Fight for what is honorable (#973)

It has been noteworthy that I have had a mindset within me that wants to express how we need to fight for what should be commonplace. Yet the commonplace common sense has been hijacked by those who would rather kick someone when they are down than to offer a hand to help raise them back up to their feet. There are those who have given up on a better society for the selfish dream of satisfying their own ego. A dog eat dog world only imagined in most of our nightmares. Unfortunately this survival of the fittest mentality has grown in prominence out of bigotry and hatred. How can this be in an enlightened society? It can't. Therefore our society is not as enlightened as we think it is. Sadly, we are seeing the results of this everyday as our society spirals down a long dark road of despair. There are many who would work to bring common sense back into our body politic yet they are being thwarted by those who don't and those who control them. This is a dark time for American internal history. No amount of looking on the bright side can diminish the reality of our situation. The cancer of the mind, the greed of ego, that has infiltrated and infected enough that it is now difficult to sustain modernity and progress with any sense of confidence. Our hope is that an awakening may come about to those who are currently unaware of the plight of half the citizens of our country and a real purging of ego idealism may happen. How many are still unaware of the horrible condition of tens of millions of people says a lot about how we get our information. Many fronts are established by the greedy ego crowd and many fronts must be exposed and diminished as a result. But it must be done and there is much work to do to accomplish that.

Our curious natures (#972)

Here is an indisputable fact. No free thinking human being has ever existed without curiosity. It is what allows us to learn. Curiosity is a marvel of a trait that is instinctive in our species. It has been with us since before recorded time. The genesis of curiosity most likely came from our survival instinct. Somehow in the time of human existence, a notion of the curiosity we have came into focus and has since been our dual number one attribute. Caring for each other is the other number one attribute. Curiosity or wonderment has been the catalyst for the enlightenment of our species since our inception. Without the ability to wonder about things we would still be stumbling around in dumb luck if we had been able to survive. There is a force within us that takes what the environment offers and gives us the rudimentary understanding to improve ourselves and others. The perfection of curiosity is that it allows us to continue to exist in an unforgiving universe. The point I am trying to make here is that curiosity has a place in all of our lives. We all need to learn and grow in knowledge and learn how to apply knowledge. Curiosity is not something that has a finite end. It is infinite in it's ability to create more questions from answers. It is my duty to inform those of you who think that curiosity is not good or is only applicable to those who are best at it, you are dead wrong. Every human moment in this existence must never stop being without curiosity. None of us have arrived anywhere perfect where curiosity is no longer needed. None of us! Our greatest hope for survival and perpetuation of our species is that magnificent ability to question the questionable. I know this about me, I will never stop learning and thinking about what I don't know. I know I will never know everything but to not try is in direct violation of my law of curiosity.

The important things in life (#971)

When the silliness or outright ignorance of things push me away from some people who have family connections or friendships that have been built upon for years, I do feel a sense of loss. We may be divided by religion, politics, personal relationships or economics, regardless the circumstances, a real separation occurs. I move on to new relationships that offer more stability in thought and action. However, there is something to be said for those who have been split away for various reasons to come and be accepted back. I like to think that no bridge can be permanently burned to the ground. If enough effort and willingness is there any bridge can be rebuilt. Such are the opportunities I look to find when they are being offered. When real life emergencies arise and I am asked to help in those situations, I put down my right of division and look to help in spite of my moral high ground. We are human and as such make mistakes that we all have to live with. I accept that and when true humility is offered in a way that has a real need I am all on board. The true measure of a man is how he can use his principles for living in a way that exemplifies the best of what that is humanity. My principles for living are not so unmovable that forgiveness and caring are impossible to be shown. I have always wished that the mistakes I have made in the past would have a path toward forgiveness and in such wishing and hoping I realize I must do the same for others. Whether or not I am given a second chance is not the point, the point is that I give the second chance to others when they ask and when they need it most in their lives. The important things in life are not me standing behind my principles at all costs, instead, it is how I am able to adjust my principles to allow for their correction of realized human error.

The source of my spirituality (#970)

Someone asked me yesterday what was my spirituality. I replied that I wasn't my spirituality and sort of left it at that. Since then I have been contemplating a more specific answer and have come to the conclusion that words are not enough to define my sense of understanding, but I will try. As a general scope of understanding, my spiritual direction is to seek that which I don't know, relentlessly and care for the things that I discover. In other words, my spirituality is curiosity and care. It seems that I have based my vision of what existence is about on the most important human traits I know. It may seem selfish or short-sighted of me to give humanity the importance of defining why existence exists, however, without humanity, existence wouldn't be questioned. I do understand my dilemma here but I will still consider my view from the highest of importance given to the human experience. Believe this though, only humility allows me to do so. There is a key to life and I think it is in the process of discovery and care, both equally and inseparably distinct. Our species has evolved to a place of rationalization based upon observation. We have at least five senses that demand information, as well as we nurture our offspring and those animals of lesser logical ability. I won't make the case here for why I raise wonder and care up to the highest traits of humanity but you may already see why I do. The "how" will come in later posts and I have already covered some of this in previous posts. Regardless, if a god existed for me the god would want me to use the abilities I have as a human and express them in the best way possible. This is the best I can do for now to describe what my spirituality is. I hope you understand a little bit more about what I think and how I feel about what I think.

All of us have something to say (#969)

We all have to do what is in our being. We must be accountable to life through our voices and actions. We all have a purpose and to find that purpose we must find what it is to be who we are. I am my honorable principles and think and act according to them. When thoughts of something besides my principles come into my head I let them go just as quickly. I have found that if I don't they can corrupt or deviate me from what I truly want to think and do. Over some little time I have lesser thoughts of selfishness and ego-based scenarios and more thoughts about how I can make a positive difference in our world. All of us need to find out who we are! Build your own set of principles to live by and see if they work for you. Everything is possible when it comes to being who you are. I don't listen to people at all who try to tell me how or what to live by, I make my own analysis about what and how. It is my life and I will damn well choose the way it should be. Individualism has a reality to it. We all need each other in some way or another because of how we have set up society. It is also good to be connected with each other so that we can discover the best about each other. But it does not mean we need to conform to the same thoughts or actions. We must keep our individualness separate from others so that we don't lose sight of our own personal being. Once we know who we are and how we will chose to react to things, then we can start to advocate for the principles we use to define who we are. Mine are compassion and curiosity, two of the greatest attributes of humanity. Everything is filtered through these two paradigms. I also advocate for survival but no need to explain since neither compassion nor curiosity would exist for me if I didn't continue to exist. We are all leaders of our best traits and we should never waste an opportunity to express those best traits in words and action when we define ourselves.

Jumping the gun (#968)

Jumping the gun-"The idiom jump the gun means a person may have acted too hastily or made a snap decision based on inadequate or partial information."-wiseGEEK. Do you think there is a lot of that going around? I sure do and that is why I bring it up. For the longest time I have held my thoughts and opinions to myself because I was unsure as to whether or not they were valid. I needed to do more research and listen to those wiser than myself in order to fact check my premises. I have done that for the most part and just recently, within the past few years have I gotten to the point where I can substantiate my thoughts and arguments with proof. It is an enlightening feeling to have come to a place in my life where my convictions now have the force of fact. Just because I have wanted a certain outcome did not give me the right to make it so by bending and twisting the facts. The outcome is now what the truth shows itself to be. No more opinion for fact, no more belief for fact, only fact for fact. There is another paradigm that works in conjunction with learning facts and that is how to logically sequence the facts into an argument or debate of policies and principles. There is a way forward for all of us through logic. Most of the educated in our society have known this and employ logic. The ones who do not take the time or are not afforded the opportunity to have an education, choose to go with superstition and incomplete common sense. A couple things here first, education is needed by every human, regardless of capitalistic restrictions, and secondly, no one should advocate for ideas and policies that they have not researched enough to know every argument against that which they are advocating. When I have known both sides of an argument and chosen to accept one side, it is because I found one side had greater merit than the other, not because I wanted one side to win at all costs.

We are too smart for the big lie (#967)

Many centuries ago philosophies were built upon the premise that society needed to be constructed in a way that placated the masses in order to maintain order. Books like "The Leviathan", "The Prince" and of course "The Republic". Each of these discourses on the nature of humans and the structure of society needed to control civilization in a way that maintained a hierarchy of power within those who were holding it while reinforcing the necessity of obedience by those who would challenge society. The rulers were confirmed, through a sense of divinity, and the ruled were left to accept this with humility. What all three of the mentioned treatises have in common is that their first premise is a lie. There is no hierarchy of divinity, privilege owed or deserve that can be logically argued. Wisdom does not come from birthright or coronation, it comes from looking at the world with objective motives and acting upon those enlightened insights. Accomplishments in other areas of endeavor make for success but not wisdom. Personally, I have found wise people in various odd places. They have no trumpet announcing their arrival. they just exist in their little worlds doing the best they can. All of us at times exhibit wisdom about our lives and about the lives within our world, we don't need to be led to wisdom, we need to find it for ourselves. Looking around us and seeing what is being done in the name of humanity is a start. We don't need a manifesto that regards some more than others. We don't need forceful proclamations that divide us instead of uniting us. We don't need to be frightened by those who would use myth or superstition as a strategy to control our thoughts and behaviors. We don't need to be lied to to know how to want a better world for ourselves and others around us.

If I am not struggling then I am not alive (#966)

So it goes for me. Nothing that even remotely resembles calm and peace is my friend. All around me there is one source of anxiety or fear or something else that has my mind and soul captivated in some respect. Just when I think something has a resolution some other chaotic situation arises that takes its place. Nothing is easy in my world and certainly my world is not too bad at all. I guess being tired is my most normal feeling. I dream of how life could be in a perfect world and even that does not free me from the struggle I always feel within me. As hopeful as I am I know that if that perfect world ever did exist it would not happen in my lifetime. Not only that but the struggle necessary to bring it around would be overwhelming. I am a human who tries to take advantage of my better instincts. My memories help to remind me of what to do and not to do. My reasoning in logic help guide those memories and my care for others helps to set the proper example for not only others but for me as well. Nothing comes easy for me. Everything I do must be weighed and measured against what is correct and honorable. Again, I am human and as such still trying to define, in thought and action, what I feel is my nature. I have stated many times and this blog is founded on my philosophy that we have three instincts, two, compassionate care and curious wonder, that should be our only acts of behavior and the third, survival, which is our force of will to survive. Given this paradigm I have announced for myself, there is nothing but struggle in my life to allow these instincts to have full reign when other people exert pressures that deny these instincts. I don't mind at all, however, I would hope that others would see the efficacy of allowing themselves to be ruled by their compassion and curiosity. it certainly would make my life so much more less the struggle it always is.

Expectations of perfection (#965)

Over time, I have come to know that what I want the world to be like is not going to happen, at least not while I am alive. I have great expectations for our civilizations to come together into a model of a happy humility. To this day I don't see why we can't but the cynicism from so many keeps us from getting close. While some have no interest outside their own others have such expectations that hinge upon whether something or someone can be perfect in theory and/or application. It is the tiny steps forward that will get us to a better society and we, none of us here now, will see the end result. We have to trust that the steps we can take forward will be built upon in generations to come. We must also safeguard our advances to allow for their security when others would destroy them out of some reasoning not grounded in logic. Why does this matter to me when I know that I will die well before anything resembling a perfect society comes to fruition? It is my connection with community and each of us individuals that propels me into the concept that what I do for us today will reflect on what happens to our future generations tomorrow. My children and your children are all of our children. If I believe this then for me not to make it my life's goal to improve the future then I am a filthy liar. I do not like being anything that is not me and inside me is the best of what a human can be and it is my pleasure to keep searching for ways to express those magnificent instincts. My present is our future. I put into it what I want for the rest of us and that is why I care. I have two definable instincts within me, compassion and curiosity. One helps me to seek out what I don't know and understand what I do, and the other reminds me of my emotions and how they effect me in the most beautiful ways. Not so bad a deal out of life the way I see it. I am still trying to make it better though.

Stay above the temptation (#964)

I know how hard it is to not be cynical when everyone else is but that is what must be done, at least for me. It is like I am my own parents, constantly keeping me on the right track. I guess my conscious is in full throttle and there is no going backwards. However, the temptation is always just around the corner and sometimes I know it would be so satisfying to embrace the illusion of the temptation and tell myself how good being really bad is. lol. But I do know better. The fleeting justification is hollow and leaves me afterward with a sense of defeat and dishonor. I refuse to be an accomplice in my own destruction. That is what will happen if I move from what I know to be right and good to that which just makes me "feel" right and good. I have had a past that has taught me about the illusion of temptation. Through trial and error somehow I have survived the consequences. I am not the bitter little person who has no compassion left in his soul. I am not the user and abuser of others who has guilt written over every thought and action. I am just another person who has principles to live by and no intent to harm anyone else at all. As others may come and go in the learning process of life, I can empathize to their struggles as they are hopefully learning the same conclusions from the same types of lessons that have given me my purpose in life. I am not trying to enhance or keep a continual focus on sensory pleasures as a rule, instead I am focusing on sharpening my mind to those things that are instinctually me, curiosity and care. I don't chase the thoughts and actions of cynics and selfish characters, instead I find myself firmly planted in the honorable principles I have found worthy of being.

Perseverance (#963)

If you want to make your point of view known you must keep on telling it over and over again until finally you are understood. It seems that some points of view are really difficult to get through to people, despite all evidence you supply toward the truth. It takes will power and conviction to help make sense of things that are out of sense for whatever reasons. What I have found is that if I choose any subject through reasonable logic and conclude that the subject is not being given it's full potential to inform or succeed, then I have a cause worth promoting for our betterment. It is really easy to do if I keep my honorable principles intact. I know I am a good person who wants to help others realize their goodness as well. To do that I must admit wrong and promote right. I make it sound simple but it is not so simple sometimes to know what is wrong and what is right. That is why I measure everything against equality, justice, freedom etc... I do not get to create my own limits for right or wrong. I only get to recognize when right or wrong are being advanced. My life's journey has always been about what I learn along the way so the longer I am alive, the logic is, the more I should be able to understand. It is a paradigm I believe all of us have for ourselves. Some of us choose to live within the nobility of high principled ideals and others choose to live within principles that are less noble and more subjective to personal beliefs attached to the unknown. In other words, some of us like virtue to a fault while others will find fault with virtue. It is sad that we as a species cannot just use our own two basic instincts of compassionate care and curious wonder to help us form our principles for living. Someday it may come into being but for now, unfortunately, we struggle to identify ourselves from each other instead of with each other.

Courage is a beautiful thing (#962)

When I was a young boy I was so in awe of people for speaking their minds about things that were not safe to say. I marveled at the confrontation some took to express an outrage at an injustice or to stop others from committing bad acts. For me, courage is the willingness to stand up to danger, in whatever form it takes, and speak or act truth to forces that represent that danger. Not all courageous stands have won and many have paid dearly for honorable ideals, yet today as I remember my memories of those times I still admire the strength and conviction some displayed. My life has been shaped by those types of actions that bring out the best of what it is to be human. Personally, I got away from being courageous throughout my life because I wanted to be selfish instead. I know all about being selfish and realize, never to late by the way, that being courageous is far more that which makes me human than any illusion of self-satisfaction. I am not the most courageous nor am I the most cowardly or ambivalent, yet I do feel the draw or kinship with the feeling of courage like I do with love. Both have a solid place in my life but the one that got away from me for so many years has finally come home to me. I am courageous today about what is important in life. I do stand up for those who have no voice. I also challenge those who do have a voice but use it for less than noble motives. I have the courage today to confront ignorance, not with a shrug or acquiescence but with logic and reasoning to rebut. I am the man I always wanted to be, however imperfect, still that man. Every new day brings about more determination and willingness on my part to confront even greater threats to our progress as a race, whatever that form may be however, I am ready and willing to stand with strength against it. We fight against ourselves and that is immature but that is the current state of our human existence.

Ego versus humility (#961)

This is my view of life, what your view is, is yours. Ego and humility are mutually exclusive. They both do not exist at the same time. One either is the dominant thought or the other is. That we can have either is the dynamic we must deal with as humans. Just because we can express either does not mean they are equally acceptable. I think about what ego brings to my thoughts and actions, a false sense of superiority over humans and the paradigm of wisdom. Ego fuels a non-existent illusion that somehow I am more than what I really am. It is uncanny how when my ego is fully engaged, it spreads to every aspect of my thinking and actions. I begin to think in terms of me being owed and having deserved great praise and treasure. My ego wants me to think I am a God, or at least close to being God-like, Demigod as a description. Some think that ego is necessary to accomplish great things, which for me confuses many into believing that ego is required to be successful. On the other hand there is humility, not weakness or cowardice, but reserve and thoughtfulness. Humility has a strength to it that cannot be duplicated by ego and it's false foundational vanity. With humility, I make a choice to be grateful for any thing that has a positive and helpful effect on anything else. Humility is the opposite of ego, in that anything good that comes from me is not my design but my willingness to be available for it to express itself through me. I am just a conduit for the Universe to use as it will, as with all of us within our lifetimes. I am very happy to know that the only specialness I feel is that I am just another human being trying to do things that are of benefit to others and myself at the same time. I am not here to enhance my senses to this world but to enjoy the senses that I have in a way that allows for everyone else to have the same opportunity.

Trust your instincts (#960)

No one has to tell you what is in your heart and mind. No one! It isn't necessary for guidance when the truth is so simple. I know the truth has ramifications we would rather not face but still, there is no denying it for long. The stubbornness we often reason to ourselves can only go on for so long. In short order we come back to the simple truth of things. It is how we survive. We trust our instincts about things. Do they seem right and good or is something off about whatever we are witnessing? The beauty of the human being is this uncanny ability we all have to distinguish what we would want to happen to us. If we know that, then it is easy to know how to treat others. I rarely cite biblical passages but this one passage is a foundational one for who we are and how we should live: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Very simple way to view life as to the situations and circumstances that confront us on an ongoing basis. I don't need anyone to interpret right or wrong for me because I have my own set of personal principles that I live by. I would hope that it is the same for everyone else as well, so you do not need me to tell you what is right and good either. We have to know ourselves and that is really easy also, we are who we think and act, based upon our own understanding of what is our best hope for our lives. We get to decide what our personal principles are and how we bring those to life within our own lives. If I want to be the greatest Carl I can be I must work toward not harming anyone and helping everyone. This I know about myself, life should be a fun experience for those of us born into this existence. Life should not be intentionally devised to hurt or cause pain to anyone. Keeping things simple is the smartest and most productive way to have a human experience that has a positive value.

The meek shall inherit the... (#959)

This biblical passage does not seem to work in our society. The only thing the meek shall inherit are the consequences of letting the forceful shape destiny. The meek are not destined to rule anything as long as they stay meek. Life is showing itself to be about those who have a vision, good or bad, and then them forcing it on us. Unfortunately it seems that the bad visions are having just as much success in becoming reality as the good visions. The good visions take into account the totality of us in ways that improve society whereas the bad visions only take into account those who most profit from them. The cynical advances backwards have been in the mainstream now for too long and must be pushed back into nothingness. It will take all of the rest of us to make that happen, yes even the meek. This is why I have been sounding the alarm about the differences between courage and the change it can bring and the cowardice of shrinking from what is right. The ideal of meekness has a place in a settled and peaceful society. We do not have that so meekness in most forms is premature. We must be instead girded up with the knowledge that fighting for equality, honor and truthfulness etc...is still an ongoing battle. There is no plateau for us to rest on, we have much work to do in order to establish a society worthy of the best natures of humanity. We need to heal ourselves from our worst natures by creating opportunities for our best natures to thrive. No one will do this for us. We are responsible for our thoughts and actions, so let's make them a set of superior principled examples so that instead of being meek we are being leaders in showing the rest of us and generations to come how to live life with a purpose toward making life better.

The fearmongers strategy (#958)

I will always come back to fear when I see wrong being advocated and defended. Fear is the feeling, not only the "freezing" sense associated with being a coward, but the mind numbing inability to destroy one's own prejudices and biases. No one on this planet, neither the most popular of religious leaders, philosophers, scientists nor politicians know anymore about the truthful purpose of life than the least human on this planet. We are all born, live and die with the knowledge that none of us will ever know why! Since that is the case, then each of our lives should be a life of discovery, not a life to be told what to think. I am beyond any and all conventional and dogmatic principles as a rule. I live my life with the insight that every thought and action is mine and I actually follow my own set of honorable principles, not anyone else's set of principles. Yet, all around me I see those who are too afraid to not only discover what the world is truly like, but are also afraid of finding out who they truly are. Fear has become a comfort we can hide within to deny the existence of true freedom and liberty. Fear keeps us from elevating our high principles to an everyday acceptable level. Fear also allows us to stay in ignorance with each other as a way to build security. The notion that if we all hide from the truth it won't be the truth anymore. Then there are those who promulgate fear as a strategy. Readily available to turn any objective question into a subjective answer. Fellow Americans, we are not the courageous examples of our forebearers, instead we are less than a shell of them who are easily swayed by the illusion of illogic wrapped in compliment. It is a telling time right now that we have so many followers and so few leaders. It should be the other way around where we are all leaders of noble principles and freedom. Yet instead, we let the fearmongers delude us and rob us of our dignity as individuals and the time we have in this existence. Shameful!

Devaluing human life (#957)

A simple rule of thumb that I use to know what to say or do, how are people made better by whatever is being proposed. Simple! Is life made better or not? Of course I am referring to our current political theater since I have no better way of describing it. Theater in that it is being pushed into a tragic play on humanity. Where humans have become the minor character in the play and the play itself has now become the attraction. Where the egos of the writers of the play have ascended to godhood and no amount of logic, analysis or reason can dissuade them from ending this play in a most tragic way. How is it possible that the human species is treated with such disdain by it's own fellow humans? Are we cannibals in another disguise? I am a part of the human race yet I have never been so embarrassed to be so. I have always felt that we as a species were the most gifted fore-sightful beings in existence, yet I am not correct. We have the capability to be so but not the will. Instead we would rather cower in our fears and accept the misguided leftovers from some who have attained a highly deluded conclusion of their own self worth. As they continue to push the concept of tragic theater on us in the form of society, we get further from stopping them and their callous rush to a reality that devalues human life. I am an optimist and a positive thinking human, but even I am subdued by the lack of will by others to be the same. It is a lessening of what it is to be human when we do not promote what is good and right for us. We all are culpable and in our hearts as we know this to be true. Now the ones who are orchestrating the play have shown little in the idea that they actually have a heart worth feeling any empathy and it must be true then that most who arise to power have no conscious about what and who they devalue. It is the most dangerous game being played out in real life right now and how this charade will end is yet to be determined.

Stating the obvious (#956)

The assumptions and expectations we carry around with us without ever testing them to see if they are correct or erroneous is a failing we keep to our own peril. Ignorance is not bliss, it is ignorance. Not knowing things we could know out of superstition or the real sense that we could be wrong is worse than the fears expressed here. The ostrich with it's head in the sand is a funny vision but how many of us are doing the exact same thing when we fail to challenge one possibility over another? Are we our own little gods? Do we have the right to dismiss some things and not others? It appears that this is similar to what we do. It must change! I know, I know, what I have or believe now works for me, why should I change things when I am in such a comfort zone and others do not challenge my understandings? The reason is to change is in your own individualness. Why would you ever "settle" for things in your life that are less than what you deserve? We all have the right to seek the truth and the non-truth however it may reveal itself. To not participate in knowledge and the discovery that comes with it is antithetical to the gift of reason and analysis we have as a species. We live one time here on this planet as who we are today. There is no mulligan in life, no do-over when it comes to changing our past once it has gotten behind us. Regrets and remorse over things we have done or things we didn't do are the reasons for us to challenge everything with objectivity. It is sad to see some who have given their gifts of what it is to be human in exchange for an existence that subtracts from the beauty of all life. We have one shot at this life of ours and to be the best at it requires us to challenge the obvious and state it when we find the truth. Even when we cannot find the truth we must proclaim that as well.

Optimism as a choice (#955)

My outlook on life is based on several personal and few not so personal factors. I have decent health, I have family and friends who I treasure and the world as a whole is working it's way toward something special. There are many things to be hopeful and optimistic about. Of course there are troubles and disappointments and real fears about the immediate and long-term future but all of that is manageable. There is no real threat in my mind to make me feel pessimistic about what could be a great future. Logic, with reason and analysis, have come to be the basis for most of our society's thinking about our future and that is well and good. Now I know there are forces that would discount logic, with it's attributes, in favor of less than progressive ideals but those forces have the weight of history and modernization to succumb and the prospects of that happening are dim. Again, this thinking of mine may be attributed to me being optimistic but regardless, I do believe the majority of us are on the same forward-looking plane. What has always been, in our past, the vision for our future has it's foundation in principles of betterment for our species. Never before has the successful goal of any society on Earth been to deny knowledge and science as a means to structure society. We have and always will be about who we were and who we will be. Our natures demand this from us. The very thought of anything less than a determined instinct to know all that is about us is unthinkable. It takes optimism to look at something new with a wonder about how it came to being. It takes optimism to learn about each other and understand our differences in ways that are similar to all of us. It takes optimism to forge our futures with strength and hope for a better world for our nest generations. We are the species that sees with our eyes, hearts and minds the possible where no possible existed before. It takes optimism as a choice to be who we really are and who are yet to be.

Religion as a strategy (#954)

No time for fluff pieces lately since there is so much disingenuous and cowardly verbal noise coming from elected officials in our society. What is it that can make otherwise decent human beings into callous condescending ingrates. Not a spiritualism that is personal, but a tie with organized religion and it's dogma. Yes, you read me right, organized religion. Belief systems are around because people have fear about what this life is all about. They think that if religion is true it will help keep them safe from what they don't know or don't want to know. A prejudice about how life should be is promoted in religious circles and these illusions of behavior are touted as the only acceptable means for humans to act. it is in this acceptable behavior, powers that be, may influence otherwise economically and politically knowledgeable people to throw away that common sense in order to instill some opinionated way of behavior. In short, using human behavior by others as an ideal of greater importance than one's own economic and political best interest. The wedge of deceit. Once the idea of religion, which is again a chosen belief system, not an absolute, is elevated to above all else it is easy to see how manipulators can use this to sway citizens from the logic of economics and politics to an illogical agreement associated with religious behavior. It is astounding to me that this little mind trick, and know for sure it is a trick, has been effective. This is why I think our society is in need of higher education. We are too easily swayed through fear to believe that some mysticism or magic is greater than human logic, with reason and analysis. My simple understanding today is that only nothing can be created from nothing. You have to have something to create something else. Nowhere in the Universe or any of this known existence has anything ever been created from nothing. This I would ask the religious manipulators to prove to me at anytime. It can't be proven therefore, logic and the best of our human instincts is our real hope for the future.

Principles before disgrace (#953)

Here is that fear thing again. In reading the history books about how Germany allowed itself to be taken over and ruled by a fascist, I often wondered why the people could not see what they were doing and stop it. I am being given a similar look now, although it has not gotten to the same point it is going in the same direction. We here in America are being incrementally herded toward a political process that instills prejudice and selfishness as it's foundation. We are given fewer choices to get ahead and are even being systematically programmed to fight over dwindling resources. There are powers out there that are pitting our worst natures against ourselves. In other words we are being manipulated while unknowingly consenting to it being done. Our principles of good and right living are being compromised because we feel that no one will protect us if we don't compromise our principles. This is how the German people must have felt in their time of cowardly behavior. When the history books are written about this time I know I want my destiny to reflect that selfishness and greed were my enemies not my consolation. My life matters to me and my principles are who I am, therefore my principles must never be compromised. I have a wish and a hope for a better world for all of us and if that is not being allowed to happen then I will fight against that reality. Death comes to us all and I will not be one of those who lives to an old age with the regret and remorse of living as a coward. I will not sacrifice my principles to save my own ass. I don't know much about how this existence came about for me and what it is all about but what I do know is that I have evolved into me and me is what I will be until I have no more breath.

Inversely proportional (#952)

This blog has been founded on the ideal that we humans have three distinct inherent traits, curiosity, compassion and a survival instinct. When curiosity is blunted and compassion is devalued, we are left with only our instinct to survive and any and all lesser human actions that appear when we are denied curiosity and compassion. Like the title of this particular posting highlights, inversely proportional. When something is not allowed to be displayed then something of an inverse proportion will fill the vacuum. Where the underpinnings of a society that has benevolence and nurturing as it's outcome has been stifled and discouraged a more chaotic society will emerge. Think of it this way, when the good has been replaced, the replacement is rarely neutral but instead almost always bad. To think otherwise is to defy the logic of reason. So clearly we must adhere to what we are best at so that we don't become what we are worst at. It is an over simplified statement but mostly true. We have got to strengthen the areas of our best natures so that we don't lose sight of the benefit we bring to the Universe. Yes, humankind is and can be a benefit to all of that which is about us. I have for the longest time felt that everything we do, thoughts and actions, are being recorded in a historical way for the Universe to examine. In many ways this ideal I have about the Universe being my sovereign is my way of defining what a God is to me. I have within me what is best about humanity and what is not. I have no illusions concerning the impact of my decisions and choices. I can choose to live through my naturalness of curiosity and compassion or I can allow the inverse of those fine traits morph into an equally unattractive proportional reflection.

Now is the time for substance not style (#951)

I am referring to politics here in case anyone was wondering. Our country is in an economic crisis mode of dire consequences and now is not the time to be drawing distinctions about who has a flashy smile or whose hair is more coiffed, you know the little things that make up our time when there is no present crisis. I could care less about how someone wears their shoes or for that matter the color of their skin or their gender. What is needed now is a serious discussion of the vision we share and the best policies for that realization. There has been some movement on that front but in a negative way. Some who have gained some ground in their philosophy that going backwards is the best way and undoing policies of progress is best for us all, have stirred enough controversy that nothing of a positive note has been able to be accomplished. This must stop now before any more damage can be done to our American society. The majority of Americans must be heard and our voices are clearly clamoring for progress to continue and the policies needed for that must be reinforced. This is the substance I am referencing. Do not be fooled, there are forces in power in our politics and wealthy forces promoting them to stall and even destroy existing structures we have historically built to allow for the American dream to be an equal opportunity ideal. Why is this being done? I think only fear can underscore whatever the answer is. Despite these powerful forces the majority of us Americans can display the will of our logic and override them. We must have policy discussions that clearly address our problems and they must be simple in their understanding. We have answers that have been shown to work in economics of our sort and just getting these to the forefront of us Americans minds has been the difficulty. Sunshine is the best disinfectant and getting to the truth will prove that.

The big picture (#950)

No matter what and how we surround ourselves with, the reality of what our world is does not change. Many of us have given into the illusion of denial. For example, if we don't think about or recognize what the truth is we can then justify our own version of reality as fact. This is done for many reasons, not least of which is to mask the fear we feel about what reality truthfully is. It is scary when looked at from a position of having no control over events or other people. Each of us must at some time in our lives just step up and display some courage, individually, about who we are. I am me and that is all I will ever be. I have no illusion that I will be less or more than that. Given that, I work my butt off trying to be the best me possible. That is the one true thing I do control, being what I reflect back out to others. Being the best me I can be also includes me recognizing and admitting what reality is. Now some say that reality is many different things to many different people, that is not what I am referencing. I am talking about seeing the world as it's animate and inanimate self. The dirt, sky, water, stars are all absolutes we all see. We all see many similar real things, these are of which I am referring. The state of our society can vary in perception but the truth of it's effectiveness is not. Which leads me back to how some of us choose not to be part of a grand solution in favor of ignoring reality through some selfish motive. I know how easy it is to protect oneself to the exclusion of others, I am human and have fallen for the illusion of me being special. Thankfully, I was reminded many times that when I do think that I am greater than others I am shown just how miserable I truly am. I have found my way to being just one of us and as such feel the need to keep the big picture in mind and put my energies into making a better world for all of us.

Virtue as a battle hymn (#949)

"One two three, what are we fighting for?"-Country Joe McDonald. There was no virtue here, just confusion and resignation. We can do better than this. We can choose our individual battles and base them on what is right and good about our humanity and our society. I have had in the past some doubt as to who I am and whether I was worthy of being heard. I don't anymore because I have realized that with a firm foundation of virtuous principles to think and act on in every moment of my life, I am somebody who matters. I can tell others of what I have found for myself and help them realize their worth as well. To have a foundation of worth as a starting point to being able to fight for the better and best of virtues is key. Our convictions should come from what is best about human nature. I try to define human nature in this blog as being caring and curiosity, with a desire to stay alive. If I am right, I have no doubt for myself, then expressing those traits in thought and action is the worth I have found. Never before have I felt the strength and courage to fight for what is virtuous than when I have been living a virtuous life. I am human and acknowledge that I will constantly fail in my desires to be virtuous at all times. No one can be in the moment and be right every second of their life. yet it is in the desiring of being able to do this that most of us live. I strive for the better and best and that makes me feel the worth I need to stand up to any philosophy of lesser traits. It is exhilarating to know that when the manipulators or con men/women are promoting their greed or power that I can recognize it and speak the truth about it. If we all felt our worth and stood up against that which is wrong and dehumanizing, we would all gain from our vigilance to maintain and grow our society in the best of ways.

Labor day (#948)

What does this day mean today? It has been taking a hit for millions of Americans for several decades now and if anything this day means that we need to focus on stopping the assault by the wealthy and powerful in degrading what it is to labor. We live on this planet in a system that makes it possible for us to get along with each other, otherwise our own security would be in constant threat. Therefore we "employ" an economic theory that allows us all to engage in "working" to fulfill our lives at a degree that we ourselves are motivated to attain. This has worked for us Americans for many decades. Until recently that is. There are forces in our country that now deem it their responsibility to define whether we can attain our dreams or not. They have decided that only a few selected members of American society have the liberty of all opportunities to success. Those forces, who currently have success, wish to keep many others from also enjoying success. Why is that? It is best described by it's appearance, an illogical philosophy of prejudice and inflated ego. There is also a devaluation of the human species to selected ones based upon economic criteria. Labor, as we know it, is now back to being only for those less than desirable humans of menial worth. The past progress of elevating work as a whole as being noble has, by these powerful forces, been relegated now to being of low esteem and worthy of condescension. The pride one held in holding a middle class job and raising a family to aspire toward the upper middle class has all but disappeared. Our wealthy and powerful have now mostly eliminated the middle working class as a policy to create a vast chasm of income inequality that has our American country near the charted bottom of all civilized nations. Labor has a duty to the American middle/working/poor class to fight and reverse this offensive assault on the dignity labor has historically brought to millions of aspiring citzens.

Fit the philosophy to the facts (#947)

You do not come up with a philosophy and then make the facts fit it somehow. The facts come first then the philosophy evolves from them. Whether you use logic or not, there has to be a starting point from which we can all begin from. That can only happen if we begin with the facts of whatever reality we are discussing. There are rules to language and to how to interpret language as being of a factual nature. Outside of my occasional gut feeling about truths based upon guesswork, I have only found logic to be a set form for distinguishing truth from falsehood. There are rules for how logic works but basically you have premises that build up to conclusions. For these to be factually true conclusions the premises must also be factually true. This is the art of argument. You start out with a premise that is a given or known fact and build on it to a point of conclusion. There is no other way to interact with so many other people in conversation without having logic as the foundation of the discourse. All too much in America today we have people who begin conversations with assumptions, opinions or beliefs that are not or cannot be proven to be factually true. This leaves having conversations with them in an illogic form. It is because they have put the philosophy before the facts. Why is it such a strong barrier to break or recognize by those who have done this yet who are also are unable to accept that they have? When, in the past, I have done so it is out of some loyalty to an idea or belief that no matter how conclusive the evidence was that I was wrong to start from where I did, I wouldn't admit it and further I would relentlessly try to prove I was right using any permutation of fact available. It was my ego telling me that I had to hold my ground, otherwise my world would make little sense. The world already makes little sense but then again my ego would not let me realize this. I have since reformed and put facts first then let philosophy build on the facts, not the other way around.

Treasure before people (#946)

And so it goes in this life. We must have money and lots of it if we are to be happy. It is curious that happiness can be derived from such a cutthroat enterprise as money accumulation. It is the illusive need to have everything to be had and the power that money can bring to attain it. "Money can't buy you love"-Beatles, but it sure can make you think it can. It is so enlightening that those who would want to strive so hard for money for the sake of the illusion of love and yet all they had to do in the first place is be compassionate and helpful and they would have received love in it's real form. Therefore, there is more to gaining money then just the illusion of love. There is power that comes with accumulating money. When someone can buy respect and followers they have again attained a false sense of value in the eyes of others because it is only based on wealth. Respect and honor are much easier to attain from others just by being honest and caring. I bring this up to highlight the motivation for wealth accumulation as being the same as just being honest and friendly. Treating others with respect and learning to love others so that love can be returned is a nobler way to live one's life. The money and power thing should not be the reason to receive that which we all yearn, acceptance and love. If one was to chase after treasure it should be for the reason of making life better where it is not. I know that greed and comfort are also motivators for wealth accumulation but greed and comfort are cold fellows when your life is purposeless, outside of just making money. I am sure many would argue with me about this but think about it for a moment. In the process of spending your life making money where is it that you live in your heart? Are you just a means to and end or do you have the human stories that go with it. Hollow wealth as opposed to a rich life filled with shared experiences with fellow human beings?

Don't fear your own mind (#945)

I am so scared that someone will hurt me or kill me because I would dare to think outside the ridiculous premises' offered as policy. I am afraid to go against what is being touted as popular belief. I don't want to be the squeaky wheel. It is better to be quiet about something I know is wrong so that I don't put myself or anyone else in jeopardy. Others know what is better for me than I do. I am not worthy of having a thought that is smart enough to be true. I am just a weakling and not strong enough to defend what I know is right. I don't like being bullied so I just go along because it is easier for me that way. No one intentionally would turn our world into a worse place. I trust those who are religious more than those who aren't. I am too weak to fight or stand up for justice and equality. A little bad now and then can't hurt too much. If someone is on television or radio they must be smarter than me. Fate has made me insignificant so it doesn't matter what I think or do. I only have a few things but I am afraid of losing them. I am not handsome or pretty so I am not worthy of anything special.
All of my life I have heard this type of noise coming from my own mind. It has been fed there by those who would like me to be quiet. Instead of encouraging me to expand my mind, they hammered at me to close my mind. I am easier to control if I remain in a predictable stage of unknowing. When we make it hard for our citizens to continue with education we are, as a strategy, trying hard to not let them learn to think for themselves, especially when it comes to thinking outside the box. The two equally greatest achievements of a human being is emotional caring and curious wonder. To not be expanding these two traits to their greatest potential is enough evidence to show that forces still exist that would want to control humanity for selfish purposes and not elevate humanity toward enlightened understanding.

How you feel about yourself is how you feel about others (#944)

Say what? No way! Everyone else is doing things wrong, whereas if everyone would quit hindering me I would show you how to do everything right. And so it goes in each of our minds. lol. Although I have let that go and I am just happy enough to keep myself alive and useful. I can say with unequivocal assurance that I feel good about who I am today. That wasn't always the case but it is now. Then by my logic I should feel good about everyone else. I do except for those who take away my good feeling for them by harming themselves and/or others. Then I feel pity. I still feel good about myself but not at all about the harming ones. How did I achieve this reclamation of myself and good feeling? I worked on staying in the present moment and made sure my thoughts and actions were accountable to high principled standards. But Carl, you might say, how did you do that? I slowed down my urges and impulses so that I could have some control over them. The first, and by far the greatest impulsive characteristic I was able to tame was my mouth. I would blurt out things that crossed my mind only for an instant and then had to live with the foolishness and harm I reflected back on myself. I hold my tongue today, even when I am trying to be funny. Most of the noise that used to come out of my mouth was not intentional harmful, however I was never able to judge it because I let it fly without weighing the cost. The greatest thing we can do for ourselves is to shut up and listen whenever possible. At least for me it works, since I know in my heart most of the time I have nothing wise or helpful to add that is not already known by those who talk with me. I actually wait for others to ask me my advice now or for them to open up a dialogue that includes my input as welcome. Just stopping to think before I talk has improved my outlook on my own life immeasurably. I feel good about myself in that I am just another human being giving respect to myself and others.