Comments on: Thou Art God http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/ Wielding the Stick of Grandmotherly Kindness Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:47:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: How do I stop desiring to be God? - Personal Development for Smart People Forums http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-3405 How do I stop desiring to be God? - Personal Development for Smart People Forums Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:49:32 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-3405 [...] the best way to stop desiring to be God is to just be God? After all, thou art God. Rejoice and be at peace. __________________ When people see things as beautiful, [...] [...] the best way to stop desiring to be God is to just be God? After all, thou art God. Rejoice and be at peace. __________________ When people see things as beautiful, [...]

]]> By: Goddess of Java http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2735 Goddess of Java Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:06:41 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2735 Thing is, Erik, you have a choice about what you're going to do with the next second. You made you life, but you can make it differently starting right now, too. Thing is, Erik, you have a choice about what you’re going to do with the next second. You made you life, but you can make it differently starting right now, too.

]]> By: Erik http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2730 Erik Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:58:56 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2730 "Your entire life is what you made it." Wow. Now I feel even worse. “Your entire life is what you made it.”

Wow.

Now I feel even worse.

]]> By: Keith Taylor http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2643 Keith Taylor Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:35:03 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2643 Yes, true, to a point. However, it looks atlife from a simplistic level. There are some choices that you cannot make. The idiot who is not watching what he is doing rides into you with his car and does you some damage. He might even kill you. That is not your choice and while you can, to a degree, decide what treatment you should receive for the injuries sustained, and who should perform the actions necessary to return you to a more-or-less working condition, you cannot decide how the doctor willl do it. If he messes it up, it's really out of your hands. What happens afterward is your choice. Certainly, the universe doesn't care about you. Heinlein was correct on that score. The universe does not give a damn about the events that unfolded at the World Trade Centre on that fateful day, but the people who perished there had Hobson's choice: jump, or die in the fire, or go down with the buildings. Your life is your own, yes. What you do about it is your doing, yes, but there are elements that you cannot decide upon. Sometimes, the only recourse for some people is panic. Others willl be stoic and face the end with a veneer of calm. In the end, you can only be the best you you choose to be. Yes, true, to a point. However, it looks atlife from a simplistic level. There are some choices that you cannot make. The idiot who is not watching what he is doing rides into you with his car and does you some damage. He might even kill you. That is not your choice and while you can, to a degree, decide what treatment you should receive for the injuries sustained, and who should perform the actions necessary to return you to a more-or-less working condition, you cannot decide how the doctor willl do it. If he messes it up, it’s really out of your hands. What happens afterward is your choice.
Certainly, the universe doesn’t care about you. Heinlein was correct on that score. The universe does not give a damn about the events that unfolded at the World Trade Centre on that fateful day, but the people who perished there had Hobson’s choice: jump, or die in the fire, or go down with the buildings.
Your life is your own, yes. What you do about it is your doing, yes, but there are elements that you cannot decide upon. Sometimes, the only recourse for some people is panic. Others willl be stoic and face the end with a veneer of calm. In the end, you can only be the best you you choose to be.

]]> By: Goddess of Java http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2528 Goddess of Java Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:51:59 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2528 I'm sorry you went through some unhappy stuff, Deb. I really am. *wrygrin* Interesting about the lecture... I'm... uh... you could call me a co-religionist, I 'spose. I’m sorry you went through some unhappy stuff, Deb. I really am.

*wrygrin* Interesting about the lecture… I’m… uh… you could call me a co-religionist, I ’spose.

]]> By: Deb Terry http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2527 Deb Terry Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:39:31 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2527 I'm not sure I agree 100% with this article....although I agree with a LOT of it. I believe that we SHOULD own our decisions....when there is a decision to be MADE but..... 1. When I was three years old I really doubt that I decided to be raped by my half brother repeatedly. 2. And right now I sincerely doubt that I DECIDED that my pituitary gland should go crazy and that there is perhaps a tumor in my brain making it do so. To my mind I tend to believe that WE decide...or have decided before this life began...about everything that happens to us OR considering ourself a victim of everything that happens to both be too extreme. Rather I go with a Middle Path that is most completely conceived in the Norse concept of Wyrd. Most of the time Wyrd is seen as analogous to Fate but it's not. The best metaphor for Wyrd is looking at the threads of any fabric. The threads that go up and down are laid first in a loom and can said to be predetermined, whether by our genetics, the family environment we are born into, or supernatural intercession hardly matters because it's only half the fabric. The PATTERNS that we make are determined by our choices, the threads that go back and forth to maintain the metaphor. Personally I consider it's both these things that comprise how our lives is. So YES what has come before us can determine our life to an extent AND the choices that we make in life do to. The hard part is figuring out what things come from where and then having the strength to look back and say, "Okay that wasn't a very good decision..... can I make a better decision next time. Or was that the only decision possible." Cause sometimes there IS only one decision to make either from a survival. It does take a bit of doing......and complete brutal honesty with yourself cause only YOU know all your secrets. Not to mention you have to KEEP doing it...and you keep falling off your balance point.....and like anybody knows about riding or any other skill that needs balance once you fall down you get right back up again. My personal view, Deb Terry I’m not sure I agree 100% with this article….although I agree with a LOT of it. I believe that we SHOULD own our decisions….when there is a decision to be MADE but…..

1. When I was three years old I really doubt that I decided to be raped by my half brother repeatedly.

2. And right now I sincerely doubt that I DECIDED that my pituitary gland should go crazy and that there is perhaps a tumor in my brain making it do so.

To my mind I tend to believe that WE decide…or have decided before this life began…about everything that happens to us OR considering ourself a victim of everything that happens to both be too extreme. Rather I go with a Middle Path that is most completely conceived in the Norse concept of Wyrd.

Most of the time Wyrd is seen as analogous to Fate but it’s not. The best metaphor for Wyrd is looking at the threads of any fabric. The threads that go up and down are laid first in a loom and can said to be predetermined, whether by our genetics, the family environment we are born into, or supernatural intercession hardly matters because it’s only half the fabric. The PATTERNS that we make are determined by our choices, the threads that go back and forth to maintain the metaphor. Personally I consider it’s both these things that comprise how our lives is. So YES what has come before us can determine our life to an extent AND the choices that we make in life do to. The hard part is figuring out what things come from where and then having the strength to look back and say, “Okay that wasn’t a very good decision….. can I make a better decision next time. Or was that the only decision possible.” Cause sometimes there IS only one decision to make either from a survival.

It does take a bit of doing……and complete brutal honesty with yourself cause only YOU know all your secrets. Not to mention you have to KEEP doing it…and you keep falling off your balance point…..and like anybody knows about riding or any other skill that needs balance once you fall down you get right back up again.

My personal view,
Deb Terry

]]> By: Jenny http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2510 Jenny Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:53:38 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2510 Love your section on guilt and getting on with it. We are conditioned to believe that DOING WRONG + FEELING REALLY BAD = DOING RIGHT and that NOT DOING IT + A REALLY GOOD EXCUSE = DOING IT neither of which is actually true, of course, but we live as if they are ... Love your section on guilt and getting on with it.

We are conditioned to believe that

DOING WRONG + FEELING REALLY BAD = DOING RIGHT

and that

NOT DOING IT + A REALLY GOOD EXCUSE = DOING IT

neither of which is actually true, of course, but we live as if they are …

]]> By: Holly http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2493 Holly Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:35:58 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2493 I really have to thank you for writing this article. I read some Heinlein in college, but never took his writing seriously. If I had, I would have better understood Sifu, when he was alive. He used to say, "The Universe doesn't care!!", whenever we were whining about something. He also said, "Fear is the Mind Killer", but I knew where that was from. So now I get it. I've thought about it so often, wondering what he really, and you have given me the context. THANKS I really have to thank you for writing this article. I read some Heinlein in college, but never took his writing seriously. If I had, I would have better understood Sifu, when he was alive. He used to say, “The Universe doesn’t care!!”, whenever we were whining about something. He also said, “Fear is the Mind Killer”, but I knew where that was from. So now I get it. I’ve thought about it so often, wondering what he really, and you have given me the context. THANKS

]]> By: Louis Adkins http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2484 Louis Adkins Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:34:11 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2484 ./nods Having good reasons for your choices is a good thing, but the fact that you are still making a choice is important and overlooked. Good Article. ./nods

Having good reasons for your choices is a good thing, but the fact that you are still making a choice is important and overlooked. Good Article.

]]> By: Endymion http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2482 Endymion Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:55:08 +0000 http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/2007/11/26/thou-art-god/#comment-2482 I find this to be so VERY true. I find this to be so VERY true.

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