Curiosity leads to enlightenment (#1702)

There is no doubt in my mind that I have become knowledgeable about the Universe I live in based upon the foundation of my curiosity. I have an internal motor that is non-stop in it's motivation to know and understand those things I am capable of knowing. Our existence is a very complicated one and understanding everything is impossible given the short time our lives are physically capable of lasting. However, that does not factor in the equation of my curiosity. I am curious about life and since I am here in life I find that is a perfect fit for me. I don't know how our species came to be formed or where we are going, if anywhere, after we leave this existence but while I am here in this existence I can try to discover what is discoverable. I try to make the point as often as possible about how our physical entities are structured like sensory perception probes. We smell, hear, taste, see and touch in order to inform ourselves. As we sensory perceive, we then reason, analyze and conclude in order to make sense of our perceptions. This is all in line with being curious. It is our human nature to learn and understand, there is no other rational reason to conclude otherwise. So for me it is just an extension of the species I belong to and also an extension of my understanding of that. As to curiosity leading to enlightenment it is obvious that as we learn and understand more, we realize that we are bounded by limits. As a member of a species that has these sensory qualities and eventual concluding skills, I also understand that we are all the same in that respect and therefore I rationalize civilized behavior in order to continue my quest to be enlightened in order to continue to satisfy my need to know.

Resignation and acceptance (#1701)

I know this feeling I get when I see I can do nothing to change something that is not right. It is a hollow deflating experience when we all see that something is wrong but know that the effort to change it has been stolen from us because of the obstruction placed in our lives. We know we will pay dearly for trying with little hope of succeeding. Yet some of us do stick our necks out and take the hit anyway because in our hearts we cannot bear letting another injustice crush our soul without taking a stand. Every time I end up resigning and accepting policies or paradigms that need to change I am also enabling those same policies and paradigms to remain. So it goes, I pick my fights where I can and I spend the rest of my time plotting out how to be more effective the next time dishonor thrusts itself into my life. I titled this post resignation and acceptance because that is what most of us do when we see we will pay a cost we are unwilling to accept. Our principles be damned when we are forced to pay a price. Yet that isn't always the case but more so than not. Resignation and acceptance has been for many of us, our answer for most of our lives because we have beaten down from the beginning of our lives when we did initially step out into the line of fire. We all want a better world but others have always been there to make us pay for our wanting. The cycle must end some time soon since we are all getting smarter and wiser and the old dogmas of the past carry less and less weight with our ever growing idealism for enlightenment. 

Never stop fighting the good intellectual fight (#1700)

It seems that once one good outcome of advocacy is achieved another is waiting to be represented. The never ending illogical attacks on intellectualism is here to stay for now. That is why the battle to continue fighting is so important. If within our very fiber we know that what is right and good is under attack then it is our right and our duty to battle on it's behalf. Equality, justice and ethical process should be our rallying cry regardless of the policy we are defending. The simple equation here is easy, if anything works to deny rights to some or most that others continue to have then we must work to oppose that which does not come to the threshold of equality. Enlightened civilization is founded upon the idea that all among a group who are members of the civilized society have the same opportunities that anyone else would have. We don't have that here in America, in part, because of economic distinctions, so some effort to alleviate that obstruction to equality must be devised. Those who have economic success surely deserve the credit for their ability but even wealth should not separate any of us from the rights and privileges our society produces. I am talking about opportunities here, which allow for all of us to start from the same point as any other. Often those who have had privileged beginnings, lose sight of what it is really like for those who have not and then begin to condescend as an acceptable behavior. The trap of this is that we are not all inclusive and so many barriers some face are not even known by others. So fighting the good intellectual fight to restore and increase options for equality, justice and ethical processes will be the hard work we must all never relent our efforts toward.

Misplaced passion and how it harms (#1699)

Policies come and go within any large civil society and that is just how we must function in order to get at solutions to pressing problems. That we as humans are passionate about our policies is admirable and the correct emotion to express when advocating for what may be hard to get implemented. However, there are limits to our passion being appreciated and one of those limits is when the logic of our policy falls short of our morality, ethics and overall equality and justice. There are many who are intentionally honest about their advocacy for policies but regardless fall short of the logical conclusions they espouse to happen. It isn't that we can't, through sequence, explain their inaccuracies, since mostly they will not allow for objectivity when they have taken a stand that they cannot go back from, it is that they won't receive the logic. So the passion we here from some must always be met with the test of logical accuracy and end result. Logic will get us as close as we can absent the time to use hindsight so logic must be one of the main components in determining whether a policy has the fulfillment of the passion being given it. I see some who would talk around the problem like it doesn't exist so that their solution is not weighed in the same light with the problem. Like they know something is off in their analysis but they are committed and cannot turn back. I suppose the old saw about "if I don't acknowledge it then it doesn't really exist" is a premise to the conclusion in replacing the unknown they wish not to identify. Anyway, for whatever reason, nefarious or misplaced, a policy being advocated with passion must have the logic of it's solution in balance with the logic of it's end result.

Aspirations to inspire (#1698)

What is it that we want to do in our limited time here in existence? Is it to get everything we want regardless of what it does to everyone else? Is it to do nothing and just ride along through time without ever having to take a risk? Or is it to take a stand where stands need to be taken and try to make our world better not only for right now but also for our future generations? I fall into the latter camp after stubbing my toes in the first two. I tried to be selfish and let the world bring all it's gifts to my door out of some small minded sense of privilege and deserve. Reality kicked me squarely between the eyes and I realized that I was no more special in wanting better for me than anyone else who wanted better for themselves. Then I tried to just sit back and live off the fruit of others who labored tirelessly to make the world better and even that got old since I do have a conscious and it told me that being a lazy bum who still felt like he deserved more than others was clinically egoistic and false. So now for the better part of my life I have been making my voice and my actions count for something more than just for me. I have been taking part in life to make it better as a purpose for my life instead of making it a purpose in life for life to make my life better. I am the one in control and I choose to be a better human being by expressing that better through thought and action. Being more selfless is the key and finding the humility within being selfless has been my process. It works for me in that my heart is happy and my mind is clear. I don't doubt who I am or what I want out life. I still am learning better ways to express my actions and thoughts but that is more like improving on what is already something to be proud of.

My imagination serves me well (#1697)

It is always difficult to know what others are thinking especially when considering that I have a vivid imagination that always surprises me. Do others have such wild imaginings at any given time? I am not complaining one bit since my imagination has been a good companion to me. I wonder sometimes if all those books I read when I was a youth helped to fill my head with wild and crazy ideas and have since been the foundation for some if not all of my creative realizations. However I got to where I am it is a pleasure knowing that my artistic side has such a wide panoramic scope. When I hear the phrase "think outside the box" I am reminded of my own personal experiences of thinking outside the Universe. Yes, I picture in my mind the Universe as a contained space that is then within another larger space that is as of yet, I have not imagined it's make-up. Surely though it is lighter in color than the outer edges of our Universe. At least in my imagination it is. See, having fun with no limits to thought and purpose has given me the framework to build concepts that I cannot ever prove but can surely can think, what if? It is why when I hear people talk about absolutes like they have discovered some key to all that exists and are unwilling to acknowledge that it is only possibilities and not facts that I begin to wrench within my soul away from them toward others who are less certain about life but not afraid to imagine and explore that which is also possible, even if highly improbable. Life is about what we do in it and not about what we don't allow ourselves to do and if your imagination is anything like mine you will have quite a ride in life that should leave you, at least in your mind, well satisfied.

False fronts are a false illusion (#1696)

Now you may be thinking that some people put up a false front so that others can be spared the pain of emotional turmoil and harm, that which is done to actually protect the innocent or weak is honorable and commendable and not the type of false front I am talking about. I am talking about those false fronts that are exploitative of others for one's own sake. The type of behavior we all have experienced in our lives. Not only having false fronts perpetrated on ourselves but we as well perpetrating false fronts on others. It is time for the game of one-upmanship to end. We are not created to lie to each other. We are what we are and most of the time that is a disappointment from our own point of view. However, our point of view on ourselves lacks the perspective of the same feelings everyone else is having. In other words, we are all disappointing to ourselves and that is because we all think and know we are better than what we have expressed so far in our lives. Knowing that we are not much different about too many things should allow us to relax a bit and not be so concerned about projecting an otherwise false impression. We do want to put the best face on who we are and what we do but not to the point of falsity. We are human and by that very fact we are incomplete as to why we exist other than conjecture. We start out in a position of disadvantage given the logical sequencing of our minds. We have no blueprint for life that is well established beyond what we may think or believe exists. So just being ourselves is closer to the truth of who we are and as such should help to build the humility in us that actually leads to a confident, positive purpose driven life.

Compassion (#1695)

This post is for those who don't know compassion anymore. Somewhere within their dark cavernous soul is a spark of compassion they had at some point in their life and it is still there if they choose to look for it. Being human requires us to have some regard for each other beyond our own wants and needs. Our humanity requires us to express our compassion in ways that countenance what is best about us for others to see and be reminded of that they also are human. This idea that we are indispensably free from care for another human being is illogical. We are a communal species. We thrive in the company of others and without the company of others our minds tend to depress our hopes and dreams for life. That is why there is no valid argument for any mechanical or automaton existence. First and foremost it takes two opposite sex humans to create a new human so right away each of us is created from the co-joining of two humans in some fashion. We are raised from infancy to adulthood with other humans as a support for our ability to survive. There is no conceivable premise one could start from that would in any other way define us as purely individual. We are part and parcel of those who surround us and those who otherwise influence us. For any of us not to have compassion for those who exist in this dimension is a choice and made from someplace other than our full compliment of abilities. If you cannot find a spark for life within your cold dead soul then I am pretty sure you quit being an actual human the moment you lost the purpose for your compassion. 

We are defined by our actions (#1694)

A lot of our actions are not seen by anyone but ourselves. But those that are seen by others are the benchmark of where we begin to hope we are being who we want to be. Now the real test comes when no one else is looking at us and we act with that knowledge. Are our actions at the same level as seen actions? I know mine aren't and that is what I battle most of the time in my life, staying consistent when it doesn't matter. Now I am no duplicitous person but I do expect a lot of myself and unfortunately I don't work as hard as I should when the focus of others is not on me. Again though I am cognizant of it and what I try to tell myself is that although no one can see me at all times the Universe of my existence can. I am a record of my life and in that I want the record to reflect that I wasn't just for show and of little substance. I act in a way that I recognize a omnipresent sovereign that keeps an eye on me even when it is impossible for humans to do so. It works for me as a gatekeeper to my slacker self that often wants to just sit back and enjoy the ride of life without carrying any of the load that keeps life interesting. My conscious is also a guide to my behavior as I battle against the tug of war between my enlightened reason and the baser instincts of my nature. None of us will ever be perfect but none of us needs to be without hope to be the best of who we are. When I am the best person I can be at all times I am the happiest and most grateful soul I can be. The trade off between being a selfish do as I please individual and being an insightful ever perfecting human is well worth the paradigm. As I continue to fight my way toward being a better me I know that my life is better and I can take some satisfaction in that.  

The domination ego of man (#1693)

Not just humans but male humans. Surely we live under laws and try to obey them but deep down we still rationalize that we are above the civilized laws because of an animal trait of survival. We arrogantly assume that physical strength along with our reasoning ability gives us an unspoken right to dominate in most all situations in society. Our past history describes us as bread winners and warriors who fed and sheltered the weaker sex and children of our species. Ingrained in us is the fallacy that if society fails we will again gain that power we have been acquiescing over time to enlightenment. The reason so many cling to the past is for the very reason of ego enhancement. Instead of finding the peace that humility offers all of us, we instead chase the old paradigm of domination. Let me be clear, our imaginings of us somehow being the lord and master of our sphere of things is an absolute illusion. The only reality that will exist if society is shredded of enlightenment and equality is a very few crushing the very many. We have been seeing some of that over the last few decades in the form of powerful corporations attempting to lobby for rights inherently given only to actual humans. A sense of urgency is now upon our civilized society to reign in powers that emulate the domination of ego and get back to being an ego-less driven society. The impact of acceding power from equality and justice to a more limited structure framed on profiting from our miseries is at the threshold of our understanding. Enlightenment is the understanding of new paradigms and shirking off the old illogical ones. Will we be continuing that progress or will we be returning to the days where equality and justice is only privileged to a small few? 

Our resilience (#1692)

Human nature is amazing. We are gifted with the ability to rise above problems with the simple will of determination. It may take us longer than what is generally considered necessary however we eventually do rise above our problems. It may seem like we are continually stuck in thinking and behaviors of the past but the slow and methodical progress forward is a constant. It is due to our resilient natures. Regardless of the obstruction and the disingenuous arguments some parlay into temporary victories, the ever persistence of our will to have better is overall dominant. Today I can see that despite some setbacks in how our culture perceives what is right, the fact that these setbacks have infuriated so many is the test of our resilience. Time will tell if we can overcome the foolishness of some but our history so far has proven us quite able. Speaking of time, which is how we often measure success, it is taking less and less all the time for solutions to problems to actually become effective. We have greater abilities to communicate with each other and that simple fact allows for our populations to band together in common to force otherwise unwilling political power players. I often think of the song "American Pie" and how it related it's message to the paradigm of the power of music to connect us, the same can be said for the Internet and it's ability to allow us to band together to fight for our future better while also keeping us looking back to attacks on our current better policies. As long as we continue to remain interconnected our resilience will guide us to a better world.

Wisdom is humble not obnoxious (#1691)

Some days it is my turn to be the bird and not always the statue. Which reminds me that even on rarer occasions I get to be the observer of both the bird and the statue. It is when I get to observe cause and effect when it happens to others I get to see how both sides grace the equation. Yes, for the most part, along with emotion, every occasion is an equation to me, logically speaking that is. Anyway, back to my point, when two or more people engage in a discussion about a subject and then the discussion explodes into a warped discussion absent the subject, I get the real sense of who is doing what as to the listening and responding process. When "one" makes a comparative point and the "other" misses the point and focuses only on the comparison I can justly see that the "other" is less concerned with the validity of the point and more concerned about making the "one" an example of an example of similar comparison. The "other" is the person who has shown the tendency to be bellicose to the point of name calling and character assassination. I just watched this scenario unfold and the "one" who began the discussion with a comparison to make a point was left defending his honor against a barrage of insults and accusations. If I had been the "other" I would have just recognized that what the "one" said was true on a micro level of the subject being discussed and not gone off on the "one" for either misunderstanding the subject of the comment or for reasons that have to do with the "other's" vanity. Anyway, it was a sad reflection on the "others" ability to focus on the point and for that I do believe we have a failure of grammatical proportions, which not only confuses the point of discussion but shows an immense lack of understanding about what the subject was to begin with.

Speaking freely (#1690)

It is everyone's right to speak what is on their mind. I like to keep my opinions clearly as opinions and not fact so that when I do speak it is well understood that this is my world view and not everyone's world view. That at times most would agree is based on the emotional facts of things and not just the emotion. I find that when I try my best to humble myself in all things that I am right on subjects more often than not. It is not easy to be humble as we all know but finding a way to be humble despite ourselves is truly a great gift. I am writing about this subject this morning because one or more people think that I am being an arrogant ass or a poseur. I can't help but think that maybe I am one or both because I don't ever want to offend anyone. Yet when I look at what they use as an example I don't see where they get it. I am just expressing my viewpoint with as much passion as I would for anything else that matters. So instead of changing my approach to understanding logic I am changing my understanding that I can't please everyone all the time no matter how hard I intentionally try. I am not one who can see every point of view and so therefore I don't have the perfect clarity of objectivity, yet unless I am pointed in another direction that I have not been aware of it is difficult for me take their criticism seriously. It is like someone telling me not to do something that makes perfect sense and them not telling me why or how to do it better. I know I will always fall short of what is the best out in this world but striving to get there is never going to be a failing with me.

Never change your foundational principles (#1689)

The nature of this existence and all that is within it is in complete subjugation to change, except that which we reason to be the most value in our own human species. For me it is to always allow for my curiosity and compassion to have the highest priority during my life. I do not always succeed in my vision but I never fail to strive. Like all of us humans I am subject to the change that happens all around us. I have to be understanding to the fact that change will happen regardless of my stubbornness to adapt. So for me the best option is to change with the change so that I can stay in step with it. I don't have to like it or hate it, I just have to adapt to it. But within me is a code of mindset that governs my conduct. First and absolutely foremost is the perfect concept of "do no harm". John Stuart Mill is generally recognized in western philosophy as being the most publicized advocate of this principle. I cannot for the life of me think of a more comprehensive three word statement that sums up the most of who I am. As a side note, it would behoove all to read up on the classical philosophers of recorded history and find the little nuggets they have left for us to find. Anyway, keeping our own personal ethics/morals/values that we have defined as the starting point for all our thoughts and actions is correct and useful. I have, over time, had to simplify my foundation so that equality, justice and humility have a greater role but changing the premise of my principles has never been an option. That virtue is the honorable and noble equation for my thinking is all I can ask for and nothing less will suffice or change it.  

Costs too high to be a political candidate (#1688)

Ever thought about being a political representative? That urge within us to lead our country, either a small part of it or all of it? The cost just to become a candidate pretty much leaves more than half our population unable to participate. What is up with that? Unless you have expendable money and/or wealthy friends willing to influence you for their money, you have little chance of even officially registering to be a candidate for most any office. The best of our natures notwithstanding, most are simply not in enough wealth to even consider political public service. Now if you are wealthy you surely can participate since the barrier to afford a political run is not there. That is simply wrong since those of us who are not wealthy have a point of view about society but we are not able to present it in a way that is responsible to individual voters. How is it that our elections can only have those who are willing puppets of big money interests or willing wealthy folks? We need to reform how our elections process operates. I have always been a big advocate for public financing of elections since it would take away the cost barrier to even applying to become a candidate and replace it with a threshold of voter signatures as the threshold of who can run. To get voter signatures it follows that we would have to have policies that voters want or hope to install. That is how democracy works, not like today where only those of a wealthy perspective or willingness to advance the wealthy agenda can get a foot into our political races.

Another perfect day (#1687)

I woke up this morning and I realize once again that I get to think and move and actually do some things. The fact that I opened my eyes and took in the thought that another day is upon me is why it is perfect. I have had a lot of time over the past few days to reflect on those who are no longer with us here in existence. How would they describe the idea that they had one more day to be here? I am sure the word perfect would be one of many. I do take for granted each day I live when I don't start out my morning with a grateful heart that this body of mine still desires and has the wherewithal to live. I take for granted that our Earth supplies us with the essentials of life and I need to do more to protect her. I take too many things for granted when I don't remember those who came before me and after me who are no longer here to enjoy that first dawning of consciousness upon waking. Today is another perfect day regardless of what happens in the rest of it. Surely I will fight hard to make sure that no harm comes to we species who inhabit our planet to the best of my meager ability and I will not stop trying to change things that are understandably wrong through logic and actionable behavior. I will also keep my mind open to the special circumstances our community of people and other species gifts us with and most of all I will try to be the example of how we should live, everyone of us.

Live from your heart (#1686)

Everything that begins with me begins from my heart. My head gets it's orders from my heart. Real simple with me. I learned this from my earliest memories as a child. Happiness is more important than proving some point of general concern. We need rules and regulations in our lives to help keep ourselves organized in ways that we all can partake of. This is good and when good is done then all have a chance for happiness. When rules and regulations are formed and made into law that do not account for all who partake or eliminate some from partaking then we have rules and regulations that are not inclusive, otherwise, not from the heart. When the mind tries to formulate effects to all without starting from the heart then we get what we have today in our American society, segregation through law and through fear based ideology. We are mostly on track for providing rules and regulations that aim at equality of opportunity and justice, but we are still far short of where we could be if power and greed were to be tamed. Our own instincts are to be inventoried. We have been a species in the past that has been brutish and violent out of perceived need. Today, we have enlightenment and intelligence to guide our civilized behavior. So letting go of the past of who we were to our less than honor and embracing who we are today is the key to us finding our happiness within everyone else finding their's as well. Our world gave us birth as far as we can tell and our maturity on our Earth has evolved so must our vision for living from our hearts first and then using our minds to bring our hearts demands to fruition.

Remembering those who have passed (#1685)

Today is an appropriate day to stop for a moment and think about those who have left our lives either naturally or prematurely. There are so many memories for me since I was raised in a large family that spent a lot of time together. With the advent of our more modern society, I spend less time with family than before but those memories of us together still bring a smile to my face and a painful remembrance of those no longer with us. Especially from my childhood do I have fond and hilarious moments to reflect on. Some of the foolish ideas and actions we exhibited that were far more silly than ridiculous. That is what most rekindles my soul is the idea that we could and did have such fun together when we had the chance. Not a lot of wasted time being apart but a lot of time together finding common ground and the most fun we could. I also remember my elders who were less fun but more introspective about life and how our society operates. What I had learned back then was more revealing to me now than then but that is the nature of my youth anyway. I had less time to be a deep thinker about how life operated and more time to go out and explore our society and see for myself how it operated. yet what I learned from my elders is that trusting my internal compass about right and wrong would always be my salvation from the difficult temptations life can serve up to us. I have also lost cousins and siblings which have effected me deeply in that mortality is an ever clear reality like nothing ever before. I could not have imagined how I would feel not having those who grew up with me no longer around but when I do remember them I am smiling from my heart.

The purpose of virtue (#1684)

Moral excellence if you will. Not always perfect but when striven toward it is quite redeeming. That has been my experience anyway. When I set out on a path through making a decision it had better be backed with the best of what virtue has taught me or otherwise I am not being who I want to be. I recognize that anything less than trying to reflect out what is best about our species is muddled and not worthy of the time it takes from my desired destiny. So from when I was young and knew not much about my purpose in life to now, I had a spotty record of trial and error that reflected my inability to grasp the importance of virtue as quickly as I should have. Those days are behind me and now that I know being anything less than trying to be of moral excellence, is not to be attempted on my part. I also know that I have chosen a path of life that within my soul has found peace. I am not assuaged by the temptations of Earthly pleasure as my guide, instead I am forthright in my knowledge that as a human being I have the duty to embrace all that is good and correct in thought and behavior which first does no harm and second offers some joy. I have found that being a positive influence in all my thoughts and acts is the purpose for my life. Whether large or small it doesn't matter for every thought and act is just another step into who I am regardless of the stride taken. When we all find a place in our souls where the idea of doing what is right has substance in our view of life is when we all begin to move forward with each other and our species is something quite especially enlightened to behold.

A fulfilled life (#1683)

It surely is much simpler to talk about a life unfulfilled but that isn't as much helpful as talking about a life that is fulfilled. I have no doubt we are all trying to better our world the best way we know how to do that. What most all of us don't share however is the same logic. My motto is real simple on this, if continued good leads to better than that is the right course. If however doing harm is one's idea toward improvement then that is where we diverge and regress. The intent and motivation may well still be the best of equality of opportunity with fairness and respect as the end result, nonetheless if the starting point is not equal then the idea falls on it's illusory foundation. It is perhaps instinctual to a degree to protect one's own advantages as some sort of deserve or privilege however that is contrary to virtue when the goal is to equate all with the same starting point. So for me it is all about creating the starting point so that when we begin we begin together. I know this is hard for many to humble themselves toward but necessarily it is still true. So until we can all have the leg up some already have we will continue to struggle within the boundaries of self-made strife. I am not sure what it is going to take other than learning about what we want for our world and what we are willing to work toward that want. The paradigm of some with most and most with some must find a balance that is achieved not through advantage and oppression, but through fairness and justice. The life that is fulfilled is the one we all share together with the same beginning for all to start from.

Fear is no rescue (#1682)

Being afraid and allowing that fear to be the basis for your decisions is no rescue from the problem you face. Standing up to the problem is the solution however that comes out. Being afraid and allowing the fear to dictate your response is not only cowardly it is a less than an honorable human trait. Life has to be worth more than being afraid of what could happen instead of living life with the courage to accept it as it is and applying the right and correct response to it. I suppose many folks don't know they are living in fear since they have built walls around themselves that mostly make them "feel" right without understanding they are shrouding themselves in a wrapping that limits their life experiences. Like the "Allegory of the Cave" in Plato's Republic, folks don't know what they are missing because they lack the courage and/or curiosity to see what else exists. We are humans born on a celestial rock with all the space around us to consider. What we do with the limited time we have here is our choice but to neglect the choice out of fear of losing time here is nonsense. Just existing to exist is not an option for anyone who is capable of enlightened thinking, which almost everyone is capable of. If the choice is to accept reality for what it is then the courage we humans have should be forthright in our life journey's however if we choose to live under some restrictions that deny our curiosity and instead make us afraid of what could be then we are living not as the bold species we represent but as the limited species we cower to reflect.

"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing."-Edmund Burke. (#1681)

At what point are the scales of justice tipped where good men will raise up and put a stop to the destruction bad men perpetrate on others? The history of humankind has shown that we have a high tolerance for inaction when the action could be minimal but instead we wait right up until the critical point before we come into action. In the meantime the scars to our conscious continue to grow and all the distractions in life cannot fully obliterate them from our memories. The reality that peace comes about through the strength to defend it has been lost on the ones who see it as a contradiction. Surely force to keep peace is not a new concept. The world wars in the previous century exhibit themselves for all to learn, yet the continued idea that somehow if we all just ignore atrocity it will eventually go away. The "Ostrich" effect. I abhor the use of violence in general but in specific areas of holocaust and annihilation being perpetrated there can be no other course than the will and the strength to stop it. There are those humans who are psychologically bent toward complete lack of empathy. When these individuals or groups get power and unleash their egoism on the general public is when their psychopathy must be defended against. There is no other solution to the madness of destruction other than to subdue those who are responsible. Violence as a means to protect peace is reasonable when the value of doing nothing is worse. None of us civilized persons would ever wish harm to anyone but to stand back and do nothing in the face of harm is not to be allowed!

The defense of virtue (#1680)

When virtue is under attack how is it justified to defend virtue with less than virtuous means? When the only hope for right is to employ a wrong is what I and others often struggle with. Does that mean that the struggle is wrong? No. It does mean however that choices must be made and often those choices contradict the very virtues we are trying to protect. It is a conundrum that often freezes us to inaction. Yet inaction is a condoning of the status quo which we have already understood to be an attack on virtue. In a perfect world the solution to every wrong would be perfectly right and be 100% effective. However we do not live in a perfect world yet so our choices are often if not most always less than desirable. What to do? Well the answer is to stop the greater harm with a lesser harm if necessary. Our conscious must allow for those times when the only immediate solution to deplorable harm is to employ another lesser form of harm to stop it. This is our dilemma. What is a lesser form of harm to stop a greater form of harm? Remember we have some understandings of how harms work in some areas of life and geography, yet as we all know time continues and factors once then are not the same now. The human experience will continue if we continue to face the tough choices in life that assail the best of who we are. If we don't defend against that which steals from us our expectation and hope for virtue to dominate our existence then we are allowing for the eventual destruction of all of us. Virtue is the worthy paradigm that should and will prevail as long as we understand that it's defense is what we do best.

Remembering to stop and smell the roses (#1679)

There is so much work to be done on so many fronts and not doing something all the time seems like a waste of time, however that is not true. I have a duty to our species as well as a little duty to myself to try to enjoy what we accomplish in order to appreciate what others have done before me and what others are still doing today. Knowing the benefits of hard work is why we fight so hard to protect what is good and to make new betters for tomorrow. A few moments of rest and appreciation are more like recharges to my motivational batteries so to speak and not doing so at times can make for an unappreciative Carl. I understand this and although I am not above having fun with rest and relaxation, there is still so much to do. The complexity of human life is just awesome that we can be so motivated to work ourselves hard for a better world but we can also stop and appreciate that hard work and enjoy the benefits it produces. I am older now and less likely to linger in the benefits of the goodness we create in life but that is why it is so important for me to remember why we fight for a world that has more to do with the best of virtue than what others see as a survival of the fittest. Others believe in a world where less is about reason and analyzing and more is about power and influence. Those are my combatants and they seem to have no time for the enjoyment of shared improvement, to their detriment. While they claim that no one needs anything outside their own success, they don't get to "feel good" about their accomplishments. Instead they feel a false sense of privilege that accounts for them being more human or more entitled to humanity than others who have not achieved their status. I will for one just thank my conscious, first because I have one, and second because it gives me a wonderful feeling of working toward shared enjoyment by all who wish a better world for all of us.

Consistently persistent (#1678)

Manifest destiny if you like. The ability to continue on when continuing on is hard. That is the nature of the human species at the most primitive level. We have a need to survive in the face of any odds. It is in our DNA to do everything within rational, and at times, even irrational behavior to stay within this existence as who we are. It would also follow that the ideas and values we cling to would also have the same instinctual motivation as our own lives do. Now there are more than enough examples of people who compromise their principles in order to stay alive but nonetheless we do hold our principles up to a greater value than most temptations. Yet it would seem naive if I didn't admit that in today's era the trade off of our principles for some financial gain isn't the norm over not doing so. "My word is my bond" is less a factor in reality as our species should represent but there are still those who hold to it's merit. I look at life this way, come what may, with sleeves rolled up, is for sure an ideal worthy of advocating for but in too many cases, come what may has so many other implications that sacrificing one's principles in order to keep chaos outside of our lives is more in tune with how we view our existences. Sadly, we learn to compromise in areas that need no more ground lost instead of needing more ground gained. This is where our consistency of purpose will benefit us. As long as we recognize the battles we can fight and endure, we can make back ground previously lost. We don't need to sacrifice our present existence to be forthright in our knowledge of troubled areas. We just need to never lose focus of our perpetual persistent need to make our world better wherever and whenever we can.

The nuance of subtlety (#1677)

Making fine distinctions is necessary in life in order for us to move past the brutish behavior of our past. We will certainly not lose the impact of our decisions because we choose to interpret our words with more insight than brute force. Understanding a complexity, that leaves many who choose not to learn logic, is not a negative trait,  it is contrarily a positive in that what one knows that others don't is more an advantage than a detriment. We all choose to be either informed or not informed. That is our right to choose, however it is not our right to expect anything more than we deserve for our calculated strategy. If we choose to ignore the present and what the past has taught us about the present then our say in the future will be dimly received. However if we do choose to understand the dynamics of our existence with some complexity then our opinions about our present course and our future become of much more value. That is the subtlety I am referring. Knowing the undercurrent of actions as opposed to not knowing puts us in different perspectives. Knowledge will most always win out over luck so don't allow yourself the indignity of being proven wrong by defaulting on your own option to learn. That is all the difference is between those who are mostly right about actions and those who mostly are not. As a reminder, you cannot go wrong if you found your principles in virtue. Allowing for equality, honor and justice etcetera to guide your path is rarely a wrong choice to make. Knowing the differences between virtue and belief will also serve you well in that virtue is founded in the best of who we are as a species opposed to belief which is founded in some ancient concept with restriction and limited choice.

We are so close (#1676)

There is only one major political party in America that stands up for the working/middle/poor, that being the Democratic Party. In the coming US House and Senate elections of 2014 a decent chance is available for the Democrats to regain control of the House and keep their majority in the Senate. If this happens, along with a Democratic President we can see the restoration of voting rights, infrastructure repair, tweaks to our new health care law that makes it even more appealing, a bill to eliminate the disastrous effects of the Citizens United law in order to bring about public financing of elections, a minimum wage increase, expansion on the earnings cap for social security and many more progressive ideals. Even business would benefit in that laws could be passed to eliminate tax breaks for off shoring and instead give tax breaks for keeping jobs here in America. We could finally restructure our outdated tax laws that reflect the best incentives for all who need a fair opportunity to succeed and pass an immigration reform law that reflects our values as not only principled in our vision but fair in it's application. There is so much that can be done and if I left out anything progressive we can get to that as well. Our time is coming for our country to heal itself of divisive policies that pit the wealthy against ordinary earners. We are a stronger country when all of our citizens have a say in how our democracy works and with enough Democratic votes this November 2014 we will begin to shine like our forefathers foresaw when they established our new country and as President Abraham Lincoln said; "Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."

We must do more than just exist (#1675)

We are not some utility that has some simply defined purpose. We are an entity capable of so much beyond what we are currently expressing. Most of us are comfortable with others leading the policies that define what we can or will do. That is not how it should be. We all need representation as it currently exists but not as an end all but as a beginning. We individual humans need to push ourselves to understand our world and the interconnectedness we all share. Our values and our possibilities must go hand in hand. The objective and correct foundation is for us to treat each other the way we wish to be treated. Now I am not talking about any selfish extravagance but about a respect and dignity we all owe to each other. From that initial starting point we can then build upon our natures of curiosity and compassion and begin to see our existence as more than a continuum of night and day on a planet we will live and die on. All of our efforts must be focused on moving on from our earthly home out into the unknown that encapsulates us. We need to keep a society that works as a means to progress but that work should not be just about making a profit, it should be about building a purpose of shared destiny. Our work should be about elevating us in ways that help our curiosity answer questions we have long ago given up finding solutions for. If we are all advancing toward our shared curiosities about this existence then we find we can share our compassion more freely with each other. The determined effort of our species to work together toward goals that are instinctual in our souls is how we move past the petty denigration inherent within our current societal norms of just existing to exist. 

The scientific method (#1674)

No longer can the forces of myth, superstition and custom rule the day to day logic we now utilize. From our recent past we see that those same forces of our folklore are losing their appeal for our understanding as it currently exists. The scientific method has grown sturdy roots in the fallow ground of our minds and that is how it should be. We need no omnipotent control in order to find purpose or destiny for our lives. We can seek out new and unknowable things with the power we already possess. Our five senses, logic, intuition and common sense help us to get to facts of truths or even to get to an understanding of how to approach the new and unknowable, without having to filter through some antiquity. No longer are we constricted by man-made dogma, instilled to stifle our actions instead of inspire them. There is a role for the customs, superstitions and myths of our past but only as a just another possibility for us to investigate. As in all things investigation is a tremendous tool in the scientific method. We must continue to add to our knowings by remembering the influence of enlightened, courageous exploration. Our time is just beginning in the reign of our known Universe and treating our exalted status with humility and respect is the proper and wise avenue to follow. It is also our right and duty to investigate with all the imagination we can muster as long as that imagination is properly vetted through logic and for allowing for what we don't know. I would never say a perfect understanding exists in that my mind is not yet capable of knowing all things imperfect. Now that is the scientific method.

Saving face (#1673)

This is a tough one. usually it requires us to admit we made a mistake and then pay a debt of some sort as a penance for our error. The example of our criminal justice notwithstanding, is somewhat a primary example. But for most of us it is more about our choices of intellectual reasoning, whether valid or not, that has us in difficulty at times. I am not so bad with admitting mistakes since I have had lots of practice. lol. However, having admitted to my many mistakes has given me a wisdom about things that has allowed me to make less mistakes as my life has moved along and although I do not recommend the trial and error method as the greatest learning tool it can be an effective one if one actually outlasts the many lessons. We are human and although we are all gifted with some measure of ego, some of us are so egoistic that even the idea of admitting a mistake is seen as a weakness and not to be acknowledged. So here is where I am with this subject, those who are philosophically incapable of admitting to any error in action and or judgement. What this does to us is allow for a nonsense to permeate our culture among some heavy weight power and political figures. This as well leaves the rest of us who are of a common sense and logic to see the truth of a thing with a lingering consensus among those who are not that we are wrong somehow. Despite our best efforts to argue facts with facts we are up against a stubbornness of philosophy that cannot allow for truth regardless of it's fact. That saving face is an option and one we should all allow to those who are willing, there are still those who would not broach it as a duty to some imaginary illogical conception.

Your actions reveal your character (#1672)

Not always the case especially with young folks who are full of hubris and still trying to figure life out but with older folks this is a sure fire way of understanding how people view the world. We are mostly a mixed bag of good and bad behaviors which makes none of us perfect nor purely bad. What we are though is responsible for our actions. We must think about what we are going to do otherwise we are not acting with a full comprehension of what our act will define. There are two primary choices we can make, first the act to commit to something or secondly not to commit to something. Commission and omission, are our responses to the stimuli around us. When we commit to something we are judged by our decision and it's logic, which is naturally right because most of the time our intent is rational and good. When we choose to omit any action on stimuli is when we are open to interpretation by others for our inaction. Less a reasonable excuse for not doing something the obvious answer is that we care little about the stimuli being experienced. As a strategy of self-survival in the conscious world we often don't speak or act our mind in hopes of not revealing that our intentions are less than honorable and more to the point, without virtue. The revealing of our character is brought about by our responses to the stimuli around us and no amount of words or deflective strategy will undo the reality we all choose. We may feign ignorance to our action or inaction but when viewed by the outside observer when we choose to be less than equal, less than just and less than respectful, our strategy of ignorance only reflects back on us.

Clinging to destructive practices (#1671)

I suppose the logic of those who would not change destructive practices goes something like this; "the evil you know is better than the possible evil you don't know". Fear is a mighty weapon of those who would not change. What those who are afraid don't understand is that change is the dynamic we are all about, so being afraid of who you are is anti-human. As time is our proof that change is constant many of us somehow ignore this to the detriment of those of us who don't. Let me be very clear here, we are all in this together. We live on the same planet in the same dimensional reality and we all share in the evolution of our history. None of us is purely only an individual, we are all by-products of those who came before us. Yet many choose to ignore so much of reality and try to force the rest of us to accept their flawed thinking as wisdom. I am frustrated to no end in sight by those scared individuals who anchor themselves to not changing as a way forward into our future. Fear is the culprit and them allowing fear to rule their thinking is perplexing. The gift of life is not eternal, we all have limited time to express ourselves as humans and to not being human is deplorable. Humans advance into the unknown with courage and boldness because we have the belief that our natures of caring and curiosity are worthy of growth throughout the Universe. We are a formidable species whose era has just begun and for us to be held back by those who are gripped in fear is presently our shame.

Giving up the ghosts (#1670)

If we could all just be honest with each other just how much better would our lives be? I know how hard it is to be honest all the time since I have been taken advantage of it by others who were not honest in return. It sort of makes us put up walls from each other so that when we do find people we can be honest with we can't seem to find a way to get there. I have found that by simplifying my life I am able to break down those walls of protection that I have built and slowly show the truth of myself. It is not easy and through fits and starts I am moving closer to being an honest man most all the time. Discretion is always valorous but not to the defeat by fear. I do believe in the saying of "do no harm" and when my truths cross the line into harm for others I reserve my right to either omit the truth in a way that does not influence anything or everything in a harmful way or I just confront the truth from another angle in order to expose it in the least harmful way. However I cannot get to the truth of things or myself unless I am an open minded soul. I have to be objective and dispel any prejudices or bias' that I may bring into the moment. I cannot assume or expect anything beyond what is real nor can I dismiss the idea that reality holds all the answers. Truly an open mind is devoid of ghosts from the past and only has a minds eye toward understanding whatever factors are involved. I know I have reasoning and logic and with those two mental tools I can and will justify my calculations about life around me as circumstantially possible. Never for sure and only in simple form but surely a truth toward an answer.

Aspiration defeats adversity (#1669)

We are all the "good guys/gals" and as such we are expected to stand in the face of adversity whenever it crosses our path. Adversity is to be given a respectful pause for what it is but not allowed any further wastage of our time. We are a species about solutions and we are well equipped with natural and intellectual tools to overcome any adversity that may form. Certainly we are able to overcome any adversity, even the loss of our most precious ones although it is a tough overcome. We endure, that is the hallmark of our species and to endure we must conquer any and all obstacles before our path. We do it with our determination and our emotional reserve. Truly what doesn't kill us makes us stronger is an old saw that has the validity to it that underscores our species's resilience. We have all suffered loss of heartbreaking proportions, we have all been subjugated to unfairness to extreme degrees and we have all been confused about our purpose here in existence. Yet we endure and although some of us cannot endure and for that we are all emotionally, mortally wounded, most all of us do endure. We even harm each other for reasons that history will show as petty and shortsighted. Yet we will endure and in our enduring we will become stronger for it. There are better ways for us to become better in not only our natures but our outlooks. Those who wield the levers of power and control in our past and present society lack the leadership to force the change from the stick to the carrot. We are a vindictive reflecting species too much of the time instead of being the nurturing species we inherently are. Despite the lack of vision from those who could change our society we humans will continue to aspire and in some future time we will eventually overcome natural and man-made adversity.  

Redeeming our virtue (#1668)

None of us get a pass on standing up for what is honorable and good. We must be held accountable for our commissions as well as our omissions. I see that as our problem here in america. We elect those who reflect our viewpoints but many of our viewpoints are narrowed. Not all of us are but too many of us. A lesson in what virtue represents would go far in how we must address our futures. We are not tied to the past and it's paradigms of less than greatly effective policies. We are new to this existence and come into it with old restrictions placed here by older thinking not as modern as we are. Certainly we need boundaries for our living behaviors but not for our equality, justice and fairness. If all are held to the same standard then all are equal to pursue unlimited happiness without causing harm. It is the degree of how we live that separates us not any condition that segregates. We need to be motivated to advance in life with the work of our own soul and not suppressed or excused from it. We have to have a respect toward others who live their life causing no harm so that we can appreciate the fruits of their efforts. Too much of the old way of doing things based upon status's has to be abolished and a new paradigm of degree to which on finds happiness must replace it. Merit is the key and no one should have anything that advantages them over others in any unfair way. Not all are born to be same so we have diversity of vision and allowing for all of us to have the opportunity to express that diversity of vision is our challenge. We have the ability to change reality but only if we want to have a better life.

Never losing my core (#1667)

I am a human which I mean to say is that I am vulnerable to frailty. As strong as I might tell myself that I am there is always some little space within me that needs protection. I wish I were perfect in claiming my right to exist as unshakable but I know that I am not. There are forces in life that come to bear especially on those who are innocently trapped into their sphere. Like a spider who has set a trap for all who may come into it's lair. So despite the best intent of our efforts, the whirligig of chaos matches up those who are better served through principled virtue with those who fight against anything that may detract from their advantages. That fairness is a stake is no matter to those who only wish fairness and more for themselves and nothing near fairness for others. A vicious cycle of some who will greater regard over others. Such is how some of us if not all of us find ourselves, burdened by the weight of those who profit from our fears yet debase our actual harms when those fears are realized. This institutionalized cancer of thought that permeates our culture has it's roots in the innocence of society. We are taught to weigh statistics as a primer for determining the outcome of so many things in our lives. We measure each other by standards that prevail for some but have little to do with reality as individuals. The psyche that allows for deviation from fact to obfuscate responsibility is as dangerous a tool as a clear intent to harm. If we continue to progress as a society with inherently unacceptable practices that demean and debase the best intent of honesty then our society will continue to suffer from an immaturity that steals from our lives in ways that can never be rectified.

Why not? (#1666)

This existence is the way it is despite all of us wanting it to be better. Not that it is overall a hellscape, but the reality is that there is too much wrong that just keeps on going being wrong. So why is it that we are unable to change everything for the better? First, there are institutions set up to retard change without having to go about a slow and struggling process. Second, there are those who defend their advantages so much that combating against them causes many of us real and dangerous harm. Third, we are all not informed enough to understand that when we all get on the same page we can easily overcome the first and second obstacles. This reality has been ours for the making of since time for our species began. We have acquiesced our power to concepts of fear instead of laughing in the face of fear. I know what it was like for me when I was young. I felt that I deserved to live a full life and anyone who would gamble with my safety felt my wrath, yet I was wrong. None of us deserves anything more than another and there are no guarantees that life should exist at all. However, our species has evolved enough for us to understand that the future is where the real promise of a more secure and exciting life exists. What I like to think is that despite our current era of generally not being as informed as we should be, that future is today and beyond. There is enough understanding for even those who are not aware of it, that they too can realize their dreams of their youth. Why can't we have a more perfect existence? All it takes is for everyone to agree that we all deserve the right to try.

I am defined by what I do (#1665)

My words mean nothing and neither should anyone else's words mean anything either, at least not until they are describing what I have done. That old saying of "my word is my bond" is less true then ever. Witness politics, where deception by the usage of words is a common occurrence. We have to look beyond the words of those who are trying to get something from us, we have to look at their track record and we have to look at who they associate themselves with. The idea of good intentions is less an ideal in practice so we must protect ourselves from those who would rather lie to us than tell us the truth. What kind of existence do we want to live in? We must endeavor to make that vision we have within all of us come to fruition as a duty to our purpose for living. we each have the right and responsibility to advocate and act on the best of our insights. For those insights that are less virtuous and harmful by nature we must let them go and move on to the better and best of who we are. If we allow our conscious to guide us and remember the purity of humility, we can succeed in living a life that reflects back to others the best of examples but we can also utilize our efforts to see who around us is objective, virtuous and principled enough to keep honesty as their highest priority. So many of we humans have taken to short cuts and dishonest approaches as a way to hide our ulterior motives. Sadly we all fall victim to these strategies when we do not stay vigilant to our own vision of a greater and more perfect existence.

Curiosity forces us to learn (#1664)

The state of being curious is a natural one for we humans. We input information like it is air, water and food, we need it to survive. Air, water and food may sustain our biological bodies but we are more than just biological bodies, we also are a reasoning mind. Our minds need sustenance just as surely as our bodies do. Curiosity is the unique feature we humans display as a species that has allowed us to evolve beyond just being a normal animal. Our mind is our engine and we need it to grow. The gathering of information through our sensors, our five senses and maybe intuition as well, found the idea that it is as natural for us to understand as a requirement as it is to satisfy our bodies biological needs. I know for myself I have to know whatever it is that piques my curiosity. I am a servant of my inputted data as surely as anything I know. I exist to learn and understand otherwise I am just grazing on the food sustenance of this planet with no other purpose. So anything that inhibits mine or anyone else's natural instinct to grow in knowledge is an enemy of the human species, regardless of whether they are human or not. Our species demands that we remain true to our instincts of caring about our world around us and our curiosity to understand our world around us. For those who don't get that our species has these obligations to ourselves are devoid of one or the other two natural instincts, caring and wondering. More likely they are devoid of caring since we can identify many within our society who are of a psychopathy lacking in emotion which would indicate no care for the rest of us nor to themselves.

I continue to pay it forward (#1663)

Today is a special day for me but I don't think of it as me being special. I think of it as my reminder that life has been quite a trip for me and it continues to be so. I also think that giving from myself is the proper order of the day in order to show my appreciation of all others have done for me. There is something naturally Karmic about keeping a level of existence that applauds nature and the wonder of our Universe. I don't know how all of it fits together but one thing I "feel" certain about is that it does all fit together. Much like we humans having no natural predator in the animal kingdom anymore yet I feel like there is some unseen and unknown force that still has sovereignty over us. Not so much the religious concept of a God but a spiritual one that transcends our current form. Regardless of that, I am one who senses that what comes around goes around so what I do today will likely enrich or befall my life depending upon how I live my life. I know this is not a hard and fast rule given all the chaos and atrocity that happens to many who deserve none of it, yet deserves has nothing to do with it either. On one level we can control certain aspects of our lives and on another level we are all victims or beneficiaries of serendipity or luck. On the level where I have some control is where I am able to decide how to reflect back to you who I am. I am not one to congratulate myself unless I am being facetious or one who looks to surround myself with glory or treasure. I am more likely to ignore the trappings of allure and instead keep my eye on the reality of the day. Paying my due to the future for the happenstance of my past and present is the best tonic for all that would or could ail me.

Deconstructing America (#1662)

A little more political today in that I see around me policies by Republicans that are intent on reversing progress in our society here in America and around the globe. Instead of sharing and creating wealth for all of our citizenry, Republicans are motivated to concentrate wealth into the hands of a few as a philosophy. They have forgone the notion of community as some bad or evil human endeavor that can have nothing positive to offer that can't be had by creating a master/slave type existence. Somehow the greed and power of being "King of the Hill" has permeated their thoughts and actions to a point of no return. Their idea of lifting those out of poverty is to be disdained and instead a policy of turning their backs on humanity is to be congratulated. Republicans have embraced the idea that "survival of the fittest" is the only solution to society's function. They revel in the idea that "freeloaders and takers" will finally get what they deserve, nothing! That is the problem with them, their view of life here in America is through the lens of their own making, not a true reflection of reality. Yet they have consolidated enough power to force their will upon the rest of us if we are not vigilant in protecting our rights. As a metaphor, Republicans are like those crazy people who move into a house and disconnect the innovations that make the house modern and instead live as if they are in a bunker. They live in fear of everyone else and when and if they can control everyone else is when they think life is as it should be.

There has to be a maximum cap on individual and corporate wealth (#1661)

There are only so many resources on this planet and when only a few control the outcome of how those resources are allocated the rest of us are inconsequential. When a democratically controlled system has the reins of resources then we all have a chance to have a say in how our planet operates as to social and economic function. When we the people decide policies that affect us all we can then use the common logic of community and opportunity to guide us. What we are currently experiencing is a dwindling of community power and a strengthening of individual and corporate power. Soon if the trends hold we will all be beholden to a a few telling us what our policies will be instead of all of us having a say in the direction of policies. We are in essence giving over our right to decide in whole to assuage the power grab by a few wealthy individuals and entities. Before we hit the point of no return we must all have a moment of understanding that because someone or something that is represented by someone has power and wealth does not give them the right to decide how our democratic society should function. It seems that when souls and entities get great power and wealth they mostly grow a huge ego as well. As if the machinations of unjust economics makes them above and beyond their individual self. Economics is not the rule by which we are measured. We are measured by our best intentions backed by virtue. Money and power are enviable but only if they are justly achieved and justly shared with those whose work helped to create the possibility.  

The scrutiny of argument (#1660)

What "feels" right is no equivalent of what is right. Now once in a blue moon the two may intersect but that is more to do with statistics than it has to do with some internal guide we may think we possess. Now we all have bullshit meters that readily go off when the absurd is tried to be passed off as the normal, yet even our bullshit meters are no match for just honest logic and common sense. What really all of debate boils down to is who are you and what your principles for living are. Once all things are filtered through who you are and what you represent, you can then begin to be objective about the facts of whatever it is you are advocating. Establishing a baseline of virtue in all your arguments gives you the high ground even before you begin. Let's say you want to argue for equality. You have already begun from a point that is mostly accepted as correct. All you have to do then is to reinforce your argument for equality with some examples of how equality is beneficial for all of humanity and what humanity would be like without it. Most would agree that you will be on the right side of this argument and very little can be offered to rebut your claim. Know how to approach all who would take the side of lesser principled concepts and attack those lesser principled concepts with higher principled ideals. There is always the bigger picture to reference toward so when arguing parts and pieces of policies that inhibit the bigger picture you are already on the side of virtue. I have found that good and honest ideals will win the day against those who would diminish those very same ideals.

Assimilation is our key (#1659)

In the past the color of one's skin often reflected the stature one held in societies throughout the world. There were and still are horrible examples of the color of one's skin being the determining factor in how one is forced to live one's life. Of course our gender roles have the same antiquated problems but for today the color of skin is the main focus. Our history tells us that identification through skin color is a strategy when different colored skin folks are in proximity. What we also know is that skin color is used as a priority of hierarchy when threats, whether real or imagined, are expressed. When you take the color of one's skin out of the equation, like when there are no different colored folks in a region where only one particular skin color is dominant, then we see a different hierarchy of dominance revealed. So the color of one's skin is used as a strategy to maintain an advantage of some sort and if not skin color then some other perceived differential takes it's place. So the underlying factor within all the discriminatory practices is fear. Some learned through odd encountered experiences but mostly through our customs of child rearing that are influenced by ancient perceptions. The Caucasian race has had a dominant role in shaping societies for the past few millenniums but that time is coming to a close. We are becoming more multicultural and that is a good thing. Remember how America was hailed throughout the world as the melting pot? Well that dynamic is more in play now in ways that directly effect our race identification. We are becoming less a race based society in many ways and the trend toward just being members of the human race is closer at hand. As it should have been all along.  

Relentless (#1658)

Some people doing harmful things to other people never takes a day off, nor should I in my quest to see our society rectify itself to those who would do harm for gain as an intention. I at times get weary of the constant attempts of some to confuse, obfuscate and distract most of us from doing the naturally best thing that we all can be proud of. We are in this existence and therefore must appreciate the fact that all of us share some duty to each other in that regard. One duty is respect and nothing less than that will ever propel us forward to new horizons that include our species' most admirable traits. We are not just predatory animals whose only goal is to survive beyond any perceived threat. We are an enlightened species whose limits have yet to be defined. For those few who think that we are just the vicious animals we have always been seem not to understand our history. We evolved from the simple needs of survival on our planet to a complex organism that may now come to inhabit all the Universe. That is our destiny provided that we care for each other as much as we care for ourselves. Our natures are our best attributes and I say our true natures are caring and wondering. The proof is all around us. Yet we still find ways to cleave ourselves from each other in ways that have their genesis in myth, more, ancient custom and superstition. When we decide to let go of the past with it's restrictive unnatural bindings and embrace our future with the best of who we are is when I can take a breath and actually truly enjoy the fruition of who we are and where we can go from there.

The bunker mentality (#1657)

I choose not to have the bunker mentality. I don't mind at all some quiet peaceful time but not at the expense of missing out on life. One thing maturity does help all of us to understand is that life is too short to be playing defense with it. Certainly we all need to protect ourselves in some ways but not to the point of barricading ourselves away from the movement of life around us. It really does all boil down to what our outlook is and if it is upbeat then we are far more likely to share that positiveness with others. If however we are sternly closed minded and unforgiving we are far more likely to shutter away from those who would call us on it. We all have problems that if they are not overwhelming at least feel like they are. Embarrassment about how our lot in life has turned out is natural and something every one of us endures. It is not an excuse to hide away from the world while being afraid of any new change that is unfamiliar. Fear and shame can do that to us, make us feel like we have to get what we need in order to pull out of society and live the rest of our lives as if we are on an island. The problem with that is that we are not "hard wired" to being isolated. We need new experiences in order to satisfy our nature of curiosity. We are biological data processors and if anything data processors need constant information in order to being most effective. Being human is a special phenomenon and wasting any of the limited time we have not securing the most out of life is just an unwise conclusion. Our society as presently formed doesn't do as much as it could for the sake of our opportunities and experiences and finding ways to improve on that requires that we get out in society and experience it first hand.

Keeping my eye on the ball (#1656)

It is so easy for me to get distracted and lured into things I on hindsight wish I hadn't. I keep a schedule of sorts to help me stay focused on what is important to me. Although my best intentions are powerful they can be side tracked through inconstant attention on my part. All of this to say in essence is that if I don't know who I am and what purposes I have it is difficult if not impossible to maintain a course of life that brings much happiness. Happiness is my goal and although our present society is frustrating and inhibits our pursuits of happiness more than it should, I still find times of great peace and satisfaction. Plateaus in my life they may be and welcome they are, they are not the end I pursue. I have dedicated the rest of my life to helping make our existence and the future of our existence a more virtuous dimension. Why does it matter to me what happens to others while I am alive and after I am gone? It has to do with my dual nature, to care and to wonder. It is the caring part that drives me to want to help others and it is the curious part that fuels my need to know what helps make life better for all of us. I also have a nature to survive but that nature is entwined within my other two major natures, care and wonder. It is who I am to want to stay on a laser focus for enlightenment and innovation and their implementation into our regular course of activities. If I keep my eye on the ball I am only being who I am and those distractions that come by and by are just reminders to me of how important my focus must remain.

Cause and effect (#1655)

What we are seeing all around us is the effect of a somewhat dysfunctional society that cannot distinguish between why we are what we are as opposed what we could be if things were much better. I don't hear this from closed minded people who can only see the effects of despair and what being downtrodden can do to people. They don't realize that no one wants to be less than they are but the options life has given them have been wanting. They think that everyone should be better than what behavior they display and that when they act in ways that are disapproving to them, those others are just bad people who could have made better choices from a myriad of offerings. Not true! The people I refer to are those who only see the effect in people's behavior and not the cause. Somehow they are led to believe that noble intent only extends to their own choices and have little regard for those who have much tougher life decisions to endure. I am saddened by a class of people who can only find the wrong in people's lives without looking deeper to see what caused those wrongs. Institutionally, we can do better, but this concept is not a factor in how some people negatively view others. I can only take so much of a single perspective lacking in depth. Ignorance is not a value and those who cling to it are either in fear or are too selfish to do otherwise. Either way many of these types of people exist around us and living with them and their shortsightedness is always a challenge for me. I keep plugging away at them offering them some new ways to think but whether they even hear is me questionable. Onward ho though. 

If Karma exists (#1654)

I don't even bother trying to deny Karma as an existence. For me it does exist, whether that is true or not. I like to keep my mind and spirit in a place where everything that I am or are going to do must be accounted for. Most believe that at death we are no longer attached to our living choices and decisions, for me though I think that somehow we are and what we do when we are alive follows us even in death. I know it does sound ludicrous given what we know about science but some things about science we have yet to fully comprehend when it comes to the link between life and death. Regardless, personally for me, I just think that what we do when we are alive reflects our soul's desires if we listen to it. My soul may live on beyond my life in this existence and if it does I am only doing here today what I feel is the continuum of what and who I am. I made plenty of mistakes early on in my life but I have matured from those choices and rectified them in ways that express my true self. I can admit I was wrong in being more selfish than selfless. I can admit that harming others for the sake of pettiness and advantage was wrong. I can admit that letting my ego rule my life as if I were a demigod was wrong and all that that entailed. In my opinion, a lot of the dashed/fulfilled hopes and dreams of mine are the other end of Karma coming back and completing the cycle with me and that is how it should be. I may have learned and moved on from my youth's foolishness but the consequences of those decisions will continue to come around until my slate is cleared. I accept that and find peace within the idea that everything is inversely proportional to some equal balance.

An honest society (#1653)

The goal of every society within civilized behavior should be to search out and expose reality wherever it is in the best interests of those who live within those societies. Not everything can be open for exposure but most everything else can be. the hallmark of liberty and an equal/just society is it's right to expression. We all have a voice and we should all have the right to express that voice. However, there are certain times when expressing our voice should be restricted. Such as the infamous yelling fire in a crowded place where no such fire exists, or when some of us purposely tell lies to others for purposes that undermine our right to the truth. This is the subject that interests me most at this moment. The truth of things is how we all get to understand what is best for our society. When we are not given the truth under the guise of those who put themselves up as 'truth tellers" then we all suffer from the confusion and misdirection that most assuredly will follow. Our society must reflect the most sincere attempts to deliver the truth in an honest way or we all are left with a society that has a shifting and weak foundation. We are the masters of our society and we have the tools to shape our society so what we citizens do with that responsibility is ultimately the definition of what type of society we are. Will we value altruism and truth as our guide or will we settle for confusion and greed? It really is a simple perspective I am trying to present here, we are who we think we are or we are who we settle for being. Personally, I am for building upon the great values of virtue as my guide and hopefully the next generations will be able to see the truth of what that actually means.

It is easy to make excuses (#1652)

When I wanted something or I wanted to do something that goes against logic and common sense I usually could find a way to make an excuse for myself so that I got to do whatever it was that I desired to do or achieve what I wanted. Making excuses had become somewhat of a pastime not only for me but for many around me. Now I can say that I have restricted myself from being so selfish and now making excuses is not an option when logic and common sense dictate something different than my desire. I have given over my will on such enticements that caused me such dilemmas in the past. For everything has a cost and being illogical has a way of coming back, like Karma, and bite me hard when I least could be bitten. So making excuses is not a subject I even entertain in my mind anymore. I accept reality for what it is and move on from there. I may want to change reality and make life different in better ways but I cannot shirk the responsibility to recognize reality and move from that point. So no lying, cheating or stealing to obtain my goals and for that I am a better person. When I do have to make an excuse it is around the idea that I am asking for forgiveness for some failure on my part, not for some gain. I have found that there are no shortcuts in life, instead there is just doing things the right way and then moving on. Making an excuse should be hard and if it is then you know you are trying your best not to be selfish or to fail.

Why I care (#1651)

Something within me calls out for fairness and justice. I can't describe where it comes from other than to say it comes from the core of who I am. I have been harmed by unfairness and injustice so I know what it is to be personally harmed. My outlook is that I can define myself within a system that gives all of us the same chances to do so but when that system is rigged for some and blocked for others then I have a problem with that. What I know about myself is that when I have a problem I am in search of a solution. It is the natural curious side of me that kicks into gear when I have felt the condescension of inequality. My curious nature has many other areas of interest that come instinctually when things are fair and just but even more so when I am in search of a solution that needs to be found to alleviate the thoughts and actions of unnecessary institutional harm. I care because it is who I am as a human being. My life is a testing ground that should reflect the same types of opportunities for others. Even though I have been denied some opportunities myself, no one should have to feel the debasement of unworthiness. I will continue to stand and fight for solutions to problems I can identify and my life won't be any less happy. My nature tells me that although things are imperfect they can be improved upon without destroying what we have already achieved toward alleviating the ill constructs of our civilization. Why I care is more about doing something right in life than it is about not doing something right in life.

Sweeping out the false ideologues (#1650)

We are coming up on a new national election in a little over a year and the time is upon us to realize that there is a party in office that wants nothing to do with creating laws that benefit the majority of Americans. The Republican party is bent on the idea that keeping the wealthiest among us in the same or more wealthy state is their cause to fight for. It would be a good cause if all of us were wealthy but we are not so their idea only helps about 1% of our population. The other 99% of us are left with the other party, the Democrats fighting for our betterment. Now the Democrats are not perfect and some of their members in office actually help to undermine the 99% cause of betterment but for the most part the Democrats, especially the progressives are our champions. While Republicans are working to restrict voting where people traditionally vote for Democrats, the rest of our base needs to come out and vote in 2014 like it is a presidential election. We Democrats cannot be innocent bystanders in any election anymore where Republicans have the possibility of gaining more power to subdue the working/middle/poor class while continuing to enrich the wealthy. The absolute imperative nature of reversing Republican power in politics is fueled by the Republican attack on the opportunities most of us need in order to share in the American dream. I hope all of us find within ourselves the resolve to stand and move forward into our futures like our right to have a say in our governance demands.

We are not how others define us as (#1649)

Everyone who wants to define any of us has some agenda for it. Whether because of safety, security or advantage of some sort, no one can say with certainty who someone else is. We find out what a person is like or how a person may act by how they acted in the past. I barely understand the simple forms of who I am so for me to even try to define you or anyone else is a fool's errand, it cannot be done. We all want things in life to be some way or another but trying to get there by using a mechanism of illogic is unfortunate and counter-productive. The complexities that make up our lives cannot be definitively evaluated by someone else when they see actions. We generalize for sure and that does seem to come close to putting us in categories but still those categories are not compartmentalized. We shift in our understandings given the unique circumstances we encounter daily. Some of us are less movable in our attitudes and that is sadly a static concept not worth having. We must all stand on virtuous principle and allow those virtuous principles to be our foundation but from there none of us is predictable or should we be. When nefarious intent is on display a course of action can be interpreted but that still does not define who we are. The human species, all of us humans individually retain a uniqueness that is both priceless and confusing. When we are not under the idea that we have lost our right to think for ourselves in a universal way, we are both startling and surprising in ways that would nor should ever be categorized through simple definitions. 

Our emotional persuasions (#1648)

Think about this for a moment. We are driven by our reactions to things. Usually we think about things before reacting but many times we react before thinking as well. The reason we react before thinking is that we are emotional and our emotion is highly valued. Not always are our emotions a great guideline though because they can cause us tremendous difficulties when they are not channeled or controlled in civilized, behaviorally acceptable ways. The point being is that we are emotional within our essence and knowing that we are a species more than inclined toward emotional behavior is insightful. We care about things that matter to us, not just in a logical sense but in a way that satisfies some basic instinct within our makeup. From that point to the next is that we are instinctive emotional beings. So any conclusion about our purpose in existence must include how we "feel" about what life is. Not our mental outlook on life but our emotional outlook. We see what is going on around us and it effects our soul in ways that are definite and definable. Just the utility of logic and common sense to serve as our equations for building our society is not enough. We must also factor in our understanding of what the nature of our emotions is telling us. We are not the hardened creatures who can look upon destruction of empathy and selflessness as virtue, on the contrary, we find ourselves looking for ways to bestow some form of opportunity, equality or fairness to our society that involves bettering the bad and alleviating the suffering. Our souls demand an enlightened and caring character from each of us and it is our duty and our destiny to our species to provide it. 

Solving a problem requires there to be a solution (#1647)

One cannot just say I am against something as a means for it being a solution. An alternative theory or concept must be forwarded as a replacement of something currently being used. The argument or debate on some new policy must back up the claim that the proponent is making. I can't though just say leave it alone as a solution. Ignoring is ignorance and that we cannot abide. General statements like "this isn't working" must have some other "this" in mind as a replacement otherwise their critique is nothing more than complaining without offering another solution. There are many in our society who sit back and complain without offering another solution outside of doing nothing. We all could do nothing but then nothing would ever get done. Only serious people offer improvements based upon logic and common sense and only non-serious people offer no solutions except to do nothing. Instead of these do nothing critics just doing nothing maybe they should roll up their sleeves and get to work helping improve the current policies we are trying or get busy working on imagining and creating a better policy. Now that is if they really care, otherwise just complaining is their way of doing nothing as an intent. There are many people out there who don't realize that we must all have some occupying activity attached to our lives to make us feel a part of our society. Finding new policies that don't include doing nothing or improving the policies we have is the best we can do at the moment and that is right and good. 

Pinprick of the heart (#1646)

When nothing else is in it's place a void will try to find meaning of some form. Not always right but something must fill the space. Such it is with strong emotional feelings. Dwelling on the past does me no good but in lieu of something in it's place here I am. Oh well, it is best to let it go and think about other things while my emotions go back to a more quiet state. Life is like that, if we don't find something of the same nature to fill our lives we will stew in what could have been or what would never have been. Who knows but such idle imaginings are of no value and thus need no further consideration, at least that is what logic tells me. However my emotions have never been much for following the rules of logic, instead they operate on some otherworldly force that evades my describing it. Normally I would not have delved into this subject but the realness of it defies me to ignore it. Faced with agreeing with the logic of ignorance I have no chance therefore here I am discussing my frailty like it is running water. As my mind and soul rumble through my past I am reminded of my many faults and the 20/20 hindsight I now have as opposed to the inept consciousness I had back when. There is some salve for my wounds in that I am not the only one who has failure as his prize since so many like me have a same tale of woe. Misery does love company if for only a moment and then again I am reminded that our species has so very far to go in mastering our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. For now I will move on from my contemplation of what could have been to what may still be able to occur, just like hope prescribes.

Imagine a better world (#1645)

I suppose that is my dilemma, I saw the world when I was growing up and the view from then is still about me. Nothing much has changed in the many decades since my first understandings. What is wrong is that we are not evolving in our society very much and that is what troubles me most. It seems that there is an infection of greed that has surpassed community. We can't even get some of our national politicians to improve our roads, highways and bridges. As if letting our country fall apart is a symptom of their remedy. I ask myself is this the 1960's or the 2010's? Where has much of any progress gone and at what cost to our civilization are we willing to let happen to placate those who think that not knowing is of more value than knowing? I will say this here again, we are living breathing data processors. We input information from our 5 senses and then use our brain to reason, analyze and conclude. For us to not know is against the very nature of the human being. I state here in this blog and as a foundation for all my writings here that we are of 3 natural instincts, curiosity, compassion and survival. If we were to not know, or to care about each other, how would we exist together? If we only had survival as a natural instinct, how would we ever advance beyond the most brutish characteristics? There is no logical argument for allowing an end to progress. We must, and by our very natures, will continue forward into an even brighter enlightenment regardless of those who have the power to obstruct our movement forward. Our whole purpose in our individual, and in our collective existences is to create a dimension that reflects the best of what our natures should reveal. 

A better place (#1644)

For too much of my life I saw the world around me with all it's problems and all it's unfairness and I just became cynical and said to myself "why bother"? Why bother with what you may ask. Well I wanted to live in a world that made sense and everyone had the best of what things could be. The naivete of my initial innocence was shattered with my growth and maturity. Not because it is normal to have one's innocence shattered but because of the hopelessness others expressed instead of a determination to make things better. I feel into the trap of pessimism and instead spent too much of my early life being selfish and perpetuating the problems that continue to surround us. I was lucky to have broken my, until then, deeply seated pattern of despair filled behavior and reconciled myself with the innocence I had lost because of it. I now see life through the eyes of the child that still lives within me and for that I am in a better place. No longer do I despair over the perpetual wrongs that exist around me instead I just make a determined effort to understand and explain them in a way that allows for me to find solutions to advocate for. I am not wallowing in cynicism looking to find what there is for me, I am rather uncaring about what is in it for me and look instead to what is in it for our species. I have a greater purpose in life and what is amazing is that by trying to do the good and right thing for all I am actually doing good for myself.