Just Do It

How do you feel about the things you do? Everyday things like washing dishes, mowing the lawn, going to work. I have discovered long ago that how you feel about doing those things is irrelevant. You must just do them, and do them with mindfulness.

I learned this from "Water Bears No Scars", by David Reynolds.

This book introduced me to Morita therapy, and literally changed my view of how to relate to the tasks that I had to do. I used to "hate" doing this or avoid doing that because of how I felt about the task. Morita therapy led me beyond these feelings and into an active and full participation in the task.

It has the additional benefit of combating minor depression, by having the student focus fully, mindfully on the task at hand. It says that if you are fully aware of the task that you are involved with, you cannot be depressed.

Basically, Morita therapy aims at building character. Character is developed by behavior, by what one does. Decisions, the basis for action, become grounded in purpose rather than influenced by the flow of feelings.

While it recognizes emotions as a rich type of experience and a valuable source of information. They are just not used in determining what's needed in the moment.

By taking constructive action, grounded in objectivity by the "what is" of a situation, helps in achieving a full and meaningful life.

Visit http://www.todoinstitute.com and http://constructiveliving.org

Georgia Guidestones

This post concerns the intolerance that some (often religion leaders) have for Reason. Also, I have found that unfortunately it's often the crudest people who have the loudest voice.

The Georgia Guidestones are granite monument in Elbert County, Georgia, USA. A message comprising ten guides is inscribed on the structure in eight modern languages, and a shorter message is inscribed at the top of the structure in four ancient languages' scripts: Babylonian, Classical Greek, Sanskrit, and Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In June 1979, an unknown person(s) under the pseudonym R. C. Christian hired Elberton Granite Finishing Company to build the structure.

A message consisting of a set of ten guidelines or principles :

# Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
# Guide reproduction wisely - improving fitness and diversity.
# Unite humanity with a living new language.
# Rule passion - faith - tradition - and all things with tempered reason.
# Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
# Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
# Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
# Balance personal rights with social duties.
# Prize truth - beauty - love - seeking harmony with the infinite.
# Be not a cancer on the earth - Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature.

The Guidestones have become a subject of interest for conspiracy theorists. At the unveiling of the monument, a local minister proclaimed that he believed the monument was "for sun worshipers, for cult worship and for devil worship".

In 2008, the stones were defaced with polyurethane paint and graffiti with slogans such as "Death to the new world order."

Prelude - After the Goldrush

From long ago . . . 1974. Not even Neil Young did it better (imo).

What Americans Like, but . . .

Americans like science. Overwhelming majorities say that science has had a positive effect on society and that science has made life easier for most people. Most also say that government investments in science, as well as engineering and technology, pay off in the long run.

While the public holds scientists in high regard, many scientists offer unfavorable, if not critical, assessments of the public’s knowledge and expectations. Fully 85% see the public’s lack of scientific knowledge as a major problem for science.

A substantial percentage of scientists also say that the news media have done a poor job educating the public. The scientists are particularly critical of television news coverage of science.

While scientists express frustration with the public, there are some significant points of agreement between the public and the scientific community. Majorities of both groups point to advances in medicine and life sciences as important achievements of science.

However, when it comes to contemporary scientific issues, there are often differences. For example, while 84% of scientists say the earth is getting warmer because of human activity such as burning fossil fuels, just 49% of the public agrees.

So what's to be done? Truthfully, not much because people would rather be entertained than informed.

There are gold mines of knowledge in Wikipedia, TED, Nova, Earth & Sky, National Geographic -- just to name a few.

But when it comes to having the TV remote in their hands, it's time for sports, mindless contest shows or cultist opinion programs.

(Extracted from this article, except for the closing opinions which are mine.)

His Motives

I go to the train station in my evening commute home.

Once or twice a week, there is a man there yelling from the Bible. There is a strident cadence in his voice as he reads from a much highlighted text. There are yellow, pink, blue and green markings covering each page of his large study Bible.

There is neither love nor hate in his voice. Just a seeming forceful exorcism.

I have wondered whether he is trying to remove the demons from the world or from himself. He is not wanting to lead anyone to "salvation"; nor does he preach God's higher glory.

It seems to be a wail against some past "sin" of his, and he is asking God for forgiveness. I hope he receives it.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

I've enjoyed the PCO since the late 1980s. I take their music on my walks, and find that if each step is a beat, you get a nice workout. Much of their music is light and whimsical. Enjoy.

Belief and Knowledge

People are not naturally skeptics, wondering if a single one of their beliefs can be reasonably preserved. They are dogmatists, angrily confident of maintaining them all.

We should be skeptics with regards to our beliefs, unless we have been privately convinced they are true and worth having.

The idea is not to have the courage of our convictions; it's to have the courage to challenge our convictions.

I've often said that believing in something, anything, is easy. It requires nothing but belief. If I were to believe that it will rain tomorrow, but all weather patterns and pressure systems say that it won't, then all I have is my belief. Only when tomorrow comes, and brings no rain, will I rationalize the event and justify my belief.

Though I may be proved wrong, my belief was correct.

Of course, that's not the way to a rational and objectively lived life. Yet people cling rather than prove; deny rather than become open; believe only rather than do the mental legwork to know.

What do you believe only? Do you have the courage to challenge it, or are you angrily confident?