The Pursuit of Purpose

1st Edition
By Craig Schoonover
Sunnyvale
2011
Is there such a thing as Common Sense? Is it worth the pursuit? Is
anyone capable of putting together a perspective of the truth, that
enough of us can recognize, to form a philosophy to live by. Is there an
understanding that can be applied across all cultures, and embraced
by all religions? These are the perspectives I have gained from life,
that I have written down for those times when I need guidance. I hope
that others may fnd the same.
Technology has removed us from the arena of our natural instincts, expanding the gap
et!een actions and conse"uences# In frst world nations, the struggle for
survival that has primarily shaped our nature, has been primarily
replaced by the drive to succeed, where mainly we as ourselves how
much is enough.
In multicultural communities with constantly changing challenges, and
the growing in!uence of institutions on our lives, we need to learn how
to identify those people we can rely upon for the truth, to maintain the
trust necessary for civilization to thrive.
Tale of Contents
Presented Perspectives
P$%E
&ntroduction 1
1 'iving is defying inertia (
2 Truth is the only real currency 1)
* The struggle for survival is inherent to our nature 2+
) ,ou are the only person responsile for the life you live# *)
( -orality is the foundation necessary to estalish trust# *.
. /o one nor anything is perfect,except perhaps %od# (0
0 The parents that raise you and the children that you raise
are the est things you !ill ever have going for you# ((
1 The alance et!een !omen and men has greatly shifted# (+
+ 2irtues ta3e !or3 to develop, and patience is the 3ey# .)
10 4hen !e let others ta3e advantage of us, !e let them ta3e advantage
of the people !ho love us and everyone around us# 02
11 5ur lives depend upon the !orld !e live in# 01
12 $ddictions drain the 6oy out of life# 01
1* There !ill al!ays e 6er3s to deal !ith# 0*
1) 4e have to ta3e care of our minds and odies# 0.
1( &f !e !ant respect !e have to give respect# 00
1. 4hen !e must discriminate, it should e for the right reasons# 01
10 Charity enriches the !orld, 3eeps us going, !hile greed turns us into# 10
people !ho can not e trusted#
11 7umility ma3es us stronger# 12
1+ %etting things done is a matter of doing# 1(
20 7ypocrisy is the door through !hich all evil marches# 10
21 7ard !or3 teaches us discipline and tenacity# 1+
22 Boredom is a serious prolem# 1+
2* $n idea is a genie in a ottle, once released it has a life of its
o!n and can have the po!er to change the !orld# +0
2) 4e live in a !orld of tangents# +1
2( True, loyal, and trust!orthy friends are incredily valuale assets# +*
2. 4e are predators y nature# +)
20 Time continuously marches for!ard# Things can8t e ta3en ac3,
once you say or do something, it can never e undone# +.
Conclusion +1

&ntroduction
%od created the !orld, and !e !o3e up in it# $ncient man, or more correctly, the ne! eings,
discovered that the !orld existed eyond the moment, things !ere going on, that they did not
understand, and that is proaly !hen they came up !ith the concept of %od, or god, or gods and
goddesses# 7ere they !ere, in this vast !orld that did not end, that !ent on forever, and never stopped#
Some point of self a!areness, consciousness, must include recognition of one9s limits, the position of
self in the vast unending !orld# Even still, the !orld continues to gro!# Bac3 in ancient times, the
!orld !as vie!ed as much smaller# The heavens evolved around the Earth, and the Earth !as held up
y a giant ancient god, !ho stood on the ac3 of a turtle, and it !as turtles from there all the !ay do!n#
:onathan 'oc3e proposed that !e are orn a lan3 slate, and uild our perception of reality from
the experiences !e gain# &t also follo!s that !e uild our emotional responses in the same manner# This
type of understanding !e !ould uild of the !orld !e encounter !ould e entirely dependent on our
experiences !hich define our perspectives, as !e develop a functional aility to navigate this !orld#
4e uild this model in our heads created through our perceptions, !hich !e constantly test to determine
if it is true, ma3ing ad6ustments, as our needs identify#
The aility to place a et is one of the critical s3ills needed to e developed, to succeed at life,
ut it is seldom discussed as a s3ill to hone# 4hat are !e !illing to ris3 in order to get !hat !e !ant#
The greater the desire, the perceived gain, the more !e are !illing to ris3# &t is all a matter of
perception, !here emotion and intellect collide and collude in compromise# This is the area !here
common sense disappears# 4here the choices !e ma3e are most disparate# 4here the choices of others
ma3e the least amount of sense# 7o! much !e are !illing to ris3 for !hat !e value, often goes eyond
all logic or reason, it is emotion and intellect !or3ing together to get !hat ma3es us happy#
-odern technology has removed us from the natural arena, and placed us in this artificial
environment of our o!n creation# This has added a ne! and uni"ue t!ist to the !ay !e interact, and is
possily one of the greatest changes !e have ever faced# This ne! !orld created y technology seems
to have endless possiilities# &t is a place !here for!ard planning and automation increases the gap
et!een actions and conse"uences, !here the gray areas et!een !hat is said and !hat is done have
expanded to a point !here the connection is often almost untraceale#
The first half of the t!entieth century, !e put our ne! mastery of technology to use y fighting
extremely violent !ars on a gloal scale# $mong the first lessons !e learned is ho! destructive
technology can e# 4e released the po!er of nuclear fission, and at least !e !ere smart enough to e
terrified of !hat !e had unleashed#
The second half of the t!entieth century !as an era of excess, not only of drugs, sex, and roc3;
n;roll, ut also of monster truc3s, giant mansions, and celerity !orship# 4e had "uic3ly developed into
a disposale society !here consumption !as necessary to 3eep the gears of our mar3et economy
turning# &ndustrial pollutants threatened our environment, !hile poverty and ghetto violence isolated
and segregated us ehind our T2s and 6os# The alternative to our !orld of excess !as a !orld living
under a totalitarian government !here opportunity had een vastly removed# The !orld9s super po!ers,
divided et!een these extremes, engaged in a cold !ar rivalry ased on competing economic
philosophies, !here the people of the third !orld !ere often used as pa!ns#
7overing aove this conflict !as the very real threat of nuclear !ar and the destruction of life
as !e 3ne! it# 5nce released from its ottle, the nuclear genie could not e put ac3# &t !as as if !e
could not go for!ard, nor could !e go ac3#
<uring these times, it seems that the principles, !hich guided our society for generations, have
een scattered and tangled y the machinations of our modern !orld# Electronics and comustion
engines reshaped the !orld et!een generations# -aye even more rapid technological expansion
a!aits us in the future, ut in this era, people in developed countries escaped from the daily struggle for
survival, into an age !here !e mainly ponder ho! much is enough#
&n the past, parents !or3ed at home, either on the farm or in the cottage, !or3ing the family
trade# The influence of parents over their children !as far greater than it is in these modern times, !hen
parents !or3 outside of the home, and children are more influenced y media than their o!n parents#
Comined !ith the advance of technology, and the rapid change in ho! people live their lives from one
generation to next, it seems that all too consistently, our traditional roles have failed us#
:et age travel has resulted in the cultures of !orld eing thro!n together in a ste!# ,our neighors and
co!or3ers could e from any!here on the planet# -usic, food, eliefs, and practices !ere tossed into
the pot# 4e 3no! first, the !ays of the land and the people !here !e !ere raised, and that shapes our
perspective of the !orld and all that is in it# &n this ste! !e discover that the differences are not so
great, although they certainly exist# 4e egin to ponder !ho and !hy !e are, and the stirrings of old
gods raise their heads# &t is good that !e should ponder the fate of our immortal souls, ut the
universality of !hy !e choose ho! !e live goes eyond all of this#
The !ays of the past have lead us to this ne! place, !here !e must no! find a ne! !ay
for!ard# ,es, !e should ta3e into consideration all that !e have learned from the past# 4e don9t have
to aandon the old !ays, 6ust add the lessons !e are learning from this ne! place# /e! age religions
and philosophies have sprouted up every!here, see3ing to find a ne! !ay for!ard# The old gods must
no! learn to live amongst each other in peace and !e must come to grips !ith the ne! gods !e no!
face# /ot only must !e learn ho! to deal !ith the nuclear genie !e have released, !e must learn to
deal !ith all of the repercussions that come from the advancement of technology#
Beyond all schools of thought, exists common sense, inherent truths that can e seen from all
perspectives, loo3ing directly at the reasons !hy !e live our lives the !ay that !e do# 4e need a
perspective of the truth, respective of eliefs, culture, religion, science, coming from a shared common
sense understanding, if !e are ever going to close the large gaps et!een actions and conse"uences,
!hat is said, and !hat is done# 5ur multicultural communities need to find a common ground, an
understanding of truth and morality to forge etter role models, for this rapidly evolving ne! !orld#
Purpose=
& have tried to find and define !hat & feel are critical truths of this modern era, and to !rite them do!n
so that & have them availale !hen & need them, to help me navigate through life# 7opefully, others
might find these useful as !ell#
1. Living is defying inertia.
It is good to have drive, as long as you do not drive yourself to madness.
"ttitude and passion are more important than intellect, talent, or physical
prowess. These are traits absolutely necessary for consistent success. #ith the
correct attitude, we are able to ride the waves of our passions into the world of
our dreams. $assion is the handle, attitude is the tool.
$oints to add in discussion % &rive, ambition.
Attitude
"ttitude is how we approach situations, our emotional balance, our willingness
to eep an open mind while at the same time remaining focused on our
commitment and our ability to recognize the point where we need to cut our
losses. "ttitude speas louder than words. 'our body language, position, tells
everyone whether or not you are gliding along smoothly, or all discombobulated.
&on(t let the turbulence put o) by others noc you o) of your attitude. *earn to
laugh at the chaotic positions, revel in the happiness and successes of others as
well as yourself, ride the winds, ride the waves.
Approach
*earn how to approach everything and everyone with the correct attitude.
That which we now, we approach in the way we have learned to approach. #e
learn not pic up a sharp nife across the edge of the blade. That which is new,
we must fgure out how to approach. &o we go ahead straight on, full frontal, or
do we circle around to get a good loo at this new thing. +aybe we go to the left,
or to the right, come at it sideways, or from behind, or dance around it. +aybe
we snea up on it, or move in slowly and cautiously, or perhaps steady and
confdent. "lways, attitude is critical, how we are balanced, physically and
emotionally.
Control
#hen we loose attitude,we loose control, and the frst step to regaining
control, is to fnd the correct attitude for the situation of the present reality. In
order to maintain control, we must ad,ust our attitude as the reality of the
situation changes. #e must ad,ust as everything around us ad,usts. -nly by
following through with the correct attitude, the re.uired position, can we achieve
the desired outcome.
Control is not about dictating the situation, but doing what can be done with
the situation to reach the best possible outcome.
The waves of passion.
$assion, the !ame of life that burns inside of us and animates the !esh, is lie
the !ame of a fre, that must be maintained with vigil, as anyone who has ever
tended a fre through the long night nows. -ur hopes and dreams feed the
passion and desire that spar the fres of our emotions that pour out into our
lives. This gives us the drive we need to do the great things that we are capable
of doing.
"n important measure of a human being is their ability to temper their desires
and control our emotions, to not let ourselves go, to tae what is needed, and no
more. Instinct, from days when life was short, when world was e/tremely
dangerous, and we did not now where or when we would get our ne/t meal, raw
motion often carried the day. In our modern world, allowing our raw emotions to
run wild usually can often lead to our own embarrassment, and leave us more
miserable with our e/cesses, than if we had ept ourselves in chec.
In this modern world of in our artifcial environment,emotional control is more
important than ever.
That isn(t any reason not to give our emotions their reins now and then, we
,ust have to be careful of the company we eep at those time.
The discipline and the struggle to maintain control of our emotions is a great
tas. +ost of life is about regulating our emotions and putting them to wor. It is
our failure to regulate our emotions that usually leads to our own self destruction,
allowing us to become our own worst enemy. In the dance from hollow
indi)erence to fery passion, from nirvana to despair, addiction to repulsion, wor
and play, we e/perience cycles that tend to be di0cult, if not impossible, to
ignore. $atterns of cycles can be observed, from the seasons, to the tides, to the
ups and downs of our own lives.
*earning to recognize these cycles determines how well we succeed at riding
our passions and navigating the seas of our emotions.
The Choppy seas of anger and resentment
The real danger is when we allow anger, fear, ,ealousy, and petty
resentments to get the best of us. #e allow our brains to s.uirm with insane
fantasies. #e go beyond acting out. #e let petty obsessions tae control of our
lives, lose our sense of humor. It is important to see it, recognize it, and even
better to laugh at it. Cling to the humor, and let the anger bleed away. There is
a considerable advantage to learning how to laugh at ourselves. 1rea away
from these negative emotions, before they eat you up. 2ind a healthy way to
blow o) the steam.
Enjoy the ride
There is the perspective that the more you defy inertia, the harder you go
after life, the more alive you are, but you can do a lot of damage in this world by
going too far. #e should not allow our ambitions to override reason and lose
sight of conse.uences. "t the same time, by being too careful and suppressing
ones desires too much in fear of doing something wrong, we can allow fears to
override our sense of right and wrong and ill our sense of empathy, leading us to
commit far worse atrocities in an attempt to control that which we fear.
Supposedly we en,oy more from the hunt, than from the ill, which maes
sense to me.
The world is what it is, and it will not be controlled, so why try.
How to catch the wave
#here do we fnd the passion that enables us to shape the world? +ostly it is
the mental and physical pleasures that we discover, which drive our most fery
passions. 2rom the innocent ,oy of play, to the burning lust of our loins, to the
peaceful embrace of a good day, to the spar of creativity, to victories and
success in our goals, we learn the tics that ticle our fancy.
The Tempest of passion.
#e learn that we must wor to eep en,oying the pleasures of life, that we
can not always get what, or who, we want. 3nvy, ,ealousy, and hate can stir our
emotions as greatly as the dearest of a)ections or the pinnacles of
accomplishment. #e strive to out do our competition for the fruits of life,
because nature has presented these desires to ourselves, and all others as well.
Thus the tempest boils in the teapot. +ischief steams out and dances wicedly
through long nights. $leasure and pain co4mingle in high fre.uency bursts as we
dance between the two. #e fnd that loss can create pain as sharp as any
pleasure we may ever now, perhaps more. Thus the passions of our youth tends
to burn, and this is when we commit our most controversial of acts.
#e should toss our selves into the tumulus seas of passion and despair,
because it is the only way we are ever going to learn to swim, or to catch the
waves of our passion. These con!icts, doubts, fears, and failures in our lives are
the realities of this world, and the only way we can learn to deal with these
realities is to wade out into the waters, and gain the e/periences necessary to
deal with life. The lessons that we learn from these e/periences are never easy.
#hat is right, what is wrong, what should we be proud of or embarrassed about?
#hat was ,ustifed, and what should we feel guilty about? 5ow much can we
forgive of ourselves, as well as others.
Control
These issues can cut deeply and create con!icts that resonate throughout our
lives. #e can be made or broen by these moments. In this modern era where
there are more choices, a broad mi/ of cultures, pop media in!uence, and less
parental guidance, there should be better answers. 6ew role models are needed.
There is considerable temptation to create laws that police our youth, setting up
the situation where the government becomes everyone(s parent, but this is a
very dar path to descend, because it leads to government running our lives.
7ather than see out a government solution, the better answer is to provide
youth the opportunity to develop emotional maturity, with the understanding
that this is an important part of growing up. 'oung people need a place to go,
where they can escape from constant control, where they can e/periment
socially, learn to deal with mistaes, and emotionally mature, learn to swim, and
hopefully ride the waves of passion. &ealing with emotions in social situations is
lie anything we do, it taes practice, especially in dealing with life(s emotionally
charged moments. 3motional maturity is critical in learning how to deal with
more comple/ problems as adults, when we are on our own, and the staes are
much higher. 1y woring to establish the right environments for youth to be
given the chance to e/periment, and develop their emotional maturity, we can
give future generations a better chance of developing better role models for this
changing world.
3ventually these tumultuous times that are primarily the stu) of youth wash
away, and we turn to more practical things, accomplishing things, building things,
raising a family. 3ven with these deeper, more mature passions, the con!icts do
not go away. 7emember, these con!icts can be the waves of our passions, that
we are better o) riding.
Figuring out what we truly want out of life might e life!s greatest
mystery.
This is where we place our bets.
True dreams and ambitions can be as di0cult to fnd as they are to achieve.
'ou fnd out how fast twenty years can go by. It is easy to do the absolute
minimum and ,ust let life slide along. "nything worth doing, taes e)ort, putting
those emotionally charged moments to good use. #ith emotional maturity we
harness our passions, our emotionally charged moments, to accomplish our
dreams and ambitions.
*ife happens in the here and now, because we have to do things to mae
things happen, fnd new ways to eep ourselves entertained and interested in
life. If we do not go at life and see out challenges and adventures, we set
ourselves up to get trapped in a bubble of indi)erence, poverty, dissatisfaction,
and failure.
There is such a thing as going with the !ow. &oing something di)erent is
always more di0cult. #hat separates us from the animals more than anything is
that we do not do the minimum. #e do not settle with a meal and ade.uate
shelter8 we wor far longer to mae our living situations far better than the
minimum to survive. #e fght against the stream, living the more di0cult life to
reap the greater reward.
Flaws in the "ystem
#hat I don9t understand is why society seems to insist that we go to college
and choose a career, before we have ever done anything. 5ow can we now
what we want to do with our lives when we have so little e/perience? 5ow can
we choose when we do not now what we want? 3veryday we can fnd
something new. Some people seem to fall right into their niche, but I suspect a
ma,ority of us do not, and as the modern world and technology advances,
increasing the choices life o)ers, I thin there will be fewer and fewer people who
.uicly fnd what they want out of life, or stay satisfed with what they have
found. +ore importantly, we should tae advantage of the possibilities the world
has to o)er, by seeing out and obtaining new goals for the betterment of
humanity, when we are able to do so. It seems that it would be more practical
for educational achievement to be something that we engage in throughout our
lives, at those times when we mae changes in our career paths as we learn more
about the world, when we will more liely understand the higher concepts better,
and be more able to apply this nowledge that we see at the higher level
positions we obtain.
The greatest contribution of western civilization is probably the establishment
of representative government and the maret system of economics. In social
situations, people are most willing to give their best when they feel that they
have something to gain, personally, from the situation. This is the reason, the
system of representative government, combined with maret economics, is so
successful. #hen we are forced to contribute to something from which we feel
that we will get little in return, our passion to succeed is greatly diminished.
#hen people feel free to pursue their own interests, mae their own
contributions, and see the opportunity to become a part of the decision process,
they will commit far more e)ort to obtain their goals, and to contribute to society
in general.
The problems then come from those who who only see to wor the system to
their own advantage, who only pretend to go with the !ow and follow the social
contract, waiting for the opportunity to tae advantage. These opportunists build
swells of resentment.
Fate and "cience
6othing in science e/plains why one group of atoms would pursue and
assimilate with another. The spar which sets the living apart from the non4living
e/ists beyond a point where science is able to o)er a logical e/planation. "t best,
science o)ers up the concept of preordained destiny, where all things that occur
are a result of the actions and reactions of opposing forces on time and space,
emanating from some cosmic big bang at the beginning of time. This theory is
not very far from the beliefs o)ered up by religion in the concept of :od(s will.
Certainly I have observed considerable in!uences that seem to demonstrate that
there is such a thing as fate. It may be that the e)ects of desire and passion
produce the illusion of fate and destiny, more so than the actual events of this
world. Still, there are many things that occur that seemed to be inevitable,
brought together by far !ung forces and even subtle events in human relations,
that seemed to have occurred because of hidden in!uences, that might be
interpreted as fate or destiny. +aybe life is nothing but an imbalance of electrical
charges at a molecular level, but this concept leaves out huge, gaping realities in
the interactions of living creatures, and it completely fails to e/plain why such a
basic imbalance would not fnd a simpler, static solution, in the form of inanimate
matter.
There may be forces of this world, forces of fate if you will, that are huge in
relation to the passions burning in human beings that gives us our will and
purpose, but the duration of time is so much more immense than the physical
ob,ects and forces of this world, that collude to create fate, that time is able to
give us the leverage needed for the passions of human beings to defy inertia,
and shape the events of the world.
#. Truth is the only real currency
6obody nows the truth.
Loo$ing for the true angle on this world.
"t its raw essence, truth is how the pieces stac up, align, the interaction at
the rending moment of the present, where the scattered possibilities become the
past. The truth of the past, is not the truth of the present, and the truth of the
present will not be the truth of the future, because the whole world is constantly
changing. #hile many truths, alignments of reality, remain over e/tended
periods of time, the complete whole truth continues to change and evolve. #hat
we now of the truth is all we learn to perceive.
%ecogni&e that a complete understanding of truth is eyond anyone!s
capacity.
#e spend our lives guessing at what we believe to be true. In so many ways
we are all fools with ,ust enough nowledge to get ourselves into trouble. 3ach of
us builds our own version of reality, interpretation based on our perspective of
the world as we learn about it. #e circle the truth, hoping to latch on, but are
never successful, because there always remains a hidden piece. "t best, we
develop a close relationship. 3isenberg(s ;ncertainty $rinciple is in so many ways
the guiding factor, I thin, in so many advancing ideas. #e can never be certain
of anything, all beliefs are based on a reasonable degree of uncertainty, belief
within a reasonable doubt. $ossibilities must be given consideration in respect to
the weight of their probability, when looing for the truth.
%ecogni&ing truth is a life long endeavor
-ur ability to understand truth determines our ability to accomplish anything
in this world, and this is why truth is the only real currency. "lmost everything we
do is based on our perception of truth, even when we try to run or hide from it,
our perception of the truth is the basis on which we ground our reality and mae
our decisions. *ie in the calibration of a precise instrument, we should ad,ust
our perception of the world, as needed, to decrease the degree of our uncertainty.
#e mae our ad,ustments based on a multitude of factors which emerge from
the constant rendering of the present, where the realities of this world are forged
by where the marbles fall, and events create the past. Through this rendering,
we spin our threads of truth, to tie together an understanding of the events that
have occurred, how they unfolded, and why they di)er from what may have
been, thus weaving our version of reality. This is why truth is so !uid, and so
often elusive. The scope is immense, beyond our ability to grasp, infnite and
fnite at the macro and the micro. Thus those degrees of uncertainty eep us on
our toes, ready to mae changes should the events that emerge lead us to feel
that we must change our plans.
How do we come to $now the truth'
"s a young man, I learned to tae alternative routes to the places I
fre.uented. I scouted the territory and became familiar with the creatures who
inhabited it. These were also the habits of many of my friends. #e befriended
the dogs and some of the cats, learned the location of the best fruit trees, where
to swim, where to fsh, e/plored the woods, learned to hunt and trac, and how to
scavenge. 2or me, the ages of eight to twelve were the golden years of
childhood, and we learned more in our e/plorations of the world around us than
we ever learned in school. This is where I learned how to develop a sense of
direction, real world physical co4ordination, and a deeper understanding of the
living physical world.
1y taing the alternative routes and e/ploring the world around us, we were
able to gain broader perspectives, and therefore better perceptions, of the things
we observed, moving us forward in our understanding of life. #e do not witness
the vast ma,ority of things in this world that impact our lives. Still, most of the
things that occur in this world are predictable, because they go through a natural
cycle. #e observe the same events over and over again, seemingly, gaining less
and less nowledge from each repetition. 5owever, by using our history with the
events that we e/perience and witness repeatedly, we are able to loo at things
from a broader perspective, and e/amine the causes and e)ects of the events
more closely. Intellectual tools such as logic and reason allow us to understand
things beyond our normal powers of observation and e/perience. 1y using these
tools to build upon our nowledge, we are further enabled to develop advanced
powers of vision and wisdom. #isdom and vision allow us to recognize the cycles
of this world, the cycles of our own lives, and how the two mesh together. #e
can then .uicly develop a deeper understanding of things that we can only
glimpse or hear about, learn to loo around corners, predict events before they
occur, and unravel the mysteries of the world.
How do we come up with a plan to study the truth'
Aspects to consider in oservation of the truth(
#hat is our $erspective? 5ow far have we circled around the sub,ect, ob,ect,
matter, situation. 5ow familiar have we become with its noos and crannies, and
deep dar secrets? 5ow much have we e/plored?
#hat is our 7elationship with the sub,ect? 2rom how far and how close have
we made our observations, how much of the big picture can we see, and how
much detail can we gather? 5ow intimate are we with the sub,ect?
#hat is our 2ocus? 5ave we given attention to the right aspects? 5ave we
succeeded in identifying that which is most important?
#hat is the "ccuracy of our information, and how precise do we need it to be?
5ow reliable are our observations, how good are our sources, how accurate are
our instruments?
#e apply our "nalysis, using our senses of &esire, *ogic, 7eason and
$robability. #hat conclusions can we draw from what we have learned?
This is a basic process of how we build our nowledge to in!uence the
outcome of events, that we continuously repeat.
)ethods of gathering $nowledge
The advantage of e/perience is that it allows us to test our assumptions,
instincts, intuition, and nowledge by e/ercising our in!uence and control in the
world around us, and observing the results. #e can e/periment, using the
scientifc process. ;nfortunately, time and space limits what we are able to
e/perience in life. #e are able to observe much more of this world than we are
able to e/perience. #hat we witness up close or observe from a distance allows
us to gain a great deal of nowledge, and a certain level of e/perience, even
though our interaction with what we witness or observe is limited. Through
careful observation we can often put together an idea of things that occurred in
the past by e/amining the evidence left behind, even though we did not witness
the actual events. The e/amination of evidence left behind gives us a
tremendous tool in e/panding our nowledge. Still, time limits our ability to
e/perience or observe, and most of what we now about the world, comes from
the information we gain from others, which we must evaluate for accuracy. -ur
ability to e/amine our e/periences and observations, provides us with the
nowledge to evaluate the information we receive from others, critical in our
.uest for truth.
The ey is to pay attention to others and try to grasp their perspectives and
insights. &esire leads us to see out the truth from others. -ur understanding of
our desires allows us to recognize the in!uence our own desires have on our
interpretation of our perceptions. This is the basis of our relationship with the
world, and all that is in it. *ogic allows us to evaluate what others say, and
reason allows us to gain their perspectives and insights. If we learn to empathize
with them and recognize what they are feeling and going through, it teaches us
to understand the things that are going on with the people around us, enabling us
to better see and understand their perspectives. Continuing along this path
leads to a deeper understanding and awareness of self. Through empathy with
others we are also more able to see ourselves through the perspective of others.
"s a result, this leads to a better recognition of our own independence and
identity in relation to others, giving us a better understanding of our position in
this world. "ll of this enables us to better identify those things that we are failing
to perceive. This is why gaining an insight into the perspective of others vastly
e/pands our perspective of the world, and our ability to identify the truth, and
why good friends are also good critics, willing to give a hard honest opinion.
Learning to recogni&e those who are good sources for the truth
6ot only did we learn about the world around us as young boys running the
neighborhood, we also learned a great deal about personal relationships. -ur
adventures and con!icts taught us group dynamics, how to create and form
teams, and how to identify who to trust and believe, and who not to trust or rely
upon for good information.
6o one nows it all. This certainly is not any revelation to most of us, though
it seems to be a point that some people would prefer to believe is a secret. 2or
many reasons, people insist that their version of the truth is only version, in spite
of the evidence at hand. There are times when we all would prefer that things
are ept secret, or ignored. Some people would rather not face that which they
do not now, and fear the truth. They refuse to recognize the gap between how
they perceive the world, and the reality of the world. $ersonally I feel that a
critical measure of another human being is their ability to admit when they are
wrong, or at least the possibility that they might be wrong. 2or someone to
concede that they are probably wrong when the evidence is staced against
them, and to act accordingly, is critical for any solid grasp of the realities of this
world. To fail to do this is to turn away from understanding.
The ways we turn from the truth
There seems to be three ma,or ways we turn from the truth. #e all fall into
these traps of self delusion, and sometimes need to tae these positions in
certain situations. Ideally, we avoid trapping ourselves in delusion.
Sometimes we care more about proving that we are right, then we care
about the truth. -ur emotions override our intellect, eep us from obtaining the
proper attitude. It is more about ego and politics than seeing out the reality of
the situation, and we are often willing to say anything to win. This is the least
predictable and so the most problematic of the three categories.
Then there are those times when we are more concerned with manipulating
the truth for our own ends, and are willing to say what ever to get our way,
sometimes without even realizing that we are doing it. #e can easily fools
ourselves. These situations are more predictable once the goals are understood,
and we begin to bargain, and so are less problematic than the stubbornness of
concentrating on proving that we are right.
There are times when the truth is more than we can handle, when our normal
understanding isn(t woring, and we need to consider new alternatives. #e are
unwilling to consider concepts that e/ist outside of our world view, or to consider
relations which cross over between the way we choose to divide things. Typically,
in this situation, we are honest in our view of the truth, and looing at the world
in this way can have some advantages in maing .uic decisions, our actions
tend to be predictable, but outside of our areas of comfort, we can be very
di0cult. This third way we can turn from the truth tends to be the most
understandable, because there are those times when we need to be more
cautious in our assessment of situations, when we fnd ourselves waling that
fne line between being smart or foolish, in unusual situations where the normal
policies do not seem to wor.
%ecogni&e our limitations
In those times when it is hard to face the truth, hard to admit that we do not
now the answers, that we are wrong, or do not now what to do, we should
realize that the .uicer we admit our lac of nowledge, and mistaes, the
.uicer we get past the embarrassing moments, and fewer are the people who
remember. +ore importantly, our ability to identify that which we do not now,
or can not see or understand, vastly improves our ability to eventually grasp
those very same points and concepts. "n e/amination of one(s self, strengths,
weanesses, motivations, capabilities, limitations, and so where one is wrong, is
critical. Sometimes we ,ust need time to deal with the truth. -ften, the problem
is, most of us hate to be wrong.
*nderstand +eception
#e all hide the truth at times, and there are valid reasons for hiding the truth,
to protect oneself, loved ones, allies, interests, privacy, and sometimes simply for
purposes of negotiation. <nowledge can be used against us, so it must be
protected. ;nderstand that others must do this, and that they must recognize
your need as well. There are boundaries we should all recognize, respect, and
acnowledge as reasonable, and yet at the same time be aware that these
boundaries can also be badly abused. #hile there are some things people have a
right to eep secret, it should be for good reason. Those who choose to deceive,
or conceal information without reason, only prove themselves to be poor sources
of information, and essentially not worthy of trust. This is the negotiating
process we all fnd ourselves going through, in our relationship with others,
ourselves, and the truth.
It is good to doubt and dispute information that is presented as fact, when
you perceive a reason for doubt, but to re,ect or accept information without
reason, especially when there is reason to investigate the legitimacy of that
information, is to turn away from the truth. It is amazing to me, how many refuse
to see the gap between how they choose to perceive the world, and the reality of
the world , and choose to wal around in self delusion. #e all delude ourselves to
some degree, but the di)erence is that some of us try to minimize our delusions
as much as possible, while some do not, and recognizing those who do not wor
to minimize their delusions, helps to avoid being misguided by poor perspectives.
$eople who turn from the truth are not necessarily people who can not be
trusted, but to maintain a good perspective, it is important to recognize the
accuracy of the source. $eople can only give their perspective of the truth. It is
e/tremely important to now how to evaluate, those who can be relied upon to
give an honest perspective, who you can trust, because having people that one
can trust is one of the most important things in life. $eople who ignore when
they are wrong, deliberately deceive or hide the truth without valid reason, or
refuse to consider alternative factors when appropriate, can be dangerous,
because they can damage everyone(s ability to mae good decisions. The
opinion of whether or not people can be relied upon for the truth should be, and
usually is, one of the most critical factors in ones relationships. $eople who
succeed in e/panding their perspectives and developing vision and wisdom
through a close relationship with the truth are e/tremely valuable people. #hen
critical decisions need to be made, an understanding of the true realities of the
situation maes all the di)erence in the world. #hen faced with critical decisions,
most people will put aside almost all other considerations of a persons worth, and
turn to the person they feel has the best perception of the truth about the
situation in .uestion.
The non,physical senses
&esire, logic, and reason are mental capabilities, tools, abstract concepts, and
more accurately, a sense that we must develop to process the nowledge that we
obtain.
Through desire our body and subconscious tell us what we need, warmth,
hunger, thirst, lust, and other physical desires, but we also see out more
comple/ desires. 2or e/ample, we desire to feel safe, because we now that
when we don(t have to worry about protecting ourselves and loved ones, we can
concentrate on other things, lie building or creating. These desires determine
our relationship with the world. <nowing this gives us our grounding point, the
origin of our perspectives, allowing us to sharpen our tools of logic and reason.
*ogic enables people to recognize how relationships tie together, cause and
e)ect. $eople with a developed sense of logic can learn to .uicly grasp things
lie algebra, put the pieces of the puzzle together, and predict the ne/t se.uence
of events.
" developed sense of reason allows people to recognize what is important and
how to prioritize. It enables them to eep their eye on the ball through all the
twists and turns.
#e use logic and reason to arrive at a sense of probability, our understanding
of the lielihood of our predictions. This allows us to prepare to mae
ad,ustments as necessary when probability begins to demonstrate that such
doubts need to be given serious consideration.
3ven science can overreach in its e)orts to establish laws and rules of
science. $robability and uncertainty doesn(t seem to be given enough
consideration in many applications.
" good e/ample can be found in basic mathematics. 6o two things are alie,
and many things that can be identifed as, =of the same type=, can vary
considerably. Two apples, grown on the same limb on the same tree, can turn out
to be almost identical, but a thorough enough evaluation will fnd di)erences.
#hat this means is that one thing does not e.ual another. -ne does not e.ual
one, it is appro/imately e.ual, and so, one plus one does not e.ual two, it is only
appro/imately e.ual. 3ven with the best standards of instrumentation, these
levels of uncertainty e/ist. #hen applied to something as comple/ as a living
thing, this variation increases considerably. #hen you put two people together,
the results can be drastically di)erent. The two can wind up being less than one
woring alone, or two people can wind up being the e.uivalent of three or four or
more people, under di)erent circumstances.
-magination as a tool for uncovering truth
#e are taught absolutes, lie the concept of zero, but mostly zero refers to a
point of origin, a range of values below what is signifcant, often with an
understanding that there are values that represent a negative, that which is
owed, or behind the point of origin. " more reasonable understanding would be
to recognize that there are many points of origin, that what is of zero signifcance
on one scale, may be considerably signifcant on another, or from a di)erence
perspective. It would be very convenient if all things could be considered the
same, from some absolute perspective, but that is not the reality of the world. In
our pursuit of the truth, of common sense, we can(t hide behind science as the
end all answer. #hile using a scientifc approach is often the best approach, the
limits of science should not be ignored. " great deal of what happens in this world
is a result of things set in motion long ago. The ob,ects and forces of this world
are great and our ability to in!uence them is usually very limited. 1y improving
our concept of the truth, we sharpen our vision and increase the scope of our
wisdom, learning to manipulate around and through these great forces. This also
gives us the ability travel through our imagination and gain an even greater
e/pansion of our nowledge beyond that which we e/perience, observe, or learn
from others. These abilities give us a far greater chance of in!uencing forces far
greater than ourselves.
The power of the comination of truth and passion
Truth is current, desire is potential, and the ability to combine the two allows
us to mae things happen, power. In science, there is a direct relationship
between current, potential, and power. The more potential there is, the more
current that can be moved, the two multiply to create power. The less potential
you have, the more current you need, and the less current you have, the more
potential you need. " little truth re.uires a great deal of emotion to mae things
happen. " great deal of truth, re.uires very little emotion to mae things
happen.
.. The struggle for survival is inherent to our nature
It isn(t that far to our barbaric past.
/illing is a reality of all $nown life.
Technologically removes much of the struggle for survival from our daily
e/istence. This also removes us from the arena of our natural instincts. It is
reasonable to recognize that many people who are born into an economically
sound position, or who have achieved a level of success that guarantees their
survival, have the struggle for survival essentially eliminated from their lives.
#hat is needed to replace this struggle for survival, that has guided our species
throughout the history of our e/istence, can be incredibly di0cult to fnd.
It wasn(t that long ago that men were raised to fght bloody horrifc wars.
This physical battle for territory and domination is universal throughout all living
species on 3arth, even including plants. 5uman beings are no di)erent. In the
days of old, often the men would plow the felds, plant the crops, and march o) to
war, maybe return to harvest in the fall. The cycle wasn(t that repetitive, but
wars have been fought throughout history on a regular basis, throughout all
civilizations. 2ighting for survival is a large part of our genetic structure, and we
can(t change that .uicly in a few generations, and if we do, we might be
sacrifcing something critical to continue our survival. 1ut a mere century ago, in
the >?@@s, most people lived on a farm where they raised their livestoc, caring
for the animals that they raised from birth, to ill and eat them for food in order
to survive. <illing is a reality of life. 6ow days we do not live with the animals
that are illed daily, to provide the meat that we eat, which we buy at the tae
out window or the grocery store, but the cycle of life goes on, none the less. #e
do not clear the land, the habitats of the critters and the wild growing vegetation,
in order to raise our crops.
The removal of struggle from our e0istence1 and the factors that
motivate us.
I thin this is the one inherent truth that changes humanity more than
anything. #ith struggle so far removed from our e/istence, the factors that
motivate us have completely changed. The instincts that served so well in the in
the past are now often at odds with the problems of the modern world,
disproportionate with the toned down world in which we live. +odern problems
often seem insurmountable, and yet all too often we fnd that life can be too easy.
#e fnd ourselves emotionally charged for things that we rationally now are not
serious problems, and we fnd it di0cult to relieve the stresses that these
emotions create. "t the other e/treme, when everything is going along perfectly,
we fnd ourselves feeling hollow and empty, and unchallenged in life. #ithout the
pressing need to constantly do the things necessary for survival, there is a huge
gap to fll with desire.
In the past, only nobility tended to achieve a level of success where from
childhood on there was a sense that survival was a distant factor. "s the nobility
of the past flled the gap with e/cess, campaigns of war and races for the poles,
today9s middle class fnds itself with a similar dilemma. The si/ties brought
about a whole generation which perceived a level of lifestyle that allowed them
to feel lie nobility, able to live a life of leisure without having to face the
certainty of death, and a large disconnect developed between actions and the
ultimate conse.uence. 2rom the si/ties on, minimal survival in the ;.S. has
re.uired very little e)ort on the part of the individual. #ith available charity
organizations and government assistance, it is possible to survive living on the
streets in the frst world nations with little e)ort.
Filling the void
Survival is still a critical factor in our lives, but now it is mainly about what
ind of life we want to live, what ind of success we want to achieve, and then
maing plans and sticing with them. #e have to fgure out what we want to be,
fnd our position, niche, goal, place, self. #e worry about the future, education,
money, ids, the ne/t generation, protecting the country, saving the whales,
saving the world. The end is way down the road as long as we don9t do anything
really stupid or ,ust run up against the odds and become a statistic.
"ll too easily survival becomes merely a matter of blending in, doing the
absolute minimal, playing the odds, and adding to the illusions. #e ,ust eep
doing whatever it is to eep the money !owing. #e give up on fghting the
unyielding gravity of indi)erence until we fnd we have san, and then we stop
caring and start letting things go. #e drift until we fnd some urgency again in
life, something to pric the bubble, and hopefully escape. #e develop bad
habits, lose passion, fall into traps, addictions, a)airs. The process repeats.
-f course humanity must act responsibly if it is to continue to survive, but the
actions we must tae are usually not immediate, and therefore do not have the
pressing urgency that they carried in the past. #hat obfuscates the situation
even more, is that for the individual, survival in the modern world is completely
di)erent than the battle for survival that pushed us up out of the primordial dust.
In the struggle for survival it is Ado or dieB, and life is continually tested, in
what those of us who live in the modern world view as e/treme. These tests of
do or die are what forged our nature, gave us confdence in our abilities, our
edge. This edge to reality gave us our reference in life, and without it, without
that sharpness, we lose sight, trying to fll the big hole left by the loss of the
struggle.
Emracing "truggle
#e need con!ict, a way to fnd victory, con.uest, domination, because this a
huge part of what shaped us into what we are. -ur ability to defeat our enemies
and command the world around us is what has allowed us to reach the levels of
success that we en,oy. Struggles shape our character and forge us into better
human beings.
#e lust for power, because that is our nature. The ey we should see is how
to embrace this part of our nature, without letting it control us, to harness this
part of nature, and use it to forge a better world, rather than as a destructive
force.
#e need to fnd ways to eep challenge in our lives, because con!ict and
confrontation are have shaped us throughout the history of our species. It may
even be reasonable to suggest that we need enemies, or at least great struggles,
to continue to advance. #e might be better o) if we grow beyond the need for
struggle, and if that is the case, then we will most liely, eventually, out grow this
need. 2or now, in my observation, the e/istence of struggle in our lives continues
to improve who we are and continues to be a necessary element in our
environment.
2. 3ou are the only person responsile for the life you live.
It is that simple.
3ou have to play the cards you were dealt.
6o matter what barriers, what problems, what horrifc circumstances one has
to face8 in the end, everyone must tae charge of their life. 5ow they play the
cards they have been given is their choice and only their choice. Thining about
whether or not the odds have been staced against us is only good for improving
our perspective of the world, while dwelling on the di0culties that need to be
overcome is e/tremely counterproductive, doing far more harm than good. It is
our ability to deal with the problems life throws at us that determines our success
in life. #e are all victims at some level. Those who learn to overcome the
obstacles life throws at them, and get on with life, are the ones who succeed.
Learn to use your instincts.
5ow do we now what to do when we don(t have the answers, when we loo
at what we now about the truth of the situation, and it is .uite apparent that we
don( t have a clue what to do? Then we have to learn to rely upon our instincts.
The intellect must turn to what the heart feels is best, while eeping aware of the
warnings that come from the baser instincts we get from the gut. There are a
great many times in life where we don(t now what to do, and we have to learn to
trust our instincts. There are even times when our instincts tell us to do or not do
things which are the opposite of what logic and reason tells us to do. These are
the moments when we tae our chances and place our bets in life. Sometimes
you have to roll the dice, and tae what fate deals out. 'ou tae what you can
get, and you move on. -nly as long as you eep woring at life, can you get
another chance. #hether we win or lose, it doesn(t change the realities of this
world.
4. )orality is the foundation
necessary to estalish trust.
It is not ,ust a religious concept.
Fundamentals of civili&ation
#ithout trust, we can not live in harmony and peace. This is what separates
us from the animals, our ability to trust that our neighbors will not try to ill or
rape us, or our loved ones. #ith all the convoluted ideas thrown around about
morality, this is the basic need for morality. To be honest, truthful, and fair, not to
cheat, steal, defraud, rob, or hurt people e/cept in self defense, is among the
most important things a person can do for their family, their neighbors, and
themselves, because we can only trust those who have mastered these
fundamentals of civilization. "s social animals, we need to be accepted by the
group. #e function best when we can wor as a group, and this forms the
foundation on which we base the comple/ set of rules we live by. #hat we ,udge
to be acceptable or unacceptable, is what enables us to set aside the great
resources necessary, for the constant vigilance re.uired to guard ourselves and
our love ones, and concentrate instead on more productive pursuits. This is why,
when you commit an o)ense against someone you commit an o)ense against
society as well.
Some actions are easily identifed as being unacceptable, such as murder and
rape, which are horrible acts and gross violations of trust. -nce proven, these
types of acts result in e/pulsion and forceful removal from society, often by
death. These types of actions create pain and hardship, tear people9s lives apart,
and reverberate heavily throughout the lives of many people. These severe acts
of dishonesty and violations of trust create a situation wherein anyone who
commits such acts becomes such a threat that they can never be truly trusted
again, even when these acts were not committed against ourselves or our loved
ones. 6ot only do people not want those who commit such acts around, they do
not want them to be able to come around, because even the possibility of those
people being in the vicinity maes them a constant threat, even when they are
not present. These types of immoral acts, these levels of dishonesty, create most
of the barriers we have to deal with in life, such as ,ails, police, courts,
government, ta/es, armies, regulations, ect., ect.. In order for our societies to
function we must have ,ustice to maintain a balance between civil order and
repression. Trust allows society to function. #e are all better o) when everyone
acts morally.
5ray areas of moral amiguity
Cust as everyone creates their own vision of reality, each of us creates our
own vision of morality. #e loo for other people who abide by similar views in
order to try to surround ourselves with people that we feel we can trust. Cust as
our individual understanding of truth is the foundation on which we build our
wisdom and vision, it is also the basis on which we are able to determine who we
can or can not trust, what behavior we are able to identify as acceptable or not,
by how we defne our morality.
3veryone lies now and then. It is my observation that we teach ourselves to
lie as toddlers, as soon as we learn that the truth can be a two edged sword, that
can sometimes punish us when things go wrong, whether we are responsible or
not. Therein lies the dangers of interpretation, recognition of responsibility,
blame. #hat we say can and will be used against us, and many are those who
see to de!ect blame from themselves and assign it to others.
This is where our sill at identifying those who can be trusted becomes most
important. +any are those who will say anything to get their way. They will
portray themselves as the victims, when the frst to cry foul is often the frst to
have committed a foul. They will fnd allies in those who also only care about
getting their way, and they will often stoop to any level to get their way. Thus
the forces of evil are mustered, and the lines between good and evil are drawn.
These are the ind of people that no one wants as an ally, partner, co4worer,
associate, or even a competitor.
Competition1 -ntegrity1 and 6olitics
#hile relationships between competitors can be cut throat, where honesty is
not e/pected, and even dirty trics can be e/pected, there is such a thing as
healthy competition, which is constructive, as opposed to unhealthy competition,
that is destructive. Constructive competition improves e0ciency, innovation, and
.uality, while destructive competition pushes things o) trac, undermines
capabilities, and wastes resources. In reality, good competitors are allies who
eep you on your toes, with whom you maintain a level of respect and integrity.
Identifying competitors who have integrity, from those who only create an
illusion of integrity, again, comes down to your own relationship with the truth.
This is where people wor the gray areas between actions and conse.uences,
e/panding these gray areas into the arena of right and wrong. ;nfortunately,
there are many people silled at deluding others, and taing advantage of
situations. #e are often forced to deal with those who we would rather not deal
with, but when we learn that their own selfsh concerns tae precedence, we can
more easily predict what they are planning, and stay one step ahead of them.
Thus e/ists the origins of politics, where people vie to establish their version of
reality as the correct interpretation. Thus these di)ering interpretations of the
truth are where the gray areas are formed. 2actual evidence can be di0cult
enough to interpret. Concepts such as intent and the defnition of the borders
between individual responsibilities mae these interpretations all the more
di0cult. $eople mae ,udgments on incomplete evidence, they choose to hold
grudges whether they are ,ustifed or not. $eople also consciously choose to get
by with whatever they feel they can.
Fairness
+ost of the decisions we mae about what is right or wrong do not rise to the
level of a criminal o)ense, mainly we deal with what is considered to be fair.
Should a person in a position of power be obligated to surrender their position of
advantage for the sae of fairness? #hen people are not being fair, and tae
advantage of situations where they have the upper hand, they often brea away
from what people are willing to accept and then lose the trust of those people.
$eople will put up with unfair treatment for short periods of time, but most will
avoid individuals who do not act fairly in their interactions with others. In such
instances, is the person, forced into a situation that they do not consider to be
fair, obligated to act in fairness? "ctions are not independent. "s long as unfair
practices are allowed to continue the hostilities and divisions grow, and acts of
dishonesty to regain an e.ual position often multiply, sometimes until severe acts
of dishonesty8 bloodshed, death, destruction, and wars occur. These gray areas
between right and wrong in our interpretation of what is fair, lead to broad
interpretations of morality.
Honesty
#e often choose not to be honest. 5onesty is more than not lying8 it also
re.uires that the truth not be intentionally concealed. #hen people do things to
hide the truth, they are not being honest. There are times when it is e/pected
that the truth will not be openly displayed, as in negotiations or contests, but
even these situations re.uire a certain protocol, and agreed upon sets of rules
before people will voluntarily engage in these situations. $eople will often decide
that there is no reason for them to mae an e)ort to be honest with others, for
many reasons that they may choose, and especially when they feel that others
are not honest with them. $eople often form invisible circles of trust, choosing
not to be honest with those outside of their circles. -nce outside of these circles
of trust, it is e/tremely di0cult to get bac in. -ur defnitions of trust, and
therefore morality, can isolate groups from the main of society. -utside of these
circles of trust, the world becomes grayer, darer and darer gray, to the point
where the defnitions between right and wrong become ever more di0cult to
determine.
Circles of Trust
There are clear problems that e/ist in establishing and maintaining the trust
that establishes civil order and allows a society to !ourish. Circles of trust create
groups and divisions that naturally lead to con!ict, which often impedes the !ow
of society, and sometimes leads to complete breadown. #hat is our moral
responsibility to those outside of our circles of trust, those we have decided not
to trust, who have not committed any acts which can be identifed as violations of
trust, who have not given us ,ust cause not to trust them? "t the very least we
owe strangers a chance to prove that they are worthy of trust.
:roup dynamics are forged with alliances and compromises. These types of
relationships allow the group to function, establishing patterns of e/pected
behavior that become important to peoples lives in order for them to function.
#hen outside groups or individuals threaten these established routines, the
group reacts to protect its environment, thus we have the con!ict. Still, the
creation of groups to form circles of trust is a necessary step in comple/ social
structures,while at the same time, group con!icts can create far larger scale
con!icts, that are often the roots of nationalism, racism, tribalism, and many
other dangerous ideologies.
)ulticulturalism
In a world of D>
st
century politics, people are forced to deal with constantly
changing social environments. The struggle for economic success, maret
competition, has led to a complete loss of economic stability for many people.
3verything, from the ownership of property to maretable sills has become
disposable in a disposable society. This creates a tremendous sense of insecurity,
of fragility, and this fragility creates fear. This fear created by growing an/iety
over the lac of stability causes a brea down in public trust, and this loss of trust
leads to a breadown in society. This is a large phase shift in human awareness.
It is change created by an accumulation of the e)ects of modern technological
advances. Throughout human history, change has been a normal occurrence.
3nvironmental shifts and disasters, cultural shifts and con.uests, and
technological advancements have all forced unwanted and sometimes very rapid
changes, e/changes of property, and obsolescence of sills, but the rate of
change we are currently facing seems to be perpetual, and accelerating. The
important thing is that we can not allow this natural sense of fear, that we face in
dealing with this environment of change, to overcome us.
#e fnd ourselves living in multicultural communities which place barriers to
establishing trust. #hile many people want to believe in multiculturalism, many
people do not. #hen it comes to economics, the method and means of success
in our modern world, the split between idealism and reality becomes blatantly
evident. #hether we are taling about San Cose California ;S", Singapore,
"msterdam, <ashmir, South "frica, tribalism is alive and well, and the roots of its
e/istence run very deep into the core of humanity. It is easy to see in society and
even in the wor place how the di)erent groups segregate themselves. The
problems created by tribalism are e/asperated by old feuds, religion, and past
wars. :roups want to assign blame on others and claim victim status for
themselves to ,ustify their actions as retaliation. #e are suddenly supposed to
live in peace ne/t to neighbors whose ancestors were the enemies of our
ancestors in the past. The natural instinct to con.uer or be con.uered is hard to
overcome. #hile multiculturalism has wored in the ;.S., more or less,
integration never came easily and has always included a great deal of cultural
instability. Tribalism e/ists beyond race, religion, or culture, although these
factors often play a large role. Class, education, trade, se/, political a0liation,
and a wide variety of other factors contribute to these divisions between groups
of people. These divisions combined with the di0culties of living with constant
change reduce our ability to form and e/pand stable circles of trust, and fnd a
sense of security.
)orality eyond %eligion
Constant, increasingly rapid change in this artifcial world, complicated by the
rapid combination of multiple cultures, religions, and tribes are pushing us to
move our understanding of morality beyond religion, towards a universal
understanding of the importance of trust, rather than one(s belief in a :od.
&i)erences that create barriers that destroy trust will be resisted and opposed, as
they will always ultimately lead to a brea down in communal trust, and so
civilized behavior. In multicultural societies there are limits to what the ma,ority
should accept from groups whose beliefs wind up imposing their controls over
others. "t some time, the community will have to arrive at a mutually agreed
upon acceptable set of behaviors for that society to continue to function.
-nstitutions and )orality
Topping o) these challenges to public trust is dealing with bureaucracy in
large institutions such as Corporations, :overnments, 7eligions, and ;niversities,
that seem to inevitably rely on bureaucracy in their communications. These
institutions are faceless identities that wield enormous power, where the
individuals, acting behind the mas of institutional identity, are hard to identify
and hold responsible for their actions. These institutions introduce another
aspect of human behavior, in how people are willing to do terrible things to
others, while hiding behind the authority of an institution. It is almost an
aberration of human behavior how cruel people can be when they can claim that
they are only doing what they have been told to do. This disconnect between
ones actions and ones responsibility, where people allow themselves to act as if
they can disconnect themselves from what they do, because they are acting in
accordance to the directions of the institution, is a parado/ of modern civilization,
morality, and civil trust. #ars have always been fought, where this behavior is
evident, and of course there are the actions taen in the name of religion
throughout history where this same behavior comes into play. #e have seen the
machination of newer types of institutions, taen to new levels in their e0ciency
at destroying people(s lives. This maes trusting these powerful organizations,
we are essentially forced to deal with, practically impossible. This is an arena
where we should use representative government to protect the individual from
unscrupulous acts by these institutions. Criminal actions that destroy peoples
lives should not be tolerated by an institution any more than an individual,
especially when the actions of these institutions impact far greater numbers of
people.
It is in these institutions where the largest gap between what is said and done
e/ists. The gap between planning and action is huge, and numerous people are
involved in the planning and e/ecution processes, where the decisions which
determine the outcome are made continuously. This process is rife with politics,
and the dealings of those who see to avoid responsibility for any failure, by
avoiding taing ris, while positioning themselves to tae credit for any success.
Those willing to tae reasonable ris in order to move things forward fnd
themselves being waylaid by politics. &eeply wrapped up in these decision
maing processes are group dynamics. This is where group dynamics forged with
alliances and compromises come heavily into play. This is where responsibility is
covered up, and trust in the system is often broen.
The 7arriers of Trust
It is only natural that people tend to be less inclined to trust those who do not
trust them. The more restrictive we are in choosing whether or not we trust
others, the greater we restrict our access to information, and the less we are able
to accurately absorb and process the information that we gain. The less willing
we are to trust others, the more barriers we have to build and maintain between
ourselves and the larger portions of our society that we are not willing to trust.
The more barriers we build the less energy and time we have to en,oy life, to
e/pand our horizons and our perspectives, develop our wisdom and vision, and
harness our imaginations. +any would interpret this as an e/change between
security and advancement, but the truer reality is that the more information we
are able to absorb and process, the more power we have to better determine who
we should trust and how to protect ourselves and those whom we love.
#hat civilization has done to solve these problems of trust is develop
concepts of virtue and vice. " person in a position of power should not have to
surrender his advantages in order to be fair, and a person of virtue nows how to
be fair without having to surrender their advantages. The ability to be honest,
truthful, and fair is often di0cult, because these concepts re.uire virtues that
have to be learned and tae discipline to practice. It is often too easy to fall into
the traps set by vices that lead us in the wrong direction.
Civili&ation
The real reason that people should act morally is not simply to avoid
punishment or an eternity of damnation, but to avoid e/clusion from society.
#hen people brea the bounds of trust and alienate themselves, they fnd
themselves e/cluded from people who are trustworthy, people of honor, with
whom they would be better o) surrounding themselves. 3ven people who are
criminally minded prefer to be around people who are morally sound and can be
trusted. #hile woring the system, irregardless of what is fair to others, may
lead to material success, it often leads to loss of close relationships and the loss
of deeper emotional satisfaction with life. #hatever may come in life, without
someone to turn to, without someone to trust, we are truly lost.
+orality is the foundation upon which civilization is built. +orality is based on
the perception of trust, and trust itself is based on the perception of truth. The
ability to feel safe in the community where one lives, where one nows that the
people who inhabit that community can be trusted to do the things that we all
hope others will do, our communal sense of morality, is what we need to e/ist on
a normal basis. #hen morality breas down, when ,ustice does not prevail and
dishonesty and unfairness are allowed to become the norm, civilization falters
and stagnates, or even disappears.
8. 9o one nor anything is perfect1
e0cept perhaps 5od
#hich is what maes a sense of humor so important.
The %eality aout 6erfection
This is a necessary concept to recognize in developing a realistic understanding of
the world. I understand the concepts behind perfectionists. Striving for perfection is
certainly a noble cause, when perfection can be pursued, but even the most astute
perfectionist should realize that everything has its limits. There is no reason to try to live
in constant perfection. There are times when things need to be done as perfectly as
possible, and all the e/tra e)ort needed to mae these things happen as perfectly as
possible are ,ustifed, but in most cases, striving for unrealistic perfection is a waste of
time. It is rare that we fnd ourselves in a perfection situation. +ost of the time we must
choose between one set of challenges or another, between what conditions dictate and
what would be best. #e must learn to mae do with what is at hand to get the ,ob done.
-ften, when we do, things turn out better than e/pected. Imperfections force us to
improvise, to be creative, to overcome.
&o not forget that the world, everyone and everything in it, does not see you or
anything else the way that you see it. 3ven though two people may agree in discussion
about e/actly what they want to do, when it comes down to doing, they fnd they have
di)erent versions. Somehow things manage to get done in this world, but it is far from
perfect.
5ames
2or reasons covered, you cannot always rely on the information that you are given.
+ore often than not, you are dealing with various games that people and organizations
prefer to play. Civilization is based on games where the results are measured in winning
or losing and e.uate to advancing or falling behind. -utside of civilization, losing results
in the ultimate sacrifce, death8 it is no game. #e all play games to get what we want.
#e have to learn to hold certain information secret, reveal that information only at the
right moment, and negotiate our way through life. These areas, where we must play
these games, that blur the distinction between right and wrong, are the natural results of
living in an imperfect world. In this world of political arenas, deceptions, hidden loyalties,
and hidden agendas, we must mae deals as best we can for our own providence. #e
have to strie bargains with the powers that be. They will try to bend you to their will,
and this is where you fnd out if you are capable of being your own person. In this arena
we are tempted the most to do the things we feel to be wrong. In this arena we are
tested the most, and at the same time this is where we are capable of learning the most.
It is a bit of another parado/ that in these imperfect arenas we can also forge imperfect
alliances, with those who are our opponents, that we can not trust, but with whom we
develop a code. There is a beauty to con!ict, and it comes out in the respect and
admiration competitors can have for each other. +y best recommendation is to
remember that the road of life is long, and so too are the reverberations of the actions we
tae. It is important to compare the long term rewards with the long term conse.uences.
"ll too often we fnd that once we get what we wanted, it is not so special after all, in this
imperfect world.
5od
+aybe :od is perfect, if you believe in :od it seems to be a reasonable concept. I
am a Christian and I believe in :od, but I9m not sure that :od is perfect nor am I sure
that it matters for my faith in :od. "ll powerful, yes, perfect, maybe. In my opinion, :od
did not create us to be perfect. +any believe that :od desires us to strive towards
perfection. I9m not sure if that is a reasonable goal. Should you obtain perfection, then
what? &oes this mean we also become static? If we are prefect, and change, are we
still perfect? 3ven if you could become perfect, could you remain perfect? The more
important reason to recognize the reality of why we are not perfect is that our
imperfections and the imperfections of the world around us, force us to fnd ways to
survive. This is the mechanism by which we evolve. This is how the struggle shapes us,
and why the struggle is such an important part of our lives. If there is a reason why we
are here, why :od created us, I thin it would be to evolve, to become better creatures,
to be artistically and technologically creative, to e/plore our world to the farthest
reaches. To become better creatures.
+y ability to perceive :od depends entirely on my faith in :od. "s I believe in :od,
he is beyond my comprehension. Therefore his actions are entirely beyond my
comprehension and understanding, therefore it does not matter whether or not I believe
:od is perfect, I could not possibly begin to comprehend, and so it does not a)ect my
faith in :od. I consider it possible that our imperfections, and the evolution that they
enable, allow :od to continue to grow, or at least, to eep him amused.
#hat I do now is that I certainly do not put my faith in the perfection of anyone or
anything that I am capable of understanding. #hat I do not understand I can not predict
accurately, so it does not matter. #hat I am able to accurately perceive within reason,
understand, and often predict, depends on my understanding that no one or any thing is
perfect. "ll things change, and nothing is completely reliable. The best things that you
can do are trust, hope, and have faith for the best, but do not forget to plan for the worst
as well.
:. The parents that raise you and
the children that you raise are the est things
you will ever have going for you.
"nd the stirrings of our dreams.
Family
2amily remains the essence of the cohesion for modern society. 2amily is as
important in the modern world as it has been throughout human history. The
bond between parents and children are the foundation of the family, but the
structure of modern life greatly strains those bonds.
In agrarian societies, where most people lived up until a century ago, and
even in the cities of the past, when industry was based in cottages, children
wored with their parents from a very young age, being e/pected to contribute to
the family farm or business, and the bond between family members was much
stronger. In this environment, children dealt with real world conse.uences. Their
mistaes and failures could easily result in serious conse.uences for themselves,
their family members, or the family business. In these family settings, children
had a great deal more e/posure to the importance of their parents and their
parents in!uence, wisdom, attitudes, morality, and ways of dealing with the
world outside of the family.
In our modern world, we isolate children from parents and wor, and place
them in a safe and protected environment, which also isolates them from real
world actions and conse.uences. It is hard to teach children about the realities of
this world, when all they now is living in a highly controlled environment, where
all results come from an artifcially imposed set of rules, with very wea, often
abstract, ties to the real world. This environment in which we are raising our
children only wors to widen the gap between actions and conse.uences, cause
and e)ect, creating ambiguity that maes it ever more di0cult to properly teach
children. This greatly increases the way the rapid changes we face, shapes us
and warps us in our relations with everyone and everything, and especially within
our families. Introducing children to wor within the family atmosphere has been
the normal route for childhood development for most people throughout the
history of humanity. It wouldn(t surprise me to see a movement bac towards
more traditional roles in the education of our children at home, with a better mi/
between teaching concepts and putting them to use, and a pulling more away
from our current state of institutionalized education. There should be more
standard methods of granting accreditation than the current system where
institutions have far too much control.
)edia
#ith competition from the media and so little time to spend with our children,
it is very hard to pass down the basics of what maes us good human beings.
-ur roles as parents are greatly undermined. &ue to the .uic advancement of
technology, many sills su)er from obsolescence, and this reduces respect for
older people. *ife moves much faster, and this current leads culture towards a
general worship of youth.
Constantly e/posed to a barrage of media, most of us are heavily in!uenced
by pop culture, whether or not we recognize it. +edia, and the pop culture it
creates, is driven by money, proft, whatever sells, whatever entertains, and
whatever outrageous behavior attracts attention. In many ways, pop culture is a
re!ection of ourselves, however distorted and e/aggerated. This gives pop
culture tremendous in!uence over our basic attitudes towards life.
;nfortunately, due to the reduced e/posure children have with their parents, pop
culture continues to e/ert more in!uence than many of us would lie. This large
degree of in!uence that pop culture has over ourselves and our children adds a
great deal of distortion to everyone(s perceptions of the world.
In many ways the children of today have to fgure out their own way to deal
with the world evolving around them. Their world may very well be even more
di)erent from our world, than our world was from our parents world. #e can only
pass on what we learned from our parents, and what we have learned in our
adaption to this rapidly changing world.
Technologies E;ects on Family
3ven though the survival rate for our children is much higher, we are having
fewer children, so birthrates decline. 7aising children re.uires sacrifce, and while
in the past children developed more .uicly into worers to help support the
family and assist the parents, this incentive no longer e/ists. "ll of this adds
together to create serious .uestions about our survival.
This way, that technology has scattered the principles that guide us, has hit
the family structure the hardest. #e need changes in this area more than any
other, changes in our wor ethnic that places family on a much higher priority. In
a society of planned obsolescence, where things are built to be disposed of after
a desired period, because we are able to produce more than we can consume, it
is absurd that we are caught up in a rat race, to the point where we forced to
neglect our families to compete in an economic system that e/ists only to
perpetuate itself.
<. The alance etween women and men
has greatly shifted.
-f course you already new this.
The Change in our %oles
In the past women depended on men as providers and protectors, and men
were rewarded for taing care of women with se/ and o)spring, and the woman9s
control of se/uality is what gave the relationship balance. 6ow, women still
control se/ and procreation, but they are no longer as dependent on men for
support and protection, so the balance has been thrown o).
It seems that the war between the se/es still rages and everyone is still
su)ering from the changes. 7elationships that start o) with loves embrace
evolve into a con!ict of two adversaries fghting to determine who will be in
control. *ie in so many other arenas, the roles that the genders play have been
blurred as the struggle to survive has been removed from our daily lives, and the
demands on the couple to do what is necessary for survival, has pretty much
disappeared. Instead, couples compete with other couples for the appearance of
success, which e)ects our ability to build families, and adds to the complicated
situation of raising children.
+en will have se/ with women whom they have no interest in getting
involved with far more .uicly and easily than women will have se/ with men
under the same circumstances. #hen it comes to se/, women can pic out what
they want, but when it comes to relationships, this is not the case. The new
independence that women en,oy greatly reduces the conse.uences of their
failure to .uicly fnd a good match, and temptation encourages women to go
after men with whom they have little chance of developing a lasting relationship.
This creates a lot of frustration for everyone. +any people are simply giving up
on the possibility of having a relationship. +any people do not want to mae the
sacrifces and long term commitment.
Love and 6romiscuity
-ne of the huge factors that has changed in relationships, is how adultery,
promiscuity, and se/uality are viewed and dealt with. In many cultures, women
were and are viewed as property. This view towards women has changed,
adultery is no longer a crime in most places. The reason for not cheating is to
maintain trust. Se/ is an incredible source of pleasure, and as such, a great and
prime motivator, but the emotional pangs of a broen heart can wound as deep
as any weapon. *ie everything else, common sense and discretion are the best
approaches. $romiscuity can create many problems, venereal diseases,
unwanted pregnancies, low self esteem, as well as a loss of trust among other
things.
The passions of love and lust overwhelm us more often than any other
passion. The fres issuing from our loins turn us inside out and drive us to do
things that we would not normally do. 6othing builds or saps our strength or
controls the concentration of our thoughts more than our se/ drive, especially
when we are young. -ften many of our best and worst moments come while
caught in the throes of passion of love or lust. 2ar too many of the manipulations
and hang4ups of society evolve around se/uality. 1eauty has great power and
many want to control it for their own personal desires and ,ealousies. There is
nothing else capable of bringing out the fools, clowns, and ,ers in ourselves as
well as in others. Still, I have yet to fnd a greater source of passion or pleasure,
or a better ob,ect of desire. 2rom our lust and love springs forth family.
%eligion and "e0
The arrangements that people mae between themselves and in their
relationships should be their own business, and a matter of privacy, but society in
general seems to want to meddle into people(s relationships. "ll too many
people feel it is their right to interfere with other peoples( se/ lives. Control of
people(s se/ual practices seems to be one of the greatest ambitions of most
religions. It has been my observation that when social institutions get involved in
controlling people9s se/uality, beyond protecting people from coercive
relationships, they only succeed in maing things worse. "gain, because nature
has presented these desires to ourselves, and all others as well, we compete for
what, and mostly for whom, we desire. Cust because we can(t get what we want,
doesn(t mean that we stop wanting it. Some people would rather deny others,
what they can not have for themselves. #hen institutions get involved in
controlling the se/uality of people, these powerful, reactionary passions are far
too great of a temptation for abuse, and so abuse taes place.
+any may claim that we are far more se/ually liberated in this modern era,
but history paints a di)erent picture. +any cultures embraced very broad
interpretations of se/ual norms. #hile some cultures claim a morally higher
ground, these same cultures usually have very biased rules in place that many in
our modern era would consider to be far more perverse in nature.
+uality
The con!ict between the se/es and the duality necessary for procreation, that
e/ists in most of nature, has a critical role in the survival of the species. I fnd it
hard to believe that this delicate balance that has been so necessary for our
evolution is still not critical. The bonds of love and the balance between men and
women that allows them to create families, when achieved, is very powerful, and
creates the environment necessary for the upbringing of children, and our future
as a species. It is crucial that we recognize the important roles men and women
serve in our society, and that children need a father and a mother. "lthough the
di)erences between the se/es are not universal, overall, the roles of the se/es
are distinct, and in general the roles that men and women serve in our society
tend to be di)erent. #e are going through a period in which these roles are
changing. It taes time for these changes to develop, but there are plenty of
signs that modern relationships are evolving. To observe the common
di)erences between the se/es is not the same as claiming that one role is more
important than another. The demands of the modern world are far less physical,
and far more mental than the demands of pre4computer age society. Thus,
because the roles of men as providers and protectors have changed, considerable
ad,ustments will continue to have to be made.
=. >irtues ta$e wor$ to develop1
and patience is the $ey.
:ood things come to those who wait, but it seems sometimes that the wait
will ill you.
#hen things are going well, it is easy to be virtuous8 it is when things go
wrong and problems develop, that remaining virtuous becomes a challenge. This
is why patience is the ey. The defnition of patience is to be a good patient.
2irst we must learn to turn o) our pain and discomfort with the problem, step
bac from our fears, and then we can start to deal with things. In my opinion the
modern defnition of patience is the ability to wait for things to happen. #hen we
hear someone calling for patience, this is what they are asing for. #aiting for
things to happen re.uires that we must stop running our thoughts through our
heads, our wants, our desires, our discomfort, and pay attention to what is going
on, and what others are saying, and what needs to be done for what is at hand.
-nce we learn to get past our own annoyance at not being able to impose our will
and stop concentrating on our desires, we can step bac and start to understand
and learn. Then, and only then, are we able to properly deal with the situation at
hand. -nly then can we learn to pay attention, concentrate, and develop
discipline, along with the other virtues. -nly then can we establish the proper
attitude.
Eirtues are critical for advancement to higher arenas of learning. +any
virtues overlap, and development of some certainly maes it easier to develop
others. Still, we can not be everything at once. +ore often, the ability to change
with the situation, and adopt di)erent virtues as they are needed, is the better
approach. It is hard to live with zeal when trying to be disciplined, and it is hard
to partae in celebration while practicing fortitude. There is a balance, which is a
virtue, that we must all maintain. This is all easier said than done. $atience is
also the ey to fnding the right virtue for the right situation.
Culture and >irtue
+any cultures have recognized virtues that enable us to become a better
people. There are many codes of conduct, lie the code of chivalry practiced by
the nights of the +iddle "ges, Capanese 1ushido code for warriors, and the
+asonic rituals based on the philosophy of erecting structures with the goal of
building good character. The 3gyptian goddess +aat, who ,udged the souls of the
dead, looed at what was true, ordered, and balanced. The ancient 7omans
considered celebration of life as a virtue. deal with the situation at hand. -nly
then can we learn to pay attention, concentrate, and develop discipline, along
with the other virtues. -nly then can we establish the proper attitude.
Eirtues are critical for advancement to higher arenas of learning. +any
virtues overlap, and development of some certainly maes it easier to develop
others. Still, we can not be everything at once. +ore often, the ability to change
with the situation, and adopt di)erent virtues as they are needed, is the better
approach. It is hard to live with zeal when trying to be disciplined, and it is hard
to partae in celebration while practicing fortitude. There is a balance, which is a
virtue, that we must all maintain. This is all easier said than done. $atience is
also the ey to fnding the right virtue for the right situation.
+any cultures have recognized virtues that enable us to become a better
people. There are many codes of conduct, lie the code of chivalry practiced by
the nights of the +iddle "ges, Capanese 1ushido code for warriors, and the
+asonic rituals based on the philosophy of erecting structures with the goal of
building good character. The 3gyptian goddess +aat, who ,udged the souls of the
dead, looed at what was true, ordered, and balanced. The ancient 7omans
considered celebration of life as a virtue.
There are many virtues that can be identifed, as the defnition is very broad.
2rom my research, personal habits that mae one a better person include, but are
not limited to the following8 patience, empathy, attentionFawareness,
concentration, discipline, tenacity, drive, adventurousness, conscientiousness,
curiosity, balance, propriety, order, self control, detachment, non4violence,
prudence, temperance, courage, ,ustice, humility, indness, abstinence, chastity,
liberality, conservation, diligence, faith, hope, charity, fortitude, piety, honesty,
willingness to communicate, intelligence, nowledge of good and evil,
trustworthiness, tolerance, zeal, moderation, sincerity, earnestness, indness,
loyalty, charisma, purity, honor, graciousness, respect, responsibility, humor,
mercy, dignity, perspective, frugality, gravity, sophistication, industriousness,
wholesomeness, prosperity, fairness, appreciation, recognition, harmonization,
celebration, openness, nobility, modesty, confdence, carefulness, fertility,
determination, endurance, perseverance, eti.uette, relief, neighborly love, unity,
self4determination, GH
Surprisingly, I did not fnd the frst virtues I listed, in any of the lists of virtues
from various cultures of the pastI empathy, attentionFawareness, concentration,
discipline, tenacity, drive, adventurousness, conscientiousness, curiosity, which I
fnd surprising. #hat I found in my research, is that patience is listed under
7oman virtues where is it defned as Athe ability to weather crisisB. The nightly
virtues in the codes of chivalry also list patience, but I do not feel that patience
was nearly as important in the past as it is today. 1uddhism is deeply engrained
with the sympathy for all living things, but that is not the same as empathy,
where one tries to see the world through the perspectives of others. I would call
these A+odern EirtuesB, which are more important in our modern world than they
were in the past, because we are less concerned with survival, and more
concerned with success, with following plans, and fnishing the many courses that
we must complete in order to advance in our advanced world.
The four classic :ree virtues were far more concerned with survival. The
frst listed is A$rudenceB, the ability to be cautious and mae good ,udgments,
rather than wisdom or intellect. ACusticeB is ne/t, which in the more violent times
of the past often came very .uicly. Then ACourageB, in a world were life was
cheap. *astly, ATemperanceB, in a time when loss of control could easily result in
death. The Christian emphasis on faith and hope is even more closely related to
survival, in a world where often all one could do is have faith and hope that
things turned out for the better. The Islamic cardinal virtues also start with
prudence, and include willingness to communicate, being trustworthy, and smart.
Capanese 1ushido placed loyalty above all else. These are virtues necessary for
survival in a more brutal time. In our world, patience, discipline, attention to
detail, and tenacity are more often preached. These are virtues more concerned
with accomplishing long term goals rather than survival.
>irtues
I feel that you can sort the virtues that I have listed by these fve virtues that I
am emphasizing in the followingI
6atience 4 carefulness, concentration, courage, detachment, discipline,
endurance, fortitude, moderation, order8
Charity 4 adventurousness, celebration, creativity, curiosity, determination,
drive, faith, fertility, hope, industriousness, perseverance, prosperity, purpose,
sophistication, tenacity, zeal, sharing8
Empathy 4 attentionFawareness, charisma, humor, loyalty, mercy, modesty,
nobility, non4violence, perspective, sincerity, tolerance, unity8
Humility 4 abstinence, appreciation, chastity, confdence, frugality, honor,
graciousness, piety, propriety, purity, recognition, self4determination,
temperance, wholesomeness8
Forgiveness , balance, conscientiousness, conservation, dignity, diligence,
earnestness, eti.uette, fairness, gravity, harmonization, honesty, intelligence,
,ustice, indness, nowledge of good and evil, liberality, logic, openness,
prudence, respect, reason, responsibility, trustworthiness, willingness to
communicate, wisdom.
>ices
"ny discussion of virtues should include a discussion of vices. #hile lac of
virtue can eep us from e/celling, developing vices certainly sins us, creating
numerous problems and often leading to our own destruction. Ideally, we
shouldn(t have vices, but we do, and it might be argued that we need some vices
,ust to eep us interesting. It is as important to recognize our vices as it is to
recognize our virtues, so that we are able to navigate through life without letting
any of these vices tae too much of a hold on our lives.
Eices I defne that seemingly e/ist in opposition to the primary virtues
identifed above are paranoia, greed, indi)erence, arrogance, and hypocrisy. It
has been said, that you can now a person by their vices, even better than they
now themselves.
If I were to consider them under categories as I have listed virtues, I would
organize them in the following mannerI
6aranoia % phobias, denial, gossip mongering, close mindedness, mob
mentality, striing out in fear, rush to ,udgement, racism, predudice, unwillingess
to commit, e/tremism, facism8
5reed % addiction, selfsness, self destruction, short4sightedness, lazyness,
sloth, slovleness, deception, sadism, masochism, perversion, dishonesty8
-ndi;erence 4 insincerity, pretensiousness, unreasonable opportunism,
isolation, unscrupulous, moral disconnect, absence of principals8
Arrogance % brutality, bullying, obstinance, unreasonable, revengeful,
scornful8
Hypocrisy 4 pettyness, ruthless, viscous, spiteful, ,udgemental.
The 6ath of >irtue1 and the 6ath of >ice
The development of virtues and vices is progressive. #e learn patience, and
with patience we grow the capabilities that allow us to share and be charitable.
1eing charitable encourages us to be more industrious, and more aware of the
world and others, enabling us to develop empathy and grow in wisdom and
vision. -ur understanding of others helps us to understand ourselves, develop a
clear understanding of our strengths and weanesses, successes and failures
through humility. -ur ability to see our place in this world enables us to fnd
forgiveness for others and thus ourselves for the mistaes we mae in life, which
helps us in establishing a ,ust society capable of accomplishing great things. This
is the road to a better world, but it is not an easy path to stay on.
The paths to vice are many, straying comes all too easy, and the direction is
sometimes very di0cult to determine. -ur fears often get the best of us, and our
appetites help to ease our fears. #e become more self absorbed, stop caring
about the rest of the world. #hen we stop caring about the world, our sense of
self worth fades, and we try to compensate with e/aggerated opinions of
ourselves. -ur need to feel superior drives our desire to see others broen down
to prove our own self worth. 2inally we see to brea the perceived rules placing
our own personal agendas above all else, irregardless of the conse.uences to
society.
1?. @hen we let others ta$e advantage of us1 we let them ta$e
advantage of the people who love us and everyone around us.
Stand up for yourself, it feels good.
It is hard to accomplish anything, or do any good, if we constantly let others
tae advantage of us. #e have to learn to stand up for ourselves before we can
ever stand up for others. Self defense is a right we are all entitled to. "t the
same time, self defense should not be used as an e/cuse to tae advantage of
others, or to hurt others, e/cept when it is absolutely necessary to protect
oneself.
#hat is worse is that when we let others tae advantage of us, we also let
them tae advantage of those who care about us, and in a group dynamic, other
members of the group are seriously a)ected when one member is allowed to tae
advantage of other members. In addition, when we stand by while someone
taes advantage of another, we are only setting ourselves up to be taen
advantage of.
11. Aur lives depend upon the world we live in.
#e are all in the same boat.
#hat we do with the environment is as important as the lives we lead. -ur
ability to shape our environment is what allows us to advance as a species.
3ither we are a deadly virus to the 3arth, illing it with over population and
poisonous practices, or we use our intelligence and become good stewards of the
biosphere that we are lucy enough to en,oy.
1#. Addictions drain the joy out of life.
*earning to control ones appetites is that slippery slope down which we most
often slide.
#e are often our own worst enemies, and those not willing to admit this are
usually the most self destructive of all. 'ou will most liely die young and or
su)er greatly in life if you let your appetites get the best of you, whether those
appetites are for drugs, se/, food, ego, money, power or anything else. " point
that does not get made often enough, is that addictions, and especially drug
usage, can destroy our ability to en,oy life. "ll those periods of intense pleasure
from the high will result in e.ually intense periods of agony and despair, and
these lows last longer than the highs. It is a very bad path to descend. Stay
away from the powders.
There is nothing wrong with en,oying life. There is such a thing as getting too
tightly wound, and being too obsessed with control. :etting a little into/icated
now and then can be a very good way to unwind and let loose. It is important to
release pent up an/ieties, desires, and emotions that need to be vented now and
then, and en,oy life. #e ,ust need to be careful not to let ourselves go too far,
especially in public. 'ou should never let yourself get more than a little buzzed in
public. -nce you feel the high coming on, it is time to cut bac.
There is nothing wrong with wetting your appetite. :ood food, good se/, and
a good buzz, are all great ways to celebrate victory and success in ones worldly
endeavors. To celebrate life is an important virtue, ,ust do not become obsessed
with constantly en,oying the fruits of living. I suspect many addictions and
obsessions are a way of flling in for the void left by the lac of a struggle for
survival in our daily lives.
1.. There will always e jer$s to deal with.
#e all play the ,er now and then, some more often than others.
I thin this should be written down somewhere. It needs to be said.
Sometimes we have to spoil people9s fun, but it should be for good reasons.
#hat most often turns people into ,ers is a lac of understanding, combined with
a degree of ,ealousy. The best thing is ,ust do what we have to do and not let
them spoil our fun.
There are many ways to deal with someone who is acting lie a ,er. -ften,
the most e)ective way to deal with a ,er is to ignore their bad behavior, and
treat them with a level of sympathy. -ften people do not realize that they are
acting lie a ,er, and a little e/tra e)ort by the people who are being o)ended
can clear up an uncomfortable situation, and sometimes turn a bad situation into
a good one. Sometimes people are ,ust having a bad day, and a little indness
can di)use the hostility that is bubbling out of them. Sometimes we thin
someone else is the ,er, and then we fnd out that we are the ones who are
acting lie a ,er. *earning how to deal with ,ers, and learning how not to be the
,er, can mae life a whole lot better, and sometimes open doors to relationships
that turn out to be very valuable and rewarding.
12. @e have to ta$e care of our minds and odies.
I now you now.
In our modern world our bodies are massively under utilized. #e must
e/ercise, and eat right if we want to be healthy and happy. #e are designed for
long hours of hard wor and physical e/ertion. "ll physical e/ertion should be
welcomed to mae up for the lac of physical e/ertion in the modern world. If we
approach all activities as an opportunity to e/ercise we can get a lot more
en,oyment out of life9s daily tass. Taing good care of ourselves is important for
our overall attitude and well being in life. #hen we tae good care of ourselves,
everything else ,ust gets that much easier.
The same is true for the mind. The mind, lie the body, gets better the more
we wor it, and the more it wors. 1y constantly using our minds, constantly
learning and evaluating, we can mae the mind stronger, mae ourselves
smarter, and preserve our minds strength for a longer time.
14. -f we want respect we have to give respect.
"nother fne mess we get ourselves into.
#e should treat others the way we want others to treat the members of our
family and ourselves, at least until they give us a reason to treat them otherwise.
This is an important part of living in civilization. $eople can be the greatest
assets or the worst obstacles, and how we treat them maes all the di)erence in
the world. 3ssentially, it is about being nice to others. This is more subtle than
trust and morality. 7espect is being ind and patient, and often times it means
overlooing the faults and failures of others, and giving people a fair chance even
when it means giving them a second or third chance or more. #e all have our
bad days and mae our fair share of mistaes. #hen people show us a little
respect and indness, a little forgiveness, it allows us to get through the rough
days, and that is why we should be willing to do the same. -n a bad day, a little
e/tra indness from someone can sure go a long ways.
18. @hen we must discriminate1 it should e for the right reasons.
Things we catch ourselves doing.
3veryone has to be able to discriminate between acceptable and
unacceptable behavior and actions to determine whether or not we can give our
trust to someone. &iscrimination is an important ability that is di0cult to master,
especially when most of us encounter people from cultures around the world on a
regular basis. #hen we give people a chance and eep our minds open, we open
ourselves up to new worlds. This allows us to continue to grow and learn, and
increases the odds that we will fnd vast possibilities out there which we might
not get a chance to e/perience otherwise. It is good to be cautious, and there are
many things most of us would never want to have to e/perience, but at the same
time we don9t want to sacrifce life9s opportunities. It can be a tough line to wal,
but we have more to gain by eeping our minds open.
$eople tend to be multifaceted. :iven the opportunity, most people turn out
to be pretty good. It is di0cult to avoid the barriers that all of us erect. $re,udice
is something which we all have to some degree, and which we all have to
struggle to eep from creeping into our lives, opinions, and attitudes. It is
important to accurately distinguish the characteristics of people and mae
decisions about them in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones. There are
valid reasons for avoiding certain people, and it is reasonable to do so, but poor
discrimination, based more upon ignorance, a fear of the unnown, and a fear of
competition, wors against those who poorly discriminate. 7acism is not really
about race, nor is se/ism about gender. They are a result of poor discrimination.
#hen you start automatically e/cluding people from your life because of
preconceived notions you greatly reduce your options in life, maing it much
more di0cult to fnd and develop close relationship that are important for a
fulflling life.
1:. Charity enriches the world1 $eeps us going1 while greed turns us into
people who can not e trusted.
:ive and tae a few now and then.
Charity provides a place for us to invest our energies. The reward for giving is
learning how to produce enough so that we can give. In order to be a giver, we must be
a producers. This is a habit of living that pays o) tremendously. -ne gains the ability to
go that e/tra mile, and along with this comes the ,oy that most of us get from helping
others out.
:reed is tricy. It can be seductive, and easily lure us into its trap through
rationalization. 5ow do we now when enough is enough? #hat is wrong with taing
e/tra, especially when others may very well do the same? #e all want our fair share.
*iving in the ;.S.". through this period of history, it is easy to have more than one will
ever need, and yet people often still want more. 5ow much is enough? This other edge
of success slices so cleanly.
Those who decide that they do not care about being fair, who fgure that they
deserve whatever they can get, irregardless of their contributions, have made the
decision that it is .uite acceptable to tae advantage of others. There is the rationale
that the struggle for survival ,ustifes getting everything we can, and what we are able to
get out of others by whatever means, is simply a matter of acting for our self interest.
The problem with this rationale is that nobody voluntarily gives up their fair share of what
they have earned, which means that getting more than our fair share re.uires either
force or dishonesty. +ost often people turn to dishonesty, but no matter however clever
and elaborate the ruse is, it always boils down to dishonesty. #hen we come into contact
with people who have rationalized that taing advantage of others is acceptable, most
realize that these people will do the same to them. :reedy people screw everyone they
can. #hile in most instances many greedy people are honest and fair in their dealings
with ourselves and others, we never now when they will twist the truth to their suiting,
so we can never trust them, and we are better o) avoiding having any business with
them. It is fne to tae what we can, but greed comes with the e/pensive of losing the
trust of people of value.
1<. Humility ma$es us stronger.
5umility may be the hardest virtue to master.
It taes a great deal of confdence to be humble. It taes a clarity of
understanding of oneself, which greatly improves ones ability to develop a close
relationship with the truth. " well developed sense of humility eeps you in
control of your vulnerabilities, eeps you on your feet and aware of how easily
mistaes can be made, how .uicly damage can be in!icted, and how swiftly the
conse.uences can reshape possibilities. "wareness of these things should not be
confused with the vice of paranoia, because mastering a humble awareness of
your self re.uires that you face your fears and tacle your paranoia. -nly when
you succeed in facing your fears can you begin to see your weanesses and
strengths. 3ssentially, mastering humility establishes a level of confdence and
fortitude capable of adapting to the most e/treme of situations. It is a sill that
enables a person to maintain the proper attitude, and hang onto the necessary
passion no matter what situation one encounters, or how vulnerable one(s
position becomes.
There is no reason to beat yourself to death over your short comings and
failures, but it is critical to recognize them, and learn from them. There are many
times in our lives when we must learn to swallow our pride, admit our mistaes,
and sometimes accept that we have been wrong about something that we had
believed to be true, perhaps deeply, and admit to the world that we were wrong.
#e must recognize our failure before we can begin to re4align our thining, and
mae the changes necessary to correct the problems. This is di0cult, the point in
the process where many fail, that can stop their progress in life. #here we so
easily fall into the trap of turning from the truth, when we become more obsessed
about proving we are right, than recognizing the truth.
*ac of confdence can thwart us in our accomplishments, and so can
overconfdence. #hen we let ourselves become arrogant, it becomes more
di0cult to see our own shortcomings, and much easier to see the shortcomings
of others. #hen we ignore the accomplishments of others and concentrate on
any and all failures and shortcomings, it is not hard to see why arrogance drives
others away. This divide that grows between people who are arrogant and
everyone else only tends to get worse. 2or whatever reason, the failure of those
who turn toward arrogance to gain acceptance from others, only seems to mae
their arrogance grow, both in their opinions of themselves and in their desire to
loo down upon others.
5umility, lac of arrogance, maintaining a courteous respectful attitude, and a
casual attitude towards ones successes, is very e)ective in adding to one(s
charisma, building character, confdence, and maintaining a good perspective.
#hen we are truly confdent in ourselves it is easier to be humble, and it drives
enemies crazy. 5umility does not mean that we should have to put up with
people who disrespect us. #e can be humble and still demand respect.
2ortitude allows us to maintain a courteous and respectful attitude toward
others, even in the most di0cult of situations. 3ven when dealing with hostile
situations we are better o) if we can maintain a level of courtesy. $eople who are
arrogant and lac self control react with anger and hostility in bad situations, and
they only serve to mae situations more di0cult. Standing up for ones self with
honor and courtesy, is far more e)ective.
#hen we are at a disadvantage and forced into unfair situations, even then,
maintaining respectful courtesy wors to our advantage in disarming opponents,
by showing that we are able to rise above the situation. Temperance allows us to
do what needs to be done, no matter how unpleasant. This does not mean that
we should hide our distaste, discomfort, or pain, but that we should endure these
things with dignity. Those who are unable to maintain control in these
circumstances show weaness of character. #e all brea on occasion, and the
only answer then is to persevere with determination to do better the ne/t time.
*astly, when we practice humility through fortitude and temperance, and fre
bac at somebody who disrespects us, we tend to get more credibility from
people who now us. Those who practice arrogance, lacing in self control, who
constantly tae o)ense, tend to use up their credibility.
1=. 5etting things done is a matter of doing.
Theories are nice, but the ability to put them into practice maes all the
di)erence.
Sometimes you have to ,ust go at life, maing ad,ustments as you go and
picing up nowledge through trial and error until you start to develop the ability
to predict the outcome of your actions. Succeeding at thining things through,
putting together the big picture, and e/ploring possibilities is a matter of having
frst learned by e/periencing results. 3/ploring where things begin and end,
whether they are alive or dead, whether or not they are relevant, and countless
other factors are parts of the real world learning e/perience.
This is where we learn to recognize limits, of ourselves and all things, and
especially of time. This is where we learn the element of perspective. This is the
reason that we often do things that we now we should not, because without the
e/perience, the lesson is lost. "s we get older, we tell people the things that they
should and should not do, which is often ignored, as we ignored the same
warnings when we were younger. Sometimes, even when we do as
recommended, and get the results we desire, we still go bac and do things the
way we wanted to do them, still wind up maing the mistaes we had originally
avoided, because maybe we needed to mae those mistaes in order to learn the
lesson in the frst place.
#?. Hypocrisy is the door through which all evil marches.
"nd the blacest hole of delusion.
5ypocrisy allows people to rationalize their behavior while ignoring what is
,ust and fair. :reed, indi)erence, and arrogance all lead to hypocrisy. 5ypocrisy
allows people to live by a double standard, where they feel that they do not need
to follow the same rules as everyone else, which provides them with an e/cuse to
commit whatever horrors they deem appropriate against those they view as
undeserving of e.ual treatment.
:reed allows people to ,ustify taing more than they deserve,
Indi)erence allows them to ignore the damage that they do.
"rrogance allows them to feel that they are ,ustifed in what they tae.
"ll of this leads to hypocrisy, which allows the individual to rationalize
whatever crimes they choose to commit.
Charity helps establish the practice of being productive.
3mpathy helps us to see through the eyes of others, which helps us see
ourselves, the more better to recognize our perspective.
5umility gives us the confdence to become better people.
2orgiveness allows us to give others, and ourselves, another chance to fnd a
way forward. "s humility is to truth, forgiveness is to attitude and passion. -ur
ability to forgive is critical to our ability to hold on to our passions, and establish
the right attitude. This is not saying that we should forget, but learn to let go,
emotionally, and accept what has been done.
This is the path to ,ustice and righteousness, to a better way, to true
happiness.
$eople prefer to live where they can fnd ,ustice, and they are drawn to others
who have a strong hold on a sense of ,ustice. Societies in which ,ustice prevails
!ourish and advance far more greatly than societies mired in hypocrisy and
in,ustice. There are clear advantages to living in cooperation, and therefore in
peace with others, that maes ,ust societies e/cel far beyond those societies, that
choose to practice the evil of hypocrisy, and fail to demand ,ustice.
Tools of 5ypocrisy
Two wrongs do not ma$e a right, is the e/pression primarily used by a third
party to a con!ict, in order to defend the originator of the con!ict, the instigator,
who committed the frst o)ense. " third wrong doesn(t mae things right either,
it maes the situation much worse, and the third party the worst o)ender, who
not only punishes someone for defending themselves, it encourages the
instigator to continue instigation trouble, nowing that there is someone willing to
come to their defense.
#1. Hard wor$ teaches us discipline and tenacity.
"s much as we sometimes hate to do it.
#oring hard and doing things right are habits that have to be developed and
maintained, from which all success !ows, ,ust do not forget that learning to have fun is
important too.
The Ahard worB part is di0cult, but getting started is usually the biggest obstacle.
-nce you get going, you often fnd yourself en,oying the hard wor, that it is not as
disagreeable as you thought it would be. "t some point you have to stop, and getting
started bac up, is often ,ust as di0cult as it was the frst time. The longer you stop the
more di0cult it is to start bac up again. Still, it is necessary to stop now and then to
en,oy the fruits of life, otherwise, what is the purpose of woring?
##. 7oredom is a serious prolem.
SeriouslyJ
#ithout the struggle for survival, we are often left with the struggle against boredom.
#ith the large distance between actions and conse.uences that often e/ists in the
modern world, it is very easy for boredom to push us into bad habits. "lthough the
solution to boredom is usually not destructive, it can easily lead in that direction with
very serious conse.uences. 5ow we respond to boredom is a serious challenge to our
daily lives.
#.. An idea is a genie in a ottle1
once released it has a life of its own
and can have the power to change the world.
#here do you thin that nuclear genie came from?
#e produce two resources8 labor and ideas. *abor can shape the world, but ideas
tae on a life of their own, and their powers can be infnite. -nce released into the
public, an idea can travel around the planet in mere seconds. -nce lodged into people(s
heads, powerful ideas can only be subdued by more powerful ideas. The simplest ideas
can be the most powerful. They are the magic spells con,ured up by sources mostly
unnown, claimed by many, that change our world.
Ideas are how we deal with the imperfections, our way of putting the broen pieces
together. "s we try to fgure out the sides that we can not see, the perspectives that we
can only imagine, we use ideas to advance that which we do not now. These ideas,
when strong enough, lead us to the clues that enable us to in!uence the world far
beyond mere physical means.
#2. @e live in a world of tangents.
#hich often provide e)ective ways to avoid boredom.
Things that impact our lives come at us from all di)erent directions. The whole
world changes every moment and continues to do so irregardless of whatever we are
doing. #e can only try to trac the things that impact our lives, the tangents that come
at us from all angles, and plan accordingly within our sphere of in!uence. It seems the
answer is to learn to dance between the various rhythms of the worlds beat, rela/ing our
grasp when possible, taing advantage of inspiration as it comes, thus increasing the
e)ect of our actions. This is the essence of timing.
The artifcial world that we have created ties us to the mechanical cloc that this
artifcial world evolves around, but the real world is not that cleanly divided. The real
world, the analog world, does not operate on precise evenly divided intervals. The
revolution of the 3arth around its a/is is not synchronized with its orbit around the sun.
+ore success can be had by following the natural rhythms of the world, rather than trying
to force artifcial deadlines.
1eing aware, that maing things happen is more a matter of choosing the time and
place where forces come together, woring the situation as it presents itself more than a
matter of controlling things, means recognizing that the forces of this world are
constantly colluding to create a reality of time and space and direction. #e must
maintain an awareness of these constant changes in order to ad,ust when needed. #e
cannot always now what force will ,ust touch the sphere of our lives and send us
spinning out of control. Try to leave room for ad,ustment.
#4. True1 loyal1 and trustworthy friends are incredily valuale assets.
"nd even better relatives.
In many ways the worth of a man or woman is the value of his or her friendship. 'es,
what we can or can not do for others is important, but more important is whether or not
they can trust you, and rely upon you when possible. There is a di)erence between the
friends that we cavort with and the friends with whom we wind up developing deeper
relations. The di0culties of identifying those friends with whom to develop deeper and
more meaningful relationships tend to be flled with ambiguity, deep stirring emotions,
and pain. 'our ability to perceive the truth is never more crucial than when choosing who
you can trust and in whom to place your loyalty.
-nly through the passage of time are we able to determine whether or not we have
made the right choices. The truth about our actions in life is that we have to tae care of
ourselves frst, then family, and after that our friends. #e need to tae this into
consideration when we consider the actions of our friends, for they also are driven by the
same priorities. These times when we don9t have all the information, we are confounded
by the actions of others. #e fnd our loyalties tested, and our trust in others challenged.
There are times when we are forced to tae riss. "ll we can do is hope that we have put
our trust in the right places.
#8. @e are predators y nature.
#hy pretend di)erent.
Competition remains at the heart of our drives, even when survival is taen out of
the e.uation. "ll living things compete, and most often that means the death of those
against whom they compete. "nimals ill to survive, and this includes human beings.
-ur predatory nature gave us the intelligence that has enabled us to do the great
things that humanity has done. It is necessary in life to be aggressive to accumulate
wealth and power. $ower enables us to do the things we want to do in life and enables
us to protect ourselves and loved ones from those who would do us harm. "t the same
time our drive for dominance can alienate ourselves from others. The balancing point is
not f/ed and e/ists between what is fair and what is not fair.
$ower and freedom counter each other. The more power we accumulate and hold
the less freedom we have. $ower has gravity. The more power we hold, the more we
must deal with the things that are pulled toward it. 3ither we build walls to shelter
ourselves from the things drawn to power, or those very things become our walls. $ower
enables us to do a great many things, but everything is more complicated and often
taes a great deal of time. 2reedom is the ability to escape from power. The less power
you wield, the fewer possession you have, the fewer responsibilities you hold, the more
free time you have to go where ever and do the things you want to do, but the sacrifce is
that you have less ability to do those things. 2or power you must sacrifce freedom, and
for freedom you must sacrifce power.
#:. Time continuously marches forward. Things can!t e ta$en ac$1 once you
say or do something1 it can never e undone.
6o matter how hard you try.
In our artifcial world, we evenly divide time, but it is my observation that time moves
in blocs of di)erent sizes and shapes that are moments. It is hard to say when a
moment begins and ends, but it is with moments that we build our lives. #e ft each
moment that is given to us into the uni.ue structure of life that each of us is building.
Time continuously produces and o)ers up the moments for us. It is entirely up to us to
seize those moments before they disappear.
Time is the medium we travel through the events of our lives. 3ach moment has the
potential to dramatically alter the life that we are living. 5ow we react in accordance
with the events that time o)ers up is much of what determines how we navigate through
life. Time and need convinces us to surrender our consciousness to sleep at night and
pushes us out of bed into the harsh world each day, to carry out the activities we must
fulfll if we see to have some control over our own destiny. The advancement of time
that we are traveling through, as we e/perience time, moves only in one direction, and
that is forward. -nce the moment has past, it cannot be altered. Cust as the moments of
our victories and successes, pleasure and gains, cannot be taen away from us, neither
can our losses and failures, pains and setbacs be erased. 'ou might be able to mae
things better, but it doesn9t change the things that have been done or not done, said or
not said.
"s we see that which may have been, become what is, from what was, and we
contemplate what could have been, what went right, and what went wrong, we mae our
ad,ustments. #e consider that which we came from, and contemplate the chapters of
our lives, and re4evaluate the direction we are going.
#hat is the purpose of this vast world, all this technology, and all that it o)ers, if we
are not able to tae advantage of the opportunities it o)ers. #e often do not have
enough time, moments of su0cient size, to do all the things we would lie to do. The
passage of time restricts our ability to act. #e must wisely choose our activities in
relation to the time we have available to carry out those activities. Sometimes the
choices are di0cult, and only through the passage of time are we able to determine
whether or not we succeeded in choosing wisely, and even after the passage of
considerable time, it can still be di0cult to tell.
Evidence1 %elevance1 and 6roaility
3vidence and 7elavanceare the woring tools of *ogic and 7eason that enable
us to arrive at $robability. "n understanding of probability is what allows us to
predict the future.
Evident and 6ossile
#hat should we believe? #hat evidence we fnd. #hat e/planations are
probable and what e/planations are possible.
#hile in many ways, history repeats, but at the same time, it is never the
same. The same cause does not alway deliver the same result. The action we
tae does not always give us the result we desired. #hile most of the time the
most liely thing is what happens, sometimes less liely things happen, and
everyonce in a while, the least liely thing happens, or something we never
thought about.
In truth, what goes in, how it all comes together, and what comes out, are
always di)erent, even if in slightly insignifcant ways.
If the fnal outcome is close enough to what we e/pected, then all is good, or
A-B, or will have to do.
Events
3vents are interactions that change the state of our normal e/istance. 3vents
have conse.uences that are on a scale from interuptions, to signifcant changes
that can be good or bad on a very broad scale that redefnes our normal
e/istance.
#hen we loo at events, we e/amine the evidence to fgure out what
happened. The evidence rarely gives us clear cut answer, K lead to ', which lead
to L. The interpretation of the evidence is how we defne each variable in this
e.uation. 5ow did the event happen, what was K that lead to ' resulting in L,
the fnal outcome.
+ostly we wor our way bac from L, in order to fgure out what happened. L
can be a very simple thing, or an e/tremely comple/ thing. It might tae a while
before we even fnd out that L happened. #e notice that things have changed,
but there are times when we have to fgure out what has changed.
' is the se.uence of events that come togehter leading to L.
K is the input, the trigger, the initial action that began the se.uence of
events. -ften times, di)erent things can happen to trigger events. There is the
most probably cause, (a(, the second most probable cause, (b(, third, (c(, fourth,
(d(, and eventually the least liely cause, (?(.
Then we need to as ourselves, how fre.uently does L happen?
&oes L> lead to LD?
5ow big is L? 5ow much impact does it have, or could it have?
The microcosim and the macrocosim
In the tic of the cloc, the closer to the center, the the smaller the space for
time to change. The change of time is as as small as the space in which it occurs.
In the vast reaches of space, the more distant space is from the the tic of time,
there is so much more distance in which things occur, and yet the clic of time
occurs at the same rate.
The opportunistic1 parasitic1 predators.
Conclusion
-nce pulled together, organized, and illustrated, it is easy to see how common sense
forms a cohesive philosophy to live by. #hen considered from a broad perspective, the
critical components of how to live a ,ust and prosperous life are not that complicated.
#hile there will be di)erent interpretations, there will also be enough agreement to
recognize concepts close to the truth. The dance remains the same, even though we
may be focusing on di)erent beats or di)erent notes of the same chord.
+y perspective comes from being a westerner. I suspect that the decadence and
alienation e/perienced in the ;.S., swept up in the social e/perimentation of the youth
movement of the >MN@ties, gave us a frst loo at the e)ects that modern technological
advancement has had on humanity, our communities, our families, and our personal
ambitions.
Speculation persists that the genie can be put bac in the bottle, that we will crumble
from within and be washed over by the waves of time, that all that we now and are
capable of doing will disappear. There is forward, and there is bacward, as we form into
a global civilization, a global community, we will have to fgure out which way will we go?
Sources for virtues
Primarily, & dre! from the four oo3s of the %ospel, specifically the !ords of :esus Christ, in developing
my perspectives on 2irtues and 2ices#
$ristotle8s classic %ree3 four virtues, Christian 2irtues and Thomas $"uinas seven contrary virtues, classic
&slamic >cardinal> virtues, Chinese Confucianism and Taoism, E"yptian -a8at, 7induism, :apanese Bushido,
?a!an@aa, -asonic tradition, Persian Aoroastrianism# ; httpBCCen#!i3ipedia#orgC!i3iC2irtue and
httpBCCdeadlysins#comCvirtues#htmlB Doman virtues ; http://www.novaroma.org/via_romana/virtues.html -
http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/African_American_Studies/ -
http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/23.html :