There are a zillion points of departure to approach this subject of “I”. Who am I? Who are you? What am I in relation to you and what should one do to procure standards for measuring the worth of another “I” and a reality based worth or measure of ones own “I”, or self?
Perhaps one way is to just bypass self-image reflection altogether and focus on ones ethical values predominantly.What is right or wrong in this particular orientation that I choose to pursue? Then just forget about the little image of “me”-the “Oh dear, what will they think” monkey wrench (the frozen picture of “self”inside the head)
Elementary reality based common sense would keep most people, I think ,from grandiose assumptions of the likes of thinking one’s self able to help people in need of brain surgery if one is merely skilled in plumbing only.But I am referring to the myriad ways that many of us, I assume, stifle ourselves with self-doubt about things we can do because of over-emphasis on focusing on the abstract image of self instead of the core motivations of our acquired ethical perspectives ,values ,etc. for doing whatever we endeavor to do.
Letting that be the criterion by which we pursue our actions and goals.Forget the frozen categorized self-image picture in the head that stifles action and thought.
Let the hearts values be the motivation for ones actions.Then the question of ones “worthiness” would seem inevitable to fade into irrelevance.
I think that in the ever unfolding process of knowing oneself more deeply and broadly,knowing ones values and ethics the less one gives a hoot about what others think of “me” as some general and vague image in their class snooty gossip oriented minds.Of course one is always open to listen and weigh the value of meaningful critique addressed to oneself by others.
For example ,you are walking down the street and witness through their front window some nice little old ladies having tea in their front dining room.You simultaneously just happen to notice huge flames roaring out of their attic roof.You spontaneously begin to run to the front door to warn them about the fire but suddenly freeze in self-doubt.You ask yourself,”who am I to approach this private home and start yelling at the people there? I am not an official licensed and trained authority in this field of endeavor.I am not a public service officer.I am just a prune picker at a local prune orchard.No,I dare not assert myself as if I knew the proper protocols to deal with fire emergencies”…..And so he wanders off in remorse and a feeling of inferiority despairing that he was not qualified to help these poor old people from possibly perishing in their house fire.
I take it your underlying motivation for writing about Mumford, Illich and others who wrote about the great calamities, sufferings and destruction we human beings are bringing upon ourselves , is like the feeling of obligation to warn the little old ladies that their house is on fire.The little old ladies ,as they gab away over their tea , are ignorant of the danger that is coming upon them. Similarly you see the danger of our collective ignorance about how corruptly, stupidly and insanely our world is being ruled by oligarchic psychopathic values of unbridled power and profit pursuits and letting these forces herd us toward diminishment and destruction as subjugated and clueless captives of their clever and manipulative deceits.
And now a word about GUINNESS STOUT Ale.You put a picture of such in one of your postings referring to it as your “reward”.Though I have gone the way of the happy teetotaler I am not here to preach on the evils of firewater(alcohol) in a Calvinistic guilt and shame inducing sense.
Whiskey was used, as I understand it ,to fire up the Native Americans(Indians) and thus weaken and disorient them to better manipulate, deceive or kill them.I just wonder if the British also ever used alcohol in such a way against the Irish to weaken, disorient and dominate them easier.Hollow speculation?
Long story short, just to throw in a related point that perhaps only I find interesting is the effect of “the day after” a drinking bout regarding a weakened sense of self that seems to follow quite commonly.The writer and social activist of the early 1900’s Upton Sinclair has the perfect quote on this phenomena in his wonderfully informative book entitled ”A Cup Of Fury”. It is about the very many artist, writers, actors and so on that he knew personally in life that stifled, diminished and destroyed themselves with alcohol, such as Jack London who ended up committing suicide after reducing his health and quality of writing to a mere shriveled trickle at an early age.I am too lazy to look up the Sinclair exact quote on the very common ego shrinking psychological effect of alcohol.I hope you read that book someday because I think it a very valid wise warning as to the negative effects of that central nervous system poison called alcohol.
Poison however nicely it is dressed up as “Craft Brew”, ”Fine purple wine”,”Smooth Golden Whiskey”is still poison.
One Doctor Somebody, whose name I cannot recall said,”alcohol is an ego solvent”.
Sorry to sound like Carey Nation, the American crusader against alcohol who would go with the police during prohibition and chopped up barrooms with an axe.Prohibition was an idiotic idea and authoritarian brute stupidity in my view, only education and knowledge of the danger of alcohol can compel people to avoid diminishing their mind, bodies and spirits with the stuff.Same with any kind of damaging drugs , it seems to me.
For the record, in the distant past I drank more than my share of Guinness Stout and thought at the time it was a gift of the Gods. I think I was mistaken.
Well here is this higgledy-piggledy response to your latest post on self -doubt.
I am not “a writer” and probably should not be allowed anywhere near a typewriter, so the grammar imperfections here will just have to do. I am only concerned with an adequate conveyance of meaning and if I have succeeded in that I am happy.
Good day.
A few final dribbles of comment regarding booze.
A friend mine from long ago had a sister, an older woman who become so touchy and sensitive to just about anything he would say to her.She was a respectable daily boozer with the very respectable glass of wine (or two) with lunch and dinner and the respectable and normal “drinks” in the evening “to relax”.To me this fits into the “alcohol as ego solvent” idea as largely at the root of her snappy, argumentative, defensive responses to some of the most casual and innocent comments from her kind brother.Just one of the many subtle gifts that the subtle poisoner and false seductive friend called alcohol delivers.Its final embrace is all too commonly the squeeze of great diminishment and unpleasant slow demise.
Michael thank you so much for taking the time to write such a considered comment. On the whole I agree with you regarding the ego, and what the bible calls the fear of man, I should however note that in every other area of my life I do not struggle with this at all. If you were to ask anyone that knows me, I would probably be the person they said cared least about what others think of me, clothes, cars, material wealth, those outward things that people often measure themselves and others by, I really do not care about, and I certainly have never really followed the fads or fashions of the day. On a physical level, I am also not scared, as a boxer and martial artist, I am quietly confident in most physical situation and do not ever feel the need to prove myself in that are. However having said all that, in the realm of academia or even writing here, I do have this imposter syndrome, which I do think has more to do with my upbringing than anything else.
Regarding alcohol, you are of course right, I have seen so many lives wrecked by it, and yes after a few too many, the following day is completely wasted, and in many ways, null and void. Like many things (junk food, prescription medicine, social medial, wifi) drink can hollow us out, however used in moderation (something that isn't always an exact science or easy to do) it can be a vehicle of that convivial life we long for. Just this Saturday during a beautiful walk my wife and I called into a bar/restaurant for a light bite and a few beers, during our time there we had numerous opportunities to chat with complete strangers, no phones in sight, no selfies, not megamachine, just embodied human beings chatting and laughing together, I even had the chance to introduce one particular couple to some of the ideas we disseminate on here. Again I do take your point on it, as I know all too well the damage it can do, I guess I just don't want to throw the baby out with the beer water :-) Thanks again Michael.
We live in a utopian nightmare, running after money, titles and prestige. Instead of happiness.
John Lennon was right.
The most important things in life cannot be bought.
Most of us feel lost in the rat- race or matrix or tax farm... it is an artificial existence, meaningless jobs keeping us busy and unfulfilled.
It ignites greed, arrogance and ignorance.
Even if you win the rat race all you will be is a rat.
Everything we need is found in nature. We were made this way. It is our only source yet we have forgotten.
Just My Opinion
There are a zillion points of departure to approach this subject of “I”. Who am I? Who are you? What am I in relation to you and what should one do to procure standards for measuring the worth of another “I” and a reality based worth or measure of ones own “I”, or self?
Perhaps one way is to just bypass self-image reflection altogether and focus on ones ethical values predominantly.What is right or wrong in this particular orientation that I choose to pursue? Then just forget about the little image of “me”-the “Oh dear, what will they think” monkey wrench (the frozen picture of “self”inside the head)
Elementary reality based common sense would keep most people, I think ,from grandiose assumptions of the likes of thinking one’s self able to help people in need of brain surgery if one is merely skilled in plumbing only.But I am referring to the myriad ways that many of us, I assume, stifle ourselves with self-doubt about things we can do because of over-emphasis on focusing on the abstract image of self instead of the core motivations of our acquired ethical perspectives ,values ,etc. for doing whatever we endeavor to do.
Letting that be the criterion by which we pursue our actions and goals.Forget the frozen categorized self-image picture in the head that stifles action and thought.
Let the hearts values be the motivation for ones actions.Then the question of ones “worthiness” would seem inevitable to fade into irrelevance.
I think that in the ever unfolding process of knowing oneself more deeply and broadly,knowing ones values and ethics the less one gives a hoot about what others think of “me” as some general and vague image in their class snooty gossip oriented minds.Of course one is always open to listen and weigh the value of meaningful critique addressed to oneself by others.
For example ,you are walking down the street and witness through their front window some nice little old ladies having tea in their front dining room.You simultaneously just happen to notice huge flames roaring out of their attic roof.You spontaneously begin to run to the front door to warn them about the fire but suddenly freeze in self-doubt.You ask yourself,”who am I to approach this private home and start yelling at the people there? I am not an official licensed and trained authority in this field of endeavor.I am not a public service officer.I am just a prune picker at a local prune orchard.No,I dare not assert myself as if I knew the proper protocols to deal with fire emergencies”…..And so he wanders off in remorse and a feeling of inferiority despairing that he was not qualified to help these poor old people from possibly perishing in their house fire.
I take it your underlying motivation for writing about Mumford, Illich and others who wrote about the great calamities, sufferings and destruction we human beings are bringing upon ourselves , is like the feeling of obligation to warn the little old ladies that their house is on fire.The little old ladies ,as they gab away over their tea , are ignorant of the danger that is coming upon them. Similarly you see the danger of our collective ignorance about how corruptly, stupidly and insanely our world is being ruled by oligarchic psychopathic values of unbridled power and profit pursuits and letting these forces herd us toward diminishment and destruction as subjugated and clueless captives of their clever and manipulative deceits.
And now a word about GUINNESS STOUT Ale.You put a picture of such in one of your postings referring to it as your “reward”.Though I have gone the way of the happy teetotaler I am not here to preach on the evils of firewater(alcohol) in a Calvinistic guilt and shame inducing sense.
Whiskey was used, as I understand it ,to fire up the Native Americans(Indians) and thus weaken and disorient them to better manipulate, deceive or kill them.I just wonder if the British also ever used alcohol in such a way against the Irish to weaken, disorient and dominate them easier.Hollow speculation?
Long story short, just to throw in a related point that perhaps only I find interesting is the effect of “the day after” a drinking bout regarding a weakened sense of self that seems to follow quite commonly.The writer and social activist of the early 1900’s Upton Sinclair has the perfect quote on this phenomena in his wonderfully informative book entitled ”A Cup Of Fury”. It is about the very many artist, writers, actors and so on that he knew personally in life that stifled, diminished and destroyed themselves with alcohol, such as Jack London who ended up committing suicide after reducing his health and quality of writing to a mere shriveled trickle at an early age.I am too lazy to look up the Sinclair exact quote on the very common ego shrinking psychological effect of alcohol.I hope you read that book someday because I think it a very valid wise warning as to the negative effects of that central nervous system poison called alcohol.
Poison however nicely it is dressed up as “Craft Brew”, ”Fine purple wine”,”Smooth Golden Whiskey”is still poison.
One Doctor Somebody, whose name I cannot recall said,”alcohol is an ego solvent”.
Sorry to sound like Carey Nation, the American crusader against alcohol who would go with the police during prohibition and chopped up barrooms with an axe.Prohibition was an idiotic idea and authoritarian brute stupidity in my view, only education and knowledge of the danger of alcohol can compel people to avoid diminishing their mind, bodies and spirits with the stuff.Same with any kind of damaging drugs , it seems to me.
For the record, in the distant past I drank more than my share of Guinness Stout and thought at the time it was a gift of the Gods. I think I was mistaken.
Well here is this higgledy-piggledy response to your latest post on self -doubt.
I am not “a writer” and probably should not be allowed anywhere near a typewriter, so the grammar imperfections here will just have to do. I am only concerned with an adequate conveyance of meaning and if I have succeeded in that I am happy.
Good day.
A few final dribbles of comment regarding booze.
A friend mine from long ago had a sister, an older woman who become so touchy and sensitive to just about anything he would say to her.She was a respectable daily boozer with the very respectable glass of wine (or two) with lunch and dinner and the respectable and normal “drinks” in the evening “to relax”.To me this fits into the “alcohol as ego solvent” idea as largely at the root of her snappy, argumentative, defensive responses to some of the most casual and innocent comments from her kind brother.Just one of the many subtle gifts that the subtle poisoner and false seductive friend called alcohol delivers.Its final embrace is all too commonly the squeeze of great diminishment and unpleasant slow demise.
End of “Sermon on the Booze”
Goodnight
Michael thank you so much for taking the time to write such a considered comment. On the whole I agree with you regarding the ego, and what the bible calls the fear of man, I should however note that in every other area of my life I do not struggle with this at all. If you were to ask anyone that knows me, I would probably be the person they said cared least about what others think of me, clothes, cars, material wealth, those outward things that people often measure themselves and others by, I really do not care about, and I certainly have never really followed the fads or fashions of the day. On a physical level, I am also not scared, as a boxer and martial artist, I am quietly confident in most physical situation and do not ever feel the need to prove myself in that are. However having said all that, in the realm of academia or even writing here, I do have this imposter syndrome, which I do think has more to do with my upbringing than anything else.
Regarding alcohol, you are of course right, I have seen so many lives wrecked by it, and yes after a few too many, the following day is completely wasted, and in many ways, null and void. Like many things (junk food, prescription medicine, social medial, wifi) drink can hollow us out, however used in moderation (something that isn't always an exact science or easy to do) it can be a vehicle of that convivial life we long for. Just this Saturday during a beautiful walk my wife and I called into a bar/restaurant for a light bite and a few beers, during our time there we had numerous opportunities to chat with complete strangers, no phones in sight, no selfies, not megamachine, just embodied human beings chatting and laughing together, I even had the chance to introduce one particular couple to some of the ideas we disseminate on here. Again I do take your point on it, as I know all too well the damage it can do, I guess I just don't want to throw the baby out with the beer water :-) Thanks again Michael.