During the last few years, it has really come to my attention that humanity tends to cling to hatred, fear, and selfishness far more than it should. The Ideal is that being compassionate, caring, showing love, and being nice in general are signs of weakness that are slowly destroying our societies. Too many hold on to the belief, that in order to be strong you must be callus, cold, and show no mercy.
I ask you this question, which takes more courage, which takes more effort and strength to achieve and maintain? Being a person who lets his fears, anger, and lack of trust guide his decision, being callous and uncaring so that you can achieve a goal, or the person who conquers his fear and puts aside all his anger and distrust in order to achieve his goal?
To me it seems far easier to give in to anger and fear, takes less courage and effort to follow the path of war and destruction. Takes a very strong individual to put themselves out there and do the right thing, to do the things that benefit others more than themselves. Regardless of which way you do things, you will have critics and naysayers, but I would rather be disliked for doing good and being kind than for being a warmonger or a bringer of hate and distrust.
There is some hope for Humanity through all this pandemic and war business going on nowadays, look at those who have opened their hearts and homes to refugees, the people going out of their way to help protect others from the pandemic, and aid in keeping those infected alive. We have seen the worse of humanity and the best of humanity through the last few years and I really hope in the end, the best of humanity will outweigh the worse and become the light to guide the way for future generations to follow.
Try to remember, that we all are brothers and sisters on this earth regardless of our skin color, or religious or political beliefs. We all desire a peaceful and happy world for our children and the future children to come. Be compassionate, caring, and live in harmony, if not for yourself, then for your children and the future.
That said, May peace come soon to the Ukraine conflict, may the pandemic pass for us all, and Happy Easter, Passover, and Ramadan to you all. Happiness and peace to all of my Brothers and Sisters across the world.
There are those in life that serve themselves and never serve others, they get so self-absorbed they lose the ability to feel empathy. They lose focus on the importance of life, the blessings of compassion and charity. The lust for power and greed consume them to the point nothing else matters beyond acquiring more wealth and power.
I do not know if it is that they believe more power, possessions, and money will bring meaning into their life or that through such they can find some sort of happiness. To have some power and some wealth to give one security is something I can see all of us desiring to one degree or another, but it is hard to see it being more important than the well-being of others around us.
People like Putin that have way more than they need still seek more and put their dreams of a Legacy to leave behind above the worth of human lives around them. They see their own desires and ambitions as more important than the lives of others. Putin unfortunately has the power to take the lives of others, and it has cost the lives of thousands all in the name of his vision for his country and vision of a legacy.
There is always a diplomatic solution to every political situation as long as both parties desire peace and stability. Unfortunately, diplomacy is a long game strategy, something that takes time, and some world leaders do not have much patience. Diplomacy also usually requires some give and take and a lot of the time one or both sides only want to take and never want to give. So diplomacy, the best solution to most political problems is not always the most desired because it takes too long and it means both sides must give something up in order to bring things to a close.
World leaders should be more focused on serving humanity as a whole than serving just their own ambitions, desires, and only the interests of their piece of the globe. We all should be focused on helping one another to be happier, healthier, and successful as well. Sometimes you serve yourself best by serving those around you, strengthening your community, and making a better world for everyone.
Just imagine if all the nations of the world were to work together to combat hunger, poverty, disease, and climate change. If they poured all their resources into improving the world we live in instead into weapons . We would probably see an end to most of those things fairly quickly and the rest in the short term future. Only if we could put aside all our political and ideological differences and combine our strengths to build a better future for all of humanity.
Well, enough Rambling on from this old midwesterner. Peace be with you all and may you create meaning in your life.
As one grows older they contemplate the meaning of life, what it all means, and what was the purpose of one’s existence in the grand scheme of things. The desire of having meaning in one’s life increases as you near the autumn and winter of your life.
Some fall into the trap of possessions and wealth, thinking life is all about what one can obtain for one’s own pleasure and comfort. Sure having plenty of money and nice trinkets and objects around you makes life a bit more pleasant in some ways, but do they really bring you happiness or do they just give you a temporary sense of achievement?
As long as you do not allow wealth and possessions to control your life and you avoid the addictive thing called greed you are fine. Having nice things and money is not wrong, just when you put more value on possessions and wealth than on human life and wellbeing you are walking a dangerous and addictive path.
Far as the meaning of life, or more precisely the meaning of your own life, it is something you create and chose. What you do, say, and how you live your life is what gives meaning to your own life. Being compassionate, charitable, and loving to others is one way to give your own life meaning. Far as the meaning of life in general, I believe it is to live, learn, love, and experience all life has to offer.
The biggest challenge I have found in my life is keeping the self in check, the side of myself that is selfish, self-serving, and constantly viewing life as if it was only mine. It is hard not to think everything said or done around you isn’t somehow aimed at you or done for your sake one way or another. It is part of the way the human mind works to a degree.
So I must remind myself daily, that I am but one of the many, just another passenger on the great spaceship we call earth. Though I am just a grain of sand on the beaches of life, I am a part of those beaches so I am neither greater nor lesser than the rest. I do my best to remove the shackles of individualism while in turn, I try not to get lost in being a part of the great wholeness of life. The Great balancing act of being a sentient being in the universe.
So instead of trying to find meaning in life, go out and create meaning in your own life. Serve others more so than just serving yourself in life, and find a balance between being an individual and being a part of the whole. Be yourself and accept both yourself and others as who they are without condition.
Democracy, In Greek, is demokratia which comes from 2 Greek words Demos which means people, and Kratos which means power. Thus, demokratia means rule by the people. This is where what we see as modern democracy from. Though the U.S. is a democracy of sorts, it is more of a democratic republic than just a simple democracy. We could get into all the details about how our nation works as a democratic republic but most people have a good grasp of the concept.
What seems to have happened in the last century is slowly but surely the people started losing their power in the U.S. to the big industries, corporations, and those with the money to lobby congress. For example, Big Pharma as we call it spends a big chunk of money lobbying congress in hopes of keeping pharmaceutical prices high to keep their profits high. They claim it’s all for research and development costs, but insulin as one example costs around 30 or so dollars outside the U.S. but costs Americans a hundred or more dollars. Of course, this is an oversimplified example when it comes to Big Pharma or any big industry Lobby campaign is about.
The point is, if any citizen group were to lobby for something that any big industry or wealthy lobbyist group disliked, the outcome would be more than likely in favor of those with the money to lobby congress and not for the lobbyist group with the most beneficial ideas. The question is how do we level the playing field between big money / big industry and the non-profit or civilian lobbyist groups?
Since it is supposed to be the will of the people of the United States and not just the rich and or powerful such as big industry etc. it is an issue that should be dealt with. I feel most of the time it is the ideals and agendas of the big money lobbyists that are being heard and acted upon and that the voices of the people the congress is supposed to serve are usually ignored or downplayed. It is all about the money I believe in the end and not about democracy or good politics.
In the end, I feel there should be some heavy regulation of the political lobby groups and term limits in congress as well. When people stay in power too long they lose focus and eventually lose touch with the people they are there to serve. Unfortunately, the house and senate both are starting to resemble the roman senate in their worst years before Rome’s demise.
Senators and Representatives are too focused on getting sound bytes and tv time, too rigid and uncompromising to get anything done that benefits the people they were elected to serve. But give them something to do to help their lobbyist buddies and their political supporters, then you will see things get pushed through. Both the Republican and Democrat parties are catering too much to the extremism and radical base of their own party which is not good politics.
I just find it funny, that if I were to act like some of those in congress, I would be viewed as a villain of some sort or someone that needs to be on medication. Oh, and more than likely I would have been fired from my job for some of the actions displayed and words uttered by those in congress. I guess I am just disappointed in how some of those folks are behaving and can not fathom why there are no consequences for such.
Maybe I will just chuck it up to the pandemic and trying times we are living in being too much for them to bear. Who knows, but they do need to remember they represent us all and the World is watching them and so are the voters.
Have you ever noticed that in this world those that show the most compassion, have a peaceful nature, and those who see the world around them as a whole a higher priority than their own desires and needs tend to be looked upon as either weak or they are socially shunned?
Seems it is more socially acceptable to be selfish, brutish, and cold-hearted than to be compassionate and selfless in nature. Too many people are stuck on what is in it for me, or what can I get out of it, and not focused on how it will affect the world around them. To be fair, we all have a bit of selfishness in us all, between self-preservation and the desire to find some happiness in this life it is unavoidable to be a tad bit selfish at times.
Unless one is seeking to live a life of a monk or nun, there will be some desire to accumulate wealth and possession. The key is to know when it is enough to be happy and when it is becoming just plain overindulgence. We as a species need to recognize that even though we are individuals we also are a part of the human race which is in turn just a part of the world we all live in regardless of species and or beliefs. The whole as they would call it depends on all of its parts from the smallest living microorganism to the largest of the animals.
Thinking we are an individual, separate from all other living creatures great and small only causes us to think of one drop of water in the ocean of life. Seems to me that is a very lonely and unfavorable way of looking at one’s self and life, we are all a part of something much larger than just ourselves. We should think and act as we are stewards of the world we live in and have a love for all of life. So if ya see someone in need, do not judge them due to their appearance, financial status, or social position in society, instead, reach your hand out to help them.
Society will continue to shun those with a caring and loving nature it seems until we change the mindset that to love is weak and to be bullish and selfish is a sign of success or strength. Until there are social consequences for those that are hateful, selfish, and spiteful and reward for nurturing and loving people.
We should make it a priority to teach our children respect for all life, and respect for all people. Teach them to be at the least tolerant of different belief systems and ways of life. Humanity will always have a multitude of religious, social, and political beliefs. It is one of the things that keeps the species growing and changing. Those differences between us all will help us learn as a species and grow as a whole.
Well, Enough of my random rants and thoughts for now. Be blessed and may you find peace and happiness my friends.
Seems the world is full of anger, fear and distrust now days, Hard to know where to turn for the facts and truth. We have such a vast array of sources of information but unfortunately very few are reliable and the majority is opinion based far more than fact.
The Covid-19 pandemic has done far more than caused the illness and unfortunately death across this planet, it also has caused financial problems across the globe as well. Along with the financial issues there is also the cost of food and other goods increasing along with inflation to boot in the USA. Add the cost of gasoline going up and the supply chain issues it is a recipe for certain financial chaos.
Then you have the political chaos happening across the globe as well, the politicization of almost every issue involved with the pandemic, Racial tensions and all the conspiracy theories floating around causing nothing but trouble. On top of all that you have the major super powers playing sabre rattling games on top of it, seems to be times of uncertainty to say the least.
Times like these, we should not waste time pointing fingers or fighting with each other . We should instead do the right or better thing and reach our hands out to help others in need, spend time talking to people and letting them know they are not alone. Right now there are many people suffering from mental and emotional stress along with other problems due to the covid-19 pandemic and from the state of our world. Each one of suffers some what mentally or emotionally I believe from the lockdowns, financial worries and the fear associated with pandemics.
I know of quite a few of my friends that are homeless, living in their car or in the street due to financial problems caused by the pandemic. I have seen the fear in the eyes of friends and family throughout the last few years. I even experienced fear to the point of being glued to the television looking for hope of the end of the pandemic, cures and vaccines (prior their release). I finally had to tell myself to turn off the tv and focus on my family and etc. Once I turned off the tv I returned to normal for the most part.
I now rarely ever watch the news , since most of it is about political issues or the pandemic and opinions. Very little news to be had now it seems, keeping people scared of the virus, vaccines and keeping them upset over political issues is good for ratings I guess. My suggestion is turn off the tv, read a book, do something nice for your neighbor (safely of course). Live Life, make the best of the situation and learn to channel that fear or anger into more constructive things.
Well it has been a while since I have blogged a random thoughts post, figured today was a good day as any. I hope that you all are doing well and may you all be blessed and stay healthy
The pandemic has had many side effects when dealing with society, it has caused much distrust in science, governments and amplified the social problems we were already facing in the world. Watching people argue over mask wearing, vaccinations, political policies and social values is very disappointing during a time we should come together to face the challenges before us as a world.
To me it is quite confusing why anyone would find temporary mask mandates as a infringement on ones personal rights when the fact is wearing a mask is more of a service to your fellow human beings since it keeps the wearer from spreading a very serious illness. We all seem to have little issue on the rules set by the health department to wear a shirt or a pair of shoes in a restaurant or grocery store but make a big fuss over wearing a mask during a pandemic. If wearing a mask was only for the wearers protection not the other people around them i may understand the argument better.
Far as Vaccines, all vaccines have a small risk to them, always have through out time. But the benefit of being vaccinated usually outweighs the risk, and far as vaccinations i do support a persons right not to be vaccinated even though it increases the amount of others who may become infected and the will increase the length we will be in a pandemic.
With the Delta variant causing a faster spread and the new Mu variation possibly being Vaccine resistant we are in for a long and possibly bad winter. Since it took the world too long to get enough people vaccinated it gave time for the virus to mutate to the point it could possibly circumvent the current vaccinations available. Regardless of what side you are on when it comes to Mask wearing and Vaccinations you will probably know someone this year that gets covid-19. I have recently had a friend and their family come down with the virus, 1 adult and 2 children. I hope they will fair well against the infection and get well soon.
Life is short, and nowadays shorter than it should be for some people, we should be kind to one another, acceptant of each others views and opinions when it comes to what we are facing. We can disagree, but we should also be able to remain civil and continue to be friends with another. I have lost a few friends due to having different views politically and about pandemic related issues. Shame to lose friends over a difference of views or opinions, but they chose to end the friendships not I.
I know i will probably get some backlash over this post, some negative comments from those with opposing views and the usual trolls on the internet. But one can not always write neutral and bland posts. I hope that I haven’t offended anyone in any way it is just my personal observations and my opinions on what I am seeing and experiencing during this pandemic.
I wish all of you a safe and blessed year, Be good to one another.
Most of us take big and small risks in our lives every day. But COVID-19 has made us more aware of how we think about taking risks.
Since the start of the pandemic, people have been forced to weigh their options about how much risk is worth taking for ordinary activities – should they, for example, go to the grocery store or even turn up for a long-scheduled doctor’s visit?
As a scholar of ancient Greek history, I am interested in what the classics can teach us about risk-taking as a way to make sense of our current situation.
Greek mythology features godlike heroes, but Greek history was filled with men and women who were exposed to great risks without the comforts of modern life.
The iron generation
One of the earliest written works in Greek is “Works and Days,” a poem by a farmer named Hesiod in the eighth century B.C. In it, Hesiod addresses his lazy brother, Perses.
The most famous section of “Works and Days” describes a cycle of generations. First, Hesiod says, Zeus created a golden generation who “lived like the gods, having hearts free from sorrow, far from work and misery.”
Then came a silver generation, arrogant and proud.
Third was a bronze generation, violent and self-destructive.
Fourth was the age of heroes who went to their graves at Troy.
Finally, Hesiod says, Zeus made an iron generation marked by a balance of pain and joy.
While the earliest generations lived life free of worries, according to Hesiod, life in the current iron generation is shaped by risk, which leads to pain and sorrow.
Throughout the poem, Hesiod develops an idea of risk and its management that was common in ancient Greece: People can and should take steps to prepare for risk, but it is ultimately inescapable.
In other words, people face the consequences of risk – including suffering – because that is the will of Zeus.
Omens and divination
If the outcome of risk was determined by the gods, then one critical part of preparing to face uncertainty was to try to find out the will of Zeus. For this, the Greeks relied on oracles and omens.
While the rich might pay to petition the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, most people turned to simpler techniques to seek guidance from the gods, such as throwing dice made of animal knuckle bones.
A second technique involved inscribing a question on a lead tablet, to which the god would provide an answer such as “yes” or “no.” These tablets record a wide range of concerns from ordinary Greeks. In one, a man named Lysias asks the god whether he should invest in shipping. In another, a man named Epilytos asks whether he should continue in his current career and whether he ought to wed a woman who shows up, or wait. Nothing is known about either man except that they turned to the gods when confronted with uncertainty.
Chresmologoi played so much of a role in bolstering public confidence that the wealthy Athenian politician Alcibiades privately contracted them as spin doctors in order to persuade people to overlook the risks of an expedition to Sicily in 415 B.C.
Mitigating risks
For the Greeks, putting faith in the gods alone did not fully protect them from risk. As Hesiod explained, risk mitigation required attending to both the gods and human actions.
Generals, for example, made sacrifices to gods like Artemis or Ares in advance of battle, and the best commanders knew how to interpret every omen as a positive sign. At the same time, though, generals also paid attention to strategy and tactics in order to give their armies every advantage.
Neither was every omen heeded. Before the Athenian expedition to Sicily in 415 B.C., statues sacred to Hermes, the god of travel, were found with their faces scratched out.
The Athenians interpreted this as a bad omen, which may have been what the perpetrators intended. The expedition sailed anyway, but it ended in a crushing defeat. Few of the people who left ever returned to Athens.
The evidence was clear to the Athenians: The desecration of the statues had put everyone in the expedition at risk. The only solution was to punish the wrongdoers. Fifteen years later, the orator Andocides had to defend himself in court against accusations that he had been involved.
This history explains that individuals might escape divine punishment, but ignoring omens and failing to take precautions were often communal rather than individual problems. Andocides was acquitted, but his trial shows that when someone’s actions put everyone at risk, it was a community’s responsibility to hold them accountable.
Oracles and knuckle bones are not in vogue today, but the ancient Greeks show us the very real dangers of risky behavior, and why it is important that risk not be left to a simple toss of the dice.
We all at one point or another fell prey to Envy, counting the blessings of our neighbor instead of counting our own. Be it at work, at home, or in our social circle there is always someone who has more or better than we do.
To be honest, I think Envy can not be totally removed from human nature, but it can be put in check as soon as it comes out to play. I think it’s instinctive to see what someone else has that brings them the appearance of happiness and to want it for ourselves, that is not so much the issue as when we think we should take it from them to obtain it instead of working to achieve and obtain it on our own.
Being I’ve been around for over a 1/2 century, I have experienced Envy in the workplace from both ends of its pointy stick. I suffered from it a few times in my earlier years of life. Watching some people just seem to get all the breaks and promotions, get higher wages than me, or get to goof off all day while I worked.
At least that was how I perceived it when I experienced it, and I spent too much time worrying over those other people instead of doing my job better. Now that I’ve matured, I have learned to focus on what I am doing and not worry about what others are doing.
unless I am in a supervisor position, and even then I only pay attenuation to what I am required to in that role. I guess part of it is that I have learned to be happy with what I have been blessed with now, instead of worrying about what other people are blessed with.
Ok, This is one place I Suffered Envy the most I think, especially in my teenage years. Being I was just an average run-of-the-mill guy, with no athletic skills and unfortunately low self-esteem, I was one of those barely noticed or remembered guys from your high school days.
Envy filled my veins when it came to the cool kids, the lady’s men, and the geniuses around me. Always wanting what was theirs instead of seeing I had plenty I was not aware of or using at that time.
Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, so much I missed out on due to my poor self-image and lack of confidence. Only if we could go back and do it again with what we know now eh? lol.
Another Weak spot for me when I was young, I had an older brother, so I was the younger brother. I always felt like I was less than him since he had 3 years on me. I envied his popularity, his luck with the ladies, and his independent spirit. He could be a bit of a smarty pants and a bully at times too (the 2 things I didn’t want to emulate).
Of course, as I hit my later teens I didn’t envy him as much as I disliked his attitude towards me, but that’s siblings for you. Mind you now I look back and think how stupid I was for wanting to be more like him instead of being more like me 🙂
Through years of both experiencing and observing Envy in its many flavors it comes in, I have watched it ruin people’s lives when they let it take root for too long. Watched people lose their careers, their friends, and even.
Best to count your own blessings than to worry about the blessings of others. Focus on making your own life better than desiring the life of someone else. The grass may look greener in your neighbor’s yard, but sometimes if you look closely it is mainly crabgrass.
Envy and its sister jealousy are both destroyers of happiness and are detrimental to your emotional and mental well-being.
Be Good to one another, and be thankful for what you have been blessed with
Like a few i have talked with in the past year, I suspect that I may had had the Corona Virus in late dec 2019 / early Jan 2020. I suffered a Flu like ailment that peaked with the main symptom of Covid, Shortness of breath. I couldnt walk 4 feet without being out of breath.
I was fortunate though, this symptom started to subside with about 4 days but it seemed like it took me many months to feel close to back to normal. To this day I am unsure if I had Covid-19 or a severe Pneumonia like infection, though I had others around me in my family whom also suffered the same problems in the same date range.
During the early months of the pandemic I did not seem to feel much emotional / mental anxiety or panic. But as the months passed I did start getting overwhelmed by both the News media hyping it up and the politicization of the pandemic itself.
I found myself glued to one news channel or another like most people, looking for some hope of it coming to an end and some unity in the congress to get things rolling towards getting the pandemic and its many problems it caused in our economy and society.
Between the Battle over mask wearing, lock downs on public gatherings and the unfortunate problems of our society being amplified during the pandemic, I was finding very hard to find any peace or tranquility within my own mind.
Fear of infection, loss of hope and the political madness that was gripping our nation both in the public and in the government itself was getting to the point I was losing most of my ability to think rationally.
Eventually I chose to turn off the TV, stop watching the news for a while. That gave me time to refocus and think about things rationally and logically. That choice of ending the binge watching of the news lead to me returning to my normal self mentally and emotionally.
This pandemic panic was short lived mind you, not even a month in time but i do believe it could have and probably would have lasted longer if I continued being glued to the tv watching news channels.
The pandemic has brought to light and caused a magnification of many social injustices along with amplifying the polarization of a already dysfunctional government.
Civil Rights, Civil Justice and equality has been in need of being addressed not only in the United States, but in most if not all of the world. A person should never be judged by religion, color, nationality , Financial status, sexual preference or even their political party.
Democracy or in our case a Democratic Republic is not a failed experiment like some world government leaders has stated, It is a on going ever changing and growing thing. Change is always hard and usualy is feared by most people, reason why there is always polarization and opposition when change comes.
Right now our congress is playing the partisan games, both sides doing what they need to to gain votes more so than to do what it right. The congress seems dysfunctional and only interested in fighting one another.
One side wants to spend and put the nation in debt, though spending is needed to fix the the nation up with such things as infrastructure. The other side don’t want to spend anything hardly at all and will do anything to stop the former side from succeeding.
Times of trouble always brings out the best and worst in people and governments. This pandemic is no exception to that rule. Being Glued to News is not a good way to deal with the problems at hand and usualy leads to some kind of emotional problems if not brain washing lol. In the end it is what you do during this time that will make the most impact
How you treat others, Resect their opinions and position on topics at hand and if you are a helper or a watcher will determine how we get through this pandemic and troubling times.
Respect, Compassion and doing your part in being a helper in society and not just a bystander who watches will make a positive and large impact on our world and society.
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