
It's not about the girl
Life is not about a girl
It's about her
She is everything
She is mine
She loves me
In her darkest days she loves me
Unaware she loves me
Confused and angry she loves me
No one will love me the same
No girl will meet her again
I have no room for girls
I have no life for girls
I am strong for family
Happy
Jovial even
But can't do it for friends
Don't want to
Don't need to
She loves me
My heart is full
She says it
She is leaving
Half gone already
Half way down the hall
The great hall
With tapisties and pillors
Windows and stones
Light and shadow
She is half way gone
Hardly recognized
Face has changed
Hands have changed
Voice has shanged
Laugh has changed
But she loves me
And I'm alone
Alone at home
I am alone waiting with my phone
They will call or text
And I will know
She will have left
Down the hall
Far far away
Hidden
Gone
Alone
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