"Somehow, I need to thread that needle: acknowledge and confront “evil,” but do so without becoming cynical and bitter myself."
.
There is a temptation, often tempered by employers and self-styled diplomats, to water-down the message in such a way that those most deserving of its pointy end don't get the pointy end, much less see it.
Christ's message is offensive to self-righteousness - necessarily so, because true righteousness is required to live. Self-righteousness kills; it destroys, poisons and consumes even the people you love. Jesus didn't water down the message for the Scribes and Pharisees, neither should you or I.
I have committed to not watering down the message. The difference is -- changing the truth to be more palatable is watering down. Writing and speaking it with love takes practice and is much harder.
.
Cynicism and bitterness are things everyone must deal with. Unforgiveness is the fountain of youth from which bitterness drinks. Cynicism is only healthy when you commit to recognizing and tempering it - unrecognized cynicism is toxic. Recognized and controlled cynicism will help you keep frosty and prevent you from getting suckered by those who seek to spitefully use you.
Thanks! You shared some excellent insights and highlighted some critical distinctions there. I'm bookmarking your comment for future reference. That was really great.
It has been very fun to follow your writing, and I hope we get to meet IRL some day. You and Yuri both inspired me to make fun of these mthrfckrs. Thanks, and here's to an epic 2024 met with dignity, strength and laughter.
🤍🙏🏻 Thank you for your insights and musings ... I find relief to know I’m not alone in my perspective and endless curiosity (and cynicism).
“... The little community of heterodox seekers and warriors I’ve found through this platform has been a Godsend” 💯
Also thank you for sharing the link to my friend Howdie Mickoski. He is an impressive human being. His YouTube channel and books are insightful. The hidden history of the world’s fairs reveals a lot about the dark agendas going back centuries.
Thanks! And Howdie Mickoski's books, especially Exit the Cave, have been extremely helpful to me! He really deserves much wider readership (and viewership)!
The opening of the article reminded me of an Alan Watts quote, "So you see here again the problem comes out, we do not really know how to interfere with the way the world is. The way the world actually is, is an enormously complex interrelated organism. The same problem arises in medicine, because the body is a very complexly interrelated organism."
I got one of Watts's books on my shelf now. Thanks for the reminder to read it! From everything I've encountered from him, I am confident I will enjoy it and will want to read more from him.
"I am presently reading for free, just know that this is completely due to the limitations of my own finances, and not at all because of the quality of your writing."... I couldn't have said it more concisely, or more honestly.
With regard to everything else you've said... Kudos and golf claps! I tip my hat and bow gracefully.
Just so, your message will evolve, twisted and shaped by those we have chosen to listen to. The common thread, I find is
intellectual imperviousness to the various events unfolding around us in the face of clownish calamities. Perhaps it’s a dose of plausibility we have subjected ourselves to here, that keeps us from falling into impairment.
Came here to comment "I send an SOS to the world, I send an SOS to the world, I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my", then saw that you had it in the footnotes.
Now I have to say something hopefully substantial, like: "You know, I think that society selects for ambition, and credential-seeking, zeitgeist-following, gaslighting oneself into following the current trend is actually just the latest manifestation of society selecting for the ambitious to take up the reins of power and perpetuate its own existence".
Will check that out. And as for The Police (the band, not law enforcement) they're always great.
As for the law enforcement kind of police, Richard Jeni has a great bit where he says something to the effect of, "Tits are like the police: whenever you want them to be there, no chance, but then at the worst possible moment..."
Looking back to "the before times" (2019) I'm astounded that my younger self had the audacity to think he had life figured out - that is, I had developed a mental model of the world that I was sure worked and didn't need to be upgraded. What a bubble I lived in! The last four years have sucked in many ways, but I am a better person for it (or at least more interested in learning and improving than I was before). Reading thoughtful writing like this keeps me marching down the leaving and improving path, so I appreciate it more than I can share. God bless you in your journey, and may we all survive 2024 to see the seeds planted these last few years bear fruit.
Thanks for the kind words, and yes, somehow all the bullshit of the past few years is fuel for our journey towards becoming better and wiser than we were before.
I love that you are using sub-headings. Bravo! I want to see more use of them on Substack. Too many articles are very long and readers have no way of knowing what the next section is going to contain.
Thanks, and I knew I left some people off of my list. I will amend it to include you when I get home and get on a PC (I have not been able to edit long documents on a phone ever since my last BlackBerry died -- God I miss BlackBerrys!!!)
Thank you for the shout out! I often return to the "message in a bottle" metaphor myself when I think about posting on the internet as we do. We're all sincerely lucky to have each other's disparate bottles wash up on the shores of our digital islands. I look forward to what you have to offer in 2024.
"Somehow, I need to thread that needle: acknowledge and confront “evil,” but do so without becoming cynical and bitter myself."
.
There is a temptation, often tempered by employers and self-styled diplomats, to water-down the message in such a way that those most deserving of its pointy end don't get the pointy end, much less see it.
Christ's message is offensive to self-righteousness - necessarily so, because true righteousness is required to live. Self-righteousness kills; it destroys, poisons and consumes even the people you love. Jesus didn't water down the message for the Scribes and Pharisees, neither should you or I.
I have committed to not watering down the message. The difference is -- changing the truth to be more palatable is watering down. Writing and speaking it with love takes practice and is much harder.
.
Cynicism and bitterness are things everyone must deal with. Unforgiveness is the fountain of youth from which bitterness drinks. Cynicism is only healthy when you commit to recognizing and tempering it - unrecognized cynicism is toxic. Recognized and controlled cynicism will help you keep frosty and prevent you from getting suckered by those who seek to spitefully use you.
Thanks! You shared some excellent insights and highlighted some critical distinctions there. I'm bookmarking your comment for future reference. That was really great.
I agree. Stay frosty, but know when (and how much) to melt. Figuring out that balance is the key to the spiritual martial arts.
"Stay frosty, but know when (and how much) to melt."
Very nicely put!
It has been very fun to follow your writing, and I hope we get to meet IRL some day. You and Yuri both inspired me to make fun of these mthrfckrs. Thanks, and here's to an epic 2024 met with dignity, strength and laughter.
Thanks, and that's high praise for you to list me as an inspiration! And 1000% agree with your toast to 2024!
🤍🙏🏻 Thank you for your insights and musings ... I find relief to know I’m not alone in my perspective and endless curiosity (and cynicism).
“... The little community of heterodox seekers and warriors I’ve found through this platform has been a Godsend” 💯
Also thank you for sharing the link to my friend Howdie Mickoski. He is an impressive human being. His YouTube channel and books are insightful. The hidden history of the world’s fairs reveals a lot about the dark agendas going back centuries.
Thanks! And Howdie Mickoski's books, especially Exit the Cave, have been extremely helpful to me! He really deserves much wider readership (and viewership)!
I enjoyed all of his books, especially the mysteries of the previous “reset” with the Worlds Fairs (Tartaria, free energy, hidden history etc)
The opening of the article reminded me of an Alan Watts quote, "So you see here again the problem comes out, we do not really know how to interfere with the way the world is. The way the world actually is, is an enormously complex interrelated organism. The same problem arises in medicine, because the body is a very complexly interrelated organism."
I got one of Watts's books on my shelf now. Thanks for the reminder to read it! From everything I've encountered from him, I am confident I will enjoy it and will want to read more from him.
"I am presently reading for free, just know that this is completely due to the limitations of my own finances, and not at all because of the quality of your writing."... I couldn't have said it more concisely, or more honestly.
With regard to everything else you've said... Kudos and golf claps! I tip my hat and bow gracefully.
Thank you, sir!
Just so, your message will evolve, twisted and shaped by those we have chosen to listen to. The common thread, I find is
intellectual imperviousness to the various events unfolding around us in the face of clownish calamities. Perhaps it’s a dose of plausibility we have subjected ourselves to here, that keeps us from falling into impairment.
Came here to comment "I send an SOS to the world, I send an SOS to the world, I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my", then saw that you had it in the footnotes.
Now I have to say something hopefully substantial, like: "You know, I think that society selects for ambition, and credential-seeking, zeitgeist-following, gaslighting oneself into following the current trend is actually just the latest manifestation of society selecting for the ambitious to take up the reins of power and perpetuate its own existence".
https://open.substack.com/pub/whynotthink/p/2a-be-self-centered?r=28g8km&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Will check that out. And as for The Police (the band, not law enforcement) they're always great.
As for the law enforcement kind of police, Richard Jeni has a great bit where he says something to the effect of, "Tits are like the police: whenever you want them to be there, no chance, but then at the worst possible moment..."
...there they are.
Looking back to "the before times" (2019) I'm astounded that my younger self had the audacity to think he had life figured out - that is, I had developed a mental model of the world that I was sure worked and didn't need to be upgraded. What a bubble I lived in! The last four years have sucked in many ways, but I am a better person for it (or at least more interested in learning and improving than I was before). Reading thoughtful writing like this keeps me marching down the leaving and improving path, so I appreciate it more than I can share. God bless you in your journey, and may we all survive 2024 to see the seeds planted these last few years bear fruit.
Thanks for the kind words, and yes, somehow all the bullshit of the past few years is fuel for our journey towards becoming better and wiser than we were before.
I love that you are using sub-headings. Bravo! I want to see more use of them on Substack. Too many articles are very long and readers have no way of knowing what the next section is going to contain.
Thanks, and I knew I left some people off of my list. I will amend it to include you when I get home and get on a PC (I have not been able to edit long documents on a phone ever since my last BlackBerry died -- God I miss BlackBerrys!!!)
No worries, I did not notice the list. The subheadings caught my eye and I was thrilled to see them continue down the article.
Personally I dig the undead take on living matters.
Thank you, Mark. It is good to find a human with sophisticated tastes as well as common sense.
Thank you for the shout out! I often return to the "message in a bottle" metaphor myself when I think about posting on the internet as we do. We're all sincerely lucky to have each other's disparate bottles wash up on the shores of our digital islands. I look forward to what you have to offer in 2024.
Thanks, and I very much look forward to reading yours as well!
Thanks! You as well!