How about, are you as happy as you could be or would be? Ah yes, would of… could of… should of… This post is somewhat of an extension of my last post, Keeping Birthday Happy. That’s fair enough seeing as how much of life we spend seeking happiness, one way or another
The answer to any of those questions hinges on expectations, i.e., what you think. No wonder chapter 71 says… Continue reading ‘Are You As Happy As You Should Be?’
A magazine's back cover c.1945
Today is my 67th year here on earth. The picture is a magazine’s back cover of me, at a lake in Arizona, in my birthday suit(1). From then until today, fate has been fortunate; I should have bitten the dust quite a few times by now. (I wrote about the first time in the blog Suicide Just Doesn’t Work.) As to my health, wealth and family, I couldn’t ask for more. Indeed, there are so many things to be happy for on this birthday, and every day. Don’t worry though, I’ll find a problem somewhere it that. Hmm, let me see… Continue reading ‘Keeping Birthday Happy’
Proof that idiot savants run things?
First, shouldn’t we ask do idiot savants run things? Certainly not, according to the first definition of idiot savant. However, the second definition is another matter: “a person who is highly knowledgeable about one subject but knows little about anything else”. Of course, “knowledgeable about one subject” and “knows little about anything else” are matters of degree. Even so, someone highly knowledgeable in an area is by definition an expert.
Next, aren’t experts (whatever the field) generally in charge of leading the way in society? Experts in war become generals, experts in politics become presidents, experts in business become CEO’s, experts in religion become preachers and Popes, and so on down the line. So without question, highly knowledgeable experts run things. The question remains, do such people also know little about anything else? Continue reading ‘Why Do Idiot Savants Run Things?’
Trust but verify or become dinner!
In some ways I suppose that being a true believing Christian can hinder fulfilling Christ’s message to the world. Believers (of anything really) rely on their tenets of belief to substantiate the very belief they hold. Approached this way, one has little incentive to challenge one’s own understanding. Rather, the understanding becomes the pillar of proof. There in lies the pitfall.
One’s faith become the proof of one’s faith. Buddha cautioned against this circular blindness by warning folks not to take anything he said on faith. His message was, trust but verify. Continue reading ‘Trust But Verify’
I had a good discussion with a ‘born again’ Christian recently. These talks always give me fascinating food for thought. Particularly interesting was his view on global warming, and the conspiracy he thinks lies behind it. Needless to say his knowledge of basic science was pretty thin. It may be that the less one knows, the more certain one tends to be(1). This fits the general Taoist view that out of nothing comes something, i.e., the myriad creatures in the world are born from something, and something from nothing. Continue reading ‘Are You A Beliefaholic?’
They call Warren Buffet the sage of Wall Street because he is the most successful investor ever. His core advice for investing is this: “Be fearful when others are bold, be bold when others are fearful“. The wonderful part of this advice is that it applies to life in general. It parallels chapter 73’s ‘He who is fearless in being bold will meet with his death; He who is fearless in being timid will stay alive. ‘ Continue reading ‘Sage Advice from Wall Street’
˜˜˜ Click Here for Translation and Commentary ˜˜˜
I’ve said this before, and I must say it again. Using more word can easily obfuscate the issue at hand. This is especially true with existential matters. Understanding what is being said hinges on what one already knows at the gut level. In other words, existential matters cannot really be taught. This is not unlike that, ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink’. Continue reading ‘Chapter of the Week: #34′
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