The Dumb Earthers

If you poke around enough you may be shocked to discover that a large number of people around the world believe that the Earth is flat. They have what they call "evidence" to prove their position (although, as in most cases of extreme cognitive dissonance gone askew, they choose to ignore the mountains of relevant evidence in favor of their custom made arguments that are designed to fit their desired model/outcome).

So how is it that people with enough brain cells to tie shoes and turn door knobs can be so easily swayed to believe something that is so profoundly untrue?

The answer: Cognitive Dissonance!

The brain defends its view of reality (understanding of the world around) by creating reality tunnels that fit the desired model. The end result is already achieved and only specific information is allowed in to support that ideal. Any other information is dismissed, modified, or explained away as a conspiracy or a delusion. When within the trap the mind truly experiences the false information and outcome as real. Then the brain must defend this reality by creating a justification as to why anything that conflicts with it is wrong.

Psychology expert Kendra Cherry describes Cognitive Dissonance this way:

"What Is Cognitive Dissonance? Psychologist Leon Festinger proposed a theory of cognitive dissonance centered on how people try to reach internal consistency. He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent. Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs leads to disharmony, which people strive to avoid."

A common argument offered to the sane world by the Dumb Earthers is that their belief has evidence and the "belief" that the Earth is a globe is only based on conspiratorial lies given to us by NASA, and that the Earth being a globe is merely a "belief" based on what we have been told. Well, actually, they are stating exactly the problem with their argument, I suppose that is some subconscious projection.
They seem to think that this is a "belief vs belief" scenario and they urge us to "do the research". Well the research has been done and is exhaustive, and EVERY SINGLE POSITION they offer to support the flat Earth idea has been logically debunked. Science has taken an open position to understand reality, whereas the Dumb Earthers have taken a closed position and select their evidence to fit the closed position.
I do not believe the Earth is a globe, I UNDERSTAND that the Earth is a globe. There's a big difference.

With access to information available at the present time (2016) there should not be a single person on Earth who believes the Earth is flat, but there are many who do. That's because our psychological flaws and deficiencies will carry on far beyond our ability to control or correct them.

I will admit that while it is easy to understand that the Earth is a globe, it is not always easy for the weak-minded to understand the functions of their mind or to understand the what/why/how of beliefs.

“The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the church.”
― Ferdinand Magellan

Don't accidently walk of the edge, my friends!

Not All Opinions Are Equal (Some Are Wrong!)

Not All Opinions Are Equal

There’s a strange notion making the rounds that everyone has an opinion that should be heard and tolerated/accepted.

But there is a difference between having different opinions and having a wrong opinion. Some opinions do not deserve a voice at the table. 

Opinions are important, especially differing opinions. Various minds coming together with different ideas can lead to progress and greater ideas. In fact we can see throughout history what atrocities have occurred when like minds get together to form a majority. And we have seen positive advances in society, technology, and culture when people of various ideas put their minds together.

Some opinions are facts. Some are good theories and hypotheses. Some opinions are useful and hold merit. Some do not. Please note that a wrong opinion is not one that is simply disagreed with because it does not match another. A differing opinion is not always a wrong opinion. I am not suggesting moral relativism here. There can be varying degree of perceived "right" and "wrong" or "more right" and "more wrong". We see a great many people getting offended over nonsense that differs with their nonsense. They are appalled at things they find different and choose to be offended. This is usually a mix of entitlement, political correctness, certitude, and a defensiveness of their belief.

But there is also a such thing as WRONG opinions…

An example:

Suppose we are sitting at a table having a group discussion about human sexuality. There would be many different ideas and beliefs presented about the subject based on the particular experiences and moralities of the people in the discussion.

Now a particular person interjects that his belief is that adults should be permitted to have sex with children. This person does not only have a different belief than everyone else at the table, he also has a WRONG belief. In no way can pedophilia be justified as a legitimate opinion. Rightfully so, the guy is removed from the table with a kick to the face and then some.

Another example:

A discussion is taking place about the Jewish culture; the foods, language, and customs. Suddenly a high strung guy with a silly little moustache stands up and proclaims that Jews are inferior and should be sent away to their deaths. Adolf does not have a mere difference of opinion with the gathering, he has a WRONG opinion that he is presenting. Appropriately he is removed from the table with a kick to the face and then some.

And another example:

The discussion of American national policy is happening at our table. The person with the least brain cells, a psychologically deficient dickwad, say that we need to round up all Muslims and put them into camps. He truly believes he is right and does not see it as hate and sees no parallel to the atrocities of history because blah blah blah. Guess what happens next! That’s right. He is removed from the table by a kick to the face and then some!

And another example:

Tristan is a nice young fellow sitting at the table. When the topic of music comes up he asserts with a gleam in his eye that Justin Beiber is great and far greater than The Beatles. Ok, we won’t kick him in the face for this invalid opinion, but he does have to sit in the corner listening to every Beatles album for the rest of the night!

Not all opinions have merit. Some are wrong and do not deserve a place at the table. You may notice that wrong opinions usually involve some sort of damaging or elitist position. Although it is true that there should be no legislation against free speech, if people want to get really ignorant, they should be ready for the free speech to come back at them, and then some!

"My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."

-Rodney Dangerfield

Definition:

wrong

rôNG/

adjective

adjective: wrong

1. 1.

   not correct or true.

   "that is the wrong answer"

   synonyms:

   incorrect, mistaken, in error, erroneous, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, fallacious, wide of the mark, off target, unsound, faulty; informalout "the wrong answer"

   antonyms:

   right, correct

   • mistaken.

     "I was wrong about him being on the yacht that evening"
     
     
   • unsuitable or undesirable.

     "they asked all the wrong questions"

     synonyms:

     inappropriate, unsuitable, inapt, inapposite, undesirable; More ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged, impolitic, injudicious, infelicitous, unfitting, out of keeping, improper; informalout of order "he knew he had said the wrong thing"

     antonyms:

     appropriate

     
     
   • in a bad or abnormal condition; amiss.

     "something was wrong with the pump"

     synonyms:

     amiss, awry, out of order, not right, faulty, flawed, defective "there's something wrong with the engine"

     
     
2. 2.

   unjust, dishonest, or immoral.

   "they were wrong to take the law into their own hands"

   synonyms:

   illegal, unlawful, illicit, criminal, dishonest, dishonorable, corrupt

Too Much Credit Given To The Tool

We live in a reality of action and reaction; cause and effect. This leads us to misunderstand the role of tools and actions. Far too often people credit (or blame) the tool for the action rather than the actor.
Below is a retort to common situations where the tool is blamed for the effect of the action...

Nobody was killed by guns.
No houses were built by hammers.
Nobody was saved by surgery tools.
Nobody who hanged themselves was killed by a rope.

We hear these logical fallacies often: It is the President's fault, it's your fault, it's their fault, it's because of guns, it's in God's hands, it's because of  this or that.

All the while the only thing accomplished is a passing off of personal responsibility. By "personal responsibility" I don't only mean the self (although self-accountability is a form of personal responsibility), but also the blame we assign to something arbitrary to the committer of actions. For example, a great many people blame all Muslims for the acts of Islamic extremists, they blame guns for the acts of murderers, they blame the alcohol for their buffoonery, they blame the President (scapegoat/figurehead) for the effects of a broken system.

Often the person is overlooked and we search for some factor that played a part in their actions, and there are external factors, but those external factors may have different effects on different persons. We can see this in experiments where results are not conclusive.

• Some tests show that heavy metal music kills plants. Some tests show that heavy metal music helps plants grow. Heavy metal cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some Muslims study the Koran and (along with political influences) become violently radicalized. Some Muslims study the Koran and become vessels of peace. Islam cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some people take LSD and go insane. Some people take LSD and become enlightened. LSD cannot be blamed entirely for bad results.
• Some people use guns to commit murder. Some people use guns for self-defense, sport, or hunting. The gun cannot be blamed for it's actions or use.
• Some people eat chocolate and experience bliss. Some are allergic and almost die. Chocolate cannot be blamed entirely for death.
• Some people use a hammer to build a house. Some people use a hammer to beat someone over the head. The hammer cannot be blamed entirely for the malicious intent.
• Some people are rich and become greedy. Some people are rich and practice philanthropy and charity. The money cannot be blamed entirely for the greed of the individual.

Truthfully, we can change the battery of a car a hundred times, but that will never fix the broken transmission.

A Predicment, a Persian, but No Morbid Angel

Here is a story about one of my many interactions with Muslim people....

I have personally never had a negative experience with a Muslim person. I have encountered many over the years through daily life, wrestling life, and my cultural explorations, and I call several my friends. Yet, these days the ignorant masses try to assure us that these people are blood-thirsty monsters ready to kill us all. It simply is not true. Here's one story:

A couple of years ago I was driving from home base Austin TX to San Antonio to see a Morbid Angel concert. Just as I arrived on the outskirts of San Antonio my tire blew. No problem, I went out and did my manly deed of changing to the spare tire and continued down the road towards the concert venue. Then the old spare blew less than a mile down the road. Now I'm in a predicament, broken down on a dangerous overpass.

It was night and my phone was dying and there were no open tire places nearby. So I decided to walk to the nearest Walmart seven miles away to buy a spare so I could limp the Jeep back to Austin. At this point I had given up on my chances to get to the concert, but as luck would have it I would see Morbid Angel (with a proper musician line up) two times in the year after.

The plan was to buy a tire and take a cab back to the Jeep. The price of spare donut tires had risen considerably since I last noticed, and I spent almost all of my $100 to buy the best one that could last the trip home. I figured I could carry it the seven miles back since I had no money left for a cab.

I left the store with the tire on my left shoulder. I stood there at the parking lot curb thinking of what I could do. From my right I heard a man's voice with a Persian accent.

He said "Brother, do you need a cab?"
I replied "No thanks. I spent all my money on this tire. I can walk back to my Jeep."
"Flat tire? How far is it?" he asked.
"It's far. Just over seven miles." I answered.
He said "Pahlavan, I see your ear. I will help you. I will give you a ride for free."
("Pahlavan" is a wrestling reference in Iran that means "champion". His reference to my ear was about my cauliflower ear, which is noticeable damaged cartilage from years of wrestling. Wrestling is a national sport in Iran.)

He gave me a ride all the way back to my Jeep and wouldn't even accept the $2.37 change I had in my pocket. His kindness helped me out, and it motivated me to get my task done.

During the ride we had some light conversation.

Driver: "Where were you going in San Antonio? To see a girl?"
Me: "No. I was going to see a concert."
Driver: "Which concert?
Me: "Morbid Angel." 
Driver: "What kind of music is it?"
Me: "Heavy metal."
Driver: "Ah! Many people in my country like heavy metal!"

He dropped me off. I thanked him and he wished me well.

I put on the spare and drove 20 miles per hour on the service roads all the way back to Austin.

It was a long night for me, I missed the concert and spent many hours trying to solve the predicament, but it was made a little shorter and easier by a Muslim who treated me like a brother.

The moral lesson here about our society's general judgment about Muslims is one I had already learned, but it is worth sharing.

Our Dumb Words

Why does our species say such incredibly dumb things?

A bit of sarcastic satire may help clarify.
Here are a few examples...

●"There's poo in beards." 

Well, there is, and it's on your toothbrush too. But fear not, we will all survive this bacterial epidemic!
●"If man evolved from monkeys then why are there still monkeys?" 

This is the dumbest utterance spoken by humans. God invented velcro shoes for people who are too dumb to tie a knot.
●"Obama's gonna invade Texas." 

First he must find it on a map. Don't tell him it's near Mexico.
●"If we let gays get married, the next thing you know people are gonna want to marry their dogs." 

Some dogs look good in a tux.
●"If you don't wanna get beat up by the cops then don't break the law." 

No shit? It's that easy?
●"God hates fags." 

It's amazing how much a non-human divine entity suffers from petty human maladies such as hate and jealousy.
●"Don't judge me." 

Oh you mean you? The one who wants laws to tell others what they can and can't do with their bodies? Ok!
●"Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there." 

Please for Christ's sake if you love your mother think of something more original and heartfelt to say.

●"It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." 

This little nugget of white trash wisdom is the 'ah ha!' light bulb moment of transcendental awakening for the gene-damaged. It even rhymes!
●"If you don't vote then you don't have the right to complain." 

Well actually it's the opposite: If you DO vote then you don't have the right to complain. You're the one who gave these nutbag politicians your permission and endorsement.
●"My condolences. Your Uncle Jimmy is in a better place now. He's with your Aunt Ethel in eternal heaven."
Aunt Ethel? You mean Uncle Jimmy is stuck in eternity with Aunt Ethel? The woman who survived 20 years too long because of an oxygen tube and forced us as kids to eat jello fruit salad she accidentally dropped cigarette butts into??? She's the reason Uncle Jimmy drank too much! Nobody wants to be stuck with creepy old Aunt Ethel!
●"Don't judge me." 

Oh, you mean you? The wife beater felon with a bag of crack cocaine and a 'fuck you' tattoo on your forehead? OK!
●"If you eat pop rocks and soda at the same time you will explode. That's how Mikey from the Life cereal commercials died."

 This written-in-stone fact of American cultural lore is absolutely true.

This list is not comprehensive or exhaustive.

As Albert Einstein once said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

I Am An Ape

I Am An Ape

I am an ape. That’s for sure. You too. Well, at the very least we are riding around in an ape body and experiencing reality with an ape brain with apish tendencies. If I slip on a banana peel I can break my tailbone and experience a pain in the arse. If I slip in my relations with other apes I can get a headache or perhaps I can be a pain in the arse. It’s all very complex apishness, these bodies and minds. The numerous variables of complex ape psychology are hard to comprehend. Yet, we are tied in for now to this primal primate set of limitations.

And that’s what the human experience is, a complex set of primate limitations experiencing a small fraction of reality and cursed by the certainties we have about it. Even the elevated and enlightened minds among us remain attached to the dear apeness we think we experience as the truth. Our highly regarded certainties sit on dynamic display through our human expressions into the frantic collective of other humans (society), and the display case is sometimes impenetrable. In some cases it is bullet-proof or even bomb-proof to allow no tampering with this prized “truth” we think we possess.

This is where the wild party gets started: in the colliding of rigid truths. And wild parties can get out of control in a second. A guy looks at another guy’s girl (his possession) and shirts suddenly fly off and grunting and flailing begins. Some would call this a “fight”, but a fighter would call this an absurd mess, as if Mozart were witnessing a Justin Beiber concert. Nonetheless, a melee has ensued and the crowd reacts in its various ways: some frightened, some appalled, some joyfully entertained.

Is that uncivilized behavior? I suppose alcohol fueled mayhem can be construed as uncivilized, but it is the same complex ape-like social operations we can see even at the highest levels of society. This is because it is all primate reactions. Don’t be fooled by the uprightness and fancy words. We are a highly out of control species compounded by complexities on top of complexities.

However, the elevated mind and even the heathenous mind having brief moments of clarity can transcend these primal reactions. At least the reactionary behavior can be reduced or applied appropriately or sensibly. Each moment offers something to jolt us into or out of these foolish guardings of erroneous certainty which is supported by the tricks of our own mind. It is a choice that can be made, but only if we see that our perspective of reality is not all reality; that many factors are ignored by our opinions of truth. Once the walls of certainty collapse new growth is possible, like letting sunlight into a room full of dying plants. And we are dying. We are suffering a long slow social and psychological demise, because time has moved forward without us. We’ve hung on to our “truths” for far too long.

Ok, Laren, since you seem to know it all….

Wait a minute, I know nothing. That’s what this is all about!

….why don’t you tell us what to do?

There’s the problem: this ape mentality of thinking we need to be led, or thinking that we need to lead.

Thou Shalt Not Take Thy Shalts Too Seriously

Here are a few thoughts on the Ten Commandments. Some good and some not.

• ¹ And God said all these words: ² I am the Lord who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the prison-house. ³ You are to have no other gods but me. All Gods say this. All jealous teenage boyfriends and girlfriends say this too. It's pure nonsense. 
• ⁴ You are not to make an image or picture of anything in heaven or on the earth or in the waters under the earth: ⁵ You may not go down on your faces before them or give them worship: for I, the Lord your God, am a God who will not give his honour to another; and I will send punishment on the children for the wrongdoing of their fathers, to the third and fourth generation of my haters; ⁶ And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws. No pictures please! Also, obey your father, even if he's wrong. If you do this, even though it's wrong, I will reward you. Don't ask why!
• ⁷ You are not to make use of the name of the Lord your God for an evil purpose; whoever takes the Lord's name on his lips for an evil purpose will be judged a sinner by the Lord. This is an attempt to not be implicated, but humans have engaged in evil in the name of God since the dawn of man. There must be a lot of souls in hell! 
• ⁸ Keep in memory the Sabbath and let it be a holy day. ⁹ On six days do all your work: ¹⁰ But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on that day you are to do no work, you or your son or your daughter, your man-servant or your woman-servant, your cattle or the man from a strange country who is living among you: ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made heaven and .earth, and the sea, and everything in them, and he took his rest on the seventh day: for this reason the Lord has given his blessing to the seventh day and made it holy. Nature doesn't know what Sunday is. Sunday is just another day.
• ¹² Give honour to your father and to your mother, so that your life may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Honor your parents who raised you. If they a worthy, they deserve it. This is good advice.
• ¹³ Do not put anyone to death without cause. "Thou shalt not kill". This is the most sensible of the commandments. It's an easy one to follow too. Don't murder anyone or else. I feel that society goes a little too easy on murderers.
• ¹⁴ Do not be false to the married relation. This simply means don't have sex with anyone else, but there are several cultural exceptions to this.
• ¹⁵ Do not take the property of another. Another extremely easy one to follow, but whole societies of millions of people are based on stealing from each other. So maybe it's not really so easy.
• ¹⁶ Do not give false witness against your neighbor. Don't lie about others or make false assumptions. We shouldn't need God to tell us that, but I guess some people do.
• ¹⁷ Let not your desire be turned to your neighbour's house, or his wife or his man-servant or his woman-servant or his ox or his ass or anything which is his. You may BORROW an ass, but not a wife. I've never had an easy time accepting that other people should be considered property.

We can take all the petty human flaws and jealousy out of it and put it all into sensible perspective with The Wiccan Rede:

"And ye harm none, do what thou whilt."

An Amazing Time In History

We live in an amazing time in history.
Here are a few things to consider about the time we presently live in:

• We can instantly communicate around the world through type, audio, or video in real time.
• We have virtually unlimited information available at our fingertips; the equivalent of a million libraries.
• Our governments are being exposed.
• We can quickly learn almost any skill with access to teachers and tutorials online. For example, you can learn to fix a broken table leg or cook an amazing omelet or learn a language fluently without having to go through an immersed apprenticeship. In the past one had to go to great lengths to learn to cook and other skills.
• We can interact with people of all nationalities and backgrounds. This expands our pool of knowledge and gives access to wisdom different from our own, which can exponentially expand our own knowledge and wisdom.
• In the past we only heard stories or saw pictures of our deceased relatives. We are now entering an age where we can watch video of how whole past generations lived.
• Alternative foods, building methods, energy sources, and ideas are available to us.
• Through a greater understanding of nutrition and exercise, people have the opportunity to be fitter and healthier than people in the recent past.
• The old restricting beliefs and standards of society are dying a slow death. This will allow the species to move forward.
• You can watch a nature documentary on HD TV and see a cheetah take down a gazelle. 100 years ago people only heard stories and some saw an illustration in a book of these far away mysterious creatures. Very few people ever witnessed something like this, now it is seen by millions.
• You can now learn far more at home than you ever could at a university. Autodidaction.
• We send spaceships throughout the solar system.
• Science has now proven that reality isn't reality.
• We are on the verge of discovering life on other worlds. It has already been proven mathematically.
• We have a deeper understanding of nature.
• There's a "spiritual" consciousness awakening happening around the globe that contrasts centuries of religious and political oppression.
• You have access to alternatives to the proposed status quo. You have access to alternatives to the proposed status quo. Again, you have access to alternatives to the proposed status quo.

Now what are we going to do with all of this information, capability, and potential?
You see, it turns out that it is actually YOU who is steering the ship.

The Textbooks For Life And Living

THE TEXTBOOKS FOR LIFE AND LIVING

To function maximally physically one must consume high quality food and exercise the body.
To function maximally psychologically one must consume high quality information and exercise the mind.
If more people than not read the following book list we would find a world transformed and transcended beyond its own confusion.
These are the textbooks I recommend for graduating to higher levels of life and sanity.

 The Bhagavad Gita

Excellent teaching for non-religious philosophy as well as religious practices. As with all religious texts there is more gained when read metaphorically rather than literally.

Tao Te Ching

As with many old texts there are many translations. All translations are imperfect, even from English to English and person to person! Interpretations may be tricky, and you may read passages from the Tao Te Ching multiple times and gain multiple insights. Never read with the blinders of dogma and certitude.

Science and Sanity

"Science and Sanity" by Alfred Korzybski outlines the tools and practice of General Semantics. It is a very long and difficult book to read. I have read it in bits and once from cover to cover. Alternatively I would suggest reading "Drive Yourself Sane" by Susan Presby Kodish and Bruce I. Kodish.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

This ancient text contains 196 sutras of Raja Yoga that can each be used as a tool towards higher mind.

Prometheus Rising and Quantum Psychology

When most people think of Robert Anton Wilson they think of his surrealist fiction books such as "The Illuminatus Trilogy" and "Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy". I find great understanding in his non-fiction psychology books. They are great tools for understanding the mind and unconvincing yourself of that which your brain tricks itself into thinking it knows. Understanding the functions of the mind and belief can help dissolve the ego fiction that rules the mind.

Freedom From The Known

Everybody's favorite anti-guru lays out a great lecture on embracing uncertainty in this mind-expanding classic.

Walden and Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau wrote "Walden", a transcendental observation of reality from his two year experiment of semi-isolation. It will offer an entirely new way of seeing your own world.
"Civil Disobedience" will transform your understanding of the importance of freedom and resistance to anything or anyone who wishes to impose upon your freedom. It greatly influenced Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr in their struggles against oppression.

The Book

Alan Watts was a great bridge between East and West thought. He was quite eloquent in his speaking and writing. Many think "The Book" is his best work. It covers topics that will take the reader out of daily petty concerns and into a bigger picture.

Critical Path

Buckminster Fuller's writing can be tough to read but well worth the endeavor. In "Critical Path" he discusses the importance of taking care of our world and the importance of taking care of each other instead of only self concerns.

Apes Gone Askew! The Facebook Group!

Join the "Apes Gone Askew!" Facebook Group!

(it is awesome)

CLICK HERE!

The Awakening Strain

The Awakening Strain

"Awakening" sometimes comes with many adornments: flowers, robes, good feelings, cultural adornments, artwork, support groups, etc. Cultural adornments can be easily passed off as superfluous bullshit, but these adornments can be tools for transcendence if they do not become dogmatic traps. Awakening comes with many great benefits and by way of various paths, but awakening isn't always all marshmallows and gravy.

Awakening, simply put, is transcendence. Transcendence is a beautiful path, but it requires work. For example, a musician really begins to feel music when they transcend the thought of music theory or structure, but the work is still required. Beyond the structure of music is where creativity begins. Music theory itself is not music, but a tool. A religious person can begin the process of true spiritual awakening when they transcend dogma, structure, or system. The symbols and adornments of the various cultural perspectives are tools much like music theory. A meditator achieves awakening by no longer consciously adhering to method and entering into a realm beyond the deliberate effort.

But the work doesn't end once the door is open. The awakened mind (in a relationship with the body) still operates with one foot remaining in the "real" world, and can often struggle to understand surface reality as it interrupts higher consciousness. It's much like swimming to stay above water. The awakened mind has broken through the surface to breathe, but is still doing the work and continues to get wet.

There are also the personal human confines -the relationship of the awakened mind to the animal. For myself, although "awakened" (or I should say "perpetually in the cycle of falling and awakening") I still enjoy a good fight, wood fired meat, horror movies, strange humor, sex, chocolate cake, and other earthly perversions. I still experience anger, judgment, worry, frustration, and fear (although to a lesser degree). These are not flaws to be corrected. These are animalistic tendencies to be observed and experienced. Much as yin has a relationship to yang, the awakened mind can have a relationship to the animal body. One does not necessarily need to derail the other. Despite my love of my inner animal, I also find greatness in the smelling of flowers, staring at trees, creating forms of art, intellectual conversation, deep meditation, and expressing love and compassion.

A lack of perfection is the journey of the awakening strain. There is never a cause to give up, just enjoy the adventure, for no adventure is an adventure if it is perfect. Certainty has no place in awakening, but uncertainty comes with its own strains that are well worth embracing. The work continues.

"Awakening is possible only for those who seek it and want it, for those who are ready to struggle with themselves and work on themselves for a very long time and very persistently in order to attain it."
-G.I. Gurdjieff

The Gold Star

The Gold Star

When we were growing humans we were sometimes awarded something extra for our good performance. If we did well enough on a spelling assignment we would get something far more glorious than a letter grade -we would get a GOLD STAR. Ding!

We knew nothing of the value of this gold star other than its luster which made it stand out as something better than an A+. The imprint of the importance of the gold star was imposed on us by our teacher and by our own innate insecurities which lead us to want to be as good as the other kid who got the gold star. If we too can get the gold star everyone around us will be happy and we will be happy too. We learn to achieve self-validation through validation from others, and the trampling rat race to get the cheese begins. Nowadays every kid gets a gold star!

But the actually valueless gold star didn’t go away after childhood. It has sneakily followed us into adulthood. The gold star is now a collection of meaningless approvals we seek -employee of the month, a fancy car, the gold watch, the official club shirt, the better seat to the show, the cool shoes everyone else is wearing, etc. We can sometimes waste a lot of energy and potential chasing these ghosts. We can also lose sight of things of higher value in our endeavors to achieve things of perceived importance. We lose sight of the achievement itself and strive for the reward. Striving for importance is not invaluable. The encouragement can be an important tool, but the wild free mustang doesn’t wear blinders and doesn’t miss out on the world around. Ultimately, if we strive for achievements for reasons of true personal value, adequate amounts of superficial and superfluous toys and entertainments will still be there for our enjoyment without the need for extra running in the hamster wheel. The icing will find the cake.

There’s nothing wrong with desiring a few nice things, but we can steer our energies so to not waste them entirely on frivolous rewards at the cost of chronic loss of potential.

Sometimes these gold stars can be used to manipulate us into doing things we don’t like for the promise of the false reward. Sometimes we don’t fall for this trick. Therein is the personal revolution.

"Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and fashions." -Jack Kerouac

So, strive for greatness, oh standing apes, but make sure it isn’t just a worthless sticker.

Plan Your Escape!

Here's a great series of articles at New Escapologist written by Drew Cagne about planning your escape:

Part 0
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5