Hard Wired?

[William Waters]

It often seems that we humans are our own worst enemy...

I am a little over 80 now and have spent most of my life trying to "learn" or "see into" or "recognize" or just "appreciate" the nature of being human and have found many more inherent obstacles than inherent ability... Some of the obstacles have been:

o Gullibility... A willingness to accept and be influenced by any explanations or interpretations of human experience that I become exposed to...

o Addictive... Easily willing to adopt the habitual patterns of my family, peers, tribe, community, culture....

o Unable to distinguish between my own creations and perceptions....

o Enamored with symbolic forms...

o Reactionary... feeling threatened by conflicting views...

o  Tending to adopt extreme views...

Not only have these been huge obstacles to growth and understanding for me, but most often appear to be the basis for the behavior of others...

It really seems there is little if inherent interest among us to do more than survive....

Is this only some sort of cynical nightmare? 

[abgespaced]

Perhaps it's hard wired into us to want to be more than human. As if we're in denial of our nature- biological, physical, earthly nature. We look to the skies and manufacture perfect beings of light that have no faults. 

Or perhaps that's just a certain demographic. There were once people's who worshipped earthly gods, half-human half animal gods. They were labelled "Pagans" by the Romans and demonised.

I don't see it as cynical at all. More like grounded and realistic.

[Prabhaker]

2 hours ago, William Waters said:

I am a little over 80 now

Now it is time, that you should sincerely and authentically enter into meditation, because that is the only space which can free you from all fears of death, old age, sickness. The old man is in the same state as when the storm has gone and silence prevails. That silence can be of tremendous beauty, depth, richness. 

2 hours ago, William Waters said:

Is this only some sort of cynical nightmare? 

There are thousand and one problems, solution is only one, live life meditatively. Life is not a problem. Rather, it is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved. A problem can be solved logically; a mystery cannot be solved logically or in any other way. A mystery has to be lived, accepted as it is; there is no way to solve it. 

[William Waters]

To all...

Appreciate all the responses and invite others as well...

The bullet item that is of most interest to me is "o Enamored with symbolic forms..."...

Of course the ability of us to create and use symbolic forms (language and all of its derivatives) is perhaps the primary distinction of our  dominance over other creatures that we know of... However the conviction that we can model our experience in ways that will allow us to become intimate with its nature or "know" it and thus circumvent our need for personal experience, seems extremely dangerous..

Generally we seem to have little recognition of this issue and plunge forward into "survival" and its comforts with little or no concern for any long term consequences... any comments?

[Nahm]

@William Waters I think I hear you. I'm not sure. 

Once survival needs are met, the issue becomes the boredom in just sitting around surviving. So then we think of doing something, which can involve others, and then the language / symbols come in. I think it's all good. It's the expression of what is within us.

[William Waters]

 

@Nahm

I certainly agree that our symbols are expressions of our heart/mind, but these expressions are more like artwork and thus only have a token or impressionistic relationship to our experience. But, it is fairly common for us to feel that "reality" (whatever that may be) is somehow essentially equivalent to what we have to say about it... If we believe that only our words are sufficient as a way to understand anything at all then we are simply subscribing to a kind of ignorance that threatens our existence as a species... 

[Nahm]

@William Waters right on. ? I think theres vibration below the words, and as we're one at that level, the vibrations resonate, and the content, I think is real also. The words grow annually as our minds grow.   I cant think of an example of anything  that isnt part of reality.  

[Revolutionary Think]

I think the lack of civility these days is a big problem. You can disagree with people without being a disagreeable person. I think people need to take more time to know where other people are coming from and see how a different perspective can change another person's views. 

[William Waters]

@Revolutionary Think

The coexistence of diverse views seems like a noble idea, one I would certainly subscribe to, but it is not widely held and does not seem to be gaining any ground. Most philosophical or religious or political positions (even those that claim otherwise) end up excluding others in one way or another. As individuals it is possible to be more idealistic and if we actually realize our own ideals to try to share them with others but it is not a "slam dunk"...

Edited March 20, 2017 by William Waters
Wanted to turn on "notify" but didn't see a way to do that