Weakness is strength??

pilgrim-seeker_tom

Have you ever taken the time to see what lies below the iceberg?

Tell that to the mediator whose words have settled countless disputes to the satisfaction of all parties.

Tell that to the negotiator whose words have saved the lives of many hostages.

Tell that to the police person who has managed to talk a teenager off the roof when all he or she wanted was to jump.

Tell that to the diplomat whose words have soothed the savage beast between nations.

Tell that to all people who have read the works of the poets and been awe-inspired.

Tell that to the people who have read Science and Philosophy books and who have been inspired to follow suit.

Tell that to the children who have been consoled by their parents when it takes much more than just a hug.

Tell that to the leaders of the French Revolution or any revolution whose passionate speeches have paved the way for freedom.

…ad continuum.

See above. I rest my case.

If words have such little meaning to you, I might suggest that you join a monastery where the monks take a vow of silence. You needn’t really become a monk - simply commit yourself to the monastery and working toward their upkeep. Perhaps they might allow you to plant a garden of vegetables or pick the apples or oranges off of the trees. You might want to donate a certain amount of money to get in the door.

How is this for a generally-accepted banality: “What we see is who we are”!

Then that would not be logic but magical thinking.

I suppose that you might also believe that the Universe[s] came into existence through your God uttering the words “Let There Be Light”.
Is that YOUR belief? #-o

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I’ve been living in a virtual monastery under a vow of silence for the past 12 years … I attribute much of my new pool of thought to these circumstances. I’ve finally seriously engaged in garden activity this past summer … yet another enlightening experience … nothing like getting your hands dirty. :slight_smile: My OP … Spirituality … Garden as Metaphor viewtopic.php?f=5&t=192891

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Quite banal! :slight_smile: … banal as in synonym for the word unimaginative.

Throughout human history countless people have spent a considerable part of their lives trying to answer the question … “Who am I ?” … though most people don’t even get to the question.

Your tag or whatever the proper word for the label … “Consciousness Seeker” implies you have asked yourself the question though I don’t see much evidence of any serious attempt to answer it in your posts … the posts I’ve read.

So, when you read the phrase Consciousness Seeker, the only meaningful question which you would apply to it is “Who Am I”? Is that it? You would be surprised just how deeply I dive into that question.

Aside from that, many or most of my posts have nothing to do with answering that question ~~ Who Am I ~~ though I have to some degree given a glimmer of myself.

You are certainly entitled to your uninformed opinion though as per your quote.

Do you even realize that you have a sly way of using smilies to benefit yourself? They are not in harmony with the things which you say or try to convey. Perhaps you are not even conscious of it. I would suggest that you do some deep-sea diving into yourself.

You’ve noticed that too, huh?

Maybe you guys ought to be a little less nasty and a little more charitable.

And one might also add more philosophical.

Et tu brute, Gib?

What kind of evidence, by your standards, would I have to show/give in my posts in order for someone to see or to intuit that I attempt to answer the question of Who Am I and that in other ways also I attempt to be a consciousness seeker?

Tell me, how would YOU go about it, if you were me?

Please critique me also.

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AD … I didn’t suggest your efforts are anything less than sincere … seems you are simply running into “road blocks” … ergo … “mental blocks” along the way. All genuine seekers experience this phenomenon … most of them for an entire lifetime … perhaps several lifetimes.

Willfully ignoring a substantial and enduring body of thought is not indicative of a big “C” consciousness seeker.

Ditto for big “P” philosophers.

Oh, but you did in a roundabout way. See below.

“Consciousness Seeker” implies you have asked yourself the question though I don’t see much evidence of any serious attempt to answer it in your posts … the posts I’ve read.

We all run into roadblocks. I am human, you are human, we are all human.
I would have used the word emotional block with reference to these posts in this case although mental is also a part of it.

It is also implied here that this is directed toward me - though not in a direct way.
What to you is a substantial and enduring body of thought??

I am waiting for both yourself and Gib to critique me and point out what you see as lacking in me. In other words, to put your money where your mouth is.

Also, I never implied that I was a big C consciousness seeker. I am more of a little c a peon of a seeker. …more of a little grasshopper to this great big Universe of ours. Perhaps I shall change the C to a c.
But then again, perhaps I disrespect myself a bit in saying that…though I am a student.

I suppose that part of being fully conscious (if we can even get that far* is realizing that people who live in glass houses cannot afford to throw stones ~~ and we all, each and every one of us, in a sense, live in those glasses houses at times, some more often that others.

I addressed the below to you …

"Tell that to the mediator whose words have settled countless disputes to the satisfaction of all parties.

Tell that to the negotiator whose words have saved the lives of many hostages.

Tell that to the police person who has managed to talk a teenager off the roof when all he or she wanted was to jump.

Tell that to the diplomat whose words have soothed the savage beast between nations.

Tell that to all people who have read the works of the poets and been awe-inspired.

Tell that to the people who have read Science and Philosophy books and who have been inspired to follow suit.

Tell that to the children who have been consoled by their parents when it takes much more than just a hug.

Tell that to the leaders of the French Revolution or any revolution whose passionate speeches have paved the way for freedom."

…but you made no effort to address that.
Your only response was in remarking about the monastery story.

Why was that?

No! [-(

AD … there’s nothing to critique … there’s nothing lacking in you. Your posts reflect “you” at a particular space and time … by the time you hit the send button “you” have already changed even though you don’t recognize it.

This e-exchange illustrates the paradox of human communication:

  1. We need to communicate with each other to grow.

  2. Attempts to communicate too often devolve to the point … “My perspective is superior to yours and here let me prove it.”

This is a public forum … all of my posts are addressed to the entire ILP audience.

Have you read my comments in Aaron’s OP on the subject of emotions?

Chinese thought is an example.

We are all pregnant with the potential for greatness … few manage to birth their potential … a sad fact.

At the moment we have diametrically opposite views on the essence of “words”. For me, it’s futile and destructive to argue my perspective. The differences will evaporate or they won’t … either way is OK for me. :slight_smile:

Why are you in an internet discussion forum??? :open_mouth:

For the same reason some people put a message in a bottle and throw it into the ocean … looking for some like minded person(s). :slight_smile:

Oh, I see.

You’re looking for people who think exactly as you do.

In that case, avoiding discussion makes perfect sense. =D>

Agreed … what you want to see … that is. A very common human characteristic.

A good example of my above comment … not all people see the expression “like minded people” as " people who think exactly as you do"

… and just in case I didn’t get it in your first example you were kind enough to provide a second … thanks.

Not all people see discussion and argument as synonyms.

Many are still kinder to animals than they are to people… including friends and acquaintances of mine. Don’t hurt the poor animals they say, but then talk down to, argue with, and get rude to ‘people’.

I have to say… that that is exactly how I see things and would have responded, and yet we don’t always agree or come to the same conclusions :wink:

Likeminded is being able enough to comprehend the other, which helps focus one’s thoughts in seeing things without any constructed mental barriers, so as to see and think with better clarity.

I think the opposite is actually true… similar ilks build each other up on a mental level, not drag each other down to the dulled physical realm of existence, where one feels one’s head will explode with the usual tripe and the endless ennui becomes mind-numbingly toxic… to the point of threatening one’s wellbeing and livelihood.

Some conversations are intuited, and are therefore not meant to be… the intuiter wanting the conversation to progress quicker than the one who cannot/does not intuit.

If I misunderstood you then I would ask for an explanation of what “like minded people” means.

But would you answer me? I think not. You are more likely to pull out your Confucius quote.

What does “like minded people” mean?

You don’t even answer questions or requests for more information. Those are integral parts of a discussion.

Therefore, I think ‘discussion’ was the appropriate word.

I have never done that but have thought of doing it.

Do you have any idea what message you might put in the bottle and send off?
I would be curious about that. I am curious about that. What would your first word be, do you think?
I think that as far as that went, the world would be your oyster.
Of course, it would stand to reason that you would have to give your name and address to receive a message back.

Can you imagine the arguments/discussions (philosophically speaking) which would ensue in ILP if you did not send your name and address to that person YET his/her message/response in his/her bottle comes back to YOU, only YOU? LOL
Fate, serendipity, synchronicity, the law of averages (I think), randomness, determinism, oceanography lol, physics…ad continuum.

I do not believe or intuit “real magic” but I might be a bit more skeptical or agnostic about it NOT existing in this Universe if that were to occur. lol

I mean the so-called “real” magic that people (like those who believe they are witches) believe that they are capable of conjuring up, bringing into existence by way of their own power and control.

Like-minded in what way?