#distilled wisdom

[philosophybitmaps]

[quotessentially]

Attributed to Bertrand Russell in Distilled Wisdom by Alfred Armand Montapert

[heraldoftheunhinged]

Emotional Distance

It's not often talkin'ta my dad provokes much thought outside of materialistic concerns, but I guess a little surgery gets anyone thinkin'. In this case, he talked about a Hindu proverb about a family yellin'at eachother, and discussion about why one shouts when angry.

Obviously, one shouts because they lose their cool. But that doesn't really answer why shouting. The person'char mad at is still next t'cha. The same message can be equally communicated at half the volume whether sad, angry, happy etc.

When two people are angry at eachother, a distance forms between their hearts, so they shout ta hear eachother. The angrier they are, the longer the distance and the louder they must be, a plea ta be heard that devolves into literal and emotional crescendo drownin'out the other person.

That said, an intentional silent treatment whilst angry is equally bad, as it refuses to connect with the other person, and the distance remains unchanged.

People who are in love often don't shout at eachother unless angry if even. They lean in close, talk softly and lovin'ly, whisper or don't even need ta speak ta make themselves understood where only a look will suffice. Cos the distance between their hearts is insignificant or even nonexistent.

When'char mad at someone, slow down and calm. Think, how d'cha stop enlargin'the distance, and how does one reconnect? Ta continue ta indulge in anger only drives'cherself away from those around'cha. First, spiritually and emotionally, then literally.

I can't say I've always been a peaceful person, but in more recent years I've advocated respondin'ta hate with love and compassion. Feel anger, by all means. But then rise above it, hug them, and say "I love you". Even in the worst offense, the best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury, an eye for eye leaves us all in a pile of cosmic hate-filled fire.

[distilled-wisdom]

About that url change

Cynically Jaded defined my online persona for so long that it's weird trying to relate to this new url that I've chosen. I can see people assuming that it's a pompous self-image relative to the ramblings that I share, but to be honest, I don't care. (I love saying that by the way. People curse me at the office for saying that when they share problems with me that are not really my problem to sort out.)

Anyway, I think that every life is a source of distilled wisdom. I think that books are the entire opposite in many ways, but ironically enough, they contribute significantly towards that distilled wisdom that I'm referring to. Distilled wisdom because if we just live a life that is well observed, which by default demands a high level of mindfulness, we'll be able to articulate the sum of our struggles in a single line that will serve as insightful provocation for others to avoid the same mess. That way, if we all applied that approach, we'd all have time to create entirely new and more creative messes that have not been created before. But, alas, we would rather make our own mistakes, and therein lies the rub.

The rub is irrelevant if you're oblivious to the fact that you're being rubbed. Nonetheless, your obliviousness, if observed by another, becomes a source for their distilled wisdom, so we're all good, even when we're not.

Damn, it seems like even though I may have dropped the url, the traits of being cynically jaded are still well entrenched in my ways.

[heraldoftheunhinged]

Path thru Honesty

One can't live in this world and not walk a spiritual path, without losin'their sanity. That said, not everyone who claims ta be on the path is, and not everyone who claims ta not be on that spiritual path isn't.The truth is just that, whether it be present in a Catholic priest, an enlightened Yogi, or a pragmatic cardiologist. 

Many if not all of our identities consist of lies somewhat, it's part of humanity with few exceptions. It's easier ta see these delusions in someone else, such as that self-inflated ex boyfriend, or the neurotic perfectionist in'cher class. The hard part that most people miss is seein'it in'cherself. Everyone lives with some sort of lie.

Therefore, ta be honest wit'cherself puts'cha on the spiritual path, and one cannot be honest with themself and not be on the path. In the light of honesty, all things will reveal themselves t'cha. If'cha can get over'cher sense of self and identity as a mind, 'cha can create a willingness to see things as they truly are. That is the first step onto the path, and one that needs conscious awareness ta get started.

And why would one do that?

Because ta do anythin'else would be a lie.

When'cha ask someone about death, 'cha see who they truly are. 'cha may see fear, willful ignorance, philosophical depth, resignation, depression, or bravery. But none of these reactions come from honesty as people choose to regard death in a certain light, whether they realize it or not, based off ideas of death and what it means fer them, as shown by concepts such as the soul and afterlife. And how one regards death is a reflection of how they regard life.

The spiritual path is an awakenin'from ignorance. It doesn't change'cher life in essence, or add somethin'not already there. It's about seein'things how they truly are. Ignorance once it stops bein'ignorant.

How did the spirituality spring up in so many different places? It's an innate part of bein'human. And guess what you are, reader.