Subject: Fear and the Cardboard Cutout
Author: The Wind
Date Posted: 01:21:44 02/13/01 Tue
…People arbitrarily define others, almost instantaneously, as a category. If you're defined as any sort of category, then the communication path disappears and the person becomes like a cardboard cutout - easier to understand to the person - but in reality, impossible to understand at the same time for the thing that would have allowed instantaneous understanding has been converted into a symbol.
Whenever people convert the real into a symbol, this occurs. If they didn't have to symbolize everything into the cardboard cutouts of definition, then they could see instantly and in that connected way with no fear and there is the need not to fight any more.
But, then fear raises its head again, and that mistrust rears, and the cardboard cutout appears again, and the person is lost, and the connection breaks, and the magic goes away, and the person blames it on the other.
Brain
Albert Einstein: Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.
Correction. A Genius who escaped the "logic" of labels
January 26 2006, 5:55 PM
Subject: Fear and the Cardboard Cutout
Author: The Wind
Date Posted: 01:21:44 02/13/01 Tue
…People arbitrarily define others, almost instantaneously, as a category. If you're defined as any sort of category, then the communication path disappears and the person becomes like a cardboard cutout - easier to understand to the person - but in reality, impossible to understand at the same time for the thing that would have allowed instantaneous understanding has been converted into a symbol.
Whenever people convert the real into a symbol, this occurs. If they didn't have to symbolize everything into the cardboard cutouts of definition, then they could see instantly and in that connected way with no fear and there is the need not to fight any more.
But, then fear raises its head again, and that mistrust rears, and the cardboard cutout appears again, and the person is lost, and the connection breaks, and the magic goes away, and the person blames it on the other.
Brain
Albert Einstein: Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.
The Wind has explained extremely well why Christianity is bad in his posts to Davidc. He also has psychoanalytically explained the mechanics of emotionally blocked people http://www.network54.com/Forum/106498/message/1132988089/The+Gatekeeper and still he is being avoided as if he has lepra.
Would his analysis be any different if he had posted under his real name Dr. Peter Goldberg?
Do you understand now why we, the skeptics, are being outnumbered 1 to 99?
If any businessman would run his business like this, he would go bankrupt
Brain
Anthony Robins: There is no such thing as failure. There are only results.
I won't bother to find all the fawning and obsequious posts you have left on the board about The Wind. So you are fawning and obsequious to him and you are not his sycophant. OK. Whatever.
******************************* The Wind has explained extremely well why Christianity is bad in his posts to Davidc. He also has psychoanalytically explained the mechanics of emotionally blocked people http://www.network54.com/Forum/106498/message/1132988089/The+Gatekeeper and still he is being avoided as if he has lepra. *******************************
I read about one third of the recent posts (last week or so) with you, The Wind, and davidc. Up until now, I have read all of your posts and The Wind's (a while back when he was posting). I've determined that I waste my time. If you have something to say, then say it in plain unadorned prose. Speaking in parables and metaphors on occasion has usefulness but hardly ever is it useful when you are trying to convey factual information (that's what you're trying to do, right?). You guys seem like you're having a conversation to yourselves that only you can understand. I have better things to do.
************************* Would his analysis be any different if he had posted under his real name Dr. Peter Goldberg? *************************
I don't know that name, but I'm sure he is as respectable as you are.
************************* Do you understand now why we, the skeptics, are being outnumbered 1 to 99? *************************
No. I don't understand your syllogism. But it doesn't matter to me anyway, because I'm not part of some group that you are talking about.
Some other comments: I know davidc. He is really smart. I constantly don't understand how people can be really smart and believe that there is a god. It is illogical (I won't go into the arguments here). How is it that really smart people function well in life where they need to be logical, and then they can be illogical about other things? Yet, I personally know well at least 10 people like that. (BTW, davidc knows my thoughts on this and is not finding out about it here)
I think that in relatively good times, religion is benign or even a good force (Islam too). But I feel strongly that religion is bad overall, because hardly ever is any particular part of the world in a period of 'good times' in history, and the bad times is when religion does its worst. If the evil were cut out of the Bible and Quran, etc. then the little people could have their superstition and it could even always be a positive force regardless of the 'times'. This is what needs to happen; religions need to change for the better, because humanity apparently has evolved with an inate need to embrace superstition. To think that you will eradicate religion is like Dawkins thinking that the word "brights" will replace the word "atheist". Or "neo-liberal" will replace the term "conservative".
“I wish you wouldn’t keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly; you make one quite giddy!”
“All right,” said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
“Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice; “but a grin without a cat! It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life!”
The Wind, he travels with his bicycle cross-country and knows more people than all of us here together. Now, why should he tell anybody about skeptics who treat him as if he has lepra? Why should he tell a fellow human being to come to a place where he had and still has to sit in the corner being punished for being a genius?
Are you still wondering why we are outnumbered 1 to 99?
... I just don't know what you are talking about. And I know that you can communicate succinctly in English when you want to. Do you have stuff in your head that you think everyone else should know about without you saying it?
However, delusions are the foundation of all hope. Without delusions, we would be left hopeless.
One who hopes always appears to be deluded, until the moment that things that were come undone. Once that occurs, the one who brought hope becomes the brilliant one.
It's much the same as a hero. A hero who fails is a fool. The same person, having succeeded, is paraded around the streets.
What is clarity of vision? How far can we see into the future when we interpole. Each interpolates different things, because of their desires. Possibly, the future is maleable. If the future is maleable, and it is personal future instead of being an impersonal one... We hold the ability to lever that future in directions that we'd like. We hold awesome influence upon our own future. What you do in life molds both the distant future, and your own local future.
Always remember that MY future isn't necessarily YOUR future. Build towards the future that you desire, and your future will be led there.
He is far more than just adequate. I would consider him a good friend, if he didn’t fear me so… He’s brave, daring, and bold and has a good head on his shoulders.
---Al
