I kind of get a kick out of folk who have strong (often negative) opinions about Them- but cannot name one of Them to save their life. Until you are in relationship with one of Them, it may be that you’ve not earned the right to speak against Them. Then, you actually get to know one of Them, and the argument against Them breaks down pretty quickly. The irony is that the person you actually know is “the exception” nearly every time. Read the rest of this entry »
Christians and philosophers alike have treated truth as a good idea- as something to be attained. A mental enlightenment. Postmodernism, of course, rejects this idea of truth- of absolute truth, specifically- and for good reason. Truth, as knowledge, is the scholar’s god- but not much good for the rest of us. Postmodernity, by rejecting the compartmentalization of life, helps us see the flaws of this pursuit of truth.
Life, as rediscovered, is not made of separate, autonomous pieces. Life is an integrated existence of descernable aspects. Thanks to modernity, we have gone on thinking that life is safely compartmentalized; that our life is made up of vaccum-sealed, water-tight compartments we can attend to individually and that we control the flow between them. Read the rest of this entry »
Christianity is a funny thing. It’s a confession, really. Not a bold proclamation of something I’ve achieved so much as something I’m embarrassed by because i admit how morally, emotionally and spiritually dumb i am, how needy and graceless on my own.
In the ongoing modernity vs. postmodernity debate, score one for PMism. The wholesale rejection of categories actually leads to some good things. Refusing to accept a categorized life is one of those good things. Postmodernity is, in part, rediscovering the integrated life- no longer accepting that one can successfully have a spiritual life apart from a secular life or maintain sanity while disconnecting deeply connected aspects of life. Read the rest of this entry »
Experience teaches only the teachable.” -Aldous Huxley
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” -Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See
“Careful- we don’t want to learn anything from this.” -Calvin & Hobbes
We learn from experience- our own or the experience of others- and the learning is in the evaluation. Read the rest of this entry »
I mentioned in my last post two books on the subject of self-deception. These books are helpful on their own, but when read together, uh, or, sequentially they form a more whole-istic, integral picture. More bang for your buck because of the exponential interaction and what-not. I’d like to expand on that with some of my favorite pairings… Read the rest of this entry »
"It is generally agreed that the ultimate purpose of any thinking must be the satisfaction of the thinker.So in the end the purpose of thinking is to satisfy the expressed emotions." -Edward DeBono
