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http://zgrzebnicki.com/about-me | 2018-05-27T02:57:52 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794867995.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20180527024953-20180527044953-00561.warc.gz | 0.957854 | 249 | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-22__0__49693895 | en | I was born in 1977. I graduated from the Department of Physics of the Jagiellonian University. I am a doctoral student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in the in the Anthropology of Culture Department of SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw. I investigate cultures and document them most of all in a form of documentary photography.
After my first long trip around Europe, in 2005 I went to Peru and Bolivia and that started a series of my long journeys. I visit distant countries regularly since that time, indulging in my passion for travelling, taking photographs of people and their surroundings and writing travelogues. I am especially interested in the ways people exist. How they differ from each other? What are the values they believe in? How many different values are there and how many are similar? Long trips are lessons of humility which give me precious memories and remind me of the importance and beauty of human life as well as the amount of respect and care human beings and nature need. I want my work to be a documentary illustration of everyday life of people and their surroundings.
My scientific work is focused on actor-network theory, the issue of synthetic populations, numerical modelling of cultures and ethics of artificial intelligence. | philosophy |
https://www.sovereignfunerals.com.au/facing-mothers-day-without-mum/ | 2023-12-06T05:12:25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100583.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20231206031946-20231206061946-00813.warc.gz | 0.976398 | 907 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__263720099 | en | Twenty-one years ago we returned from our honeymoon and as we pulled into the driveway my mother-in-law very gently broke the news to me that my mum had passed away just hours earlier.
I remember that moment like it is frozen in time. I couldn’t tell you the words she said, or what the weather was like, or even what time of the day it was. But I remember with clarity feeling like all of the air had left my body and that my life had just changed…forever. My mum was dead (I still struggle to write those words).
The initial days after losing mum are all a bit of a blur. Those days turned into weeks and as time went on the raw emotional pain of my grief turned into a kind of physical pain. It actually hurts when somebody we love dies. I didn’t know that before losing my mum. In fact, there are a lot of things I didn’t know before my mum died:
I didn’t know that the death of a parent would leave me feeling abandoned and very vulnerable. I had somehow thought that my parents were immortal. Now I know that they are not – and neither am I.
I didn’t know that losing my mum would challenge my ideas about who I am at the very core of my being.
I didn’t know that when we lose a parent we not only lose a link with the past but also our dreams of what the future might look like.
I didn’t know that living with grief is not just contained to the first few months after a loss, but that there are daily triggers – reminders that happen – even now, 21 years later.
And I didn’t know that the very next Mother’s Day – and every Mother’s Day after that – would evoke such a wide range of emotions within me.
This Sunday is Mother’s Day and I am looking forward to it. I have instructed my kids to keep the day clear, I’ve left pictures of smart watches and bikes in strategic places (why not dream BIG!), and I’m planning to wake everyone up early so that they can cook me breakfast. It’s going to be great!
But I also know that Mother’s Day won’t be without pain. It hurts. In fact, it is already hurting now. And herein lies what is perhaps the most profound thing I have learned as a result of my mum dying. I have learned that fullness of life and the pain of grief can co-exist.
The thing with grief is that it is not linear. We move through different stages, but we do it in a cyclical manner. This process takes time and it is never entirely over. When we understand this we can begin to accept the feelings associated with our grief rather than burying them or pushing them away. Mother’s Day is one of those happy/sad days for me. I enjoy spending it with my kids and I miss spending it with my mum.
The process of healing is ongoing. As I have journeyed through my grief, though, I have learned that I don’t have to bury my memories in order to be happy. It is ok to feel what I feel. If I want to cry – I do. If I feel happy – it doesn’t mean that I have forgotten my mum.
I have discovered that even though it hurts, it is important to take time to remember my mum, to remind myself of who she was and how she impacted my life.
I have begun to create new memories in the form of traditions to honour my mum’s life and the things she loved to do. This year, I am planning to cook one of her favourite meals for lunch on Mother’s Day.
And I have learned the value of mothering myself. The days either side of Mother’s Day can be painful too. I do things to look after ‘me’.
I don’t remember much about the first Mother’s Day after mum died. I do know that it was very painful. If this is your first Mother’s Day without your mum, my heart goes out to you. My prayer is that you will know the peace and presence of God in the midst of your pain.
Pastor at End Church | philosophy |
http://www.free4geeks.com/her-review/ | 2018-01-21T18:12:11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084890823.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20180121175418-20180121195418-00658.warc.gz | 0.969259 | 1,825 | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-05__0__68798667 | en | Love has to be the most complex human emotion. In the broad spectrum of everything we feel as creatures, love leads to the most soaring highs and crushing lows we can experience. With every firing synapse in our brains, love takes over us and commands that we adhere to it’s will. We spend our whole lives searching for it, assign supernatural properties of fate and destiny to it, and when we lose it we feel like we can never truly be whole again. How can one possibly recover from having attained that greatest prize in life and lost it? That is just one of the many questions director Spike Jonze poses in his existential almost-sci-fi love story Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson.
In many ways, Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) is a man who lives and dies by his emotions. He works at BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com, a website in this indeterminably distanced future that does exactly what you think it would. Customers hire Theodore and those like him to compose personal and loving correspondence to the loved ones in their lives. He spends his days dictating to his computer the more intimate and passionate details of young couples just starting their journey together, or a husband and wife who have been together for decades. It sounds like the most personal, yet lonely job you could possibly have, and it helps set up the basis for who Theodore is. A quiet, unassuming and empathetic man who himself has experienced loss first hand.
As he spends his days in an office toiling away over other people’s love-lives, Theodore’s nights are equally lonely and distressing. He works perfectly as a gripping look into the direction we as a society are heading with our dependence on technology and social interactivity in the palms of our hands. His daily train rides are spent not conversing with those around him, not watching the scenery as it speeds past out of the windows, or even sitting in quiet contemplation. He is always talking to his own personal operating system through what appears to be a futuristic smart phone that has become an all-in-one device. He gets news updates, is read emails and receives voice messages from missed calls, all while ignoring the world around him. So when the opportunity arises for Theodore to purchase a brand new Operating System, one that is a first of it’s kind that itself is a fully aware artificial intelligence, he naturally makes the leap into the unknown, and his life is never the same again.
At it’s heart, Her is not just a film about unconventional love, but about the ultimate question in life of who we are, and it’s about self discovery. When Theodore upgrades his life with this new operating system, he is first asked to answer a small sample of basic life questions, but the program is doing much more work than the surface would suggest. Taking into account his vocal inflection and hesitations, the system adapts to his lifestyle and creates Samantha (Johansson), who is instantly full of discovery and wonderment. Theodore begins to get acquainted with his new program, and the chemistry that forms between the two happens swiftly, and is infectious. The two share jokes in an incredibly charming scene where Samantha probes through Theodores personal files to help him better organize his life.
The idea of an artificially intelligent, self-aware operating system is unique enough, but as the film progresses and Samantha begins to discover more and more about herself, her role in Theodore’s life, and even how she fits into the human condition, the two begin to form a bond that feels equal parts brand new and experienced. The two share so much of Theodore’s life together, she’s with him wherever he goes, and he soon finds himself speaking to Samantha for no reason at all, other than to simply enjoy her company. As the two grow closer and the foundations of love begin to form, I never even began to question the relationship, if it was weird or unorthodox. They just seemed to work perfectly together in the most unique way.
There are so many small moments of Her that add to to an amazing and unique film-going experience, and Spike Jonze shows that he has progressed beyond the brilliance he’s already displayed in films like Being John Malkovich and Where the Wild Things Are, and delivers a film so intimate that at times it even feels a bit intrusive watching it. Technology has already become to ingrained into our DNA in the present day, that a world where computer programs can be living consciousnesses and even have romantic relationships is somehow plausible. In a particularly brilliant moment in the film, Jonze portrays a moment of pure passion between Theodore and Samantha without any footage being shown. It’s deftly handled, and probably the pivotal scene in the entire film, which left an indelible impression on me.
Joaquin Phoenix puts on a tour de force as Theodore, often only working opposite a small piece of metal that represents Samantha’s presence outside of their home, and most times simply by himself. I remember thinking how sad it was when Phoenix announced his retirement from acting, and it was due to performances like this that I felt we were losing a true artist in an increasingly watered-down pool of male leads in Hollywood. Thankfully he’s back and better than ever.
However, as great as Joaquin Phoenix was in Her, he somehow managed to be overshadowed by a simple voice. Scarlett Johansson displays a level of acting that she hasn’t ever shown before, which is a considerable statement, as she’s always been extremely talented. It continues to be a true shame that the governing bodies behind the most prestigious awards in cinema refuse to acknowledge acting unless it’s as clear as day to them, front and center with a lens pointing at the performance, because this performance deserves every award available for 2013. Samantha is charming, intelligent and intimate all at once, and her journey to a fully realized life is a rocky ride worth taking.
Amy Adams also turns in her best work in 2013, despite garnering very high praise for her performance in David Russell’s American Hustle, as Theodore’s neighbor, aptly named Amy. She, along with Rooney Mara and Chris Pratt, add the only sizable supporting roles in Her, but all play their roles well. Rooney Mara steps away from her Dragon Tattoo, to an even more devious role as Theodore’s recently estranged wife Catherine, and one of the main forces of resistance to her ex-husbands new-found love. Meanwhile, Pratt is in true comedic form as Paul, the quirky coworker of Theodore, who is the exact opposite of Catherine as he takes the news that Theodore is dating an operating system without the slightest blink of an eye. The entire cast comes together perfectly, and such a small group seems to be where Jonze does his best work as a director. He handled a very small cast wonderfully in Where the Wild Things Are and does it again, here.
Of course, Samantha and Theodore inevitably hit the pitfalls that all relationships do, with distance and doubt; fights and jaded comments; and for longer than a few moments, the viewer almost forgets entirely that Samantha isn’t human. At least she isn’t human in the physical sense of the word. It’s in these moments that Her begins to really explore what love is. Can we form a meaningful romantic connection with someone without the physical aspect of life? The relationship in Her is actually similar to a long-distance one that many people partake in every day. People meet online, hundreds if not thousands of miles apart, but they connect to each other nonetheless, and form a true connection, even if people in their lives don’t entirely understand it. A bond is formed between these two that extends beyond simply physical.
Everything about Her culminates in what I consider the truest sense of the word Masterpiece. It had me contemplating how I approach love in my own life, how I deal with loss, and what I learn from the toughest moments I face along the way. As heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, Her is a film I cannot recommend enough to you.
Thoughts From the Free For All Crew:
Her was, in a single word, profound. It takes you on an expertly crafted journey, one in which you will feel some of the lowest lows and some of the highest highs. Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams give near flawless performances from start to finish, but Scarlett Johansson is the true star here. With nothing but the power of her voice, she conveys a level of emotion most actors can only dream of matching, even using every means at their disposal. The combination of an incredible screenplay, inspiring direction, and breath-taking acting allowed Her to speak to me on a level few films do. I wasn’t just happy I saw it, I was grateful. | philosophy |
https://travelcts.com/fivelements-bali-a-luxury-sanctuary-of-spiritualism-spa-and-sustainability/ | 2024-03-05T06:40:49 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707948223038.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20240305060427-20240305090427-00707.warc.gz | 0.939691 | 1,822 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__67782594 | en | Fivelements Bali is a luxury sanctuary of spiritualism, spa and sustainability, located a 25 minute drive away from Ubud on the banks of the Ayung River. If you are looking to stay at an eco-conscious boutique wellness resort that offers a complete healing retreat, peace and tranquility in nature, and gourmet plant based food then this is the place for you.
The name of the resort is derived from the Hindu Concept ‘Panca Mahabhuta’, representing the Five Elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth and explaining how internal and external forces work together and are united with the universe.
I spent three nights retreating there, immersed in a wellbeing program of yoga, meditation, ritual and healing treatments.
Built like a small Balinese village, Fivelements opened in late 2010 as the first of a new genre of wellness destinations bridging the wisdom of traditional healing cultures with innovative wellness concepts.
To date, the eco-wellness retreat has been recognized with eighteen international awards spanning across hotel, wellness, spa, culinary and sustainable design industries. Fivelements has earned its position as an innovative leader in wellness concept design, retreats, plant-based innovative cuisine and wellness hospitality worldwide.
Blending into mother nature and being at one with the Earth is the theme here. A healing village of landscaped tropical gardens, encircled by waterfalls and vaulted bamboo architecture.
The design team carefully developed the retreat with minimal disturbance to pre-existing natural systems, ecologies and aesthetics. Built using primarily natural materials including bamboo, rattan, local stone, recycled timbers and coconut wood, all buildings have been designed to represent a cohesive synthesis between eco-consciousness and luxury.
It has been created in the traditional Hindu system of design (Vastu) based on directional alignments and sacred geometry to meet the requirements of Balinese cosmology and sense of space.
Fivelements embody the dual Balinese Hindu philosophies of tri Hita Karana and tri Kaya Parisudha, which serve as the underpinnings of the resort’s concept, design and operating principles. The first relates to the relationship between us humans, the environment and spirit, while the second reflects the ethical triad of right speech, right thought and right action.
Their vision – learning to love and respect life, is realized by creating opportunities for awareness and nurturing supportive relationships that evolve from this awareness.
Their belief – when we first focus our attention on personal wellness, positive transformation becomes possible through engagement with the wider communities that surround us.
Their human-centered Wellness Policy – is built on three pillars: personal well-being, social harmony, and sustainability in the natural environment – all of which are continually cultivated and improved upon.
Eco practices and sustainability
Fivelements is very well integrated into the local culture and traditions, supporting local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products.
The use of bamboo as a sustainable material means that the property can be ecologically regenerated without causing any stress to the environment.
Energy-saving is a high priority due to Bali’s already stretched resources, as is water. They reduced their electricity for lighting by 95% using an amazingly efficient LED system, Sycamore fans provide low energy cooling and waste management and recycling are central. The vast gardens are irrigated with rainwater and greywater is treated and recycled.
Their intention is to move their operations beyond the sustainability of Green Building and into the realm of Regenerative Design. This means that synergies between elements in the operations and those of partner organizations will create self-sustaining positive impacts on the world around us.
Spa & ritual
Balinese priests and healers perform a myriad of deep treatments to holistically embrace the principles of opening up spiritually based on the Balinese belief of Sekala – Niskala. This works on the idea that we live between two worlds – our seen world or Sekala, and the unseen psychic realm of Niskala. Each offering is targeted for purification, balancing and regeneration.
Chakra Healing (Panca Mahabhuta)
‘Chakra’ is a Sanskrit word that means ‘wheel’ and refers to the many energy wheels we have throughout our body. Seven of these are major chakras, aligning along the spine from the base to the crown. Each one is made up of organs, nerves and a powerful connection to the less tangible psychological, emotional and spiritual states of being.
Keeping our chakras open and our energy flowing is fundamental to our wellbeing, physical as well as psychological, emotional and spiritual. When we fall ill, it is likely that one or more of our chakras is, or becomes, blocked, whether directly through physical trauma or through more esoteric problems that then manifest physically.
The ritual started with a scan and clearing of any imbalances of negative and stagnant energy from my body and then removing it to clean and purify the spirit and open my heart.
The second part involved a deep full body massage down the spine along the chakras using Pak Dewa’s family’s own secret herbal oil blend, passed down from his grandfather, followed by a scrub and then a wonderfully sensuous bath overlooking the foliage and water, full of all the smells of these wonderful herbs, salts and oils.
Yoga and meditation
The yoga classes take place in a beautiful bamboo temple. Fivelments offer both Kundalini and Scaravelli Yoga. During my stay, I practiced with Yogi Bhajan who offered a dynamic blend of postures and movement, therapeutic stretching, mantra, breathing (pranayama), meditation and relaxation.
Fivelements has nine suites also dotted along the riverfront, sustainably built from wood and bamboo. These are havens of sumptuous comfort and peace named after the Balinese elements, such as Teja (fire) and Apah (water), perfectly reflecting the mood. The rooms are enveloped within their natural surroundings, looking out on the gently swirling Ayung River.
The cozy bamboo suites have high ceilings, huge glass fronts, a sofa corner, recycled wooden floors, stunning open bathrooms with massive volcanic stone bathtubs on its own terrace. Some of the villas also have their own private pools.
Bathrooms are open Balinese style and make use of natural materials such as bamboo, wood and stone complimented by homemade natural aromatic bath produce.
The fine dining Sakti Dining Room, an architectural masterpiece is gorgeously crafted from deeply polished bamboo. It’s built in traditional Balinese style, in harmony with nature and with principles aligning the spaces with the energy of the land. The soaring roofline, sculpted from bamboo and thatch, resembles a banana leaf which is a symbolism of nourishment.
The epicurean plant based food is divine, nourishing and nutritious (using only the finest organic ingredients), and a work of art – imagine a menu where everything on it is not only healthy and holistic but also tastes delicious and leaves you with no guilt…even after eating the most incredible deserts! The motto here is ”Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine thy food” and they show you that you don’t have to sacrifice the beauty and pleasure of food in order to enjoy healthy eating.
Each dish is elegantly presented and full of wonderful flavors, colors and texture. My favorites included the tiramisu and lasagna.
A must-try is the chef’s specialty tasting lunches and dinners (available in 3, 5 and 7-course menus). Please note that there is no alcohol served – so there is no temptation for you when you are on a detox.
The signature cleansing Tri Kaya Parisudha Retreat is inspired by the ancient Balinese philosophy that promotes living with purity of thought, speech, and action. It encourages us to align our heartfelt goodwill and thinking with consistent speech and action.
As our lives become increasingly demanding, fast-paced and over-stressed, we begin to recognize significant impacts in our body’s natural ability to sustain healthy organ productivity, effective toxin elimination and overall health and wellness.
The retreat includes traditional Balinese healing therapies aimed to detoxify and purify the physical body, sekala, and the non-physical mind and soul, niskala, unifying body and mind towards a natural harmonious state of being.
My time at Fivelements was truly a retreat for the soul when I was in need of much more than pampering and spa treatments. It was a strong reminder that it’s good to disconnect at times and turn the focus inwards.
Aside from being one of Asia’s best spa retreats, it should also be celebrated as a destination for self-being, betterment and re-connection.
Source: Just Luxe | philosophy |
https://www.thewovenjourney.com/post/learning-to-be-vulnerable | 2023-03-21T10:58:05 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943695.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321095704-20230321125704-00089.warc.gz | 0.968834 | 2,055 | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-14__0__227746547 | en | Learning To Be Vulnerable
I was talking to my cousin the other day. She and I have been close for a long time. We were talking about a crush I have at dance class. I told her that I never get crushes. She suggested that maybe I’m learning to be vulnerable and so things are affecting me in a different way.
It hit me hard, of course! Maybe that’s why I’m having such a hard time lately. I’m learning to be vulnerable and it’s really uncomfortable. I’m getting attention. Maybe it’s because I’ve changed. I know I’ve changed, so am I attracting different kinds of attention?
I think so. I really do. I struggle a lot at dance. But I’ve won most of my partners over anyway, despite their sore toes. I am a pastor’s kid, after all. I’ve learned to talk to anyone and be polite.
My mother would be proud of who I am. I’m not sure if she’d tell me so. In fact, I’m pretty sure if she felt it, it would come with a good side helping of jealousy. She would do her best to bring me to my knees.
But the pride would still be there. It would have shined through in the moments she couldn’t help herself. I am becoming something now that not one of my parents could be. I’m not exactly sure what that is, but I’m finding my own way now. I am no longer being led.
It was bold of me to go the the zen center to begin with. After all I’d been going through, it was amazing I managed to get there and keep going and ask for a teacher. That accomplishment is really quite significant.
It marked a turning point in the way I saw myself. The knowledge I was after was so all consuming that I couldn’t leave it be. I had to push forward, outside of my comfort zone. It was the first time I’d ever done that. It set a precedent.
Those of us that set out on our own are brave. Those of us that go without someone else’s support become trail blazers. I ventured forth into the unknown, bravely, with determination. It changed me forever.
And maybe it’s because I’ve been to an unknown that was too scary to handle. Maybe I can keep going because this unknown is paltry in comparison. I’m made of some pretty tough stuff. The broken bits are healing to be stronger than they’ve ever been. It’s going to be hard to break me down again. I pity the fool also, Mr. T.
Because I took those first steps, I inspired others to take first steps too. I’ve been told my work ethic is infectious. Give me a problem and I will break it apart and turn it into a job. This is no different. My friends could see what these steps did for me and it helped them find the courage to take their own first steps.
I’m working my way out of trauma. I just received another load of memories. I realize now that when I’m really spiraling, there’s something going on subconsciously. It’s unbearable to go through. I am physically affected as it happens. My body trembles, my stomach turns, I’m emotional, and I just want it to stop. I wish I could kill myself to make it stop. But then a vehement “NO!”
I won’t let them win. I won’t let those monsters take my life the way they took my innocence. They don’t deserve to win. They should be squirming.
It’s going to take some time to assimilate it all. At first it’s just horror. It’s waking up in the middle of the night being unable to breathe, in the middle of a panic attack. The walls are closing in and I’m not safe.
Then the fatigue sets in. After days of restlessness, I am keyed up and triggered. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I feel sick to my stomach. Chronic pain in my belly and my pelvic floor breaks through. There are memories to match the pain now. It’s no longer a mystery.
I crumble. I start to fall. There’s no floor, there’s just falling. I call it The Hole. Once I slip into it, it’s so hard to get out. I start to forget my medication, did I take it today? I lose my hunger impulse, when was the last time I ate? I have to willfully push through my day.
But I have determination like fire. I see my kids. I hear my kids. I remember being a kid who no one saw or heard. And so I claw my way out of the hole. I force myself back to life. My Buddhist teacher says I should think about it as allowing myself do this, not forcing myself. But at first, I do have to force myself.
Because there is a bottom of that hole. It’s untimely the end of my life. I don’t ever want to get there. Ever. Because my kids need me. Because my kids deserve a better life than I had. Because I won’t be jealous if they get everything they wish for and enjoy happiness, because then my wishes will have come true too. I will be happy. I am happy now.
How could that be?! How could I be happy in the middle of all of this turmoil? This fight for freedom, this rollercoaster of trauma, this path of darkness? It should pull me under, shouldn’t it? It’s too much to bear, isn’t it?
I am happy because my spirit is free. I am happy because I am alive. I am happy because I do have choices. I am happy because the future is bright. The unknown isn’t so scary anymore.
Though I fall into the hole from time to time, I will always claw my way out. Because my happiness throws in a rope. I do that for myself. That’s all me. I choose to be happy.
It takes effort. The effort feels better than sinking. It feels like quicksand at first, and then you grab hold of your hope. Even if that hope is manufactured, you will it into existence. Another of my teachers said once that she found it amazing that I could manifest things the way I do.
It’s because I am left with two options: my death or my life. I will choose my life every time. I am so grateful for that. I am someone I can count on. I have always fought for a better way. I have never given up on my children. I have fought fiercely for their best chance.
I am the mother my mother couldn’t be. My kids love me and they know that they can trust me. I have succeeded. No matter what, we will see each other through to the other side. We will make it out. We will thrive. No one can stop us.
I’m sharing my story for the ones who can’t make it out. I’m sharing my story for the ones who have lost sight of hope. I’m sharing my story for the ones trapped in the hole.
In many ways, I am already on the other side of it. I fell into my power. I didn’t know it was there. But now that it’s mine, I’m going to use it to blaze the trail for my brothers and sisters in the hole. I’m throwing them a line of hope now.
I’m learning to be vulnerable. It’s not easy to share my story. It’s not as though anyone who goes through this wants attention. I would just as soon rather you looked over there, in the other direction. That’s why I have to break through it.
I want to change the way we talk about these things. I’m not ashamed of having once been a victim. My body did what it had to do to get through some horrible things. My body couldn’t break free of the trauma. It attracted the wrong kind of attention. It took healing to start to find freedom from this cycle of abuse.
I’m tired of abuse being brushed under the rug. We owe it to these children to do better. It starts with talking about it plainly and openly. It takes being uncomfortable. It should make you feel uncomfortable. It should make you feel so uncomfortable that you just can’t stand for it anymore.
I want to hold my abusers accountable. I want them to be stopped. The law is not on my side. If I expose them, they could sue me for defamation. How can I prove what happened to me when I was a child when my memories were dissociated all of this time? Do you see the paradox?
It’s going to be about society changing how we do things. We should side with the victim, not the accused. It’s going to take changing laws. It’s going to take education. It’s going to take trail blazers.
I was talking to another cousin the same day. I told her that I’d be unstoppable once I spring this trap. She said, “Oh honey, you’re already unstoppable.” I think she may be right. | philosophy |
http://queenqiannie.tumblr.com/ | 2014-08-21T21:58:44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1408500821666.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20140820021341-00144-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.969427 | 569 | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2014-35__0__80828078 | en | To call you anti-choice would be fitting. To call me anti-life would be logically fallacious. Do I support abortion as a choice? Hell yes. But you’re obviously forgetting that a pregnant person is alive, otherwise you wouldn’t actually think I’m anti-life. And guess what? I also advocate for birthing rights. I believe in giving our people full reproductive rights, to give them a choice. My beliefs and actions surrounding this issue promotes a better quality of life for all who are able to experience it. Your beliefs come out of a dystopian fiction, which I hope never becomes a reality. But that’s naive of me to say, because for many people all over the world where abortion is banned—that is their reality. They have to watch their family and friends suffer. Why? Because of people like you who think non-thinking, non-feeling fetuses are more important than people who can actually experience suffering.
Banning abortion does not get rid of it. It just makes it more dangerous. ~68,000 people die every year from unsafe abortions. Millions more are injured permanently. The World Health Organization has noted:
"When abortion is made legal, safe, and easily accessible, women’s health rapidly improves. By contrast, women’s health deteriorates when access to safe abortion is made more difficult or illegal." (And not just women are affected by this). [source]
So, you’re still going to tell me that I’m anti-life? Because I want to advocate for lives that actually matter? For lives that are here and now and have family and friends and feelings? You know, like your mother or your aunt or your friends? Because approximately one out of three women* (excuse the binary language) have an abortion in their lifetime. Statistically, you know a lot of people who have had or will have an abortion.
Your support in eliminating choice hurts people. Maybe it’s time you started caring more about the actual people in your life than obsessing over mere fetuses that can’t even feel or think.
And some day, when you’re hopefully a little more educated and gain some empathy for people who are not you and are not fetuses, you’ll support social justice, specifically reproductive justice. And you won’t do this because you have people in your life who can get pregnant but because you’re a decent human being who understands that people who can get pregnant deserve your respect. In this society, dead people have a right to their own bodies. Living people deserve to have more rights to their bodies than corpses do.
asked by juliagillardgps | philosophy |
https://online.rqmtutorial.com/groups/forums/forum/discussions/championing-dedication-martial-arts-tributes/ | 2024-04-24T09:29:37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296819089.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20240424080812-20240424110812-00419.warc.gz | 0.929424 | 829 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__123474742 | en | Championing Dedication: Martial Arts Tributes
MemberMarch 22, 2024 at 7:41 pm
In the realm of martial arts, dedication, discipline, and perseverance are virtues that define the journey of every practitioner. From the precise movements of Judo to the explosive techniques of taekwondo medals, martial artists invest countless hours honing their skills and pushing their limits to achieve mastery. Amidst this journey of self-improvement and growth, moments of triumph and success deserve to be celebrated in a manner befitting their significance.
At Hesank, we understand the profound importance of recognizing and honoring these achievements. Our collection of custom sports medallions stands as a testament to the dedication and excellence of martial artists worldwide. Whether it’s a fierce competition, an individual milestone, or the culmination of years of hard work, our medals are designed to commemorate these moments with elegance and distinction.
The Essence of Martial Arts
Martial arts are more than just physical disciplines; they embody a way of life characterized by respect, perseverance, and self-discipline. Each martial art has its own unique philosophy and techniques, but they all share the common goal of self-improvement and personal growth. Whether it’s the graceful movements of Karate or the intricate grappling of Judo, martial arts teach invaluable lessons that extend far beyond the confines of the dojo.
Achieving success in martial arts requires dedication, commitment, and unwavering determination. It’s a journey filled with highs and lows, challenges and triumphs. As practitioners strive to reach their goals and surpass their limitations, it’s essential to acknowledge and celebrate their achievements along the way.
Custom sports medallions serve as tangible symbols of these achievements, representing the culmination of hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. Whether it’s a gold medal for first place or a bronze medal for honorable mention, each medal tells a story of triumph over adversity and serves as a lasting reminder of the journey taken to reach that moment.
The Perfect Tribute
Hosting a martial arts competition or ceremony is more than just an opportunity to showcase skill and talent; it’s a chance to celebrate the dedication and passion of martial artists. Custom sports medallions add an extra layer of prestige and honor to these events, elevating them from mere competitions to memorable occasions that will be cherished for years to come.
Our medallions are crafted with precision and attention to detail, embodying the spirit and essence of each martial art they represent. From the intricate designs to the quality materials used, every aspect of our medals reflects the excellence and dedication of the martial arts community.
Inspiring Future Generations
Beyond recognizing current achievements, custom sports medallions also serve as powerful motivators for future generations of martial artists. Seeing their peers honored and celebrated for their hard work and dedication can inspire young practitioners to push themselves further and strive for greatness in their own journey.
By instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment in every recipient, these medals help foster a culture of excellence and camaraderie within the martial arts community. They serve as tangible reminders of what can be achieved through dedication, discipline, and perseverance, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps and reach for their own goals.
In the world of martial arts, success is measured not only by victories in the ring or on the mat but also by the personal growth and development that comes with dedication and perseverance. Custom sports medallions from Hesank are more than just tokens of achievement; they are symbols of excellence, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of martial artists everywhere.
Whether it’s a small local tournament or a prestigious international competition, our medallions are the perfect choice for recognizing and honoring the dedication and achievements of martial artists at every level. With their timeless design and impeccable craftsmanship, they serve as lasting tributes to the hard work, passion, and commitment that define the martial arts journey.
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https://beliramsilverware.com/om-engraved-silver-coin/ | 2023-09-29T07:27:23 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510498.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20230929054611-20230929084611-00276.warc.gz | 0.917061 | 472 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__135983362 | en | Discover the divine power and auspicious charm of the OM Engraved Silver Coin, a sacred piece that embodies spirituality and elegance. Crafted with utmost precision, this remarkable chandi ka sikka showcases the universally revered symbol of “Om” – a potent mantra representing the essence of the universe.
Made from the finest 999 chandi ka sikka price is uncomparable to the OM engraved coin exudes a mesmerizing gleam, adding a touch of grace to any setting. With its intricately engraved design, this chandi ka coin price is justified for the craftsmanship that brings forth the sacred symbol with utmost clarity and finesse.
For those seeking to embrace the profound symbolism of “Om,” this silver coin near me is a treasure to behold. Its tranquil aura and intrinsic value make it an ideal choice for spiritual rituals and offerings. Whether kept in your personal altar or gifted to loved ones, this OM Engraved Silver Coin is sure to inspire devotion and inner peace.
Incorporating 108 silver coins for pooja can amplify the auspiciousness of religious ceremonies and bring prosperity into your life. The OM Engraved Silver Coin, with its profound spiritual significance and high-quality silver, serves as a potent addition to such sacred practices.
Moreover, this coin isn’t just a spiritually enriching item; it also holds investment potential. With its chandi ka sikka price reflecting both its artistry and value, this coin offers a smart option for diversifying your portfolio with precious metals. Its allure is further enhanced by its compatibility with the silver maple leaf series, known for its purity and global recognition.
As you contemplate the beauty of the OM Engraved Silver Coin, you may wonder where to find silver coins near me. Fret not, as this divine piece is available at reputable silver dealers and collectors’ stores, ready to grace your life with its enchanting presence.
In conclusion, the OM Engraved Silver Coin is a divine masterpiece, blending spirituality and sophistication seamlessly. Embrace its sacred aura and invest in the tranquility it brings while appreciating its exquisite craftsmanship and undeniable value. Let the timeless symbol of “Om” enrich your life and surroundings with positivity and harmony, making this coin a cherished possession for generations to come. | philosophy |
https://m.201980.com/juzi/dytaici/22405.html | 2022-12-04T02:05:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710953.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20221204004054-20221204034054-00026.warc.gz | 0.752622 | 3,981 | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-49__0__58100887 | en | 一、Forrest Gump 阿甘正传经典台词
1.Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'regonna get.
2.Stupid is as stupid does.
3.Miracles happen every day.
4.Jenny and I was like peas and carrots.
5.Have you given any thought to your future?
6.You just stay away from me please.
7.If you are ever in trouble, don't try to be brave, just run, justrun away.
8.It made me look like a duck in water.
9.Death is just a part of life, something we're all destined todo.
10.I was messed up for a long time.
二、Shawshank Redemption 肖申克的救赎经典台词
1.You know some birds are not meant to be caged, their feathers arejust too bright.
2.There is something inside ,that they can't get to , that theycan't touch. That's yours.
3.Hope is a good thing and maybe the best of things. And no goodthing ever dies.
三、The Lion King狮子王经典台词
1.Everything you see exists together in a delicatebalance.
2.I laugh in the face of danger.
3.I'm only brave when I have to be. Being brave doesn't mean you golooking for trouble.
4.When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on theworld.
5.It's like you are back from the dead.
6.You can't change the past.
7.Yes, the past can hurt. But I think you can either run from it orlearn from it.
8.This is my kingdom. If I don't fight for it, whowill?
9.Why should I believe you? Everything you ever told me was alie.
10.I'll make it up to you, I promise.
四、Gone with The Wind 乱世佳人经典台词
1.Land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worthfighting for, worth dying for. Because it is the only thing thatlasts.
土地是世界上唯一值得你去为之工作, 为之战斗, 为之牺牲的东西,因为它是唯一永恒的东西。
2.I wish I could be more like you.
3.Whatever comes, I'll love you, just as I do now. Until Idie.
4.I think it's hard winning a war with words.
5. Sir, you're no gentleman. And you miss are nolady.
6.I never give anything without expecting something in return. Ialways get paid.
7.In spite of you and me and the whole silly world going to piecesaround us, I love you.
8.I love you more than I've ever loved any woman. And I've waitedlonger for you than I've waited for anywoman.
9.If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill, as God as my witness,I'll never be hungry again!
10.Now I find myself in a world which for me is worse than death. Aworld in which there is no place for me.
1.Outwardly, I was everything a well-brought up girl should be.Inside, I was screaming.
2.We're the luckiest sons-of-bitches in theworld.
3.There is nothing I couldn't give you, there is nothing I woulddeny you, if you would not deny me. Open you're heart tome.
4.What the purpose of university is to find a suitablehusband.
5.Remember, they love money, so just pretend like you own agoldmine and you're in the club.
6.All life is a game of luck.
7.I love waking up in the morning and not knowing what's going tohappen, or who I'm going to meet, where I'm going to windup.
8.I figure life is a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. Younever know what hand you're going to get dealt next. You learn totake life as it comes at you.
9.To make each day count.
10.We're women. Our choices are never easy.
六、Sleepless in Seattle西雅图不眠夜经典台词
1.Work hard! Work will save you. Work is the only thing that willsee you through this.
2.You make millions of decisions that mean nothing and then one dayyour order takes out and it changes yourlife.
3.Destiny takes a hand.
4.You know, you can tell a lot from a person'svoice.
5.People who truly loved once are far more likely to loveagain.
6.You know it's easier to get killed by a terrorist than getmarried over the age of 40.
7.You are the most attractive man I ever laidears.
8.Why would you want to be with someone who doesn't loveyou?
9.When you are attracted to someone it just means that yoursubconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously. Sowhat we think of as fate, is just two neuroses knowing they are aperfect match.
10.Everybody panics before they get married.
1.Money is not everything. There'sMasterCard.
2.One should love animals. They are so tasty.
3.Save water. Shower with your girlfriend.
4.Love the neighbor. But don't get caught.
5.Behind every successful man, there is a woman. And behind everyunsuccessful man, there are two.
每个成功男人的背后, 都有一个女人. 每个不成功男人的背后, 都有两个。
6.Every man should marry. After all, happiness is not the onlything in life.
7.The wise never marry, and when they marry they becomeotherwise.
8.Success is a relative term. It brings so manyrelatives.
9.Love is photogenic. It needs darkness todevelop.
10.Children in backseats cause accidents. Accidents in backseatscause children. | philosophy |
https://boscco.co/2018/04/18/hoshinoya-bali/ | 2018-08-17T18:55:02 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221212768.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20180817182657-20180817202657-00435.warc.gz | 0.946517 | 359 | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-34__0__211123805 | en | Bali is home to numerous ancient palaces and water temples that create an atmosphere of elegant majesty. Their designs are rooted in Balinese Hinduism, a spiritual philosophy that emphasizes balance between the human and the natural–even the supernatural.
It is this balance that defines the wondrous delights of HOSHINOYA Bali –a resort village nestled in a Balinese jungle that flourishes atop a hill, which drops off to a sacred river flowing below.
The god Indra is said to have created the famous spring of Tirta Empul when he thrust his sword into the earth and drew water from the ground. These holy waters flow into the Pakerisan River, nurturing the jungles of Ubud that grow along its banks. Wherever you are in HOSHINOYA Bali, you feel the river all around you. Its booming roar echoes throughout the premises, while its waters turn into mists and rainclouds that constantly replenish the lush sheen of the resort’s trees and plants. Its omnipresence makes you feel as if the river itself is a god.
You take a deep breath, filling your body with air so pure, it feels as if it may have never been inhaled by another being. The Balinese have long lived by the teachings of Balinese Hinduism, a spiritual philosophy that combines Hinduism with animism. In the spirit of this tradition, at HOSHINOYA Bali, flowers are offered to the gods every morning. In the evening, the sacred sounds of the gamelan ring through the premises, attuning you to the presence of the gods as you soak up the natural energy all around. Gradually, your body is immersed in both the natural and the supernatural. | philosophy |
https://www.iowacity.church/post/about-curious-faith | 2022-10-03T03:56:42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337398.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20221003035124-20221003065124-00710.warc.gz | 0.954158 | 197 | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-40__0__202994710 | en | A few years ago, two brilliant graduate-student friends shared with me that the predominant sentiment among their departmental colleagues was that “mystical experience” (faith) and intellectual inquiry were incompatible. These friends were followers of Jesus and very intellectually curious, so the dichotomy embraced by their colleagues befuddled them. And my friends earnestly desired a context to embrace spirituality while still wearing their critical-thinking caps.
Curious Faith is devoted to the intersection of intellectual inquiry and faith—that place where honest reflection and critical thinking meet with that-which-cannot-be-proven-but-can-be-experienced, those things of which faith is the substance.
Whatever you think you know about the Christian faith, I suspect that you will find it curious once you start looking at it from new angles—whether you are agnostic, atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or any kind of Christian.
You are welcome here. | philosophy |
http://www.candyrat.com/artists/MichaelManring/TheBookOfFlame/ | 2015-02-27T07:27:59 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-11/segments/1424936460577.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20150226074100-00194-ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.97662 | 393 | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2015-11__0__181552628 | en | © Alchemy Records 1998
While working on this album I found myself thinking about some pretty heavy stuff. In addition to the sorrow and soul searching I felt over the death of my close friend, Michael Hedges, which occurred while I was in the midst of conceptualizing the album, I became fascinated with the kinds of things people believe in, both sacred and profane. I was also interested in the effect those beliefs have on the world around us. I remembered the image of fire as the classic metaphor for life—we burn brightly for a limited time with beliefs and ideas, and in the process we are consumed.
Meanwhile, we leave a story behind us, like a book, of experiences, emotions, successes, failures, dramas, etc. I hoped that this title would reflect these ideas, as well as pay homage to the Jorge Luis Borges collection of short stories, The Book of Sand, which has had a big influence on me. I hoped that The Book of Flame might be a kind of a collection of audio short stories that somehow tied together all of the thoughts and experiences I was having.
Manring rocks out on this one. The compositions stay tight.
This DVD, shot by Bernard Leroux, was made near the beginning of a tour in November 2006 at the beautiful Glenn Gould Studio in downtown Toronto. It was a pleasure to be on the road again with Michael Manring, and to be introducing Andy McKee to my audience. This performance was just a few days before Andy shot the fateful YouTube videos that went on to launch his now worldwide fame. It was a great night
Hailed by many as the world's leading solo bassist, Michael has been pushing back the boundaries of what's possible with just a bass guitar for two decades, winning thousands of fans and wowing countless audiences the world over with his stunning compositions and mind-blowing technical mastery of the instrument. Soliloquy is his latest Solo release. | philosophy |
https://rainforestrenaissance.org/ | 2023-12-04T08:59:37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100527.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20231204083733-20231204113733-00336.warc.gz | 0.864535 | 291 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__56095461 | en | The launch event is the culmination of a week-long conclave of Indigenous tribes and leaders who are coming together as they understand the critical circumstances we face as the human race and seek to share their wisdom of the natural world.
The common bond bringing us ALL together is the necessity for a Rainforest Renaissance!
The RAINFOREST RENAISSANCE 2024 is infused with a great cultural, artistic, and intellectual rebirth, bringing a new understanding of our interconnectedness and interdependence with the Earth. It’s a time for discovery and exploration of the new, a time for developing innovative, new models, and a time for the revival of ancient wisdom to serve as guideposts. To the Indigenous tribes, the rainforest is the source of life, sacred space which serves as the foundation of their cultures.
Rainforests hold many secrets yet to be discovered,
reflecting the eternal truth of UNITY that will redefine our relationship with nature, serving as a call to action that acknowledges our responsibility to envision the world we want to manifest.
THE RAINFOREST RENAISSANCE 2024
A WORLDWIDE LIVE-STREAMED EVENT FROM THE PYRAMID OF PEACE
TOSA BLUE MOUNTAIN PAUTE, ECUADOR
September 22, 2023 (8:00 ET)
UNITY EARTH. TV
Copyright 2023 RainforestRenaissance.org | philosophy |
http://acp.generationart.org/ | 2019-04-20T20:47:30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578530040.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20190420200802-20190420222802-00479.warc.gz | 0.974932 | 525 | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-18__0__30719984 | en | Our talk on the topic of E.F. Schumacher’s “Buddhist Economics” lead to so many possible paths of further study.
One idea is the relationship to the nuclear family — one member at home, one at work — and its importance in the role of raising children into adulthood. The equal rights movement for women was talked in terms of what may have been a distortion of purpose, one which lead to not one, but both parents working, and a child at home alone, or in best cases, at home with a nanny who can be afforded thanks to a second income.
Schumacher suggests that the “very start of Buddhist economic planning would be a planning for full employment” yet points out that “employment of women in offices or factories would be considered a sign of serious economic failure.”
His point, while dated in terms of our social concepts of equality, still have a very valid point. There is a role for ‘home body’ whether it is man or woman, and this role is of significant importance, perhaps even more important than the role of bringing in a salary, because it deals with the raising of another human being, and the nurturing and support of a family. This role has been deleted from our society as something of importance, and it has been made so explicitly because it is not ‘monetized’ by the economic system.
The answer is not likely to monetize or find our how much a ‘housewife’ is worth, but to take the job of raising a family completely out of the frame work of economics. It is a priceless job. It is a fundamental cornerstone of the human condition.
And so it has very unfortunately been systematically destroyed by a system which sees ‘value’ in a very black and white way. There is no color in the capitalist system as it stands today, and color is the essence of life, and there is no way to properly calculate it, to shove it into a formulaic spreadsheet… capitalism should never be a system which is central to the importance of human life, human development, or human happiness, because these concepts can not be calculated, nor does it help us to try and calculate them.
What is clear, I think, is that economic system — whether a form of capitalism or something entirely else — needs to look at humanity and ecology for guidance on how it can support things such as equality, human happiness, creativity, and ecological sustainability. It should, however, never be seen at the center of these. | philosophy |
https://www.quera.com/glossary/entanglement | 2023-10-03T16:17:26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233511170.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20231003160453-20231003190453-00580.warc.gz | 0.920796 | 412 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__168027184 | en | Entanglement is one of the most fundamental and intriguing phenomena in quantum physics. It refers to a special correlation that can exist between quantum particles, such that the state of one particle is inextricably linked to the state of another, regardless of the distance between them. Entanglement defies classical intuition and has profound implications for quantum computing, information, and communication.
When particles are entangled, the measurement of one particle instantly determines the outcome of a corresponding measurement on the other particle. This correlation holds even if the particles are light-years apart, leading Einstein to famously refer to it as "spooky action at a distance." Entangled states cannot be described by independent properties of individual particles; instead, they must be described by a joint wave function.
Entanglement can be created through various quantum interactions and controlled by quantum gates. In quantum computing, entanglement is often generated using gates like the Controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate. Manipulating entangled states requires careful control and isolation from the environment, as entanglement can be easily destroyed by decoherence.
Entanglement is a key resource in quantum computing, enabling parallelism and the execution of complex algorithms. It's essential for quantum error correction, quantum cryptography, quantum teleportation, and many quantum algorithms. The ability to create, manipulate, and measure entangled states is a fundamental requirement for building a quantum computer.
Entanglement has led to deep philosophical discussions about the nature of reality and locality. It has been experimentally confirmed through tests of Bell inequalities, ruling out certain types of "hidden variable" theories that would explain quantum correlations classically. Entanglement continues to be a rich area of study, with ongoing research into its properties, applications, and fundamental nature.
Entanglement is at the heart of the quantum revolution, representing a distinctly quantum form of correlation that has no classical analog. It's a concept that challenges our intuitive understanding of the world and opens up new possibilities for computation, communication, and the study of the fundamental nature of reality. | philosophy |
https://artists.acpl.lib.in.us/Home/ArtistDetail?artistId=337 | 2019-03-23T17:23:32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912202889.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20190323161556-20190323183556-00066.warc.gz | 0.959467 | 332 | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-13__0__67046628 | en | My subjects are often people. I want to use my canvas as a net and trap the ephemeral. I want to capture emotions, to capture pasts and presents, and to forge a connection between the viewer and the viewed.
- Mixed Media
- Pen & Ink
- Book carvings
When I was growing up, I struggled with a question. Does art matter in the grand scheme? It doesn’t feed stomachs; it doesn’t heal wounds. Many consider the arts impractical, even frivolous. And even as a child, I had wondered why something that meant so much to some could mean so little to others.
I actually adopted that belief for a while. I shied away from pursing an artistic career, thinking that I couldn’t be of practical use to others’ lives if I drew pictures for a living. I realized this, however: the arts—whether it be painting or film or literature—has a much greater impact on society than we sometimes recognize. It may not feed physical mouths, but what food is for the body, art is for the soul. I am creating, not only as a means of expression, but because it feeds me. My true aspirations lie in getting it to feed others.
My subjects are often people. I want to use my canvas as a net and trap the ephemeral. I want to capture emotions, to capture pasts and presents, and to forge a connection between the viewer and the viewed. I want to cultivate empathy.
That’s why I make art, and that’s what changed my mind. | philosophy |
https://euphoriamind.com/about/ | 2024-04-25T02:16:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296820065.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20240425000826-20240425030826-00693.warc.gz | 0.964209 | 414 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__198575776 | en | Welcome to our website dedicated to self-improvement! We’re delighted to welcome you and accompany you on your journey towards a better version of yourself. Our mission is to help you develop your skills, cultivate your well-being and achieve your personal goals.
Our team is made up of experts who are passionate about personal development and motivated by the desire to share their knowledge and experience to help you flourish. We firmly believe that everyone has the potential to transform themselves and rise above their current limitations.
What is self-improvement? It’s an ongoing process of working on yourself to become the best version of yourself. This can encompass different aspects of life such as physical health, mental health, interpersonal relationships, professional career and spirituality. Our approach is holistic, which means we look at each individual as a whole and seek to balance all areas of their life.
We offer a variety of resources to help you on your journey of self-improvement. Our blog is a mine of information where you’ll find relevant articles on topics such as self-confidence, stress management, effective communication, productivity, meditation and much more.
Self-improvement is not limited to the individual. We also believe in the importance of contributing to society and having a positive impact on the world around us. That’s why we encourage our members to get involved in volunteer work and share their knowledge and skills with others. We believe in the power of community, and in everyone’s ability to make a significant contribution.
We are proud of our dynamic and caring community, where members can connect, inspire and support each other. We believe that social support is essential in the process of self-improvement, and we encourage our members to surround themselves with positive, motivating people.
Our self-improvement site is your ultimate resource for developing your skills, cultivating your well-being and achieving your personal goals. We’re here to guide, support and encourage you along the way. Join our community today and start transforming your life! | philosophy |
https://www.bpw.com/industries/nonprofits/ | 2023-09-23T17:58:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506528.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20230923162848-20230923192848-00424.warc.gz | 0.934538 | 288 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__297687256 | en | Local Nonprofits Supported
Driven and committed to improving quality of life.
We Help Nonprofits Make a Difference
Standing steadfastly behind a mission, nonprofits are driven and committed to improving quality of life. Whether an environmental group, family agency, healthcare institution or other philanthropic organization, all nonprofits have one thing in common—to make a difference.
Similar to your mission, BPW lives by our core values. These values are ingrained in our culture and philosophy, reflecting the essence of who we are as a firm. One of these core values is our dedication to supporting the community in which we work and live.
BPW has a significant presence in the nonprofit sector through board and volunteer participation. Through our direct relationships, we understand your needs and expectations. BPW delivers high-quality audits that reflect heightened detail, transparency and accuracy. In addition, our ongoing financial and operational advice can save you time, money and, most of all, worry. We are happy to help with the following services:
- Audit, compilation or review
- Form 990 preparation
- Internal control evaluations
- Agreed upon procedures
- Litigation support
- Bookkeeping, controller and CFO services
We are uniquely qualified to serve your compliance and consulting needs as we see first-hand the challenges you face every day. BPW can help address these concerns by asking the right questions and providing the right results. | philosophy |
https://rhapsodyboho.wordpress.com/2020/07/24/the-awakening-process/ | 2022-05-27T13:39:30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662647086.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20220527112418-20220527142418-00433.warc.gz | 0.956442 | 664 | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-21__0__290880327 | en | Picture from my birthday trip. View of Half Dome from Olmstead point – Yosemite National Park.
Spiritual awakening…ah, a topic that seems to bring together likeminded and kindred spirits. Souls in search of answers, to find validations or a sign along the way that encourages us to keep going. People who question the status quo when it comes to their own life. It goes out to the “what if (ers), is that it, now what, and there’s got to be more to life” kind of beings.
Spiritual awakening is a way/path that is so different and unique to all of us, yet shares so many similarities. Once you find the courage and took that first step, you are on your way and the awakening process has begun. Don’t expect this to be an easy journey, because it will be quite the opposite. You will be a tested many times, stretched to your limits, and you fill find out what you are made of. It’s hard work but those willing to put in the effort will find a reward much greater than you could ever imagine. On the outside or if you have travelled for awhile, it’s easy to see and recognize all it’s patterns. The climbs and struggles, the storms and challenges, and the smooth sailings when everything seems downhill once more.
Along the path we meet various places that become our initial destination. It’s not until we take in all the wisdom of what that place has to offer, until we learn all of our lessons needed, that we can move on to a new place along the journey to our soul destination. And it is only when we, the students are ready that our teacher will appear. It can’t be rushed and there is no time limits, you simply move along when you are ready, despite of you thinking that you are. Remember that you can never know that you received everything meant for you to learn until so have. So in a way it is about being willing to listen and to learn, trusting the process, surrendering all control, shedding the fear, and opening your heart wide.
According to Jake Woodard we undergo 4 stages and although I have written about the stages before (7 stages similar or more in detail), it’s worth it to take a look as we might identify with something new and different.
Stage 1: The birthing phase
You start to awaken normally by experiencing pain or trauma. This causes you to shed the layers of illusions. Welcome to earth school.
Stage 2: The crawling phase
You’re very uncomfortable in this phase. You are learning many lessons, some of which are painful. You may feel great frustration and despair.
Stage 3: The rebirth
You’re being called to go inward to seek more answers. At this stage you are being initiated to be given your wings. You’re learning who you are and why you are here.
Stage 4: Taking flight
You’ve shed the veils of illusion. You’ve returned to your childlike innocence. You’ve purified your soul and are now soaring with your reclaimed wings.
Does this ring true for you? | philosophy |
http://dev.repeaterbooks.com/books/zombie-university-thinking-under-control/ | 2018-04-19T21:22:26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125937045.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20180419204415-20180419224415-00227.warc.gz | 0.935981 | 162 | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-17__0__135939231 | en | Book Binding: Paperback
Paperback ISBN: 9781910924518
eBook ISBN: 9781910924525
On Sale: 16th November, 2017
What if we have lost the ability to think straight? And what if this is why the shocking injustices of contemporary life go unchallenged in spite of being widely acknowledged? And what if the university, the institution that is supposed to help us to think, is in on the act?
In this polemical account of how universities are failing both their students and society, Sinéad Murphy shows how the Zombie University of the twenty-first century is keeping us down rather than raising us up, and asks whether, in spite of everything, it could be brought back to life, and whether we could dare to think again. | philosophy |
http://fashion-pointt.blogspot.com/2009/10/wht-are-jinn.html | 2017-04-27T13:01:01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917122167.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031202-00504-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.977094 | 504 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__222874902 | en | Question 1: Who are the jinn?
The jinn are among the creatures that Allah (swt) created. Allah (swt) created angels, jinn, mankind, animals, plants and others. Jinn have some qualities like human beings. These qualities are intellect, discrimination, freedom, and the power to choose between right and wrong, between true and false, as well as between good and bad.
Question 2: When did Allah (swt) create the jinn?
Allah (swt) created the jinn before Adam (pbuh) was created. Both were created in heaven and lived in paradise. One may read in Surah Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) [Qur'an, 15:26-27]. However, nothing was mentioned about the duration of time of the jinn's creation before Adam (pbuh).
Question 3: What are jinn created from?
Jinn are created from fire of hot wind [Qur'an, 15:27]; and from smokeless fire [Qur'an, 55:15]. They were originally made from fire and then molded and shaped in the form and shape that Allah (swt) wanted them to be. This means that they do not anymore possess their fiery nature. It is not known therefore, their final shape, form, and chemical composition. Since we cannot see them, therefore, it is not easy to do any analysis of their chemical nature. In contrast, mankind was created from soil, mud, and clay. They were molded as human beings. Our final form is no more mud or clay.
Question 4: Do jinn have bodies?
Yes and no! It depends upon the information that one has. One group of scholars believe that jinn do not have bodies of their own. They also do not inhabit bodies of other creatures. However, they do exist independently by themselves. Therefore, they do not know how they exist without bodies: smoke, flame, fire or what?The other group of scholars do believe that jinn do have bodies either definite or subtle. If their bodies are definite then they have some density; otherwise, if they are subtle, then they are so fine that our weak eyes cannot see them. One may read Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights) [Qur'an, 7:27]. Even if they are subtle they should have weight and density similar to that of the air itself. | philosophy |
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/in-depth/plainBody.aspx?AID=3045&rewrite=0 | 2021-10-28T22:27:21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323588526.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20211028193601-20211028223601-00578.warc.gz | 0.969787 | 5,502 | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-43__0__213659380 | en | Because you hearken to these laws (Deuteronomy 7:12)
The commentaries dwell on the Hebrew word eikev in this verse—an uncommon synonym for “because.” Many see a connection with the word akeiv (same spelling, different pronunciation), which means “heel.”
Rashi interprets this as an allusion to those mitzvot which a person tramples with his heels—the Torah is telling us to be equally diligent with all of G‑d’s commandments, no less with those that seem less significant to our finite minds.
Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides interpret it in the sense of “in the end” (i.e., “in the heels of,” or in the sense that the heel is at the extremity of the body)—the reward being something that follows the action. A similar interpretation is given by Ohr HaChaim, who explains that true satisfaction and fulfillment comes at the “end”—the complete fulfillment of all the mitzvot, and by Rabbeinu Bechayei, who sees it as an allusion that the reward we do receive in this world is but a lowly and marginal (the “heel”) aspect of the true worth of the mitzvot.
Tzemach Tzedek (the third Chabad rebbe) sees it as a reference to ikveta d’meshicha, the generation of “the heels of Moshiach” (the last generation of the exile is called “the heels of Moshiach” by our sages because: a) they are the spiritually lowest generation, due to the “descent of the generations”; b) it is the generation in which the footsteps of Moshiach can already be heard). This is the generation that will “hearken to these laws,” as Maimonides writes: “The Torah has already promised that the people of Israel will return to G‑d at the end of their exile, and will be immediately redeemed.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe says: Our commitment to Torah should be such that it permeates us entirely, so that also our heel—the lowest and the least sensitive part of the person—“hearkens to these laws, observes them and does them.” In other words, our relationship with G‑d should not be confined to the holy days of the year, or to certain “holy” hours we devote to prayer and study, but should also embrace our everyday activities. Indeed, this “lowly” and “spiritually insensitive” part of our life is the foundation of our relationship with G‑d, in the same way that the heel is the base upon which the entire body stands and moves.
When you understand that the nations are more numerous than you, and that you, with your own power, cannot defeat them, but are totally dependent on G‑d’s help, then you need not fear them. But if you begin to believe that you can defeat them on your own, then you indeed have great cause for fear.
The simple meaning of the phrase “all the mitzvah” is the entire body of divine commandments—all the mitzvot. The Midrashic interpretation is: do the whole mitzvah. If you begin a good deed, finish it, for a mitzvah is credited to the one who concludes the task. Thus it is written: “Joseph’s bones, which the children of Israel took out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem.” Yet it was Moses himself who took Joseph’s bones out of Egypt (Exodus 13:19)! But since he did not conclude the task, and the children of Israel concluded it, it is called by their name.
All the generations of history labored to bring Moshiach, and certainly their contribution is greater than ours. Nevertheless, we are the “generation of redemption,” since “a mitzvah is credited to the one who concludes the task.”
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was asked by his disciples: Why didn’t the manna come down for Israel once a year?
He replied: I shall give a parable. This thing may be compared to a king of flesh and blood who had an only son, whom he provided with maintenance once a year, so that he would visit his father once a year only. Thereupon he provided for his maintenance every day, so that he called on him every day. The same with Israel. One who had four or five children would worry, saying: Perhaps no manna will come down tomorrow, and all will die of hunger? Thus they were found to turn their attention to their Father in Heaven.
(Talmud, Yoma 76a)
For forty years the children of Israel were sustained by “bread from heaven,” instilling in them the recognition that sustenance comes entirely from G‑d; that no matter how much a person toils to earn his livelihood, he receives no more and no less than what has been allotted him from Above.
The challenge is to retain this recognition also after entering the Land and making the transition to “bread from the earth.” Even when we are nourished by bread which we earn by “the sweat of our brow,” we must remember that, in truth, our sustenance comes from G‑d, and that we never receive an iota more or an iota less than what is allotted us from Above.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
At the core of every existence is a divine utterance that created it (“Let there be light,” “Let the earth sprout forth vegetation,” etc.), which remains nestled within it to continuously supply it with being and life. The soul of man descends into the trappings and trials of physical life in order to unite with and elevate the “sparks of holiness” buried in the food it eats, the clothes it wears, and all the other objects and forces of the physical existence it interacts with. For when a person utilizes something, directly or indirectly, to serve the Creator, he penetrates its shell of mundanity, revealing and realizing its divine essence and purpose.
Therein lies a deeper meaning to the verse (Psalms 107:5): “The hungry and the thirsty, in them does their soul wrap itself.” A person may desire food and sense only his body’s hunger, but in truth his physical craving is but the expression and external “packaging” of a deeper yen—his soul’s craving for the sparks of holiness that are the object of its mission in physical life.
(Rabbi DovBer, the Maggid of Mezeritch)
This explains a most puzzling fact of life: how is it that man, the highest form of life, derives vitality and sustenance from the lower tiers of creation—the animal, vegetable and mineral? But the true source of nourishment is the “divine utterance” in every creation, and, as the Kabbalists teach, the “lowlier” the creation, the loftier the divine energy it contains. In this the universe resembles a collapsed wall, in which the highest stones fall the farthest.
(Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi)
When a father punishes his child, the suffering he inflicts on himself is greater than anything experienced by the child. So it is with G‑d: His pain is greater than our pain.
(Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev)
Asked Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov: The Torah repeatedly warns against pride and extols humility. Nevertheless, this precept is not counted as one of the 613 commandments. Why isn’t it a mitzvah to be humble?
Answered the Baal Shem Tov: If humility were a mitzvah, the ego of man would count it among its achievements.
The “Holy Ari” (master Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria, 1534–1572) writes that the last generation of the galut (exile) is the reincarnation of Moses’ generation—the “generation of the desert.”
Indeed, ours is a generation of “thirst without water.” It is a generation that thirsts for the truth, thirsts for meaning and purpose in life. But the water to quench this thirst, the knowledge to address the why and how of existence, is elusive to them, sealed behind barriers of ignorance and alienation.
But the thirst is there, awaiting satisfaction. Ours is a generation prepared to drink, if only they would be provided with the water they know not where to seek.
(from an address by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, summer of 1957)
G‑dliness is a blazing flame; Torah study and prayer require a flaming heart. Between coldness and heresy stands an extremely thin wall.
(Rabbi Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch)
I once saw a Russian soldier being whipped. His crime? While standing watch on a winter night, his feet had frozen in their boots. “Had you remembered the oath you took to serve the Czar,” his commander berated him, “the memory would have kept you warm.”
“For 25 years,” concluded Rabbi Nechemiah, “this incident inspired my service of the Almighty.”
Better a sinful person who knows that he has sinned, than a righteous person who knows that he is righteous.
(“The Seer of Lublin,” Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz)
The tablets were each six handbreadths long and three handbreadths wide. Moses held two handbreadths [of the tablets’ length], G‑d held two handbreadths, and in between were two handbreadths of space. Moses’ hands prevailed, and he grabbed hold of the tablets and broke them.
There was not a corner of the heavens with which Moses did not grapple to attain G‑d’s forgiveness of Israel . . .
When Israel committed that act, Moses arose to appease G‑d and said: “Master of the Universe! They have given You an assistant, and You are annoyed with them? Why, this calf which they have made will be Your assistant: You will cause the sun to rise, while it will cause the moon to rise; You will look after the stars, and it will see to the constellations; You will cause the dew to descend, and it will cause the winds to blow; You will make the rains come down, while it will be responsible for the growth of plants.”
Said G‑d to him: “Moses! You err as they do! For there is nothing real in it.”
Said Moses: “If this is the case, why should Your wrath burn against Your people?”
What was his idea in mentioning here the going out of Egypt? Because it was thus that Moses pleaded: “Master of the Universe, see from which place You have brought them forth—from Egypt, where everyone worships lambs.”
Said Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: It can be compared to a wise man who opened a perfumery shop for his son in a street frequented by harlots. The street did its work, the business also did its share, and the son’s youth likewise contributed its part, with the result that the son fell into evil ways. When the father came and caught him among the harlots, he began to shout: “I will kill you!” But his friend was there, and he said: “You were the cause of this youth’s corruption, and you shout at him? You set aside all other professions and have taught him only to be a perfumer; you skipped over all other districts and opened a shop for him just in the street where harlots dwell . . .”
This is what Moses said: “Master of the Universe! You passed over the entire world to have Your children to be enslaved only in Egypt, where all worshipped lambs. . . . Bear in mind whence You have brought them forth!”
This is what Moses said: “Master of the Universe! When I asked You what their merit was that You should redeem them, since they are idolaters, You said: ‘You see them only now as idolaters, but I can foresee them departing from Egypt, and My dividing the Red Sea for them, and bringing them into the wilderness, and giving them the Torah and revealing Myself unto them face to face, and them accepting My kingship—yet denying Me at the end of forty days by making the calf!’ (This is the meaning of what G‑d said to Moses at the burning bush, “I have heard their cries”—I hear already their cries around the calf).
“Since You have told me of their making a golden calf long before You did deliver them,” argued Moses, “why do You seek to slay them now that they have made it?” It was for this reason that Moses mentioned the exodus from Egypt in his plea for mercy.
It can be compared to a king who had an uncultivated field and who said to a tenant-laborer: “Go improve it, and convert it into a vineyard.” The laborer went and tended the field and planted it as a vineyard. The vines grew and produced wine, which however became sour. When the king saw that the wine had become sour, he said to the laborer: “Go and cut it all down; what is the use to me of a vineyard that produces vinegar?” But the laborer pleaded: “O my lord and king! Consider what sums you invested before the vineyard was planted, and now You want to cut it all down! Do not give me the reply ‘But its wine becomes sour,’ for this is due to the newness of the vineyard, and a freshly planted vineyard cannot produce good wine.”
Similarly, when Israel made the golden calf, G‑d intended to destroy them, but Moses pleaded: “Master of the Universe! Did You not bring them forth from Egypt, a place of idol-worshippers? They are yet young, as it says (Hosea 11:1), ‘When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.’ Be patient with them yet awhile and go with them, and they will yet perform good deeds before You.”
Moses pleaded: “Master of the Universe! Why are You angry with Israel?” “Because they have broken the Ten Commandments,” said G‑d. “Well,” said Moses, “they possess a source from which they can make repayment. . . . Remember that You tested Abraham with ten trials? Let those ten serve as compensation for these ten.” This is why Moses said, “Remember Abraham . . .”
Moses spoke thus: “Master of the Universe! Do the dead live [in the world to come]?”
Said G‑d: “Moses, have you become a heretic?”
But Moses answered: “If the dead are not brought to life in the world to come, then You are free to do all that You intend. But if they be alive, what will You say to the Patriarchs when they will arise and seek from You fulfillment of the promise which You have made them? What answer will You give them? For did You not promise them that You would increase their children as the stars of heaven?”
According to the Talmud, the shittah was a type of cedar; in Rabbi Saadiah Gaon’s (Arabic) translation of Torah it is rendered shant, or “acacia.”
Chassidic teaching sees the word shittim as related to the word shetut, “folly”—an allusion to the fact that the function of the Mishkan was to transform the folly of materialism into “folly of holiness”—commitment to G‑d that transcends the rationale and normalcy of “the way things are.”
Just as those days, [the first forty days, to receive the first tablets,] were with [G‑d’s] good will, so were these with good will. But the intermediate [forty days], when I remained to pray for you, were in anger.
Moses absolved his Creator of His vow. When Israel made the calf, Moses began to persuade G‑d to forgive them, but G‑d said: “Moses, I have already taken an oath that ‘He that sacrifices unto the gods . . . shall be destroyed’ (Exodus 22:19), and I cannot retract an oath which has proceeded from My mouth.”
Said Moses: “Master of the Universe! Did You not grant me the power of annulment of oaths? (See commentaries to Numbers 30:3.) If a jurist desires that others should respect his laws, he must be the first to observe them. Since You have commanded me concerning the annulment of vows, it is only right and proper that You should follow this procedure Yourself.”
Whereupon Moses wrapped himself in his tallit and seated himself in the posture of a rabbinical judge, and G‑d stood before him as one asking for the annulment of his vow; for so it says, “Then I sat on the mount” (Deuteronomy 9:9) . . .
What did Moses say to Him? A most difficult thing. Rabbi Yochanan said: The difficult thing he said was: “Do You now regret Your vow?” G‑d replied: “I regret now the evil which I said I would do unto My people.” When Moses heard this, he proclaimed: “Be it absolved for You, be it absolved for You. There is neither vow nor oath any longer . . .”
Is fear of G‑d a minor thing? Yes, for Moses it is a minor thing.
(Talmud, Berachot 33b)
At first glance, the [Talmud’s] answer is incomprehensible, since the verse says “What does G‑d ask of you” [not of Moses]!
But the explanation is as follows:
Each and every soul of the house of Israel contains within it something of the quality of our teacher Moses, for he is one of the “seven shepherds” who feed vitality and G‑dliness to the community of the souls of Israel. . . . Moses is the sum of them all, called the “shepherd of faith” (raaya meheimna), in the sense that he nourishes the community of Israel with the knowledge and recognition of G‑d . . .
So although who is the man who dares presume in his heart to approach and attain even a thousandth part of the level of the faithful shepherd, nevertheless, an infinitesimal fringe and minute particle of his great goodness and light illuminates every Jew in each and every generation.
What kind of bribe might G‑d take? Even if a completely pious person commits a transgression, G‑d does not deduct from his merits to compensate for his sin, but will punish him for the sin and give him full reward for his good deeds.
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov would say:
There are two types of fields: an irrigated field, and a field watered by rain.
The scholar’s soul is an irrigated field, devotedly developed and nurtured by her farmer. The soul of the simple Jew is a rain-nourished field, surrendering herself to the whims of the heavens, humbly awaiting blessing and stimulation from above.
The irrigated field yields a harvest that is superior, in quantity and quality, to that of her passive sister. But the rain-watered field is a truer, purer reflection on her heavenly Maker.
“Rain” represents the reciprocal relationship between heaven and earth. “A vapor rises from the earth” to the heavens, and the heavens return it as rain which “quenches the face of the land” (Genesis 2:6). This represents the spiritual truth that “an arousal from below evokes an arousal from above”—that G‑d responds to the efforts of man, reciprocating our prayers, yearnings and deeds with nurture from Above.
This is the doctrine of the rain-watered land. Egypt, however, was nourished not by descending rain but by the overflow of the Nile, which would periodically flood the land. The spiritual “Egyptian” is one who does not recognize the heavenly source of the blessings of life. He believes that all is generated from below—that everything he has and has achieved is of his own making.
The people of Israel had been subjected to the Egyptian mentality for four generations. Thus they had to spend forty years in the desert, during which they were subjected to a diametrically opposite set of circumstances, in which one’s daily bread descends from heaven and one’s own efforts have no effect on the result. Only after this lesson in the true source of life could they enter the land that “drinks water of the rain of heaven”—where man’s efforts are crucial and significant, yet are permeated with a recognition of, and dependence upon, the true Source of All.
(The Chassidic Masters)
What is the service of the heart? This is prayer.
(Talmud, Taanit 2a)
(Talmud, Berachot 30b)
At that time (1764) Vilna and Mezeritch were the great Jewish capitals of Eastern Europe. Vilna was the seat of Rabbi Eliyahu, the famed Gaon of Vilna, and Mezeritch was the hometown of Rabbi DovBer (the “Maggid”), leader of the chassidic movement.
Related Rabbi Schneur Zalman: “I debated as to where I should go. I knew that in Vilna one was taught how to study, and that in Mezeritch one could learn how to pray. To study I was somewhat able, but of prayer I knew very little. So I went to Mezeritch.
“The Almighty blessed me with making the right choice. I became a devoted chassid of our rebbe, and upon my return to Vitebsk, I guided my disciples in the teachings of Chassidism, which were well received by them.”
Said Rabbi Judah in the name of Rav: A person is forbidden to eat before he feeds his animals, for it is written, “[I will give grass in your fields] for your livestock,” and only after that, “that you may eat and be full.”
(Talmud, Berachot 40a)
Also after you are exiled, you must distinguish yourselves with the mitzvot: put on tefillin, make mezuzot, so that these will not be new to you when you return. Thus [the prophet] says (Jeremiah 31:20): “Establish for yourself signs.”
You shall place these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul; and bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as tefillin between your eyes. And you shall teach them your children . . . (11:18–19)
Just as it is incumbent upon every Jew to put on tefillin every day, so is there an unequivocal duty which rests upon every individual, from the greatest scholar to the most simple of folk, to set aside a half-hour each day in which to think about the education of his children.
(Rabbi Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch)
The verse does not say, “to give to you,” but “to give to them”: from here we derive a reference to the resurrection of the dead from the Torah.
He is merciful; you too should be merciful. He does acts of kindness; you too should do acts of kindness.
G‑d clothes the naked, as it is written: “G‑d made for Adam and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21); so should you too clothe the naked.
G‑d visits the sick, as it is written: “G‑d appeared to him by the Oaks of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1); so should you too visit the sick.
G‑d comforts mourners, as it is written: “It came to pass after the death of Abraham that G‑d blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11); so should you too comfort mourners.
G‑d buries the dead, as it is written: “He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6); so should you too bury the dead.
(Talmud, Sotah 14a)
Is it possible to say such a thing? G‑d is a “consuming fire”! But the meaning of this commandment is this: cleave to the students and sages of Torah, and it shall be considered as if you cleaved to Him. | philosophy |
https://thisamericandiet.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/ethical-eating-labels-and-walking-the-line/ | 2017-04-27T12:47:00 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917122167.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031202-00049-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.956883 | 1,572 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__178883454 | en | I’ve discovered that I am passionate about food. Not in the self-indulgent decadent way (think wine and cheese and foie gras), but more in the vein of delicious, healthful, ethical meals prepared in my kitchen. And that’s really the crux of it: ethical eating.
I find it interesting that for years I have considered myself a conscientious consumer. I recycle, I use reusable shopping bags, I minimize my consumerism, I buy used items often, I pick up litter, I use a travel mug when I patronize coffee shops, and I even buy fair trade coffee. And yet, it took me years to honestly examine the simplest (and most impactful) form of consumption.
We have choices when it comes to our food. Ethical eating encompasses a wide array of options, including (but not limited to):
- Supporting local agriculture to reduce the carbon footprint of transport, and to bolster sustainable family farming
- Buying certified organic products to reduce harmful chemicals in industrial agriculture
- Reducing animal product consumption to lower the impact of factory farming on animals and the environment
- Buying local, humanely-raised animal products instead of factory-farmed meat and dairy
- Eating whole-ingredient foods to avoid artificial ingredients and processing waste
- Rejecting GMO produce to sustain biodiversity
This is not radical tree-hugging hippie propaganda. It is a solid, well-documented fact that our eating habits are harming our health and destroying this planet. We are conveniently able to avoid facing this fact, however. We buy our food in neat packages at the grocery store, with pretty pictures of lush farm fields on the labels, or happy cows in pastures. But I suppose they might not sell as many eggs if the cartons depicted an image of how egg farming really works.
The truth is that our insatiable demands for cheap meat, exotic produce, dairy products and corn-based everything has created an epidemic of food-based problems. Just a select few of these man-made disasters:
- We waste millions of gallons of water and millions of tons of grain every year to feed the cattle which provide us with burgers and steaks.
- Our commercial fishing fleets have depleted wild fisheries by almost 30%, and our current fish consumption habits will fully destroy these fish stocks by the year 2048.
- Factory farming of animals perpetuates unspeakable cruelty every day. Not to mention the environmental impacts and health concerns of growing animals in confinement.
- Our unsustainable agricultural structure requires billions of government subsidy dollars to stay afloat, adding astronomical hidden costs to taxpayers for that $2.99 pound of ground beef.
That’s just the beginnings of what I’ve discovered along this path. I will write in more detail on each of these subjects in the coming months, but for now I think it’s important to evaluate another aspect of ethical eating: labels.
There is, of course, much talk in the food world about reading food packaging labels. This is a productive use of time for health-conscious consumers, to be sure. However, I’m more concerned currently with the other, more divisive type of label.
After only a few months of self-education, I already run into many people who ask me to define my food philosophy. This presents an indomitable challenge. Firstly, my philosophy is ever-changing as I learn more about the food I eat. Second, my current philosophy does not fit into any neatly-defined pigeonhole.
I am not a vegan or a vegetarian, and don’t anticipate becoming one. However, I have drastically reduced my meat intake, and seek to find ethical sources of meat. I do not believe that the mere act of eating meat is unethical, as we are biologically programmed to be omnivorous members of a once-complex food chain. However, the primary mode of production of animal products in this country is inhumane and, in my opinion, unethical on many levels. I don’t eat dairy, and I no longer eat eggs that are not locally-grown. I shop at the farmer’s market and the co-op, but I also shop at the Mexican grocery and Albertson’s. I drink diet soda sometimes and eat fried food, yet I am very concerned with how my eating habits influence my health. I grow some of my own food and try not to buy too much imported produce, but I drink imported wines and coffee. Label that!
This brings me to my next conundrum: where am I going?
I don’t want to be one of those annoying, self-righteous vegans who say things like, “You’re a hypocrite for recycling that plastic bottle in the name of environmentalism unless you are also a vegan.” (Yes, this is an real quote from an actual vegan.) I don’t want to live in a bubble of like-minded people, nor do I want to glide through life on a soapbox. I do, however, want to help others examine their own eating habits. I do want to inspire others to help correct this frightening food cycle we are in. I do want to help people reconnect with what they eat, and be appreciative of where that food comes from. How can I accomplish all of this?
I will have to find an elegant way to walk the line. It seems that many people who have taken the time to examine the food industry have become bitter, saddened, frustrated. I understand that sentiment, as it is hard not to be weighed down by the immensity of the problem. Their disillusionment, however, leads to combative preaching to a resistant public.
We need to start small to have any hope of effecting change. Most people are overwhelmed by the idea of becoming a vegan, and in truth we could attain an ethical, sustainable food system even if people continued to eat meat; they just would need to eat a lot less of it, and we would need to alter the structure of animal farming in this country. People also need to be inspired to care.
So I find it prudent to lead by an example of moderation, and to be gentle with people. It’s much easier to start a conversation about dairy when the person asks me about my own choices, instead of trying to preach to every person who orders a milkshake. It’s more successful (and more fun!) to take my friend to the farmer’s market, instead of lecturing her about buying Ecuadorian mangoes at Wal-Mart. Furthermore, ethical eating is not about uncompromising abstinence or militant ideologies. It’s about baby steps. The world will improve for each person who adopts Meatless Mondays or goes to their farmer’s market once a month.
As Syd Baumel wrote, “Ethical eating, like ethical living, is not about absolutes. It’s about doing the best you’re willing and able to do – and nurturing a will to keep doing better.”
Through honest conversation, and through this blog, I hope to help inspire others to reconnect to their food choices, and to be brave enough to examine the health, ethical, and environmental repercussions of these choices. Being a visual artist, I also plan on using imagery to connect people viscerally to food, agriculture, and wellness.
Don’t worry, I’ll still keep up with the tasty recipes and nutritional tidbits – it’s all part of the wellness odyssey! 😉
So much more to come… | philosophy |
https://kenthoffman-kenthoffman-et78.squarespace.com/ | 2019-10-13T23:11:09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986648343.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20191013221144-20191014004144-00461.warc.gz | 0.953794 | 4,421 | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-43__0__193107704 | en | FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PRAY AND THOSE WHO CAN'T IMAGINE IT
A Thirty-Minute Online Retreat
Note in a Bottle
Consider this a note in a bottle, a message sent into the world with no known destination. If you're reading these words you are, quite obviously, the destination.
Thanks for opening.
I want to begin with the lyrics from "Satellite Call" by Sara Bareilles:
This one's for the lonely child
This was written for the one to blame
For the one who believes they are the cause of chaos in everything
You may find yourself in the dead of night
Lost somewhere out there in the great big beautiful sky
We're all just perfect little satellites
Spinning round and round this broken earthly life
This is so you know the sound
Of someone who loves you from the ground
Tonight you're not alone at all
This is me sending out my satellite call
(Hint: There is resonance in Sara's voice that the words can't fully convey.)
After 45 years of clinical practice and 30 years as a developmental researcher, I've come to several key realizations:
1. No one escapes pain,
2. From a developmental point of view, we each require resonance: intentional presence from and shared feeling with another. Our learning: "Who I am, exactly as I am, can be known and shared. I am lovable and loved."
3. Repeated experiences of resonance become tenderness-at-our-core,
4. For many of us, tenderness-within-resonance isn't well known,
5. Suffering is our experience of pain without access to tenderness-within-resonance,
6. It's never too late,
7. Many of us reading these words are still waiting for the "satellite call" of resonance, offering the path to tenderness-at-our-core.
Resonance is innate presence, as given as your next breath. This doesn't mean it's all that common. Resonance emerges from a core of confidence, the willingness to be-with another without an agenda. ("Me, exactly me, welcomes being with you, exactly you.") Resonance includes a capacity for silence and the ability to follow another's lead without seeking to change feelings or fix circumstances. Resonance isn't something we do, it's the simple, shared presence that emerges when we stop "doing."
The brief (1 minute and 39 seconds) video below offers an example of resonance through the lens of developmental research.
This mother is quietly and easily following her child's moment-to-moment lead, staying present, without effort.
A sequence near the end of the clip shows this mother's comfort with both positive and difficult feelings. The image (top left) shows the mother matching her daughter's sense of delight. A moment later (middle right) Zoe shows a brief sign of distress and her mother effortlessly meets her there. This experience of being met is soothing for Zoe and she immediately leads her mother back to shared delight (lower left).
This mother's capacity for shared presence is significantly different than a caregiver who feels pressure to "do it right." Without trust that unadorned availability is enough for a child, many parents over-regulate their children by seeking to be in charge of what they do and feel ("Don't be sad," "Smile for daddy!" "Good job!"). Zoe's mother has confidence (in both herself and her daughter), allowing her to trust Zoe's lead. The result is a child who knows the gift of resonance: "I matter to you. Where I go, you will follow. Where I go, I will be met."
As stated earlier, the level of tender presence-without-agenda just observed isn't as common as we might imagine. For many of us, there was often a sense of "no there, there," especially when we had feelings (anger, sadness, fear) that were difficult for our caregivers. Some of us are still waiting to know the simplicity and ease of Zoe's knowing. (Researchers call it an "experience of being experienced.") We then struggle, just below conscious awareness, with a sense that something essential is missing. From a developmental point of view, some of this struggle is the result of conclusions we formed concerning the availability and unavailability of simple resonance. ("Does anybody know who I really am? Can anyone meet me here.")
There is no blame here. No matter how well-intentioned our caregivers were, life happened. Daily burdens may have limited their capacity to offer a confident and available presence. Financial worries, struggles in relationships, difficult work circumstances, anxiety or depression, generational struggles, family discord, a painful past (with little or no resonance), etc. likely blunted their capacity to slow down and offer no-agenda presence. This meant that our chance to download tenderness-at-our-core was compromised or non-existent. Common negative self-beliefs followed: “This loneliness is my fault.” “Something is wrong with me.” “I’m not good enough.” “I’m not wanted.” “It’s up to me.” "I feel empty." “I’m all alone.”
Who would have guessed that these conclusions about the availability of resonance would be so important?
The result: An unnamed pain (with undertones of unworthiness, emptiness, loneliness. and anxiety) that many of us carry throughout our lives. This quiet desperation was powerfully articulated in the middle of the 20th Century by psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott. Noticing recurring themes in those he treated (falling forever, being unable to communicate, anxiety-without-words, inexplicable void, etc.) he recognized a common denominator in each of their histories: ". . . nothing happening when something needed to happen;" the experience of absence when presence was needed. He called the resulting feeling states "primitive agonies."
Many of us know them as black hole moments.
For Winnicott, this vague, yet persistent sense of internal worthlessness, emptiness, loneliness, and anxiety had to do with multiple, unintentional lapses on the part of our caregivers when we were distressed or needing easy presence. These became the never forgotten (yet unconscious) moments of "nothing happening" (non-resonance) when "something needed to happen" (resonance). Developmental researchers now recognize the central importance of emotion regulation by caregivers. It's the skill-set at the heart of secure attachment. (We're talking about the difference between a parent who says, "You're fine, don't cry" or "Don't be upset, turn that frown upside down" and a parent saying, "That must hurt, why don't you come sit with me for a while.")
Hence, our ongoing struggle: We live inside the memory of nothing happening. Winnicott went on to say that it's actually easier to recall negative events (even abuse), than to remember the empty non-event of nothing happening when we required resonance.
Something (seemingly) so small can influence us for the remainder of our lives.
How do we remember nothing? How do we consciously recall the void of non-resonance? In most cases, we don't. Typically, we feel it's pervasive undertow and then defend against it. This may explain our "stay busy, make it happen, keep improving," culture. We're constantly running from the ghost of nothing happening when simple presence was needed.
In addition, many of us carry the negative certainty that the resonance we're hardwired to know won't ever happen.
Sadly, our history begins to call the shots, defining what we imagine to be possible. We see what we expect to see: "Tenderness? There's no stinking tenderness."
Given that "nothing happening" is likely the scene of the original crime, living with expected emptiness has significant implications for anyone considering prayer.
Said bluntly: Why would you even try?
The central contention of the developmental research I've been part of for the past three decades: We live in a coherent universe. Love defines everything. We are either trusting and secure within its presence or we're insecure (and lost) because of its absence.
In terms of what I've written thus far: We're hardwired to know resonance and a resulting tenderness-our-the-core. With them we flourish. Without them . . . not so much.
So. If we grew up with limited access to resonance, does this mean all hope is lost? Is resonance, at the level we continue to need it, still possible?
As mentioned in the first chapter, it's never too late to know resonance. Our hardwiring for resonance is now our new best friend. It all but forces us to seek the resource we most require.
This naturally leads back to "the dead of night."
Who among us doesn't know inner darkness? Who hasn't experienced the futility of reaching out, hoping, yet secretly assured there would be no response?
It's precisely here that prayer is born.
How? If I'm unable to hope, why would I risk crying out for help? Why would I ask something unknown or unseen to come to my aid, especially when my history tells me that what I'm asking for won't ever happen?
Truth be told, I wouldn't. We all know people who are certain beyond any doubt that the universe is vacant and meaningless, the mirror image of the nothing happening they know all too well. They refuse to ask for help from an obvious nothingness that has surrounded them their whole lives.
Given our need to defend against the pain of additional pain, how could it be otherwise?
And yet some, faced with the same despair, choose hope beyond hopelessness. Why would they risk uttering an initial plea?
We're hardwired for tenderness-within-resonance. At our core, we can't not thirst for what we most need.
For decades, I've sought out those who've chosen to risk a prayer practice. My wondering: Is there a common denominator? What allowed them to begin praying?
Hidden-in-plain-sight within each of their lives: A simple hint of tenderness.
Somehow, regardless of how brief, these are people who knew despair and then, out of character with their past approach to life, began asking for help. As it turns out, they did so because they had experienced at least a momentary "satellite call." Somehow, someway they received a glimpse of resonance (smile from a stranger, surprise phone call, caring text, sentence in a book, affection from an animal, conversation with a friend, rhythm in a poem, unexpected note in a bottle) that, for a millisecond (or much longer), implied, "Resonance exists; tenderness is real; accessing the love I most need might just happen." They experienced just enough of the possibility of possibility to awaken hope: "I might not be lost and alone after all.
We begin coming home because we are offered the hint of home.
For many of us, the beginning of prayer began within this exact alchemy, the strange joining of desperation with a hint of tenderness. Our sense of being unmeetable was briefly joined by the direct experience of belonging. There was just enough tenderness-within-resonance, the resource we most need, to sponsor the willingness to cry out in the dead of night.
Sweetness opened the door of longing. Asking opened the door of receiving.
This vulnerability has made all the difference.
Every moment of our lives clarifies the simple coherence of the universe mentioned a few paragraphs ago: Only love matters. Either we rest within its presence or suffer because of its absence.
"I need to be sure of you" is the core developmental mantra within every child. This need never goes away. No matter who we are, no matter what our age, this deep, often desperate cry for tender and predictable presence isn't random, it's our birthright . . . a thirst that keeps calling us home to the resonant heart of the universe.
After almost 50 years of intentional prayer and meditation practice, I've come to this singular conclusion: Our need for love is a manifestation of a universe ready to meet it. Our thirst for tenderness-at-our-core is map, not aberration. Neither is it a failing or indication of something wrong with us. Our thirst for love and belonging is our most essential guide.
Original need requires Original Presence. Nothing less will do.
Our willingness to ask is the path of returning home.
At this point, the only issue is whether we’re willing to begin risking, allowing our deep need to change us. For many, the choice will be to keep longing buried and negative certainty active, locked inside lives as we’ve always known them. We can't fall out of bed if we sleep on the floor.
It’s one thing to recognize thirst for what we most need, it’s another thing altogether to make the choice to access it. As said above, this appears to require support and guidance, the angel of possibility opening us to the actuality of tender presence.
The audacity of any spiritual tradition is its claim that asking inevitably results in receiving. The implication of this audacity: This exact now is the moment to begin experiencing the hidden-in-plain-sight resource we're still waiting to know.
Through the years, this is my deepest learning: The most unbearable within me can (and must) finally come home to what is most tender. Whether this resonance is from a close companion or experienced through my daily tenderness practice, when I'm distressed I've discovered a way to return to the presence I most need.
My greatest struggles have always been the result of living my life as if I am alone.
I'm not unloved and alone after all.
Each moment offers this option: Imagine experiencing this moment as a satellite call offering Tenderness-from-the-Core.
New option: Imagine the mantra "You're not alone at all" to be a frequency that is always emanating from the heart of the universe and from deep within every cell in your body.
For the next month consider the following daily practice:
1. Listen to "Satellite Call" a minimum of once a day. (Hint: Download the song and keep it on repeat.)
2. While listening, look at the above GIF/image of Emanating Light and feel (or imagine feeling) Tenderness emanating "from the ground" (Center of the cosmos and every cell in your body). Or look at the image of the mother and child, feeling (or imagine feeling) their shared tenderness as your present experience.
3. While listening and looking . . . Breathe-With. Breath-with the Light. Breath-with the mother and child. Slowly. Tenderly. With ease. (More on breathing practice below.)
At the mystical heart of every spiritual tradition is an invitation to wake up or come home to the Original Light and Love from which we are currently estranged.
New option: That which is most frightened or vulnerable in you is actually being offered tenderness-within-resonance in this very moment.
New option: This satellite call is offering you direct, immediate access to the heart of the universe from the heart of the universe.
Now and now and now.
4. You may feel something while you're participating in this practice. You may feel nothing. Either way is fine. The goal is not to have a profound experience, rather it's to allow yourself direct access, deeper than conscious awareness, to what you most need. Consider what you're doing something of a download. Aware or not aware, what you require is inexplicably being received. If you want to look for an indication that you're not wasting your time, begin noticing subtle shifts in your state of mind about tender presence in your life. ("I give thanks for help unknown, already on the way.") After almost 50 years of practice, I can say with complete confidence, you will often be met with sweet coincidences and wonderful surprises.
Resonance: to Breathe-With
Prayer is actually very simple: The love and resource you’ve been waiting to experience are actually right here, already available, resonating in this next tender breath.
Resonance is prayer. Prayer is breathing-with.
What if you allowed yourself to breathe exactly as the most secure child breathes? What if you heard the most secure parent (the one you've always been hardwired to know) speaking to you in exactly the way deeply secure parents speak?
"I'm here. I love you. Breathe with me and we'll get through this together."
This breath. This Presence. This breath. This shared tender breath.
Resonance offers what words never can.
The silent video clip below offers an option for slowing your breathing to approximately 4 seconds on the out-breath and 4 seconds on the in-breath. Following the blue line, breathe into your belly. With each breath (whether you currently believe it or not) trust that tenderness-at-the-core is offered and (beyond awareness) downloaded/received.
Breathing-with, I open to affection beyond comprehension. Deeper than thought, deeper than doubt, deeper than fear . . .
Infinite Presence . . . Infinite Resonance . . .
Tenderness at my core.
WHY BUILD A DAILY PRACTICE?
Hoping to find his way through The Great Door of Belonging, a spiritual seeker became distraught when his teacher told him there was no key.
"If there is no key to unlock the Great Door, what hope is there?
"My dear student," replied his teacher, "Who made you believe it was ever locked?"
A crack in the door isn’t yet an open door. Given the tenacity of our lifelong certainty that resonance isn't available, we need direct and ongoing access to what we've been missing. Through the millennia, in spiritual traditions around the globe, gaining sure and ongoing access has always included support from community and a commitment to discipline.
To finally wake up to how we’re not alone we need to quit living as if we're alone.
Step One: We need to find a spiritual tradition offering Kindness-at-its-core. They actually exist. The audacity of such a tradition is its promise that life is good and grace exists for each of us. What’s grace? The sweetness whispering that this exact now is offering the comfort-within-Presence we’ve been waiting for.
The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu offer the message of Kindness-as-spiritual practice in The Book of Joy, the story of their ongoing dialogue about the gift of spiritual life. At the core of their friendship: Deep respect and deep affection.
Spiritual wisdom teaches us to cease bemoaning what we didn’t get and turn to the Source of all giving. We do this by finding those in our community who trust the satellite call and who can support our growing trust in hidden resonance. We can also access the many resources available (books, lectures, sermons, online talks, etc.) that can inspire our choice to continue deepening in our experience of tender resource.
Step Two: A daily practice dare not become another task. Rather, it can be seen as the sweet intention to open, again and again, to resonance already with us. Our primary problem is the belief that what we need won’t show up, a negative certainty blocking us from recognizing what's always hidden-in-plain-sight.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kent Hoffman has been a psychotherapist since 1972. He earned a doctorate in psychology and religion from the Claremont Graduate School of Theology in 1975. Kent has had a particular interest in working with marginalized/homeless adults, teen parents, and those who struggle with anxiety and depression. He has a TEDx talk titled "Every person has infinite worth."
Dr. Hoffman is also a developmental researcher and co- originator of the Circle of Security Program (www.circleofsecurity.net). His most recent book is titled "Raising a Secure Child." Kent has been a practitioner of Christian contemplative prayer and Buddhist meditation for nearly five decades. He is also a practitioner of qigong. He considers daily practice to be the heartbeat of his life.
Kent Hoffman has a website for beginning a daily practice www.hiddenholding.com. Of particular interest may be One Month of Daily Practice: http://www.hiddenholding.com/daily-practice. He also has an online memoir available (gratis) at www.eightysevenminutes.com, telling the backstory of how he came to what is being offered here.
All writing, unless otherwise attributed,
© Kent Hoffman- 2018
Consider this piece by Robert Glasper a living prayer, each piano key offering a new level of resonance, every note emerging from Original Ground. | philosophy |
https://thethinkingarnold.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/the-longest-way-home-the-images-2/ | 2018-01-23T18:11:34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084892059.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20180123171440-20180123191440-00443.warc.gz | 0.975258 | 441 | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-05__0__207044104 | en | My first personal exhibition has ended. For those of you who didn’t make it, here are some of the images that were shown. These images are a collection of my works, from the moment I’ve started taking pictures till now. For me, It was a good way to remember all the steps that I did to become the photographer I am now, and along with this, who I became. “The longest way home” really intended to be this: the road that each of us do everyday to become who we are. In my case, I had to go far away from Italy, my home, to study at the Brooks Institute of photography in Santa Barbara, California.
From the exhibition manifesto:
“There are people who are satisfied with what they have. Some other can appreciate what they have only when this is lost. Like me. For this reason traveling is something that I need, beyond being a pleasure. It’s the need of let everything go, to take a break from everyday’s life to really understand its value. But travelling is also memory, and photography is what makes it still alive and present. It let us go back to moments that would be lost otherwise. And it lets us relive them, and mostly, it let us understand what they meant to us.
This photographs are exactly the attempt to go back to places and emotions that are far away, to better understand them. Through this photographs of places, people or animals, it relives my memory and my unconscious gaze on it. The famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson used to say that to photograph means putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis. If photographing is really this act, then a photograph is the tangible result of it to which another ingredient is added: memory.
It is only thanks to memory that we can say who we are. It is only our story that defines us as unique and diverse from each other.
“It’s not were you are at, It’s the journey you’ve taken.” | philosophy |
https://ecofrenhealth.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/19-ways-to-live-a-stress-free-life/ | 2017-04-30T03:01:05 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917124297.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031204-00560-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.899749 | 417 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__235816525 | en | 19 ways to live a stress free life
1) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It
is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3) When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
“My purpose is to ______ today.”
4) Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5) Plan to read at least one book every month .
6) Make time to practice meditation or prayer. They provide us with
daily fuel and a mental center to focus on in our busy lives.
7) Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
8) Dream more while you are awake.
9) Try to eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less
food that is manufactured in plants.
10) Drink green tea and plenty of water.
11) Try to make at least three people smile each day.
12) Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new
and flowing energy into your life .
13) Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the
past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest
your energy in the positive aspects of the moment.
14) Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems
are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like
algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
15) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid .
16) Smile and laugh more. It will keep the negative blues away.
17) Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
18) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
19) Don’t take yourself too seriously . | philosophy |
https://www.kelleylorencin.com/blog/2019/2/8/god-isnt-above-his-own-law | 2019-10-16T21:50:32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986670928.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20191016213112-20191017000612-00251.warc.gz | 0.98019 | 616 | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-43__0__194141051 | en | 1 Kings 2
Throughout history, there’s probably been at least one thing that set a king apart from his subjects: He didn’t have to abide by the same rules as his fellow citizens. That’s one of the "perks" of people in power—they tend to be (or at least see themselves as) above the law. They aren’t held to the same standard as everyone else.
Actually, this happens in other ways and in other places outside of the palace. For instance, if an off-duty police officer gets pulled over for speeding and the officer who stopped him realizes he’s a fellow member of the force, do you think the off-duty officer will get treated the same as any other "normal" citizen in that situation? Probably not. Special strokes for special folks.
That’s why David’s final bit of advice to Solomon was such great advice: "Be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.'" (vs 2-4)
In other words, David was trying to tell his son that he wasn’t above the law. Just because he was the king, just because he was in a power of position and authority didn’t mean he could disregard the laws that applied to everyone else in Israel. That’s because these laws weren’t arbitrary: They were there for the protection and good of all the people—including the king himself.
In the same way, even God isn’t above His own law. He doesn’t hold us to a different standard than He holds Himself. In fact, the entire universe—all of God’s animate and inanimate creation—runs on the very same law: The Law of Love. This natural law of life encompasses all of the other things we recognize as "law" in the Bible (the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses, etc.). That’s why Jesus said that the greatest commandment was love and that all the Law and the Prophets hung on that principle.
When it comes to this law, God isn’t above it. He operates in harmony with it, just as everything else must in order to remain alive. And God, as a good king, leads by example. Just as David recognized that a leader would only be as powerful as he was obedient (and encouraged Solomon in that direction), so God abides by His own law. His love is the foundation of everything in this universe—including His own throne. | philosophy |
https://www.gatsbyjs.com/blog/2018-09-07-gatsby-values/ | 2024-02-26T13:48:58 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474660.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226130305-20240226160305-00685.warc.gz | 0.937175 | 2,065 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__190976138 | en | Most of the Gatsby Inkteam was together in Portland last week for our latest team onsite, which we lovingly refer to as “Gatsby Gatherings”. The team assembles every few months to discuss pressing needs, our company’s direction, and our roadmap.
This was our third Gathering, and it marked the first time when we weren’t in the midst of a major push (our first Gathering was centered around understanding how the Inkteam would actually function; the second around officially launching the company).
But this time, with the v2 release candidate launching last Tuesday and Gatsby Preview in alpha, we had a chance to step back from immediate needs and start looking at the bigger picture: what does Gatsby Inc. stand for? What are our goals and values?
This has been a huge
TODO on our list since the very beginning, so we spent a full day thinking through this, writing down our ideas, and discussing what kind of company we want to be.
So last week, given the opportunity to spend in-person time together and talk about it, we tackled the existential questions behind Gatsby Inc.
In this post, we’ll break down the process we followed, what we came up with, and how these decisions will impact Gatsby moving forward.
The process of defining company values
Gatsby is a distributed team, which means that on most days we only interact with contributors and team members through Slack and GitHub messages. And with team members everywhere from San Francisco to Chiang Mai, getting the whole team on extended video calls to discuss philosophical questions is extremely difficult.
We took full advantage of being in the same room with each other to dig into these more nuanced discussions, which started a couple months ago when Shannon asked, “Do we have any company values?”
Step 1: Anonymously collect ideas
Sam led the effort by creating a Google Form to collect anonymous feedback on what Gatsby’s mission and values should be. We sent this form around to everyone and allowed a couple weeks for everyone to get their ideas in.
Step 2: Condense anonymous ideas into themes
Once we had all the anonymous ideas collected, Sam condensed them into common themes.
Step 3: Discuss the themes in person
While we were all together, Sam went through the themes with all of us and we wrote them out on a whiteboard. This helped all of us get back into the context of what we’d written down before, and what the team collectively values.
Step 4: Capture additional ideas on sticky notes
Once we all had context, we distributed sticky notes and markers, then set a timer for 15 minutes to allow everyone to add any additional ideas, values, or themes that weren’t covered in the original document.
Step 5: Group similar ideas and identify the core values
With everyone’s ideas on the board, we started grouping. Marisa and I looked for common threads in the ideas on the whiteboard and started to condense them down into a set of core values.
As we wrote these out, we discussed them with the whole team to make sure we weren’t oversimplifying or losing the message behind anyone’s ideas.
At the end of the exercise, we’d extracted 8 shared core values, all of which the team is fully aligned on and deeply committed to.
What we learned — Gatsby’s core values
With our themes identified, we needed to polish our notes up into clear company values. Here’s what we settled on.
Do the right thing when no one is looking
Companies live or die by the trust they build. Gatsby is an open source product, and that means we need to earn and maintain trust from our internal team, our larger community of contributors (and the open source community at large), as well as from our clients and customers.
To earn that trust, we need to be deeply committed to always doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing.
Our integrity — both professional and personal — is the foundation for everything else.
Work in the open
Open source is at the core of Gatsby’s success, and one of the central tenets of open source is that things are done in the open and without smoke, mirrors, pomp, circumstance, cloaks, or daggers.
Gatsby’s competitive advantage is the strength of its community and ecosystem, and we’re convinced that the right path forward is to continue working in the open, sharing our plans, ideas, struggles, and successes as transparently as possible.
To put it plainly: unless it’s a critical competitive advantage, we’ll put it in public.
Set and manage clear expectations
Setting and meeting expectations is the backbone of successful business (and people). It’s how we show respect, act professionally, and maintain healthy relationships.
If we say we’re going to do something, we’ll do it. If we’re going to miss a deadline, we’ll tell you before it passes. We’ll show up to meetings on time — and if we’re going to be late, we’ll email or text to let you know.
Behind all bad feelings — anger, disappointment, frustration, and beyond — there’s almost always a violated expectation. Gatsby is all about creating great experiences and good feelings, and managing expectations is how we make sure we live up to our goals.
Go slow to go fast
All projects are planned. The question is whether they're planned upfront, or halfway through.
We understand the value of moving quickly and shipping things regularly. We also understand the value in first thinking things through to make sure we’re moving in the right direction and shipping the right things.
By taking the time up front to think through our goals and plan appropriately, we will avoid costly mistakes and slowdowns, keep the team and community on the same page, and ultimately move much faster than if we were charging ahead without thinking things through.
Always prioritize developer experience and user experience
Whenever we make decisions, we will put the experience of the developers using Gatsby and the people who will use the sites generated by Gatsby first. Even if it means extra work to add helpful error messages. Even if it means refactoring a confusing API to be more user friendly.
Gatsby has built its reputation on being a pleasure to work with, and we’re dedicated to keeping that true.
Healthy things grow, and growing things change. Gatsby is a fast-growing, cutting edge technology startup, and that means things are in near-constant flux. This means that we’re regularly up against circumstances that are rapidly evolving.
In order to survive and grow, we need to embrace growth as a healthy, vital process. This means making pragmatic decisions early, delegating when necessary, asking for help when it’s time, and recognizing how we’ve always done things isn’t necessarily what works today. (And what works today may very well stop working tomorrow.)
These changes aren’t a sign that we’re failing, or that things are wrong. It’s a sign that the company is thriving.
Experiment with cool ideas
Gatsby began as an experiment with bleeding edge technology. As a product, Gatsby has always aimed to be at the forefront of technological advances.
While we need to stick to our roadmap and make steady progress toward our company goals, we will maintain a state of excitement about new technology and foster a culture of experimentation, play, and wonder. We’re excited about reaching our goals and love to tinker. People are constantly creating incredible things, and it’s critical both to our success as a company and to our happiness as geeks that we take time to play with these incredible new technologies.
You belong here
Open source doesn’t have the best reputation for being friendly and welcoming, and that makes us sad. Everyone belongs in open source, and Gatsby is dedicated to making you feel welcome.
We will never judge, condescend, or exclude anyone. Instead, we will go above and beyond to support the community, through pair programming, offering free swag for contributors, giving control to the community by auto-inviting all contributors to the Gatsby GitHub org, an open and inclusive code of conduct, and other means that empower and embrace the incredible community that makes Gatsby possible.
We’re so happy you’re here. 💪💜
How our company values will affect us going forward
As a stand-alone list, these values are a great list of aspirational ideas, but they won’t mean much if we don’t put them into practice.
To ensure we live and work according to these values, we’re using our values as a key factor in our decision making process. As we put together our roadmap, define our internal workflow processes, or even plan a tweet or GitHub response, we’ll be asking if the thing we’re about to do is lined up with our values.
Are we acting like the company we want to be? Like the people we want to be?
It’s too early for any definitive results, but so far we’ve heard these values come up in meetings and discussions to keep things headed in the right direction. And — speaking personally — it feels really dang good to be on a team that saw the importance of doing the upfront work to write these values down. I’m very proud to be part of the Gatsby Inkteam, and extremely grateful to be part of such an incredible open source community.
Y’all are the best. 💜 | philosophy |
http://americanmeditationsociety.org/ntproduct/what-is-the-nature-of-awareness-2/ | 2017-04-29T11:25:07 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917123491.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031203-00226-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.949984 | 127 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__26597807 | en | Even the stone has a kind of awareness embedded in its composition. But true awareness at the human level begins when we ask ourselves, “Why can I not love?” Then our progress really begins and we learn to master certain practices that are necessary for developing awareness. These include: lessening need by becoming non-attached; freeing ourselves from the illusions that create suffering; practicing discipline and discrimination; and doing our spiritual practices so that more and more of the universal mind can flow through us. But when we capture the totality of God, then we have truly found non-attached love. Then we are truly aware. | philosophy |
http://finndvm.com/mission-statement/ | 2022-01-28T11:54:53 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320305494.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220128104113-20220128134113-00486.warc.gz | 0.925416 | 126 | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-05__0__83034215 | en | We are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of animals by helping them Move Better Feel Better Live Longer
We are committed to enriching the lives of people by assisting their beloved animal friends to have the best quality of life possible.
We offer alternatives to conventional care while practicing exceptional medicine.
We believe that our relationships with our animal friends make our lives whole.
We believe that an animal’s life is defined by their movement.
We believe that improving an animal’s ability to move improves their life.
We believe in an integrative holistic approach to animal health care. | philosophy |
http://heavensconman.tumblr.com/post/12829990292/let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-minds-admit | 2014-04-24T19:17:54 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223206672.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032006-00314-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.902014 | 268 | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2014-15__0__191308644 | en | Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
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http://farmcatalog.com/farm_book_special.html | 2017-07-20T12:45:37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423183.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170720121902-20170720141902-00199.warc.gz | 0.955668 | 272 | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-30__0__239445564 | en | The Farm’s colorful, hippie heyday is now but a distant memory. Even the great Changeover, the defining moment of The New Farm, is now decades in the past. The Farm Community has not only survived, but remains as a model lifestyle for humanity, demonstrating that humans can live together in a way that is ecological, peaceful, and viable.
The collective land base remains intact, and the shared ownership of all buildings, home and infrastructure, along with its robust internal economy and integration with the world at large, is a futuristic hybrid capitalist enterprise blended with tribal stewardship.
In my book, "Out to Change the World," I tell the story of The Farm Community, from its roots during the hippie era of San Francisco, to its evolution over 40 years later as a modern day ecovillage.
The Farm Then and Now digs deeper, presenting the story of a group that has defied the odds, blending idealism with a practical approach to intentional community and creating a model for sustainable living. Just as the Summer of Love opened their hearts and minds, The Farm continues as a school of change, demonstrating ways to operate collectively in terms of:
- Community government, Resolving differences and disputes
- Land stewardship and management
- Health care, building and infrastructure
- Cooperation, compassion and spiritual values. | philosophy |
https://www.healingcircle.in/reiki | 2021-07-29T18:44:18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046153892.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20210729172022-20210729202022-00357.warc.gz | 0.916321 | 609 | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-31__0__267940663 | en | Reiki & Karuna Reiki
The Hands-On Healing Technique
What is Reiki?
Reiki, a natural healing art, is not a religion. Neither is it a new age practice, or a cult or form of hypnosis. Reiki means “Universal Life Energy” or Chetna Shakti, which is defined as the energy acting and residing in all created matter. Reiki is BEING this energy and healing.
Reiki is a healing and an enlightenment system that can be used both on yourself and others. Reiki as a spiritual practice compliments all faiths as a hands-on healing practice. Reiki understands that healing comes from within the individual. The healer is a mere catalyst for the healing to take place, being used as a channel for the life-energy.
Reiki can be used on adults, children, animals, plants and even inanimate objects. Giving or receiving Reiki is generally a peaceful and joyous experience.
Benefits of Reiki
Reiki is learning to live in harmony with the universe. One of the greatest benefits of Reiki is the self-treatment & healing, an extremely effective technique for total relaxation.
Reiki compliments other healthcare & medical treatments, minimizing their side effects. Reiki energizes the body, speeds wound-healing time, lowers blood-pressure, reduces stress and is effective in managing pain.
Reiki is of great use during pregnancy for smooth deliveries and healthy infants. Reiki positively impacts diseases like hypertension, angina, arthritis, skin problems, cancer, AIDS etc.
Reiki heals relationship disharmonies and psycho-neurotic problems including drug or alcohol addictions.
Reiki is balance at all levels : physical, spiritual & emotional. It stimulates higher consciousness and more spiritual awareness
Reiki can be learnt by prior appointment. Reiki is a set of 5 principles for living, a set of hand positions for treating self & others, and the receiving of an attunement to connect to Reiki energy.
Reiki is a process of empowerment or attunement, performed by a Reiki Teacher or Master, that helps you to reconnect to this energy.
Post-attunement, many notice immediate increase in the amount of energy or the feeling of heat or vibrations emerging from their hands, while giving the treatment.
Everything you may read about Reiki , is knowing the path. In doing Reiki , you will be walking the path.
In Deepest Gratitude to
Dr. Mikao Usui
Insanity is repeatedly doing the same things in life over and over again and expecting different results. Get a fresh new perspective and perhaps that may open up various new possibilities for you.
Every Monday, the Healing Circle healers assemble (consistently over last 16 years) at Borivli, Mumbai to exchange holistic experiences and concepts while channeling Reiki to all seekers.
This is an absolutely Free and No-Cost event. | philosophy |
http://old.unb.com.bd/lifestyle-news/significance-of-probarona-purnima/25623 | 2020-12-05T00:00:42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-50/segments/1606141745780.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20201204223450-20201205013450-00147.warc.gz | 0.936153 | 384 | CC-MAIN-2020-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-50__0__97079487 | en | Significance of Probarona Purnima
Sunday 16 October, 2016 12:00:00 am
Dhaka, Oct 16: The country’s Buddist community celebrated Probarona Purnima, their second largest festival, on Saturday by releasing paper lanterns (Fanush) in the sky.
This full moon day signifies the end of the three month Lent of Bhikkhus. To mark the day, Buddhists send up a kind of lighted balloon, made of thin paper, to the sky, called Phanus Baji, in the evening.
When Buddha renounced the world, he cut his hair and threw it into the air, saying "if my aim and mission of renunciation are fruitful, this tress of hair will go upwards, and if my object and ambition becomes fruitless, it will fall on the ground”.
Buddhists believe that the tress of hair went flying into the sky according to the will of Gautama.
The set off sky-lamp is a symbol and commemoration of Gautama's emphatic prediction.
Also known as Ashwini Purnima, the festival marks conclusion of the three-month long seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self-edification and atonement of their defilement.
Several other significance of the day includes:
- Offering of the Buddha Puja in the morning
- Feeding the monks in noon
- Illumination of the monastery in the evening by lighting candles as Hindus do during Diwali
- Vows of Pancha Sila or Attha Sila by the elders and keeping the Sabbath (fast day).
The festival follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks for the welfare of every beings and whole humankind through yellow robes offering ceremony that begins on that day. | philosophy |
https://www.stanthonyhall.org/news/476455/Remembering-Mark-Lanier.htm | 2020-08-12T17:59:04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738913.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20200812171125-20200812201125-00567.warc.gz | 0.981222 | 762 | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-34__0__37825196 | en | Remembering Mark Lanier
Monday, April 1, 2019
I keep flashing onto a warm January day in Oxford, Mississippi, sunlight fluttering through trees outside, a few of us inside, exploring Rowan Oak, Mark’s beloved Faulkner’s home. It was an oddly perfect day in a perfect house. But inhabiting it reduced this mythical figure, whose words I’d read and re-read, whose words Mark himself worshipped, to a human being. One who had fights with his wife, who washed himself, who used the toilet. Sometimes we only think about people through the lens of their greatness and don’t consume ourselves with the personal moments that, in the shadow of their greatness, we allow ourselves to dim.
In experiencing Mark’s passing, I am finding myself in a similar exercise to the one that we performed at Rowan Oak: wandering into the huge heart-beating life of a house that Mark inhabited, feeling silly that I am surprised that behind this larger-than-life figure that he was, was also someone who felt and hurt and lived.
He taught us all so much simply by the way he would somehow both grandly and unassumingly walk into a room and inhabiting the space among us. We were so lucky to have shared it, and I wish I could have expressed more of this to him. Learning though is probably at its best when it makes you uncomfortable, and I am learning now in that way, lessons I did not necessarily want to learn, but through his passing, Mark has brought me and us here.
Yours in the bonds,
Mark was, quite simply, the heart and soul of this chapter. As the long-serving secretary of the 1853 Foundation, he sustained Lambda through good times and through times of struggle. He was a fixture at initiations and at various national gatherings through the years. It’s quite likely that Mark, with his bear-like hug, was the first alumnus to welcome you into the bonds.
Fond memories of Mark spring easily to mind. Those who saw one of his “Who Are You?” performances witnessed a theatrical masterpiece. Those who swapped book recommendations with him are probably still making our way through his towering and eclectic reading list. Those who shared a meal or took a walk with him were dazzled, every time, by his omnivorous appetite for knowledge. His empathy, his wisdom, his gentleness, and his wit immediately endeared Mark to everyone he came across. And then, of course, there was his voice like molasses and the jolly rumble of his laugh. (That Morgan Freeman seems to be the standard narrator for most documentaries these days is due to a simple oversight -- Mark hadn’t been discovered.)
One bright spring day, Mark and I took a tour of the Huntington Library and Gardens. It was a playground for someone with Mark’s wildly eclectic love of learning. Casually, he transformed our stroll through the collections and gardens into a master class in world culture -- everything from portraiture, to poetry, to bonsai. And that’s how I’ll always remember Mark: standing in the sunshine of Southern California, inspecting the branches on a Chinese elm.
Mark’s light burned brightly and illuminated the way for so many brothers and sisters. Now it’s left to us to carry that light forward.
I hope you’ll be able to take some time to remember Mark, in whatever way you choose. As a family of siblings, we mourn the deep sadness of his loss yet celebrate the profound joy that he gave.
Yours in the bonds, | philosophy |
https://blog.ccsindia.org/about-academy | 2021-09-22T06:19:55 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780057329.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20210922041825-20210922071825-00051.warc.gz | 0.921529 | 614 | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-39__0__8113687 | en | CCS Academy functions on the conviction that persistent and widespread social problems have their root cause in public policies that either interfere with or fail to support the operation of individuals, civil society, community, institutions, and free market-based solutions.
We believe that liberty and prosperity are inseparable from the practice of free enterprise and adherence to the rule of law. We seek to inspire future leaders and change agents to pursue the vision of a free society by championing a liberal approach to public policy. It would include less government regulation, control, privilege, and sectional interests. A liberal society is tolerant of different philosophical and ethical doctrines - allowing individuals to freely form and express their convictions and opinions. Individuals must be free to make decisions about their own lives and engage in meaningful pursuits without threat of violence. Governments must not provide services that can be better delivered by competitive enterprise. To achieve social change, it is crucial to influence the public intellectuals who disseminate ideas to society. Through a proactive approach and sustained engagement, we create spaces for intellectual discourse to take place.
CCS launched its first training seminar for college students in the fall of 1998 called the Liberty & Society Seminar, a four-day residential program on liberal principles and policies. We have connected with thousands of talented and enthusiastic students, journalists, activists, and young leaders to introduce them to, and increase their understanding of, liberal principles which underline the fact that fair, open and competitive markets provide the best means of ensuring an open, dynamic, prosperous and equitable society. Government needs to ensure that markets are, indeed, fair, open and competitive. We do this through policy trainings, certificate courses, research internships, colloquiums, and outreach programs of Centre for Civil Society. These provide a fundamental understanding of political economy and public policy so that participants are able to better understand the pressing challenges facing our society and come up with solutions and alternatives.
Once you attend any of our course, you will be a part of a strong and diverse community of 8000+ alums. Our alumni have gone on to work in different sectors of policy space and other fields. We are proud of a growing network of policy intellectuals and change agents.
We welcome you to be part of this change.
Tomorrow's political possibilities will depend upon the ideas we cultivate today. If we want a more prosperous,free and peaceful world,ideas matter.
In his essay The Intellectuals and Socialism, one of the greatest philosophers of liberty, F. A. Hayek, argued that, in the long run, the world is governed by the ideas that people hold. To achieve social change, it is crucial to influence the public intellectuals who disseminate ideas to society.
One way to visualize Hayek's philosophy of social change is a model designed by Joseph Overton of the Mackinac Centre for Public Policy called "The Overton Window of Political Possibilities"
(For more about the practical success of Hayek's ideas, see John Blundell's Waging the War of Ideas. ) | philosophy |
http://scouting.wikia.com/wiki/World_Scouting_Mission | 2017-08-18T04:52:18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886104565.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818043915-20170818063915-00249.warc.gz | 0.931819 | 391 | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-34__0__74576763 | en | The Mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.
(World Scouting Mission Statement) The Mission was adopted at the 35th World Scout Conference in Durban, South Africa in 1999. Illustrating both the local and global impact of Scouting, the Mission of Scouting has been captured in World Scouting’s brand as "Creating a Better World”
- Source: Scout.org
More Scouting Mission StatementsEdit
BSA Scouting Mission Edit
"The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law."
- Source: Scouting.org
UK Scouting MissionEdit
- The Purpose of Scouting: Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
- The Values of Scouting: As Scouts we are guided by these values:
- Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
- Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
- Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
- Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
- Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.
- The Scout Method: Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:
- enjoy what they are doing and have fun
- take part in activities indoors and outdoors
- learn by doing
- share in spiritual reflection
- take responsibility and make choices
- undertake new and challenging activities
- make and live by their Promise | philosophy |
https://www.courtyard.space/posts/yannis-maniatakos-the-sea-said-yes-by-chus-martinez | 2023-10-03T03:35:46 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233511053.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20231003024646-20231003054646-00457.warc.gz | 0.968165 | 1,960 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__210635792 | en | courtyard is an exhibition space.
A place of gathering and experimentation, defined by the projects, contributions and events it hosts at a given moment, and driven by the associations that emerge from these. Visitors are invited to wander across the open space.
courtyard opens with Locus/Lacuna, a new commission by Nour Mobarak.
Inspired by Francis Yates’ book ‘The Art of Memory’, Mobarak tracks the architectural site of a personal memory as an incomplete "memory palace", an ancient mnemonic device, to develop the piece. This device relies on associating information to specific physical environments. The protagonist sets out an imaginary journey over which they visit specific locations – or loci – to recall information. The locus of this memory is the red plush seat. Yet, once entering, there are lacunas- absences in the recording of memory. Each of the tracks of this four-channel sound work underwent distinct processes of degradation and manipulation.
16 Mar 2022
On Using “I” and First-person Narration by Iman Issa with Moyra Davey
For several years now I’ve been engaged in an itinerant conversation with Moyra Davey. It began when I wrote a short paragraph on her film Les Goddesses for Artforum concerning her use of first person narration. At the time, I was thinking a great deal about what it means to use oneself as the source of one’ s work—trying to make sense of the “I” through which we choose to speak and articulate positions, sentiments, and facts. Moyra’ s film appeared to pierce through these issues head on and became a new lens through which to view the rest of her work. Her photographs, videos, and writings completed over three decades started to form a coherent whole in my mind, and I was eager to revisit her work from my newly found angle. Until now, I’d never had the chance to properly unpack these ideas. This conversation is an attempt at doing that.
Iman Issa: One of the key moments that brought me further into your work was seeing Les Goddesses in 2011, both at the Whitney Biennial and during your solo exhibition at Murray Guy. At that time, I was struggling with the use of what one might describe as the “personal voice”. I felt uncomfortable with the enormous leeway an artist can have when using such a voice. As if it gave one license to draw connections between different elements and narratives with no justification beyond the incontestable claim of subjective inclinations. At that same time, I was convinced that certain elements and topics could only be accessed with it. Seeing your work was revelatory; I felt it was using the personal voice differently. How would you describe your relationship to that voice?
Moyra Davey: Fundamentally I’m interested in storytelling, although I don’t often put it like that. Some background on Les Goddesses: I had just moved to Paris for ten months and was flooded with memories of when I lived there at the age of eighteen, and had hugely struggled with the city and the people I knew at the time. I wanted to write about what I considered “unspeakable” memories. That was the idea, the “agenda”, even though a big part of me thought it was impossible. A well-known writer, whose name escapes me, counseled that I should write from a place of the greatest discomfort. Knausgaard is able to do it via auto-fiction.
For myself, I can only imagine that via fiction—a novel, a story—genres I have never tried. Les Goddesses was an attempt to get close to painful material, and I came up with this device of linking my story to these historical, literary women: Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. This was something of an enabler; a way to create parallelism and give the ‘muck’ a foil.
But Borges points out that people “long for confessions”, and viewers have told me the same, that they prefer the grittier, autobiographical material in my narratives. Les Goddesses became somewhat of an idealized portrait of my family. And so in this new video that I’ve just begun to edit, tentatively titled Hemlock Forest, I’m asking what it would mean to revisit Les Goddesses, but to show us (my sisters and myself) as we are now, not via photos taken thirty-five years ago when we were in our heyday. I cite what you wrote in Artforum, about Les Goddesses having a “desperate” quality. I thought you hit the nail on the head.
30 Mar 2022
Hemlock Forest by Μoyra Davey
Yannis Maniatakos: The Sea Said Yes by Chus Martinez
I have been fantasizing with the idea of conceiving the Ocean as a public space and an art space. But I never dreamt that someone performed this dream already. There is a movie of the Greek artist Yannis Maniatakos painting under water that fills the viewer with lots of emotions. When you belong to a coastal community, and such is my case, you grow up with a culture of salt. Salt is both a powerful preserver and assures you food for the winters and a strong corrosive agent that acts against all the materials you use for shelter. In that regard, painting under water embodies not only an embrace of a space of light, life and liquid but a philosophy of mingled bodies and substances that goes far beyond the human. True! We never were bold enough to ask salt if she would like to be part of painting! By painting inside the Ocean, in a spot where light gets through its surface as if it was marvelous glass turning everything light blue, embracing the painter with its liquid body, he is insisting in a new artistic epistemology, one that departs from mingled bodies. A true non-binary exercise that tries—hard and repeatedly— to depict the sea from inside.
From Nicolas Poussin to Constable, Turner, and Cézanne artists have been approaching nature as a genre, as a subject that animates the matter of painting with the logic of life. Plein air is a term referring to the act of painting outdoors, to the gesture of taking the practice of art out of the controlled environment of the studio. The sun, the winds, the elements of nature do as they wish and not as the artist desires. Also, the nude bodies can only be imagined or replaced by voluptuous clouds, tempests, all the phenomena and moods of the weather. However, for centuries, no one wondered why is there no portrait of the corals, the fishes… Portraits of different histories, histories of the millions of shipwrecks, the unlucky civilizations that ended in the depths, of the traces of all the vestiges and wrongdoings of the humans towards the Ocean…
Yannis Maniatakos was not so far either in his work. He stayed by porting the familiar environment under the sea that he chose as his own. From there, painting opened up to forms of life and processes that were novel to painting herself. We should see it as a true get together between one of the most —historically, at least—privileged media and the Ocean. Movement has always been a challenge for art. Accused of depicting life frozen, art and artists have been exploring ways of becoming life, instead of representing it. For this reason, dynamism is a key notion. It refers not to the illusion of movement but to the reality of mutualism. To engage physically, mentally and philosophically in a practice that demands radical adaptations — to breath, to the site, to the sight, to the fact that no one except the fishes can stand still while painting. Adaptation even to your co-workers, the co-habitants of the sea while you paint it's wonders. A practice truly based in learning, anew, as a human, to be with others. The same exercise that we perform when, every time humans enforce violence to others, we wonder about why is it so difficult to stay in balance to respect diversity, to honor differences, to keep freedom as the most precious value. Yes. Many times in time, in history, we have needed a refuge. Yannis Maniatakos found —at least partially—a shelter, a refuge where to re-program the possibility of a new world in balance, in peace, respectful to each other.
Painting under the Ocean refers to an exile, but refers as well to a promise, the promise to do all we can to keep the conditions of life in all its forms in relation. A move —going under water—that is even more radical if you take into account the deep nostalgic character of the Greek society, obsessively insisting and referring to antiquity, to being the origin of democracy… He does not obviously reject this myth, and yet by leaving this idea of a civilization, incorporates this tics of collective self-depiction into a radical new reality that may become a new foundation of Greek identity and philosophy: the sea. A sea that accepts him, Yannis Maniatakos, that allows for co-creativity and that reminds all of us that the true encyclopedic goal is synthesis. | philosophy |
https://www.shaunaweatherspoon.com/post/oooh-darlings-it-s-that-steady-love-groove-by-india-arie-for-me | 2022-05-22T02:21:05 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662543264.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20220522001016-20220522031016-00597.warc.gz | 0.93216 | 539 | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-21__0__289065971 | en | On this Valentine’s day this year, my husband & I will be celebrating 22 years of marriage!
When I think about the meaning of the word “love”, so many feelings, goose bumps, beautiful images of people, places, things & beautiful memories made throughout the years come to mind. It’s not just one thing. It’s EVERYTHING! It’s not just being married or being “booed up” with someone. It’s literally like everything in your world that makes your heart skip a beat with passion & joy!
Love connects us. It brings us comfort & provides us with the security we both want, desire & need to keep going & getting back up to do this thing we call “life”.
For this month's edition, I asked my Facebook community to share their thoughts on what the word “love” means to them. As always, my community delivers and so here’s how I summed it all up:
God is love!
Love is a CHOICE.
Love is sharing & cooking a good meal to enjoy together.
Love is between your four walls you share.
Love is your children.
Love is your family & friends.
Love is community.
Love is your passion work.
Love always WINS.
Love is unconditional.
Love never fails.
Love never ends.
Love always WINS…
If you choose to do nothing else after reading this, do EVERYTHING else moving forward in LOVE!
Choose to LOVE on your family & friends through all the ups & downs life throws at us.
Choose to do something that helps make a difference in the lives of others.
Choose to be more kind.
Choose to listen more with an open heart, mind & ear.
Choose to keep giving it your best to make greater impact in the lives of others you love, serve & care about!
My prayer is for us all this year is to find the kind of love & healing that lifts our spirits up, restores our center & reconnects each of us with the abundant love & purpose of the Universe designed just in mind for you & yours!
That kind of love begins with a little self-appreciation. You have to love yourself too & heal the wounds that you might’ve been carrying around.
You have to give yourself the time, permission & tools required to create that kind of healing.
Know in your heart of hearts & BELIEVE that you are deserving to give love & be loved! | philosophy |
http://discoverwebstore.mybigcommerce.com/change-your-mind-change-your-world/ | 2021-06-23T20:22:36 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623488540235.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20210623195636-20210623225636-00196.warc.gz | 0.883689 | 165 | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-25__0__113504265 | en | Change Your Mind, Change Your World
You can live the life you’ve always wanted!
By Mike Jones
You can have a life that matters.
No matter your age, status, past accomplishments or failures, you can be better than you are! Author Mike Jones says it's never too late to build a legacy of influence, integrity and love-and enrich the lives of people around you. The process will stretch you; it requires courage, an honest look in the mirror, and a will to take bold steps for positive change. But, Jones writes, the effort will pay big dividends in meaningful, happy relationships, a new perspective on career, a fresh love for service-and a renewed passion for life.
To change your world, change your mind!
NOW IN PAPERBACK! | philosophy |
https://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2013/06/learning-from-garden.html | 2019-05-22T10:39:10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232256797.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20190522103253-20190522125253-00329.warc.gz | 0.982018 | 317 | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-22__0__109959578 | en | I was touched by a recent post at Gardening Gone Wild about cultivating patience in the garden. But coming back from almost a month away, I found my garden had other lessons to teach.
The back garden looked messy. And after seeing so much green for so long, I found the brown leaves of the hummingbird sage a little jarring. But when I watched the finches on the lavender, I was happy again. The garden was teaching me to accept things as they are.
The front garden was a different story. With so little rain this spring, my unwatered side strip had sort of looked OK when I left. But when I returned, the hummingbird sage in that part of the garden was mostly dead.
To make things worse, I had probably waited too long to pull the overly rambunctiuous Phacelia. As a result, some of the plants had not survived. They didn't look good before I left, but were now well and truly dead. The garden is teaching me to take responsibility - and, I hope, to learn from my mistakes.
And after I'd been home for maybe a week, it all seemed magical again somehow. The monkeyflowers in the morning light. The Towhees jumping to get at some more grass seeds. The tangle of succulents, sage, and yarrow that seems to be flourishing.
The garden teaches me that things change all the time. What's happening in my life is changing - and how I perceive it is changing as well.
Thank you garden! | philosophy |
https://www.rolexseadweller.me/2019/07/when-everything-changes.html | 2019-08-19T22:39:31 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027315132.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20190819221806-20190820003806-00224.warc.gz | 0.971038 | 650 | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-35__0__106524226 | en | When Everything Changes
American history, or really history in general is not always marked by extraordinary events, stunning personalities, or extraordinary speeches. Much of the history of a great nation is a slow and slow improvement, a retreat and then how people recover from that setback. But in the context of American history, there are a number of truly phenomenal moments when everything changes. This is not only a one-day event, although there are also sudden events. But this is an event that has happened, Americans think about themselves, the world and their place in a totally different world. And it should be noted what the event was and how they changed Americans forever.
Obviously the revolution itself and the founding of the state changed a small group of colonists who considered themselves British far from home. When American independence is carried out, the vision of ourselves is completely different. We are now a proud new nation, a new kind of nationality that has its own view of the world and its own hopes and dreams.
World War II is a type of event that once we experience the extraordinary trials, struggles, and victories demanded by people's war, we can never again see ourselves in the same way as we thought before the war. Our victory against Japan, Germany, and their allies gave us extraordinary confidence that we could influence world history for the better. But it also gave us a sense of extraordinary responsibility. When we dropped the bombs on Japan, everyone on the planet began to understand the terrible power that is now in the hands of mankind, for one season in the hands of America and a great responsibility for the fate of humanity who came of that kind. power.
Pearl Harbor while part of World War II should be mentioned by itself because of the fundamental change in how America sees itself in its relationship with the world. Before the attack, Americans considered themselves immune. Like a teenager who thought they could never be hurt, we had never been attacked in our homeland before. But Japan proves that they can not only attack us but they can also hurt us. Yes, we responded with anger but since then, we know that we, like everyone in the world, are vulnerable and we must start behaving differently in a world full of friends and enemies.
Outside the military world, the famous I Have a Dream Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King in March in Washington on August 28, 1963 not only changed the black community forever. Yes, the speech had a big impact on the way the African-American community saw their future and that inspired and hoped for the struggling civil rights movement that pushed it towards victory. But it also affects all Americans because we begin to see ourselves as a community of many cultures, many races and many orientations. That is the beginning of acceptance in this country. But it is a process that is far from over.
In modern times, attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 had a drastic effect on the minds and hearts of America and even the world. We are still learning how the effect will eventually show itself as a ripple of shock, fear, anxiety and retaliation still ongoing. But certainly, like Pearl Harbor, the effect on our feelings about our place in the world and our vulnerability is of course changed forever. | philosophy |
http://kucoda.freeimagehost.ru/image-sex-cuck-2140.html | 2019-04-26T04:13:44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578759182.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20190426033614-20190426055614-00383.warc.gz | 0.951947 | 405 | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-18__0__154975006 | en | And so an opioid epidemic among mostly white people is greeted with calls for compassion and treatment, as all epidemics should be, while a crack epidemic among mostly black people is greeted with scorn and mandatory minimums. This dynamic serves a very real purpose: the consistent awarding of grievance and moral high ground to that class of workers which, by the bonds of whiteness, stands closest to America’s aristocratic class.Sympathetic op‑ed columns and articles are devoted to the plight of working-class whites when their life expectancy plummets to levels that, for blacks, society has simply accepted as normal. With us the two great divisions of society are not the rich and poor, but white and black; and all the former, the poor as well as the rich, belong to the upper class, and are respected and treated as equals.
“None but negers are sarvants,” the maid is reported to have said.
In law and economics and then in custom, a racist distinction not limited to the household emerged between the “help” (or the “freemen,” or the white workers) and the “servants” (the “negers,” the slaves).
But whereas Fitzhugh imagined white workers as devoured by capital, he imagined black workers as elevated by enslavement.
The slaveholder “provided for them, with almost parental affection”—even when the loafing slave “feigned to be unfit for labor.” Fitzhugh proved too explicit—going so far as to argue that white laborers might be better off if enslaved.
(“If white slavery be morally wrong,” he wrote, “the Bible cannot be true.”) Nevertheless, the argument that America’s original sin was not deep-seated white supremacy but rather the exploitation of white labor by white capitalists—“white slavery”—proved durable. | philosophy |
http://cetl.ucdavis.edu/interdependence-vs-modularity/ | 2013-12-05T23:12:42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163048614/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131728-00058-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.955366 | 455 | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-48__0__23571213 | en | I just read the first chapter of Disrupting Class. Clay Christensen (2008) is laying out the central premise of his book, which is that each person learns differently. He then presents the tension between interdependence and modularity in product/service parts. Because schools are temporally, laterally, physically and hierarchically interdependent, customization is expensive and complicated, so we standardize. That means that the way we teach (standardized) and the way we learn (customized) don’t match, and we won’t be able to teach the way we learn until we change the system.
This is interesting—it makes me think of the Bologna process, the Tuning report, the WASC reaccreditation requirements, the goal of writing SLOs and assessment plans for all the majors. If Christensen is right, this massive shift toward standardization is doomed to failure, frustration and inefficiency because it doesn’t match the way we learn, and universities are fundamentally about learning—students learning in classes, faculty learning through their research. The attempt to have faculty direct might be seen as a way to stay customized and modular, but maybe it is more of an attempt to foster faculty buy-in. Because even the Bologna process is meant to set up a way to more easily compare European universities, standardize the learning, streamline the transfer process. Can these two be reconciled? I don’t know yet.
It also makes me think about how this fits with the CETL philosophy of teaching and learning. The fact that we give individual peer consultations to both faculty and TAs, based on what we learn from observing them in action or interviewing their students—in specific classrooms, quarters, etc.—means that we prioritize customization of both teaching and learning. It suddenly seems like a strange tension to house the consultations about teaching and about SLO/assessment plans in the same center. I’ll have to think carefully about this—and read further to see if and how Christensen resolves the tension. He must have some solution, because we simply can’t escape the facts of system size, tradition, and vast numbers of stakeholders in today’s educational system. | philosophy |
https://shopdaisyanddukes.com/products/am-i-enough-by-grace-valentine | 2024-02-25T11:34:54 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474595.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20240225103506-20240225133506-00311.warc.gz | 0.972354 | 200 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__46579442 | en | Young women today are constantly told they are not enough for this world—not pretty enough, not smart enough, not exciting enough, and just plain not good enough.
Grace Valentine has felt the pressure of trying to survive in a toxic culture, let alone thrive. But she’s had enough. Grace uses her story to confront the lies the world tells us every day—lies such as:
- You are beautiful—but only because a guy told you so
- Love must be earned and isn’t freely given
- You should forget your past
- You will never be enough
Am I Enough? is a line in the sand. It’s a declaration that we will never be enough for this world, because we were created by Someone better for something better. Grace's fresh voice will help you leave your insecurities behind and realize your unique identity in Christ. Discover how to push past the lies and find confidence in who you were made to be! | philosophy |
http://domesticviolenceclause.org/fdr-on-the-constitutional-power-to-protect/ | 2023-10-03T14:45:53 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233511106.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20231003124522-20231003154522-00832.warc.gz | 0.956532 | 2,524 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__144099419 | en | The Power to Protect
Excerpts from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Inaugural Addresses
Excerpts from FDR’s First Inaugural Address (1933)
This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. . . .
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits.
Recognition of the falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in hand with the abandonment of the false belief that public office and high political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit; and there must be an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too often has given to a sacred trust the likeness of callous and selfish wrongdoing. Small wonder that confidence languishes, for it thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, on unselfish performance; without them it cannot live. . . .
Our Constitution is so simple and practical that it is possible always to meet extraordinary needs by changes in emphasis and arrangement without loss of essential form. That is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superbly enduring political mechanism the modern world has produced. It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory, of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife, of world relations. . . .
I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis – broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe. . . .
Excerpts from FDR’s Second Inaugural Address (1937)
Instinctively we recognized a deeper need – the need to find through government the instrument of our united purpose to solve for the individual the ever-rising problems of a complex civilization. Repeated attempts at their solution without the aid of government had left us baffled and bewildered. For, without that aid, we had been unable to create those moral controls over the services of science which are necessary to make science a useful servant instead of a ruthless master of mankind. To do this we knew that we must find practical controls over blind economic forces and blindly selfish men.
We of the Republic sensed the truth that democratic government has innate capacity to protect its people against disasters once considered inevitable, to solve problems once considered unsolvable. We would not admit that we could not find a way to master economic epidemics just as, after centuries of fatalistic suffering, we had found a way to master epidemics of disease. We refused to leave the problems of our common welfare to be solved by the winds of chance and the hurricanes of disaster. . . .
This year marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Constitutional Convention which made us a nation. At that Convention our forefathers found the way out of the chaos which followed the Revolutionary War; they created a strong government with powers of united action sufficient then and now to solve problems utterly beyond individual or local solution. A century and a half ago they established the Federal Government in order to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to the American people.
Today we invoke those same powers of government to achieve the same objectives.
Four years of new experience have not belied our historic instinct. They hold out the clear hope that government within communities, government within the separate States, and government of the United States can do the things the times require, without yielding its democracy. . . .
Nearly all of us recognize that as intricacies of human relationships increase, so power to govern them also must increase – power to stop evil; power to do good. The essential democracy of our Nation and the safety of our people depend not upon the absence of power, but upon lodging it with those whom the people can change or continue at stated intervals through an honest and free system of elections. . . .
In that purpose we have been helped by achievements of mind and spirit. Old truths have been relearned; untruths have been unlearned. We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics. . . .
We are beginning to abandon our tolerance of the abuse of power by those who betray for profit the elementary decencies of life. . . .
In this process, evil things formerly accepted will not be so easily condoned. Hardheadedness will not so easily excuse hardheartedness. . . .
I see a great nation, upon a great continent, blessed with a great wealth of natural resources. Its hundred and thirty million people are at peace among themselves; they are making their country a good neighbor among the nations. I see a United States which can demonstrate that, under democratic methods of government, national wealth can be translated into a spreading volume of human comforts hitherto unknown, and the lowest standard of living can be raised far above the level of mere subsistence. . . .
Government is competent when all who compose it work as trustees for the whole people. It can make constant progress when it keeps abreast of all the facts. It can obtain justified support and legitimate criticism when the people receive true information of all that government does. . . .
Excerpts from FDR’s Third Inaugural Address (1941)
On each national day of inauguration since 1789, the people have renewed their sense of dedication to the United States. In Washington’s day the task of the people was to create and weld together a nation.
In Lincoln’s day the task of the people was to preserve that Nation from disruption from within.
In this day the task of the people is to save that Nation and its institutions from disruption from without. . . .
Lives of nations are determined not by the count of years, but by the lifetime of the human spirit. The life of a man is three-score years and ten: a little more, a little less. The life of a nation is the fullness of the measure of its will to live. . . .
The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history. It is human history. It permeated the ancient life of early peoples. It blazed anew in the middle ages. It was written in Magna Carta.
In the Americas its impact has been irresistible. America has been the New World in all tongues, to all peoples, not because this continent was a new-found land, but because all those who came here believed they could create upon this continent a new life – a life that should be new in freedom.
Its vitality was written into our own Mayflower Compact, into the Declaration of Independence, into the Constitution of the United States, into the Gettysburg Address.
Those who first came here to carry out the longings of their spirit, and the millions who followed, and the stock that sprang from them – all have moved forward constantly and consistently toward an ideal which in itself has gained stature and clarity with each generation. . . .
It is not enough to clothe and feed the body of this Nation, and instruct and inform its mind. For there is also the spirit. And of the three, the greatest is the spirit.
Without the body and the mind, as all men know, the Nation could not live. But if the spirit of America were killed, even though the Nation’s body and mind, constricted in an alien world, lived on, the America we know would have perished.
That spirit – that faith – speaks to us in our daily lives in ways often unnoticed, because they seem so obvious. It speaks to us here in the Capital of the Nation. It speaks to us through the processes of governing in the sovereignties of 48 States. It speaks to us in our counties, in our cities, in our towns, and in our villages. It speaks to us from the other nations of the hemisphere, and from those across the seas – the enslaved, as well as the free. Sometimes we fail to hear or heed these voices of freedom because to us the privilege of our freedom is such an old, old story.
The destiny of America was proclaimed in words of prophecy spoken by our first President in his first inaugural in 1789 – words almost directed, it would seem, to this year of 1941: “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered deeply, finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
If we lose that sacred fire – if we let it be smothered with doubt and fear – then we shall reject the destiny which Washington strove so valiantly and so triumphantly to establish. The preservation of the spirit and faith of the Nation does, and will, furnish the highest justification for every sacrifice that we may make in the cause of national defense.
In the face of great perils never before encountered, our strong purpose is to protect and to perpetuate the integrity of democracy.
For this we muster the spirit of America, and the faith of America.
We do not retreat. We are not content to stand still. As Americans, we go forward, in the service of our country, by the will of God.
Excerpts from FDR’s Fourth Inaugural Address (1945)
We Americans of today, together with our allies, are passing through a period of supreme test. It is a test of our courage, our resolve, our wisdom, and our essential democracy.
If we meet that test – successfully and honorably – we shall perform a service of historic importance which men and women and children will honor throughout all time. . . .
We shall strive for perfection. We shall not achieve it immediately – but we still shall strive. We may make mistakes – but they must never be mistakes which result from faintness of heart or abandonment of moral principle. . . .
The great fact to remember is that the trend of civilization itself is forever upward; that a line drawn through the middle of the peaks and the valleys of the centuries always has an upward trend.
Our Constitution of 1787 was not a perfect instrument; it is not perfect yet. But it provided a firm base upon which all manner of men, of all races and colors and creeds, could build our solid structure of democracy.
And so today, in this year of war, 1945, we have learned lessons – at a fearful cost – and we shall profit by them.
We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away. We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches, nor as dogs in the manger.
We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of the human community.
We have learned the simple truth, as Emerson said, that “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding, the confidence, and the courage which flow from conviction.
The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished world.
So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way clearly – to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellow men – to the achievement of His will to peace on earth. | philosophy |
http://angieframe.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-dream-of-7th-grader.html | 2017-11-21T06:11:21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806317.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20171121055145-20171121075145-00604.warc.gz | 0.945875 | 798 | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-47__0__233544938 | en | Last month, countless students across this country penned their own, "I Have a Dream," speeches. My sister's students were no exception. Her students wrote, delivered, and recorded their speeches. As the class watched the compilation of dreams, one speech left students with jaws open, eyes teary, and prompted a class of 7th graders to stand and applaud spontaneously With the permission of the author and his parents, I share his big dream. I hope this encourages you about our future and inspires you to dream big again:
I Have A Dream
“You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” - Matthew . These things, salt and light, are not rare, extraordinarily special, or particularly valuable. However, they can have a huge impact: a single match can make the difference between utter, smothering darkness, and a warm, gentle glow. Salt, likewise, made the difference for many ancient people whether a slab of meat would feed you for a day or a month. Kindness is comparable to these in terms of significance and impact, and so I call upon the world: “Be the kind deeds of your people.”
I have a dream that one day this nation will lay down the sword of hatred, of bitterness, of spite, and take up instead the balm of gentleness, compassion, and love.
I have a dream that one day all men shall let the light of kindness shine in their hearts and deeds, that it may guide others, light their paths, and shield them from the dark night of solitude and despair.
I have a dream that one day the chains of apathy will be left behind by humanity, and that thoughtless acts of anger, that mindless taunts and jeers, will be swept away like a dike of cruelty shattered and overcome by a mighty flood of compassion.
I have a dream that all should choose to expend the effort to be kind, that none should do otherwise believing in the insignificance of their deeds. Does not a blizzard consist of many small, harmless flakes of snow? Does not a forest consist of many trees? Does not a nation consist of many individuals? Truly, then, a whole group is greater than the sum of its parts, and apathy due to the smallness of one’s acts is counted among the gravest blows one can strike against this glorious cause of mankind.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the power of words and convictions will be used to build people up like artisans crafting a statue instead of tearing them down like a tapestry being torn and burned, with those responsible wallowing gleefully in the ashes.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day all people will be able to rely on their fellow humans for support, rely on them to encourage them and fill their day with the bright sunlight of compassion rather than the dark, rumbling stormclouds of malice.
This is our hope: with this faith we will be able to fight the evil in this world, to be kind enough to aid the fight against the atrocities of hate and apathy, to conquer poverty, hunger, homelessness, and a countless multitude of horrors with the springboard of kindness.
This will be the day when the night of spite will be driven away by the dawn of kindness. This will be the day when the wounds of malice shall be cured by the potent medicine of compassion. This will be the day when the ramparts of the fortress of hatred will be stormed by the forces of love. This will be the day when the throne of evil shall be cast down. This will be the day when the greatest flaw of humankind will be vanquished. This will be the day when a new age shall dawn for the earth, when the race of men shall be one step closer on its journey to perfection. | philosophy |
http://www.ingmarcramers.de/about/ | 2019-08-18T12:29:43 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027313803.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20190818104019-20190818130019-00233.warc.gz | 0.97249 | 378 | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-35__0__130578837 | en | Design is about life.
The daily life in modern civilisation, is defined by products. Either by the way we constantly use products, or by the way we go to work to make them. If you include services as immaterial products to this perspective – you could say that the way we design products, and their production processes, is an existential part of our culture. Design is about life. It is about the interconnectedness of raw material, ecology, labour, user experience, and it is an expression of evolution. To give products the meaning they reflect, I regard them as personalities, as cultural participants.
For a designer, adopting such a perspective implicates a great potential as well as a responsibility. The values of “design” are an important part of what is offered to our culture and where it might be heading. It raises the question, in what culture I wish to live in, and how I can contribute to positive changes.
My vision of a meaningful culture is based on empathy. A culture wherein there is time and priority to feel – enabling a clear view on the inner realm of experience as well as our social and material surroundings. A culture that is not so much characterised by rational-moral efficiency, but that rather follows the unclouded expression of compassion.
Empathy in product design simply means to feel and imagine as clearly as possible what it would be like to live with a product, to touch and to use it, to be surrounded by it on a daily basis, to take part in its production or to experience its ecological impact. Sustainability then becomes a self-evident consequence.
If a product is perceived within its fullest context, it implies the invitation to bring together all the aspects of design to one meaningful whole. I see this as a responsibility of product design, with great relevance for the challenges of our time. | philosophy |
http://www.thorpessc.com/safety/value-statement/ | 2013-05-20T06:51:52 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698493317/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100133-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.943338 | 474 | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-20__0__121976631 | en | The welfare of our employees is our leading core value. This value encompasses not only the physical safety and health of every employee, but also the success and profitability of the company as a whole. Safety and production are of equal importance and are considered inseparable.
Our ultimate goal is, and always will be, to achieve and maintain a perfect safety record – no injuries or illnesses, no catastrophic failure of company owned property or equipment, and no chemical release that would have a permanent, negative effect on the natural environment.
No level or number of incidents is acceptable. We will always strive to eliminate hazards so that incidents do not happen, manage incidents so that those involved get the care they deserve and share information both within the company and in the industry so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future. We believe that all incidents are preventable.
An equal responsibility for incident avoidance rests with the individual, and it is a condition of employment for all employees to conduct their work in a manner consistent with our values and in compliance with all Thorpe policies.
At Thorpe Specialty Services, we are committed to providing a safe work environment and a financially stable company for our employees. We will work to integrate key elements of our safety, health and environmental policies into every aspect of our business in order to motivate employees to complete work tasks without incident, and to achieve recognition as a leader in our industry.
Thorpe Specialty Services has established the following set of values and beliefs as it relates to our business. It is important to us that each employee understands the significance of this statement, realizing that no job is so important or urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely and without incident.
Our Employees Are Our Greatest Asset.
No level of incidents, injuries or environmental releases is acceptable.
We will not compromise safety, quality or integrity for the sake of production.
We value and encourage employee participation in safety, health and environmental auditing and improvement programs.
We believe that every employee is responsible and accountable for the safety of himself and fellow workers.
We believe that through effective training programs, our employees can safely and effectively perform their work at a level unsurpassed in our industry.
We believe that providing our employees with a place to work that is free from recognizable safety, health and environmental hazard is the right thing to do. | philosophy |
https://datadiary2012.wordpress.com/satyamev-jayte/episode-10/ | 2017-04-26T15:39:16 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917121453.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031201-00076-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.965092 | 133 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__282646488 | en | For a country which has been independent for 65 years, it is a matter of shame that we have not yet shaken off the tyranny of caste-based discrimination. Countless people have to live in degrading conditions, children are unable to go to school, employment avenues are closed, and even education does not open bigoted minds. No measure of progress can be true unless the question of people’s equality is factored into it. And we can only be considered a progressive nation when we refuse to accept caste differences.
Do we wish to see an immediate end to the practice of manual scavenging, or cleaning of others’ excreta by hand? | philosophy |
https://haxu.dev/post/2021/10/30/critical-thinking-makes-correct-decision | 2023-12-07T07:10:54 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100650.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20231207054219-20231207084219-00305.warc.gz | 0.952072 | 1,846 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__96898851 | en | Everybody is thinking every time and everywhere, when we are talking, choosing, playing or sporting. But some people might not be feel the thinking or thought’s existing even about critical thinking. I would like to discuss about the difference between Glaser’s definition and Feinstein’s definition of critical thinking. But firstly, we should understand what is thinking and how we think. Dewey (1997, p. 8) argue that Thinking, for the purposes of this inquiry, is defined accordingly as that operation in which present facts suggest other facts (or truths) in such a way as to induce belief in the latter upon the ground or warrant of the former. It shows the thinking is the process of observe , inference and truths. So we can see the thinking started from self-Judgement and procedure self-experience. But if the thinking like a river, smoothly from west to east. That might be the low-level think or uncritical thinking. If the suggestion that occurs is at once accepted, we have uncritical thinking, the minimum of reflection. (Dewey, 1997, p. 13). The ability of thinking of people reflect on the understanding, analytical, comparison, abstraction, reasoning and judgment etc. These abilities grow with age, experience, and education. I had research on my baby girl. This conclusion was proved to my daughter, I began to observe her from the age of 1 to 5 years old, at the very beginning, she is very sensitive to color and shape. She can divide the which is big or small. Then, with the increase of her age and the development of her language ability, she have the logical reasoning ability gradually. After 4 years old, she could find some arrangement of the rule of the combination. And I found the first ability of critical thinking, that is questioning. She always debate anything she didn’t know and make question unthinkingly. The basic properties of thinking included questioning, reflection and logical. But we need to understand how they help people to make correct decision.
Critical thinking had many definitions of the historical period, and the critical thinking is transforming itself from time to time. I had research on some literature and books over past 100 years. The fundamental of the critical thinking research Continuous changing. Edward Glaser(1941) argue that the critical thinking is the ability to think critically, as conceived in this volume, involves three things: (1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods. At very beginning without the brain science and cognitive science, the critical thinking has a lot to do with the philosophy. Obviously, Glaser’s definition with emphasis on the logical principle. More interesting that researchers before 1990’s are more focus on philosophical, theoretical and Logical. But after 2010, along with the brain and cognitive sciences continues development, some of the researchers considered the critical thinking is a higher-level skill of human being. Feinstein(2013) argues that critical thinking can be defined as the process of thinking about any subject matter and the ability to analyze and evaluate an outcome that is meaningful and well reason. Critical thinking is considered a "higher-order skill," as it is a skill that is built upon other cognitive "lower-level" skills, such as language development, information processing, and comprehension. These lower- and higher- level skills develop systematically as an individual matures biologically
Despite Glaser’s definition or Feinstein’s definition, they are both agree on the critical thinking require the ability of reasoning and analyze. Indeed, many of the mistake thinking because of lost the reasoning and analyze. I heard lots of parents said that if you do not study hard in high school, the only way you have is the loser. This sentence is full of anxiety and despair, but if we have a little reasoning and analyze. We can understand the high school education is only a milestone, it could not determine a person's life. So the reasoning and analytical ability is the fundamental of the critical thinking. Furthermore, Glaser and Feinstein are acknowledged critical thinking can provide a good outcome. Critical thinking is the high rationality thinking behavior which depends on reason rather than motion. It requires proof to help people for a decision. For example, when a judge is making judgments or making decisions, it should consider evidence and legal provisions, not the social relations of the plaintiff or the defendant, or the personal preference or prejudice of the judge. That's we called rationality, honesty, and discipline of critical thinking. But what is the difference between Glaser’s definition or Feinstein’s definition, in my opinion, Glaser's research on critical thinking is in the early stage of modern scientific theory, and it is based on the cognitive system of philosophy and logic. He focuses on the deductive form of logical reasoning and the discussion of a true and false proposition. Obviously, the definition of Feinstein has joined the new concept of human cognitive science. People thinking the behavior is linked to the bran physical zone. Thinking is divided into two level, the lower-level, and higher-level. The critical thinking belongs to the higher-level, the critical thinking ability of some of the individuals can be trained and taught base on their experience. At this point, I think all humans could be a critical thinker, the skill good or not cause on how we learn and be taught.
I might add some of my experience to explain how I use critical thinking in the competing sources of evidence. Last year, due to the business project I had provide a consulting service to a digital transformation project of an manufactory industry customer. During the interview talk, the CIO ask me a question, “my developers are hardly driven by business requirements, and then frequently release functional modules or hot patches to support business to creation value; my operators are inherently risk-sensitive and want to avoid modifying functionality as much as possible, thereby reducing the risk of non-functional requirements. But in the absence of release management, deployment coordination, automated deployment tools, IT department should focus on itself pain point, this gap will be conducive to the business, eventually become a business pain point. So how can I implement the so-called Agile development, iterative development, hot patches.” It looks like a very tough question because of the digital transformation project should start from engage customer, empower employee, optimize operation and transform product. If use the normal thinking about this project, it should define the new technology, new tools and new way to work. But this thinking might be totally wrong. Let’s analysis the question of the CIO answer. The business continues to drive IT staff and developers, which means that the business model of the enterprise has been transformed to be agile. The driven power was from the outside, it will continue consume IT resources till more big problems. Logically, according to the definition of Glaser, this is a problem of causal inversion. The urgent of this firm needs for implement the agility toolchain to ease the burden on IT staff and developers. Indeed, the logic is very important for problem solving, it let us to find out the precise goal. Feinstein’s definition of critical thinking give me the answer of how to give the solution to this company. Base on personal experience, the higher-level thinking of mine made me realized I need to provide solutions from three aspects of people, tools, and processes. At the level of consciousness, IT staff and developers need to embrace the frequent changes brought about by the business, while giving them the necessary automated processes and tools to release the day-to-day work of their employees from frequent human manipulation. Let them focus on something more capable of creating value for the company.
Fig 1: Critical thinking makes correct decision
In conclusion, Glaser’s definition and Feinstein’s definition shows the critical thinking development overpass 70 years. They let us know the critical thinking is a powerful thinking weapon, which can make people think more rationally and draw more correct conclusions. The reasoning, repeating, analysis, evaluation and judgement skills of critical thinking can help us to make the accurate correct decision rather than the indistinct or mistake decision(Fig.1). With the continuous development of science and technology, people's awareness of thinking will continue to increase. Critical thinking is more important in business activities, we may encounter a variety of thinking traps. So people need to improve their critical thinking ability through learning and training every day.
Edward M. Glaser (1941), An Experiment in the Development of Critical Thinking, Teacher’s College, Columbia University
Feinstein, S (ed.) 2013, From the Brain to the Classroom: The Encyclopedia of Learning, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Westport. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [5 June 2018].
Dewey, J. (1997). How we think. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications. | philosophy |
https://www.ninathenatural.com/ | 2021-12-06T00:03:49 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363226.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20211205221915-20211206011915-00207.warc.gz | 0.980303 | 126 | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-49__0__149386264 | en | The fight between true self and ego is such an internal struggle. I found myself wanting to have more creative direction to minimize that struggle. I had to give myself the space to truly express who I am. It was a vision that came into focus the more I would create and I have expanded in many different areas. I continue to devote myself to my craft, while staying true to who I am. Everything I create is a part of me that I enjoy sharing with all of you. I want to thank everyone for supporting me on this journey.
Be True, Be you, Be Natural | philosophy |
https://bigblueadventure.com/blog/2020/06/19/remembering-the-why/ | 2024-04-22T19:58:29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296818337.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20240422175900-20240422205900-00005.warc.gz | 0.974092 | 822 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__102319685 | en | Remembering the "Why?"
Remembering the “Why?” by Adam Kimble
As someone who goes on a lot of long runs all over the world, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on where life has taken me (usually whilst running in remote mountains or deserts). Since the start of this pandemic, I’ve taken the time to reflect on the sport of ultrarunning and all it has given to me since I ran my first 50k in 2014. Specifically, I have focused on my “why?” and what it is that fuels my passion for ultrarunning. I always tell the athletes I coach that it’s important to understand your “why?” whenever you run a race, because when the going gets tough, you have to know what you can rely on to keep you motivated and prevent you from giving up on your goals. So, without races to give us that opportunity to test our “why?”, I think it’s a good time to dive into that and understand how we can best stay motivated and fit during a time like this.
For me, there are a lot of reasons why I love this sport so much and have developed my life around it as a professional ultrarunner, motivational speaker, race director and running coach. It starts with how it has changed me as a human being. Running ultramarathons has helped me to understand who I really am as a person: how I deal with pain, suffering, and obstacles that are in the way of my goals. It has taught me the importance of pushing past my mental and physical limitations, realizing that anything is possible when you believe in yourself and work as hard as you possibly can. It has taught me the importance of fueling properly and giving my body the nutrition and hydration it needs, both during a race and in everyday life. Perhaps most importantly, however, it has brought me the support of the incredible ultrarunning community and more lifelong friends than I can even begin to count.
Running also serves as a tool to help me sort out emotions and work through the questions in life. It’s a place to find solace in nature amidst the craziness of the world. It’s a way to channel and fuel my competitive fire. And so much more! These are just the first things that come to mind about why I love this sport so much. So, as I spend more time reflecting on my “why?” during this strange season of life, I am not discouraged by all of the canceled races and the inability to gather with our favorite people on a more regular basis. That’s just temporary. Instead, I am uplifted and filled with gratitude for all of the guidance and purpose that running adds to my life.
As life continues without races on the immediate horizon, I encourage you to dig deeper into your “why?”. Sure, you’re disappointed that most or all of your races have been canceled. That’s human nature, and it certainly is a bummer for those of us that really love pinning on a bib. But I would venture to guess that virtually no one got into running purely because of a desire to race. It may have motivated you along the way, but it wasn’t the initial “why?”, was it? There’s something more to it. If you don’t already know why you love to run, take the time now to reevaluate that and remind yourself of what it means to you. That reflection may be just what you need to stay on top of your fitness and your goals, even when they might seem cloudier than ever before. The literal finish line may not be here for a while, but it will return in due time. Until then, do yourself a favor: dig into those motivations and rediscover your love for this wonderful sport!
Adam is also a Big Blue Adventure Ambassador. | philosophy |
http://www.mrssingapore.org.sg/why-do-we-bother-asking-questions-anyway/ | 2020-10-24T12:11:56 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107882581.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20201024110118-20201024140118-00580.warc.gz | 0.960909 | 1,323 | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-45__0__168561425 | en | By Colin Strong
Behavioural Science is now the subject of vast discussion and activity within the research industry. The opportunity to apply the large amount of academic work in this area to solve commercial and public sector challenges is being realised.
The popular conception of this emerging discipline draws on behavioural economics as a means of explaining human behaviour. Implicit within this is the claim that human decision makers have little or no access to the processes underlying their choices. The notion that self-reporting could be misleading was presented thirty years ago by Nisbett and Wilson (1977). They argued that people have “little or no introspective access” to their cognitive processes. Their case was based on a wide-ranging review of evidence indicating that people cannot correctly report on the cognitive processes underlying judgment, choice, inference, and problem solving.
This clearly creates a dilemma for market research as the industry’s methods typically rely on self-report. There’s an assumption that we have access to our inner selves. As the awareness of Behavioural Science grows, there is growing alarm that the value of introspective methods of market research could be a mistake. This would mean that we can’t rely on surveys and focus groups to understand human behaviour and need to turn instead to observed behaviour to derive consumer insights.
However, it isn’t necessarily as binary a question as this. There’s still good reasons to ask people questions. It’s too simplistic to assume that we aren’t able to self-report anything of value. As many philosophers and social scientists point out, our everyday personal experience tells us that this isn’t true. We’re able to account for many of our behaviours and decide what we want to do in a perfectly sensible way. The challenge is to understand the qualifications and boundaries of the different techniques for understanding human behaviour.
Resultantly, there are five main reasons why asking questions remains an important activity to understand human behaviour:
1. Academic research indicates that we are often reliable witnesses of much of our lives
Market research has always known and respected of the limits of this. Of course for certain choices in certain contexts we aren’t reliable witnesses of the determinants of our behaviour. But at other times we appear to be very good at determining our behaviour. Determining what works in which context is essential going forward.
2. Sometimes we need to know how consumers feel and what they believe
There is no sensible alternative in these instances to asking questions. Some of the most important social outcomes and predictors are internal states, such as emotions, knowledge, expectations, and opinions. Internal states exist only inside people’s heads, and sometimes the only way to learn about internal states is to ask. We might eventually be able to derive that a customer was unhappy about their recent experience by observing the way in which they stop spending money and take their business elsewhere. But it may be quicker, easier and more profitable to simply ask them.
3. All approaches have their limitations
Alternatives to asking questions are no exception. Observation, for example, whilst highly useful also suffers from known pitfalls. For example, in the 1970’s and 80’s in-market testing was widely used for copy testing and new product testing. However, this fell out of favour for a number of reasons – it was expensive, difficult to execute, too slow and easy for competitors to disrupt your test or copy you. Even your own sales force could distort results of a new product test (by driving up sales) because they knew it was a test and they wanted a new product to sell. In-market testing was replaced by survey-based tools which had none of these weaknesses and were found to be just as accurate because they could be better controlled. Over time things moved away from a behavioural orientation to gain speed and cost. But these same issues have not changed.
4. Asking questions reflects a belief that how we think and feel shapes how we decide to act
We therefore need to ask questions to understand how consumers are likely to behave. The fact that we can derive huge amounts of insight from observational data is not disputed, but we do need to question what we are missing in an account of human behaviour that is derived from observation alone. If we aren’t careful, we are in danger of assuming that we have no internal life that shapes our behaviour. We need to ask if we believe humans to be simple creatures that are driven by learnt associations or individuals whose behaviour is determined by meaning and cultural context?
The answer is both. The point is that what we choose depends on the questions we are trying to answer. But to suggest that one model has legitimacy over-simplifies the complex reality of human behaviour.
5. Instances of poor questionnaire design doesn’t mean that asking questions is wrong
The principal of asking questions isn’t flawed simply because market research has sometimes asked the wrong questions in the past. The industry needs a better statement of the boundaries of when to ask questions, ensure that they are executed well and that we have better policing of this.
There are clearly limitations to asking questions:
- We aren’t always good at recalling details of low involvement activity, particularly if this happened some time ago
- Our ability to determine why we behave in certain ways is limited
Good market researchers have always known this and taken steps to adjust for these limitations.
Additionally, we now have unprecedented data available that offers granular information about often intimate behaviours in a very un-obstructive, longitudinal manner. Indeed, we can even derive new insights about consumers’ inner lives from examining the patterns in the data.
There’s an opportunity to include new forms of indirect questions and time pressured response techniques, cognitive load methods that allow us to track implicit attitudes and system 1 style processing. Much of these are not only validated techniques but, because we can include them in surveys, they allow us to develop scalable measures.
Overall this article calls for what every good researcher knows – we need to integrate data sources to arrive at solutions we can be confident about. If a consistent picture of a behaviour and the factors influencing it is obtained from more than one source and using more than one method, it increases confidence in the analysis. The real challenge for market research is to provide a coherent account of the conditions under which different tools are most useful and the means by which to integrate the findings of these different tools in meaningful ways. | philosophy |
http://lonnielacy.com/love-ashes-dust/ | 2019-05-22T21:02:07 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232256958.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20190522203319-20190522225319-00058.warc.gz | 0.960655 | 2,597 | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-22__0__188071623 | en | If you ask the average person what he or she knows about Ash Wednesday, you might get a funny half-answer like, “Ain’t that the day when those weirdoes put ashes on their heads?” (And to be clear: yes, that is the day when those weirdoes put ashes on their heads.)
Or, if you’re lucky, you might hear something a little deeper: that it’s a day about sin and mortality, about service and devotion, about fasting, repentance, and prayer.
Tonight, however, I wish to push us beyond the surface of weirdoes wearing ashes, beyond even the obvious themes of fasting and prayer, to scratch at a deeper understanding of why we do this. Why is it that you and I gather year-in and year-out for this peculiar day, this ancient and unsettling tradition? Why is it that we look one another in the eye today and say the thing our culture spends billions trying to hide and deny, namely that we are dust, and to dust we shall return?
Well, when it comes down to it, I believe the thing drawing us together tonight is not just ashes and foreheads. It’s not just penitence and prayer. What’s drawing us together tonight is a love story. For you and me, Ash Wednesday is one of the greatest love stories ever told, written in the dust of the earth, on the flesh of our hearts, and on the hard wood of the cross.
Of course, I know it doesn’t seem that way. I know. The lights are dim; the music is somber; the church is bare. There has been an obvious and solemn change, and all upon us lies the heavy weight of something palpably serious this evening. You have every right to ask, “How in the world could tonight ever be a love story?” But I swear to you, it is. These ashes tell a love story like no other, and like every story, it is has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
The Beginning & the End
Let’s start, then, at the beginning.
In the beginning, God fashioned the whole cosmos, the infinite expanse of all that is. And out of all the galaxies, all the systems, all the swirling pools of white-hot stardust, for some reason God peered over this way at our little no-count corner of our little no-count galaxy. He looked at our simple, little, round ball of dirt flying through space, and cried out, “Ah, this! This is what I have been looking for! This is what I desire! I will make something out of this: a people for myself, my beloveds whom I will love forever and who, in turn, will love me.” And so, as the story in Genesis chapter 2 goes, the Lord our God bent down into the cold wet earth, dug his fingers into the soil, and made a man. And because that man could not live as dirt alone, the Lord our God breathed into his nostrils, and he became a living being.
This earth, this dust, these ashes are the beginning of God’s love story for us because they tell us of a God who so yearned for others with whom to share his love that he created life—created you and me—from nothing more than the dust of the earth and the Spirit of his own heart. This is God’s love affair with you, with me, and with all of humanity . . . and it all begins with ashes and dirt.
That’s the beginning. But these ashes also tell us about the end: our end. And like all good love stories, I believe that even that end—our end—is a happy one.
Some of you have heard me speak before about my friend Melody, a terrific priest living now in Texas. Melody, who grew up an Episcopalian, says she often thought of Ash Wednesday as some kind of vague threat. Who can blame her? It’s a an imposing thing to come to church, to kneel before God, and to have a priest smear dust on your head while intoning the words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” As far as love stories go, these are not the kinds of words lovers say to one another.
But one day, Melody went to a church where the priest said these words differently: with love, tenderness, generosity, understanding, and humanity. In that moment, Melody says things changed for her. She realized these ashes are not a threat, but a promise.
The simple fact is that all of us, whether we like it or not, are made of dust. All of us, whether we like it or not, already have one foot in the grave. This is the condition of our lives, and this is what it means to be human. But because we know the beginning, we also know the end. You and I are made of equal parts dust and God, and if that which is the earth’s will one day return to the earth, then that which is God’s will one day return to God. And why should that be? Because the Son of God has paid the price for us, that’s why. For all our failings and sin, Jesus Christ has already made the way for us to return to the God from whom we came. And on that day, as we leave behind all that binds us and stare naked into the longing eyes of the Creator and Lover of our souls, the love story that began in Genesis will be made complete in Jesus Christ for us, with us, and in us. That, my friends, is not a threat. It is the Good News. It is a mercy. It is a promise.
So, that’s the beginning and the end, the prologue and the epilogue of God’s great love story for us. But what matters more tonight is neither of those, but the middle, for the middle is where some of the best stuff gets written. This middle is where we have the opportunity to be co-writers with God in his great love story for our lives. We know where we have come from, and it is good. We know where we’re going, and it is good, too. So what in the world do we do as we make our way from one to the other? What gifts, what responses do we bring to the story of God’s great love? The holy season of Lent holds a few clues.
Most people look at Lent all wrong. Some speak with such dramatic flair about “giving up something for Lent” as though their selflessness in denying themselves cocoa, cursing, or caffeine is a sacrifice like unto martyrdom itself. Others talk about “taking something on,” adopting a special practice like Bible study or daily prayer, but become so easily discouraged when they can’t make the habit stick after a couple weeks. And of course, don’t even get me started on those who view Lent as a “New Year’s 2.0,” the ones who drag their failed New Year’s resolutions for thinner bodies and whiter teeth into Lent, this time with a thin layer of Jesus over it all to motivate them with self-righteousness and religious guilt.
If any of those were the way Lent is supposed to go, I’d say let’s pack up, go home, and hide ‘til Easter. But it’s not. Lent is not about accomplishing things just for the sake of accomplishment. Lent is not about proving anything to anyone . . . not even to yourself, not even to God. Lent is not even about improving yourself or becoming holy, because the hard truth is that you can’t. You, my friends, cannot make yourselves holy; only God can do that.
So what, then, is Lent about? Lent is about the love story. Lent is about being wooed by God; falling in love with God; participating with God in the greatest love story of your life.
Fasting, Prayer & Almsgiving
To be sure, there are some good, time-tested ways of doing that, which work well if we can just keep from trivializing them. In tonight’s Gospel, Jesus upholds three practices that are good ways to grow in the love of God during Lent (and, really, in all seasons of life), as long as we don’t warp them toward our own ends and trip over our egos along the way. Those practices are fasting, praying, and almsgiving.
In the old days, people fasted not from trivial things like candy and Coca-Cola, but from real necessities. They did this to remind themselves of their dependence on God alone, and the money saved was then given to the poor. If you fast in a truly intentional way—whether from meat, or a daily meal, or your dependence on gasoline, or even things like your cellphone, Facebook, or television—you might be surprised by how much undistracted time you can spend engaged with God and God’s people.
Prayer is also good. As a priest, though, I find that so many people are really uncomfortable and uncertain when it comes to prayer. People tell me all the time that they don’t know how to pray, and they feel awkward and unrewarded when they try. But if you know you are equal parts dirt and God, then I say offer whatever dirty prayers you have, and God will hear them. There’s no secret to it. You were made to love God, and expressing that love is inherent within you. Don’t try to be good at it; just do it.
And finally, there is almsgiving. The practice of giving of your goods (and yourself) to the poor and needy is not about simple charity. God is not calling you to mindlessly throw a buck here or there to whatever comes along. Neither is it about showmanship and heroism. God is not calling you to solve all the world’s problems. In almsgiving, God is simply calling you to take a risk, to find him in the dust, the dirt, and the ashes; to seek him out in lost people, in forgotten people, in foreign and “undesirable” people. This does not take a major church campaign or government program. It simply takes you being attentive to who’s around you, seizing the moment, and asking, “Lord, how will you use me to be a blessing to this person?” These are often the moments where worthy chapters of the love story get written.
The key in all these things, as Jesus commands in tonight’s Gospel, is to do them quietly, secretly, modestly. The moment you start making it about you, you’ve lost the point. Love isn’t love when it’s all about you.
These Forty Days
Brothers and sisters, there’s no getting around it: you are dust, and you are dying. But as hard as that truth is to hear, the good news of this night is that you carry God within you . . . and you ain’t dead yet.
Forty beautiful days now lie before you. Forty days to be blessed by God. Forty days to be a blessing to others. Forty days to write another chapter in the story of God’s love for the human race. So when you leave this place with the dust of the earth smudged upon your head, for God’s sake, don’t settle for asking yourself, “Should I give up coffee or Coca-Cola for Lent?” Don’t you dare settle for the simple, the easy, the insipid, the vapid, and the trivial.
Instead, leave this place and ask: “Lord, what can I do these forty days to allow myself to fall more deeply in love with you: my Creator, my Lover, and my God?”
And then, whatever the answer is, do it.
Ash Wednesday is a love story because life in Jesus Christ is a love story. All of life is a gift. So take your ashes, take your life, and go write the next chapter with God. | philosophy |
https://craigfortier.com/vol-2-no-1-2020/ | 2023-12-03T16:24:06 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100508.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20231203161435-20231203191435-00373.warc.gz | 0.939413 | 862 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__151607889 | en | By Craig Fortier
Social change happens on many levels: politically, economically, socially, emotionally, and culturally. This course focuses on the interaction between the radical imagination of movements for social justice and the realm of popular culture. During the term we will explore instances of this interaction to understand how radical movements insert or find themselves in the popular imagination and how popular culture itself influences the radical imagination.
By examining popular culture in the radical imagination, we will investigate how radical subcultures enter the mainstream; how social movements resist and push back against the appropriation, corporatization, erasure, and sanitization of their material, social, and cultural production; and how individuals involved in mainstream popular culture interact with grassroots political movements.
Investigating text, video, audio, and other mediums of communication, this course seeks to develop student’s critical capacity to investigate aspects of popular culture in a social and historical context.
This course is developed under the premise that knowledge is created and generated in multiple ways (i.e. through oral traditions, poetry and music, film, sport, land-based traditions, lived experiences, spirituality & ceremony, scientific & academic research, lost traditions, fiction and science fiction etc.) and that we must resist the colonialist limits of Western ontologies that delegitimize other ways of knowing and being. As such, the readings, activities, videos, and assignments that I have curated in this course will draw on these various ways of knowing and learning. Each week will combine a mix of reading, viewing/listening, discussion, case studies, etc. These will be put into conversation with academic research, empirical evidence, and peer-reviewed journal articles.
Your lived experience and interactions with other humans, non-human beings, and the earth are foundational to engaging with the course materials. This engagement could be rooted in the communities in which you have developed relationships (i.e. work, family, social circles, social organizations, activist groups, ethnocultural and/or religious communities, recreational/artistic/sporting communities, etc.). It might also develop through active engagement in social movements/groups.
I would like to create a classroom space that opens up discussion between you and your classmates. This will be a place to grapple with the course materials in a respectful and thoughtful manner – it is not the same as Twitter or comments on Facebook – but rather a space for careful, humble, and serious discussion and debate. It should be a place where you are open to being challenged about your politics and positions, but also a space where your critiques should be tempered by your understanding that folks are entering this space with a desire to learn and change. This means that we should attempt to create a space of care, mutual respect, accountability and trust – this is very difficult to do in any social space.
While this is a space of learning, it is also a space that seeks to resist the structures of oppression that permeate our day-to-day interactions. As such, I urge all students to be self-reflexive about behaviours or comments that have been identified as patriarchal, misogynist, classist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, et cetera. This self-reflection applies to me as well. We are all in a process of learning and unlearning these logics that dominate our society, so there is no expectation here that anyone is self-actualized and perfect – all I ask is that you are mindful that how what you think, say and/or the way in which you interact with others is circumscribed by these forces.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students should:
a) Have knowledge of the ways in which popular culture and grassroots social movements are interrelated and influence each other.
b) Be able to produce an original piece of work that is publishable in a peer-reviewed academic journal or blog for upper level undergraduate students.
c) Have the ability to synthesize various forms of popular culture and situate them within a broader structural and intersectional social context in relation to grassroots social movement.
d) Be able to mobilize knowledge through creative workshops and skill sharing practices. | philosophy |
https://lifechoicescoaching.com.au/the-perfectionist-trap/ | 2024-04-17T02:55:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817128.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20240417013540-20240417043540-00034.warc.gz | 0.944034 | 499 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__20595994 | en | “When perfectionism is driving, shame is always riding shotgun and fear is the annoying backseat driver”. – Dr Brene Brown.
Shame and Vulnerability Research Dr Brene Brown explains the trap of perfectionism so well with the above quote. Because we struggle with perfectionism in the areas we feel most vulnerable to shame.
There is absolutely no problem in having a high standard for the quality of your work. Striving for a high standard feels wonderful and is an internal process that says “I can be the best I can be”.
However, perfectionism is an external process that says “What will people think”. Perfectionism makes you feel unhappy with your life. It can lead to depression, anxiety and inhibit your success, relationships with others and your relationship with yourself.
Perfectionism feels terrible because your work is somehow never quite good enough.
Perfections strain compulsively and unceasingly towards unattainable goals, and measure their self-worth by productivity and accomplishments. Pressuring oneself to achieve unrealistic goals inevitably sets us up for disappointment. Perfectionists tend to be hard critics of themselves when they fail to meet their exacting standards.
Signs of Perfectionism:
- You struggle to complete tasks in a timely manner.
- You view mistakes as proof you’re inadequate.
- You invest a lot of energy into masking your flaws.
- You expect perfection from everyone else.
- Perfectionism is often taught in childhood when we are punished for making mistakes.
Procrastination is often a by product of perfectionism and can be holding you back from a fulfilling life.
How to stop Perfectionist thinking:
- Create more realistic personal goals and expectations.
- Challenge your inner critic and negative thoughts
- Challenge the thought process with “Can I know for absolute certain that I am not good enough at this”
- Trust that everything will get done in time.
- Schedule breaks and time out to recharge.
- Practice not holding everyone to the same standard.
- Look at mistakes as a lesson not a failure
- Priortise self-care.
- Practice saying no more often.
- Accept that time off is not time wasted.
- Learn to respect and love yourself
Learn to challenge that trap of perfectionism because done is more important than perfect and a whole lot more fun. | philosophy |
https://unihouse.org.au/event/book-club-hpp-group-4-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/ | 2020-09-23T06:58:37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400209999.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20200923050545-20200923080545-00769.warc.gz | 0.737151 | 149 | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-40__0__251784307 | en | UH Book Club History, Politics and Philosophy Group.
N.B. The group meet for drinks 4.30pm and discussion begins promptly at 5.00pm, ends: 6.15 pm.
This months book
Storr, Anthony (2005) Solitude: A Return to the Self [psychiatrist Storr examines the benefits of solitude] 202 pp; pub: Free Press; available: Fishpond: $A21.89; at BD for $A20.83.
For a summary of each book, see https://www.bookdepository.com/
Contact for more information:
Jacky Angus, HPP Convener ([email protected]) | philosophy |
https://theriverbrighid.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/following-the-druid-path/ | 2018-06-19T21:32:45 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267863206.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20180619212507-20180619232507-00598.warc.gz | 0.96993 | 176 | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-26__0__59594022 | en | I’ve recently been more drawn to developing my own spirituality and adding spiritual/religious practice into my life. To make an analogy of what I’ve been feeling this year, my first year as a public school teacher, my life has felt rather cold, and I want to add warmth.
I decided to try following the path of Druidry, especially that set out in the first degree of AODA’s curriculum (though, as with everything I do spiritually, following each example with a grain of salt). I am keeping a binder and a journal offline, but there are some things I’d like to share on a blog. Hopefully they will be useful to others, but at the very least I want to be more connected to other people following similar spiritual paths. Blogging and following other blogs offers a wonderful way to do this. | philosophy |
http://johntsangaris.com/renaissance-2/ | 2020-07-05T05:04:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655886865.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20200705023910-20200705053910-00154.warc.gz | 0.969249 | 212 | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-29__0__47071963 | en | “A book to help people born with multiple passions succeed in a world designed to force you into a singular existence.”
I’m sure you have taken one of those personality tests that tell you which one of four personalities is your dominant and which is possibly your second. But what about those of us who fall right in the center? Both introverted and extroverted? Both thinkers and doers? Both submissive and dominant? We struggle, that’s what. The education system, the social system, and the professional system tell us that we’re singularly one of these personalities. But there are those of us who are more than one thing. We have multiple passions, multiple interests, and while we can be happy doing any one of those, we can’t be happy doing just one thing. For those of you who expect to live many lives in this one lifetime, this book gives you a plan on how to accomplish everything that you want and achieve the many passions you have as a Renaissance Personality. | philosophy |
https://www.sutudu.io/blog-posts/sutudus-answer-to-web3-identity-balancing-anonymity-and-security | 2024-03-04T14:22:14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476452.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304133241-20240304163241-00368.warc.gz | 0.928314 | 856 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__144416560 | en | In the digital realm of Web3, where decentralization paves the way for innovation and privacy, the question of identity remains a complex puzzle. Anonymity and security, often seen at odds with each other, are the dual pillars upon which the foundation of digital interactions must balance. This balance is not merely a technical challenge but a philosophical one, questioning the very nature of identity in a borderless, virtual environment.
Sutudu, a new player in the Web3 space, emerges with a proposition that seems to heed the call for equilibrium. Through a novel approach to digital identity, Sutudu offers a solution that preserves the autonomy and privacy of users while ensuring robust security measures that the digital age demands.
The cornerstone of Sutudu’s solution is a dynamic identity verification system that operates on the principles of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP). ZKP is a cryptographic method by which one party (the prover) can prove to another party (the verifier) that they know a value x, without conveying any information apart from the fact that they know the value x. Sutudu leverages this to allow users to authenticate and prove their credentials without revealing unnecessary personal information.
Additionally, Sutudu introduces a decentralized identity (DID) framework. Unlike traditional centralized systems where user data is stored on a single server, DIDs are spread across a distributed ledger, giving users full control over their identity data. This not only enhances security by eliminating a single point of failure but also ensures that users can remain as anonymous as they wish, sharing data only on a need-to-know basis.
But Sutudu goes beyond mere anonymity and control. The platform integrates biometric verification methods, such as facial recognition and fingerprint scans, that anchor the user's digital presence to their physical existence without compromising their anonymity. These biometric markers are transformed into unique digital signatures, which, while providing a reliable security layer, are never directly linked to the user's real-world identity.
The implementation of smart contracts is another innovative feature of Sutudu's system. These self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code are deployed for user verification. They activate only under predefined conditions, ensuring that identity verification is seamlessly integrated into various Web3 applications without user intervention.
Sutudu’s identity solution also addresses the scalability issues that plague many blockchain-based systems. By utilizing layer-2 solutions and sidechains, the system is designed to handle a high throughput of transactions, which is essential for widespread adoption and integration into various platforms and applications.
The result of Sutudu's efforts is a harmonious blend of anonymity and security—a system where users can operate in the Web3 space with confidence, knowing that their identity is protected yet not bound by the chains of overexposure. It's a step towards a future where users navigate the digital space empowered and unimpeded by identity constraints.
As we stand on the precipice of a new internet era, Sutudu's answer to the Web3 identity conundrum seems to whisper a promise of a safer, more private, and yet interconnected digital world. It is a testament to the evolving nature of technology and its perpetual chase of the ideal balance between openness and security, freedom and responsibility, anonymity and accountability.
In the essence of Sutudu's vision, identity is not a static, one-dimensional label but a multi-faceted, dynamic attribute of one's presence in the digital ecosystem. As Web3 continues to unfold, the principles embedded in Sutudu's approach may well become the guiding lights for how we understand and manage identity in a world where the boundaries between the physical and the virtual are increasingly blurred.
Sutudu's answer to Web3 identity is not just a technological advancement; it is a philosophical stance on the intrinsic value of privacy and security. In a world where these values are too often compromised, Sutudu stands as a beacon of balance, offering a pathway that does not sacrifice one for the other. And as we navigate the labyrinth of the digital age, it is such balance that will likely define the trajectory of our digital identities. | philosophy |
https://www.stargazette.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/01/03/ignore-police-violence/96108004/ | 2023-03-21T14:32:47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943698.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321131205-20230321161205-00773.warc.gz | 0.956755 | 241 | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-14__0__243421573 | en | We cannot ignore police violence
Our nation is becoming more aware of police violence and the violation of the civil liberties of citizens.
There are many causes for this. We have a deeply problematic attitude toward race and the subsequent denial of the problem, where for some white people, there is a fear that admitting there is racism will result in accusations of racism and the subversion of inherent privileges. The inability of many white people to experience the effects of racism allows them to passively accept and participate in a racist social structure.
The militarization of the police is also a contributing factor, building a mindset of hostility between police and the communities they are supposed to protect, and giving implicit support to the excessive use of violence by police. The passage of such legislation as the Patriot Act adds to the problem, where suspicion and the imperative of security above all other considerations leads to the justification of force.
When these elements are combined, we see a society that operates on fear and division, and a police force that is viewed more as an invading army than public servants. It can be clearly demonstrated that police violence is an ongoing and structural national problem that cannot be ignored. | philosophy |
https://platomilano.com/en/if-you-cant-say-no-to-these-pleasures-youre-a-chic-food-lover/ | 2023-02-08T19:47:24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500904.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20230208191211-20230208221211-00695.warc.gz | 0.934063 | 1,094 | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-06__0__8434543 | en | If You Can’t Say No To These Pleasures, You’re A Chic Food Lover!
Plato Chic Superfood was born to meet the needs and desires of chic food lovers.
But who are chic food lovers?
Explorers and gourmets looking for a wonderful food experience, chic food lovers crave for well-being and innovative food.
If you can’t say no to the three pleasures I’m going to tell you about in a moment, and you don’t settle for a soulless food, then I have some good news for you: you too are a member of this group of food enthusiasts!
The Fundamental Pleasures of Chic Food Lovers
- A Tasty and Tempting Food
Chic food lovers love good food. “Good” not only for its taste, but also for the quality of its ingredients, the researches made to create it and the story it tells.
Food doesn’t only have to be tasty. It also has to be profoundly good, unique, real and natural, as Plato’s chic superfood is.
Everything starts with the philosophy that inspired our idea of cooking. A philosophy that goes back to ancient Greece.
The name of the brand, in fact, is inspired by the famous philosopher Plato, who believed that Good and Harmony are the same. Chic food lovers love a balanced food, where good and natural flavors combine with the benefits of healthy ingredients.
Plato satisfies chic food lovers because it offers a varied, tasty and healthy cuisine. A mix that counteracts the idea that healthy food has to be tasteless.
Plato’s food is never a sacrifice, but a joy to live with a smile on your face and no guilt.
Some examples? The velo Coconut cream, pomegranate, cocoa seeds, almonds and granola, where cocoa mingles with the sweet flavor of coconut and with the fresh and acid notes of grapefruit.
Or the sweet selection of Plato’s muffins, rich in superfoods like goji berries, blueberries, matcha tea and banana, for a healthy snack that will make your body (and mouth!) very happy.
- A Wonderful Food
Sometimes it can happen to take for granted the flavor of an ingredient we have known forever.
Or to eat in a hurry, without paying attention to the ingredients that compose our dish.
Chic food lovers don’t settle for a food without emotion. They actually look for a food experience which can stimulate their sense of wonder.
What does it mean, looking for a sense of wonder in our daily routine? What does it mean, feeling a sense of wonder through food?
It means rediscovering. A texture, a feeling, the true essence of an ingredient which, valued as only Plato’s chefs and nutritionists can do, moves you in a totally unexpected moment.
Only if we return to appreciate the pureness of flavors, the texture of ingredients and their aromas, we will be able to rebuild a balanced and satisfying relationship with food.
Thanks to its research on flavors and nutritional balance, Plato Chic Superfood wonders chic food lovers through unique dishes, where ingredients that belong to our memories become new worlds to explore.
Not only this: the sense of wonder also stems from the aesthetic research behind every dish. From their beauty, the harmony of their colors and a welcoming restaurant that mirrors this philosophy.
In this way, Plato becomes a total experience, made of high-quality food, nutritional research, wonder and beauty. A mix of positive vibes that transform a simple and daily action as eating in a veritable exploration of new worlds of flavors!
- A Profound Knowledge of the Ingredients
Wouldn’t you like to know the nutritional values and the benefits of the ingredients you eat every day?
Chic food lovers are not only gourmets, but real food enthusiasts. They want to be informed about the ingredients in their dish to really appreciate it.
Plato Chic Superfood nourishes both body and mind.
Every time you need to have some information regarding our ingredients or you want to ask what’s best for you to eat for breakfast, Plato’s team will be there to help you!
The nutritional information about every dish will also be very useful for those who look for alternatives to vary their routine, avoiding yeast, lactose, gluten and nichel.
Plato is the messenger of the concept of aliment-azione (eating-action), which expresses awareness.
Giving importance to the simple and daily act of eating allows you to be aware of it and, in so doing, to truly appreciate the benefits only good and genuine food can give you.
At Plato’s you’ll always find all the information you need to reach that awareness and explore the world of food, in order to turn chic superfood in a veritable lifestyle!
You can’t say no to healthy, tasty and wonderful food, right? Then you’re officially a member of the chic food lovers group.
Allow yourself the daily pleasure of a food that satisfies your desire for taste and well-being.
Plato Chic Superfood: only for chic food lovers! | philosophy |
https://israelheadlinenews.com/when-loyalty-to-the-group-means-bad-behavior-gets-excused/ | 2021-05-12T20:15:12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243989705.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20210512193253-20210512223253-00293.warc.gz | 0.961289 | 758 | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-21__0__209410954 | en | After almost 2,000 years, the Jews have re-established a state in Israel. To be more precise, a state that is approximately 80 percent Jewish was created. Balancing its Jewish character with fair treatment of all Israeli citizens is an ongoing challenge. The values of (group) loyalty and fairness are in tension, if not directly contradictory.
The central biblical heroes, Avraham and Moshe, represent these two cardinal principles. Avraham is singled out because he not only demonstrates commitment to God’s path of justice and charity, but is transmitting these values to his descendants. The Jewish people are chosen because they will deal fairly with others.
At the critical moment when the Jews have sinned with the golden calf, Moshe defends them to God, although they are not deserving. He turns down the offer to start a new people to replace them. His loyalty to the Jewish people is paramount. At the same time, he does not absolve them of responsibility for what they had done.
Judaism is a religion that monitors behavior primarily between Jews, and between man and God. Jews have greater responsibility for each other than they do for non-Jews. Yet the Jewish mission is to transform the world and sanctify God’s name.
In a classic comment in the “Kuzari” of Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, after the Jewish scholar points out the contradiction between the lofty religious principles of Christianity and Islam and how their adherents actually treated others when they were in control, the king asks the scholar why he is so sure that in a Jewish-run country it will be any different. At that point the question was theoretical. In Israel, it is real.
Israel faces threats to its survival which affect its ability to be generous to others. Yet it is proud of the difference between the treatment of Jews in Arab countries and the rights of Arabs in Israel. Whether this is sufficient justification for all examples of discrimination is questionable.
Loyalty is critical for a group’s survival and is even more so for the Jewish people who have suffered throughout history from anti-Semitism. The State of Israel was established in the shadow of the incalculable horrors of the Holocaust. Yet, in significant ways, loyalty to a group also has negative consequences. Bad behavior within the group will be excused. Group loyalty has become the justification for coverups. It prevents needed self-criticism out of concern to not give ammunition to the group’s enemies.
Finding a proper balance between loyalty and fairness is a difficult challenge. Is the goal for Jews to have our own country to become a normal people, as some Zionist thinkers wrote, or to become a model nation? This distinction exists for both secular Jewish nationalism and for religious Jewish nationalism.
For the religious, representing eternal Jewish values that will lead to a transformed world is a great burden. Unfortunately, it is not clear that many are even concerned about the question. Both on individual and collective levels, behavior that reflects badly on religious Jews in the eyes of the world is dismissed as insignificant. Criticism is deflected as stemming from anti-Semitism, even when coming from those who have treated Jews fairly, or, for that matter, from other Jews.
As in every case of balancing between values there will be inevitable compromise. Since being fair is being just, it is appropriate to lean in that direction. We should not be satisfied by favorable comparisons with neighboring countries. If we properly understand the demands of Judaism we must strive for the higher standard of Avraham and Moshe.
Rabbi Yosef Blau is the Senior Mashgiach Ruchani (spiritual advisor) at Yeshiva University, and a partial resident in Jerusalem. | philosophy |
https://romainfaure46.wixsite.com/contempl-art/about | 2024-04-16T13:23:14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817095.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20240416124708-20240416154708-00198.warc.gz | 0.960877 | 517 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__170076859 | en | We are Ruby, Romain, Eric and Claudie, four second year students, following a linguistics or philosophy degree ; all looking for ourselves in the world around us and trying to discover the little and big things that make us happy. Curious and contemplative, we love to wander in nature, in foreign cities and museums, in hope of stumbling onto something new to amaze us. Therefore, art, in all its forms, has a consequent place in our lives. We enjoy spending time at the cinema, reading poetry, listening to music - or playing it for some of us -, painting or watching tv shows and staying in bed way too long. Additionally, we are fond of speaking new languages and immersing ourselves in different cultures. As a matter of fact two of us are writing to you from Italy and Brazil. We never met, yet we have found many things we share, our admiration for art being one of them.
About our blog
Art can often feel intimidating and unreachable but it is not so much about culture, or knowledge, as it is about being contemplative and open to emotions. As we contemplate, feel, analyse and interpret a creation, we have the power to make something spring out of it, becoming some kind of creator ourselves, in our own way. Not to mention art doesn’t have to be expressed in a traditional painting or sculpture : we like to find it in anything and everything : an instance, an action, a look, a smile ; as much as we enjoy spending time with the artists through their works.
Besides, art has the capacity to transform, break up, unite, provoke and make us grow. It is both efficient and necessary. For this reason, we’d like to share some of these experiences, through the works that moved, amazed, challenged or startled us. We hope you will discover new works of art, from our selection, or see them through the new and original lenses of our personal approaches.
Therefore, this blog aspires to share with you, reader, some personal and subjective interpretations that the contemplation of artworks evokes in us, in a more poetic than technical approach. It is more of a spontaneous and contemplative feeling than a classic or historical description or critic of the artworks. As non-professionals in the field of art or art criticism, we humbly deliver to you our emotions and thoughts about some pieces of art or artistic manifestations which, for a singular reason, that we will try to explain, touched us. | philosophy |
http://www.tempel-der-guten-dinge.de/?p=261 | 2017-04-27T20:41:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917122621.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031202-00608-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.946657 | 314 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__285968548 | en | Currently I am reading “Das Buch der Deutschen” [The book of the Germans]. This book contains many written records of Germans and Non-Germans that describe who and how we Germans are, and how as well as why we got to where we are today.
For some reasons I found the first law records and political testaments quite interesting. Today the political testament of Friedrich II. der Große caught my special attention. It contains remarkable statements about how politics should relate to religions. I recommend some contemporary politicians, journalists, and atheist fellowers to study that text before expressing or publishing any statements and drawings about religions. My advice is based on the following excerpt that I’ll try to translate to English as good as I can:
[...] Getting to the bottom of all religions they’re based on a more or less absurd system of fables. It is impossible, that a human with sanity and reason, analyzing these things, does not catch the wrongness. But these prejudices, these errors, and these miraculous stories are made for people, and you ought to be considerate of the rank and file so far to not infringe on their religious feelings, no matter what religion they belong to.[...]
On this note “freedom of expression” clearly has limits: The limit of respect and dignity. Every one of us no matter what religion or if of no religion has the power to make this world a peaceful place or not. Even a monarch of the 18th century knew that already. | philosophy |
https://magazine.catholicmemorial.org/news?pk=1372641&nc=24421&fromId=286812 | 2024-04-20T02:12:40 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817463.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20240419234422-20240420024422-00700.warc.gz | 0.965212 | 2,345 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__146123103 | en | Apple began selling the iPhone in 2007. Facebook opened in late 2006 and by 2009, one-third of Americans were on it. Some 15 years on, Elon Musk has argued that young people are already cyborgs whose personalities are now digital extensions of their human selves, housed inside and transmitted via their smartphones. Is he right?
Who, before 2016, would have said Tik Tok would be synonymous with depression? Facebook and cyberbullying a real thing? Screen time notifications monitored by parents and reported at the dinner table to bemused children would be the new mea culpa? And yet, they are. The surge in use of digital technology has changed life’s daily rhythms – in particular, for its youth. We invited graduating seniors Charlie Kettlewell and Sirio Jansen-Sanchez, as well as CM’s Theology Chair, Dr. Michael Corso, and Vice Principal, Megan Leahy to see how their perspectives can shed new light on this early century phenomenon.
The question is set. All the panel need do is demonstrate its truth, hence Quod Erat Demonstrandum.Charlie and Sirio, how do you filter or prioritize the information that comes to you via your phone? Do you set aside time for this? Or do you react to it immediately?Charlie Kettlewell:
I always have my phone silenced or on vibrate. I don’t watch the news and so don’t have any news apps. To be honest with you, I just find it depressing.Sirio Jansen-Sanchez:
I have my phone on vibrate. But I got an Apple Watch for Christmas this year. And I know it’s going to open the door to a lot more of what’s happening right now. It’s hard setting up that protective wall. But on the other hand, it’s kind of nice having that access if something serious happens.Does that mean you are having to override what is happening to you just so that you can act normal?Megan Leahy:
But what is normal? It’s just about the choices we make. When I was a kid, and a Harry Potter book came out, you couldn’t tear me away from it until I had finished. That wasn’t technology.Michael Corso:
I wonder if the issue is not “what is normal,” because it may become increasingly normal for people to be on their phones all the time. I mean, you guys are going to the prom, right? (Sirio and Charlie nod.) How many people at their tables are going to be on their phones? The question for me is what’s healthy? It’s healthy to read Harry Potter, but is it healthy to be staring at a screen for four or five hours? There’s something for me that’s different about those two experiences. A book has a certain number of pages, a movie has a set running time. But social media never ends unless you actually put the phone down.Corso:
You have to self-limit. There are a lot of Tik Tok videos of cats out there. Jansen-Sanchez:
When I was first getting to know technology, my main platform was YouTube. Instead of finding a cat video, or a news article, or whatever, I was learning new things like how does a car engine work? How to take apart a computer? What is a computer? I guess, it’s still not as healthy as reading a book per se but it’s a little bit more mental. Mentally healthy, I guess.Corso:
I think I learned that from you, Sirio. You were doing something to the stage…something you had to figure out, and you just instantly, like reflexively, went to your phone and looked it up. And then ever since then, if my dryer broke, for example, I look it up on YouTube. I don’t think I would have learned to do this had we not had that experience together. There is a way in which the infinite availability can turn out to your benefit if you seek learning. It’s healthy to do that. I’m not sure what we’re learning from cat videos.As educators, how do you see your students being influenced or shaped by this sort of onslaught from the perspective of concentrating, being creative, or thinking deeply?Leahy:
Being bored in class and sneaking a quick Tik Tok video, doesn’t keep me up at night. What is starting to stress me out is wondering what that does to the brain? If that micro-moment is happening that frequently for a student, what are they missing? How long does it take to get back into the groove and focus when they’ve taken that brain break?Corso:
My concern is when there’s so much information, that even if you’re managing it well, how much opportunity is there to go deep on something? When I invite students to think deeply about something? Will I get 10 minutes? Fifteen minutes? How quickly will they become distracted, even if they don’t take out their phone?Are skimming and absorbing, then, mutually exclusive? Kettlewell:
I think you have to care to absorb. To really absorb something and take it in, I feel like it has to have meaning behind it.Corso:
I like what you’re bringing up there, Charlie. It’s driven by passion. It’s driven by something that you care and are concerned about. It’s sad and troubling to think there’s lots of people who just don’t care enough. It’s part of a CM education to say, “hey, what do you care about?” Curiosity is part of the image of God in us. That desire to know more...it says that...at an intellectual level. What you’re describing at an emotional level is care. Curiosity is intellectual care.Are smartphones taking away the desire to know things? Are they removing the wonder of the world and is that lessening our ability to care?Corso:
Wonder has become a mile wide and an inch deep. And we don’t have to wonder for very long. If any question comes up someone in a flash has their phone out and the question is answered. However, in theology there are those ultimate questions that we ask: what’s the purpose of this? How do you apply it to your life? I mean, those are not questions you can look up.Leahy:
If I think about my life, the times in which I’ve not wondered about something, but felt wonder and awe, a phone’s not there, a television is not there. And so, it goes back to balance. It’s up to me to not be robbed of being able to appreciate the actual world around me. I do worry about that: how much are we living virtually versus living out in the world that actually exists?Jansen-Sanchez:
I think it’s interesting when you think of your experiences of awe and wonder with no phone. Now, the generations that we’re raising won’t have that experience. They will have things that they’re curious about, and they’re wondering about and they want to be in awe of, but they’ll look it up on Google, and they’ll see, “Oh yeah, here it is. That’s it.” They’re not going to go out into the world and actually try to discover it and experience it for themselves.Kettlewell:
Yeah, I think technology can definitely take away the small things in life that you don’t notice. But when you do notice them, they’re pretty great. You have so much access to knowledge that a lot of people feel that they just don’t need to go outside and experience it for themselves.Jansen-Sanchez:
In middle school, on the Acadia trip, you’re forced to put your phone away and go on a night walk. And on it, they start teaching about nature and talking about all the creatures. And as you keep going, you go deeper into the woods where it’s darker and the stars become so much clearer. So, I think if the kids were raised now have experiences like that, I think that’ll spark that feeling of awe and wonder and the need to be almost forced to fully disconnect from the internet and their phones.Kettlewell:
Yeah, like Ferris Bueller said, “life’s pretty short if you don’t stop and look around every once in a while you might miss it.” I think you do need to stop every once in a while and just look around. I feel that we can go on autopilot.To conclude then, has the phone and all the information in it become an extension of who we are. Is it our satellite personality?Corso:
I think so. If you’ve ever panicked, because you realize, “Oh, my God. I’ve left the house without my phone,” you know we are somewhere else. My Apple Watch tells me there’s only five minutes left in class. I don’t think about that my watch tells me to take my vitamins. I respond to commands from my watch. I tell my watch what to command me to think about and do at a certain time of day. I think we’ve already crossed the Rubicon into human machine integration. And now it’s just a question of whether the machines are going to be outside of us or inside.Kettlewell:
I think the best example of how phones are part of us is Misha Bane (’22). We all think, “How do you not have a phone? How do you function without it?” People who meet someone who doesn’t have a phone are just baffled by that fact. That reaction shows how most of us are so used to them that we can’t understand when someone doesn’t.Corso:
It goes back to the question of normality. Misha stands out as not normal. And yet, he’s one of the most normal kids you’d ever meet in your life. He’s not addicted to his phone. Not tied to it. He seems completely healthy around this issue. But you’re right. It’s interesting to think, in a world where everyone’s kind of mostly integrated with technology, someone like that totally stands out.Leahy:
I think the creation of a persona if you’re producing content on social media is fascinating. I see Tik Toks being filmed everywhere during our free time. I just wonder what version of that student is he putting out into the world? And what does that mean for a young person to be developing an alter ego, if you will? Is that what’s going on? Or is it more true to who they are? I don’t know. | philosophy |
https://publichealth.gwu.edu/departments/exercise-and-nutrition-sciences/anne-harrison | 2022-07-04T21:07:28 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656104496688.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220704202455-20220704232455-00002.warc.gz | 0.960332 | 249 | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-27__0__246319481 | en | Anne "Jayanti" Harrison TabsBio Anne "Jayanti" Harrison has been practicing yoga for 30+ years, teaching for 10+ and has 700 hours of formal training: 200 hr. general yoga; 500 hr. Kripaulu and 200 hr. Iyengar Therapeutic (plus countless workshops). Having begun her studies in the Iyengar tradition and experimenting with many different modalities and schools of yoga, she now focuses on alignment and restoration in her teaching style. BKS Iyengar said: “It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” This gem of wisdom is what Jayanti is passionate to share with her students. She encourages the student to discover his/her energy centers by holding poses with breath techniques to facilitate the subtle practice of tuning into body intelligence for stability and ease as opposed to grasping at a perfect pose. Jayanti also weaves classical yogic philosophy into her classes. . This holistic style of yoga is very beneficial to all and particularly those with pain, injuries, constrictions and stress. Jayanti graduated with a BA in English from Catholic University and worked for 27 years at the World Bank. | philosophy |
https://gameroompimps.com/exploring-the-foundations-of-acim-a-comprehensive-guide/ | 2023-12-06T21:34:23 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100603.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20231206194439-20231206224439-00565.warc.gz | 0.934587 | 761 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__177441373 | en | In a entire world stuffed with religious teachings and self-support philosophies, “ACIM” stands out as a beacon of profound wisdom and transformative possible. Limited for A Course in Miracles, ACIM is a religious guidebook that has captivated the hearts and minds of seekers for decades. In this article, we will check out the essence of ACIM, its origins, and the transformative journey it offers to people who delve into its teachings.
The Origins of ACIM:
A Training course in Miracles was channeled and written by psychologist Dr. Helen Schucman in the sixties. Schucman, alongside with her colleague Dr. William Thetford, experienced a sequence of unsettling and vivid goals that in the end led them to believe that there should be a much better way of living—one guided by love, forgiveness, and miracles. The end result was ACIM, a extensive non secular information comprised of a Text, Workbook for College students, and Guide for Instructors.
Essential Principles of ACIM:
At the core of ACIM is the perception that the true essence of human existence is enjoy, and something that is not adore is an illusion. The training course teaches that forgiveness is the essential to dispelling these illusions and experiencing real internal peace. ACIM posits that miracles arise normally as expressions of love, and through forgiveness, individuals can align by themselves with these miracles, fostering a profound shift in perception.
The Journey Inside:
ACIM is not basically a set of mental concepts it is a practical manual for internal transformation. The Workbook for Learners contains 365 lessons, each created to be practiced daily. a course in miracles unravel the ego’s grip on the thoughts, paving the way for a shift in notion. The system difficulties folks to question their preconceived notions, judgments, and grievances, guiding them towards a further comprehension of their real non secular mother nature.
Forgiveness as a Pathway to Miracles:
Central to ACIM is the notion of forgiveness as a pathway to miracles. The program defines forgiveness not as condoning or excusing conduct but as a release of the maintain that grievances and judgments have on the head. By forgiving others and oneself, folks open up the door to the miraculous, permitting adore and comprehension to replace resentment and dread.
Overcoming Worry and Embracing Adore:
One of the primary themes in ACIM is the contrast amongst love and concern. The training course contends that fear is a merchandise of the moi, distorting perceptions and creating a untrue perception of separation. By means of its teachings, ACIM guides men and women to acknowledge concern-based mostly ideas and replace them with loving views. This change from concern to adore is transformative, fostering a sense of internal peace and interconnectedness.
Useful Software in Every day Daily life:
Although ACIM is a profound religious textual content, its teachings are meant to be used in every day daily life. The course encourages men and women to carry their everyday experiences, challenges, and interactions into the apply of forgiveness and love. By undertaking so, ACIM gets a dwelling philosophy, guiding folks by means of the complexities of human existence with a foundation of religious wisdom.
A Course in Miracles is not just a e-book it is a transformative journey into the coronary heart of spirituality. With its emphasis on forgiveness, enjoy, and the recognition of miracles in everyday existence, ACIM provides a pathway to internal peace and profound personalized development. As people have interaction with the teachings of ACIM, they embark on a journey of self-discovery that has the potential to change their perception of the planet and by themselves, opening the door to a daily life guided by enjoy and miracles. | philosophy |
https://themandelbrotset.wordpress.com/2012/10/ | 2018-07-22T08:53:37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-30/segments/1531676593142.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20180722080925-20180722100925-00054.warc.gz | 0.940325 | 773 | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-30__0__148546397 | en | I’m counting down my favorite 31 Horror Movies of all time. Every day this month I’ll feature one movie from my list – starting on Oct 1st with #31 and ending on the Oct 31st, Halloween, with my #1 favorite scary movie.
THE TOP 31 HORROR MOVIES OF ALL TIME
Directed by: William Friedkin
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Linda Blair
Plot: A movie actress taking up temporary residence in Washington D.C. has her troubles. The script for the movie she’s filming seems inadequate. Her ex, who is also the father of her adolescent daughter, Regan, neglects to call the girl on her birthday. And the attic has rats. Meanwhile, Father Karras, a priest and a psychiatrist, is losing his faith; and he’s dealing with a sick mother who needs medical care he hasn’t the money to provide. Another priest, the old and ailing Father Merrin, has just returned from Iraq with forebodings of evil. These three persons meet when the sweet and cheerful Regan turns foul-mouthed and violent. But her sickness is beyond the reach of a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. What Regan needs is an exorcist.
H.P Lovecraft wrote, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” The Exorcist taps into that primal fear unlike any other work of fiction. Our fear of the unknown is put on glorious display in William Friedkin’s 1973 horror film and once it was seen, things would never be the same. The Exorcist is based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, which in turn was based on a real life event that took place in Maryland in 1949 where a young boy was supposedly possessed by a demon and given an exorcism – and it seemed to have cured him. I won’t waste time going into the debate of whether or not demon possession is real or just a brain disorder, I’ll just say that this is a real phenomenon where the cause is, you guessed it, unknown. So why do we love to be frightened? Why do we flock the the theaters to see a 12 year old girl turn into a hideous demon? Is it because we need to be scared to remind ourselves of the goodness of our lives? To be able to experience something so horrendous from a distance, like a voyeur? It’s probably these reasons and more but the bottom line is – we just love a good scare. The Exorcist does an excellent job of that. I’ve heard it said by filmmakers that the more outlandish and ridiculous the subject matter the more seriously the director needs to approach it. Friedkin took this notion to heart and set out to make not just a horror movie but a movie that rings true and doesn’t take any shortcuts or cheats the viewer. It’s a movie that never backs down or turns away, even when what we are seeing is abominable and leaves us with a sick feeling in the pit of our stomach. The power of The Exorcist lies in the camera never flinching and thus exposing us to lurid and savage scenes. We are forced to bare witness to a battle between good and evil. To a battle of faith and unbelieving. Battles that we face in our own lives day to day, but never to the degree that’s displayed in The Exorcist. And I guess in the end that is why this movie has stood the test of time, and continues to scare generation after generation – because through fear we feel alive. | philosophy |
http://modernmarch.com/2011/01/30/beauty-and-the-gospel/ | 2013-05-20T13:04:21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698958430/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100918-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.953711 | 1,549 | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-20__0__139257379 | en | Beauty and the GospelPosted: January 30, 2011
In her chapter for the book For the Beauty of the Church Catholic artist and journalist Barbara Nicolosi gives us three elements that make up the nature of beauty (quoting Thomas Aquinas). They are:
The Elements of Beauty
Wholeness, says Nicolosi, “means that nothing is missing.” This element plays itself out in two ways. First, for something to be whole, it cannot have anything missing. A beautiful object is sufficient in itself—all necessary elements are accounted for. To use Nicolosi’s example, “people don’t listen to Mozart’s Ave Verum and say, ‘Needs another high G in there. Oh well.’” Second, in order to be whole, beauty cannot be gratuitous. In other words, a beautiful object is efficient. So, when we see something beautiful, we see something complete and whole. To adopt biblical language, there is nothing to add or take away.
Harmony is the sense that “all of those parts that are present are related to one another in a complementary relationship.” Each piece functions exactly as it is supposed to function, and relates to all the other pieces exactly as it was meant to relate. Harmony is community (of persons or elements) as it was meant to be. This is why the biblical vision of gospel community is beautiful. The way it is lived out in this life may be messy, but it is beautiful in pointing toward the future community free of sin. And in its future fullness, biblical community will be utterly beautiful.
These two words, when together, illustrate the biblical concept of shalom, the harmonious wholeness of God’s intentions for how things are supposed to be. No wonder, then, that some would include them in their definition of beautiful. Beauty takes us beyond ourselves and our present circumstances, and transports us into a picture of what things were supposed to be and what God promises he will restore them to. These two elements are not all there is to beauty in Aquinas’ view, however.
Radiance, the third and final element, “communicates something profound to us, some kind of moral, spiritual, or intellectual enlightenment.” Or, to put it another way, beauty has a message to be proclaimed. For Nicolosi, this proclamation is personal. We hint at this element when we say that a sunset, painting, music, etc. speaks to us or moves us. And this message affects us.
When these three elements combine in an act of beauty we see a peculiar result: Humility. The great splendor of the thing reminds us of our smallness. I think I’m paraphrasing John Piper when I say no one stands at the edge of the grand canyon and proclaims how great they are. They stand in awe of the beauty of what stands before them; beauty that is large, weighty, and absolutely outside of themselves.
This beauty-wrought humility can, when rightly understand, serve a redemptive focus. I don’t mean that beauty, itself abstractly, redeems us, but it serves as a redemptive metaphor. As Nicolosi says, [beauty] “subverts the problem of the garden of Eden.” The Fall came about as Adam and Eve rebelled by rejecting their creaturelyness. They wanted to be like God, and so on have we all down through the generations. “But,” argues Nicolosi, “the beautiful makes us content in our creaturehood: ‘I’m small, and that’s okay.’”
The Beauty of the Gospel
I’m not going to argue over whether you should adopt this definition of beauty or not. Rather, I want to bring out, assuming these elements, the beauty of the gospel.
When it comes to a crucifixion no one would argue for beauty in an aesthetic sense. The form of a broken, bled-out human being certainly isn’t pleasing to the eye. And this lack of beauty is most true particularly in a crucifixion where the death sentence is piggy-backed onto a miscarriage of justice. But here, in the gospel account, is kingdom subversion. In one of the most brutal acts of physical horror and treachery on a cosmic scale, God weaves together the elements of beauty. Consider:
Wholeness – in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, there is not one aspect that is missing. Sin is wholely dealt with in such a way that people can be wholely saved, and the whole universe will be wholely restored. Jesus’ substitutionary (in our place) death, burial and resurrection is sufficient to cover all of our sins. But it is also efficient – there is nothing gratuitous in Jesus’ suffering. This is astounding, as we see the level of physical, emotional, and spiritual horror in the acts of flogging, crucifixion, and alienation from God while taking on the fullness of God’s wrath for all of our sins. How is this not gratuitous? Because, for sin to be forgiven, it must be paid for. And for all of our sins to be forgiven, they must all be paid for. Jesus did not face an ounce of wrath more than what our sins fully deserved, but how much wrath they did deserve! For such suffering to be efficient, our sins must be far greater than we tend to believe.
Harmony – in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, every part and element of the gospel relate and play off one another in exactly the way that they were meant to, and in exactly the way that was necessary for redemption to be accomplished. There is no gospel without Jesus’ death. That was the penalty par-excellence of sin – physical and spiritual death, and separation from God. On the cross, Jesus felt the weight of each, in our place. There is also no gospel without Jesus’ burial. To have no burial is to have a savior who got off the cross. The burial of Jesus stands defiantly in the face of those who said Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, as if first century people were too ignorant to know whether someone had died or not. And, of course, there is no gospel without Jesus’ resurrection. Without it, our faith, says Paul, is in vain. If there is no resurrection, we are left in our sins, and death is still reigning undefeated.
Radiance – in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, there is a message of hope which radiates. Sin is the great human problem, because it places us out of God’s favor and under his wrath, severing our relationship with him. But in the Gospel, there is a message which comes to us personally and corporately that God is setting things right. He does this personally, with us, through the work of his son. The gospel calls us to place our trust and faith in Jesus and his death, burial, and resurrection in our place so that we can have all of our sins forgiven, our relationship with God restored, and the promise that one day, we will live as God intended, in his presence forever, free of sin, death, and pain.
And even in the horror of crucifixion, that is beautiful.
Image by Wolfgang Staudt. | philosophy |
https://simpals.com/en/happy-padreday/ | 2020-11-28T02:48:24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-50/segments/1606141194982.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20201128011115-20201128041115-00387.warc.gz | 0.951195 | 211 | CC-MAIN-2020-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-50__0__176556265 | en | Wise people say that everything starts with an idea. A small sparkle flashing in mind grows, develops, makes people change, and those who are next to them as well. 🙂 If you want to make a difference in this world, you start with yourself first! And then you are amazed by finding hundreds of like-minded people running marathons/planting trees/doing a lot of incredible things and making the world a better place. That’s because you were able to captivate them, motivate them and prove that the world needs heroes! And as it turned out, everyone can be a hero! 😉
Padre, all of us wish you a happy birthday! We know that in your head, there is plenty of crazy ideas that will make waves and change the world for the better! Keep inspiring, inventing and implementing! Because everything you do turns out to be fruitful! 😉 May you have bright new horizons to explore and cool ideas ahead of you! Happy Birthday, Dmitri Sergeevich! | philosophy |
https://rabbijason.com/category/pesach/ | 2024-02-23T22:26:45 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474470.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20240223221041-20240224011041-00241.warc.gz | 0.955117 | 174 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__103529701 | en | As we celebrate the Jewish festival of Passover this year, we will ask several questions. One question I encourage all of us to ask — no matter our religion, age or current location on this earth — is how we plan to make this year different from past years?
The tradition of the Passover seder is to recite the same story of our ancestors in the desert that has been told throughout the generations, but each generation must tell the story differently. Indeed, each year we must tell the story a little differently to make it relevant to our lives and to our children’s lives. I pray that we each have the opportunity to claim that which enslaves us and to find the courage within ourselves to fight for our freedom and be a part of the positive change so desperately needed in our world.
Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy Passover. | philosophy |
https://evanmcmullin.com/principles/ | 2023-02-05T08:09:42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500250.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20230205063441-20230205093441-00301.warc.gz | 0.933723 | 1,006 | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-06__0__155450900 | en | The United States of America, born of noble ideals and aspiring to high purpose, has been an exemplar of self-government to humankind. Thus, when in our democratic republic, forces of conspiracy, division, and extremism arise, it is the patriotic duty of citizens to act collectively in defense of liberty and justice. We therefore call for an American renewal and do so in partnership with others committed to the preservation of our Union. With abiding belief in the value and potential of every soul and with goodwill for all, we hereby dedicate ourselves to these principles and make common cause in the flourishing of the great state of Utah, America and its diverse states, communities, and citizens.
1. Reaffirm our founding ideals
We reaffirm the self-evident truth that all persons are created equal and free, having the same inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that it is the prerogative of all to make personal decisions in accordance with their free will. We therefore condemn all forms of bigotry such as racism, antisemitism and other religious intolerance, sexism, and persecution based on sexual orientation.
2. Defend the Constitution
We uphold the Constitution as the inviolable and collective contract protecting liberty and justice for all, and honor the essential separation and balance it establishes among coequal branches of the federal government and the states.
3. Protect American democracy
We seek the preservation and betterment of our democratic republic and the endurance of our self-government, free from foreign interference. We support reforms that make our system more accessible, transparent, and competitive, oppose the intentional disenfranchisement of voters, and reject extremism, whether of the right or the left.
4. Seek and promote truth
We recognize truth and reason as essential to a free and just society, and expect our leaders, citizens, and press to seek and promote them. We oppose the employment of fear mongering, conspiracy theories, and falsehoods and instead support evidence-based policymaking and honest discourse.
5. Uphold the rule of law
We maintain that the impartial rule of law is essential to a free and just society to protect the rights, safety and property of all people. No one is above the law, including public officials, and our criminal justice system must treat everyone equally without discrimination based on race, status or other unrelated factors.
6. Demand ethical government
We demand that public officials and aspiring leaders act in the best interests of the country – even when in conflict with their political parties – and with integrity and honor, the absence of which is a harbinger for abuses of power that threaten the republic.
7. Preserve American pluralism
We are committed to a pluralistic society defined by its ideals and welcoming to immigrants rightfully seeking safety, opportunity, and a better life by becoming contributing members of our diverse nation. We reject the notion that America should be defined by the races, birthplaces, religious affiliations, or partisan identities of its founders or groups of citizens.
8. Promote civic responsibility
We believe that all Americans share civic responsibility, which is essential for our self-government and national success. Thriving communities are built by dutifully engaged citizens and good faith efforts to overcome differences with mutual respect and the bonds of civil affection. The solutions to many of America’s greatest challenges can only be found in our diverse communities.
9. Expand economic opportunity
We recognize open, market-based economies as consistent with our natural liberty and the optimal means of ensuring economic mobility and the allocation of scarce resources. Capitalism, while insufficient to address all matters of the public interest, has made America the most prosperous nation on earth and is the engine for innovation and economic growth. We support sensible and limited regulation, including to ensure equal opportunity, and affirm government’s vital role in assisting vulnerable citizens, while encouraging self-reliance without the impediments of cronyism and corruption.
10. Sustain freedom of speech
We reaffirm the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech and freedom of the press as essential to accountable government and the American way of life. We sustain the rights of individuals and private entities to exercise this freedom, even to express unpopular views, and condemn efforts to erode press freedom and public support for its vital role.
11. Honor our conservation responsibilities
We consider vital our shared stewardship of America’s resources – natural, environmental, and financial. We accept responsibility to conserve for ourselves and future generations these public assets, and to protect them from both natural and man-made harms.
12. Advance our common defense and general welfare
We uphold that government is instituted by the people to secure those essential, collective goods that individuals cannot attain for themselves, particularly providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare. We therefore support policies that further public safety, health, and defense as required for enduring national sovereignty and prosperity. | philosophy |
https://www.johnwbarfield.com/principles-for-success | 2020-02-29T11:51:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875149238.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20200229114448-20200229144448-00345.warc.gz | 0.961798 | 265 | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-10__0__103874361 | en | PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESS
Your Good Name & Reputation
It is better to have a good name and reputation than it is to be rich. It takes a long time to gain a good name and reputation, but can be lost in an instant by some foolish comment or action
Acquaintances & Organizations
Choose the people and organizations you associate with wisely. You and your business will be judged by the company you keep.
Your Responsibility to Others
If you are blessed to become successful, remember that your blessings are not just for you and your own. They are meant to be shared with others, especially those who are less fortunate.
When you do a good job, all that you should expect is a good wage. People who get ahead in life exceed the expectations of their customers and employers. Always surprise the people who pay you. Make yourself so indispensible that they dare not be without your services.
Try never to become financially obligated to anyone.
Always think for yourself. Never allow others to think for you.
Always be on your best behavior. Someone somewhere will be watching you.
Above all, remember that your most important possessions are your faith, your health, your family, and your friends. Remembering this will help you to have a happy and blessed life. | philosophy |
https://mbfitstudio.com/katie-beroukhim/ | 2024-04-22T15:13:18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296818312.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20240422144517-20240422174517-00622.warc.gz | 0.94969 | 279 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__132064737 | en | Katie Beroukhim loves yoga and it shows in her teaching. Her classes are fun and creative. She teaches sound alignment principles with a focus on individual discovery and expression, blending what is most appropriate in the moment with what she’s learned from her own practice and the amazing wisdom of her teachers.
Certifications | Education
Along with completing 500 hours of yoga teacher training, Katie is also certified in the following:
Yoga 200 Hour Anusara, Anusara Yoga Level 2, Advanced Anusara Yoga, Restorative Yoga Levels 1 and 2, Yoga Anatomy, Yoga Wall, Yoga as Therapy, Yoga Philosophy & Subtle Anatomy, Yoga of Awakening – Chakras, Reiki I, II Master, Meditation, and Yoga Nidra Facilitator.
Area of Expertise
Katie designs sequences that are challenging enough for experienced students, yet accessible to all levels. She offers lots of modifications to support new people. She understands anatomy and philosophy, and is well equipped to guide her students into wonderful new poses.
Pinch of Personality
Katie has always been active, competing in Synchronized Swim and Cross Country in high school and college, and continuing after graduation. She worked for many years as a writer, editor, and designer before switching to fitness, teaching everything from Kickbox to Cycle to Pilates and to Yoga. | philosophy |
https://barefootandrunningblind.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/intrinsic-value/ | 2018-10-23T21:06:29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-43/segments/1539583517376.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20181023195531-20181023221031-00108.warc.gz | 0.893271 | 252 | CC-MAIN-2018-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-43__0__102923771 | en | Following a rather inspiring evening with author and philosopher Mark Rowlands @ Edinburgh’s Run And Become store – the marketing worked and I bought the book! 😉
Here’s something that I came across, within Mark’s book, that I felt I needed to share…
“Running, I shall argue, is intrinsically valuable. And so when one runs, and does this for the right reason, one is in contact with intrinsic value in life.
This has a significance that is far broader than merely understanding the essence of running – what running really is. Living amidst the darkened of the world, our lives are marred by the inability to recognise intrinsic value when we encounter it. Our lives are lived doing one thing for the sake of something else. Three score years and ten, or twenty, of an endless for-the-sake-of-which: decades of chasing what is valuable but only rarely catching it. To be in contact with something that is important for its own sake of something else, would be to end this chase, at least for a while. For a time at least, one does not chase value, one is immersed in it.”
Mark Rowlands – Running with the Pack. | philosophy |
https://en.khabarhardin.com/adv-brahmi-devi-ji-stresses-spirituality-as-core-to-preserve-goas-identity-and-heritage-at-international-religion-conclave/ | 2023-12-04T04:15:51 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100523.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20231204020432-20231204050432-00461.warc.gz | 0.912743 | 494 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__171356276 | en | New Delhi: As part of India’s G20 presidency, the International Religion Conclave was held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, organized by the Confederation of World Religions. The event focused on the significance of spirituality and culture in today’s world, bringing together distinguished guests and delegates from around the globe. Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Chief Coordinator of the G20, reiterated India’s commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
One of the prominent speakers at the conclave was Adv. Brahmi devi ji, President of the Satguru Foundation. With eloquence and wisdom, she shed light on the spiritual essence of Goa, a coastal state in India. Adv. Brahmi devi ji emphasized the remarkable contributions of Padma Shri Awardee Sadguru Brahmeshanand Acharya Swami ji in uplifting Goa and benefiting humanity through his spiritual teachings. She highlighted the global recognition of Sadguru ji’s revolutionary work, evident in the prestigious Padma Shri award conferred upon him by the Government of India.
Adv. Brahmi devi ji emphasized how Goa had endured the trials and tribulations of the Portuguese inquisition while proudly upholding the values of Sanatan Dharma. Despite facing immense atrocities, Goa’s culture remained resilient, with spirituality as its core, preserving its identity and heritage throughout history.
During her address, Adv. Brahmi devi ji extended an invitation to all attendees, inviting them to visit Tapobhoomi Goa, a sacred land where individuals can experience divine spirituality in the modern world. This invitation served as a testament to the spiritual energy and transformative potential that Goa encapsulates.
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Additionally, as part of the event, Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla launched two notable publications aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of spirituality, culture, and their profound impact on individuals’ lives in the contemporary era.
The International Religion Conclave provided an invaluable platform for global leaders, spiritual luminaries, and delegates to come together, exchange ideas, and foster a deeper appreciation for the vital role of spirituality and culture in our modern world. As India continues its G20 presidency, events like these play a crucial role in promoting interfaith harmony and understanding on a global scale. | philosophy |
http://www.stmarys.org/Qigong | 2016-04-29T21:49:40 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-18/segments/1461860111455.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160428161511-00121-ip-10-239-7-51.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.942861 | 930 | CC-MAIN-2016-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2016-18__0__9932096 | en | Qi Gong is the Chinese word for “life energy.” According to Chinese medicine,
qi is the animating power that flows through all living things. It is also the
life energy one senses in nature. The earth itself is moving, transforming,
breathing and alive with qi.
Gong means “work” or “benefits acquired through perseverance and practice.”
Thus, qi gong mean working with the life energy, learning how to control the
flow and distribution of qi to improve the health and harmony of mind and
Qi Gong is a holistic system of self-healing exercise and meditation, an
ancient, evolving practice that includes healing posture, movement,
self-massage, breathing techniques, and meditation. Through these various
methods, qi is accumulated and stored in the body, like filling a reservoir.
Impure or polluted qi—the essence of disease—can also be cleansed and refined
into pure, healing qi. The goal of some qi gong practices is to discharge and
eliminate the impure qi in a manner analogous to breathing. Breathing is a
process of absorbing a pure source of energy, oxygen and eliminating the impure,
carbon dioxide. Like proper breathing, qi gong practice can make this exchanged
Qi Gong is called a “practice or training” because, unlike medication it is
not “prescribed” for a limited period of time, but rather, practiced daily. This
is easy to do because qi gong is as enjoyable as any sport, yet does not require
a great expenditure of time or money. Students generally practice an average of
twenty to forty minutes each day. There is no need for special equipment or a
large workout space.
Every change in our state of health is reflected in numerous electrical and
biochemical changes that occur throughout the body. Although we cannot say that
any particular compound is qi, scientists in both China and the West have noted
that certain biochemicals behave like qi and may help explain how qi gong
The sensation of being full of qi, whether as a result of one’s own practice
or of receiving external qi from a healer, corresponds to an increase in the
body’s endorphins. If this is the only reason why qi gong feels good or reduces
pain, then administering the endorphin blocker naloxone should prevent qi from
having the usual effects. This has been experimentally tested in China. When
reacts were subjected to a painful electric stimulus, external qi treatment
reduced their pain significantly. Naloxone could only partially block this
effect. This means that endorphins are a correlate of qi, but that qi is more
Anyone can practice qi gong. There are techniques suitable for every age and
physical condition. Qi Gong includes standing, seated, and supine methods. With
only slight adjustments in technique, it is possible to practice most standing
exercises from a seated or lying position. This makes qi gong an ideal exercise
for cancer patients.
Active qi gong includes stretching, deep breathing, low impact conditioning,
and isometrics. It increases range of motion, builds strength, increases
stamina, and improves balance and coordination. Internally, qi gong movements
relax the fascia, the connective tissue that holds the internal organs in place,
allowing the organs to work more efficiently. But qi gong is more than exercise
or sports. Qi gong’s unique combination of movement, breath, and meditation
improves the functioning of virtually all of the systems of the body and has
both preventative and curative effects.
The form or routine that is currently being taught at St. Mary’s Cancer
Center is referred to as “Soaring Crane.” This form of qi gong focuses both on
the cultivation and the movements of qi throughout the body for complete health.
With equal attention devoted to both Yin and Yang is a good form for both men
and women. The complex nature of this form also supports the ability to focus
and learn many components of qi gong. Dr. Larry Sossey recommends “Soaring
Crane” in his book, Reinventing Medicine. | philosophy |
https://www.socialpossibility.org/the-commonplace-12/ | 2022-11-28T17:42:30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710534.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20221128171516-20221128201516-00631.warc.gz | 0.96398 | 902 | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-49__0__44639224 | en | The Commonplace #12
What does it mean to work for community healing or economic recovery in places still wounded and not yet recovering? We are in the midst of triage with many people still in varying stages of trauma. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event, and its effects can be long-lasting. Trauma leaves emotions and psychological wounds. It is not a stretch to suggest we are all wounded and may continue to be. Our wounds may not be past or “post-“, but pervasive and persistent. Structural racism and inequality are shaped by decisions, policies, and failures over time. Structural reform and cultural change resist quick fixes.
America’s journey to recovery will likely be long. Once the pandemic recedes, we will be left with the longer economic recovery, the cultural shifts, the partisan rifts. There will be a new un-normal, a post-pandemic, but perhaps not just and only as an “after”. Instead, we may be in store for a long re-set, an extended wariness, a recurrent reconsideration of everyday life as well as exceptional circumstance. And, so, we, all of us, are and will remain wounded. Our country will carry a long suffering, a crisis of soul and spirit. What is recovery, in this context?
- This short piece from Margaret Atwood appeared in Time Magazine’s Finding Hope edition. She writes, in part,
“We’re in midair, hoping we make it to the other side, where life will have returned to what we think of as normal. So what should we do while we’re up there, between now and then? Think of all the things you hope will still be there in that castle of the future when we get across. Then do what you can, now, to ensure the future existence of those things.”
- Molly Fischer profiled activist, author and playwright Sarah Schulman for The Cut. Fischer’s profile reads as even and excellent, describing some of the controversies and complexities of Schulman’s work, including her book, Conflict is not Abuse. Schulman argues we need more healthy conflict, dialogue and conversation and that we shy away from some topics too much, equating the difficult too readily with the unspeakable. As we consider healing and recovery, the risk and the difficulty are part of that process, perhaps to be sought, rather than avoided. This does not always mean confrontation but rather the hard work of engagement. Fischer shares a quote from the central character in Schulman’s novel, The Cosmopolitans, who believes, “… in the the duty of repair.” As Fischer writes,
“Life in a family, in a community, in a place like New York City, seems to demand a belief that repair and resolution are possible, and that their pursuit is necessary, if we’re all going to keep living together.”
- Fischer traces a spirit that infuses Schulman’s writings, “…a sense of risk and possibility in difference, [that] seems all the more urgent now — and all the more difficult to conjure.” Schuman offered words in Conflict is Not Abuse that may help us cope and continue in traversing the strange terrains where we now find ourselves and our places,
“The fact that something could go wrong does not mean we are in danger. It means that we are alive.”
- The task of our time – to look unflinchingly at our trials and troubles, to find the beauty and the significance in the particular – while remaining partial to hopeful possibility and common humanity, was well described by Pete Hammill. Hammill died this past week, on August 5, 2020. Describing him simply as writer, novelist, and journalist seems lacking. His life, like yours, was in many ways extraordinary. In the introduction to a collection of his newspaper writing, Piecework, he wrote that,
“…the very best a journalist could hope for was to reveal fragments that stood for the whole, like an archeologist working in a ruined city… The trick was to see the world as a skeptic, not a cynic, while allowing for the wan possibility of human decency.” | philosophy |
https://www.houmachristianschool.com/page/about-us | 2023-09-30T13:43:32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510676.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20230930113949-20230930143949-00184.warc.gz | 0.7503 | 246 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__102074159 | en | Houma Christian School is committed to the cultivation and intellectual development of each student in the pursuit of academic excellence, thereby helping to propel them to higher levels of education and achievement. Furthermore, Houma Christian values the integration of faith in Jesus Christ throughout the educational process for the maturing of mind, body, and spirit.
DESIGNED WITH A PURPOSE, FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE, WE WILL PURSUE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
HOUMA CHRISTIAN, STRONG AND TRUE.
WE COME TOGETHER GRAY, WHITE AND BLUE.
STANDING TALL WITH WARRIOR PRIDE,
CONQUERING ALL WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE.
NOT BY OUR STRENGTH, BUT HIS ALONE
INTO OUR HEARTS HIS WORD IS SEWN.
WITHIN THESE WALLS OUR MEMORIES LIE,
THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR WARRIOR CRY.
AS WE LEAVE BEHIND OUR LEGACY,
FOREVER WARRIORS WE WILL BE! | philosophy |
https://orchardprimary.org/character-education-statement | 2018-09-26T02:32:08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267163146.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20180926022052-20180926042452-00372.warc.gz | 0.952943 | 1,276 | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-39__0__27883486 | en | Character Education Statement
Why do we value Character Education?
At Orchard Primary School we acknowledge that the experiences provided for children in their primary years has a major impact on their future wellbeing and success. It is for this reason that from September 2018, we have made a whole school commitment to the teaching and development of character traits, attributes and behaviours which underpin achievement and success; endeavouring to ensure that developing ‘character’ goes hand in hand with high educational aspirations and achievement.
Character through the Curriculum
Through our rich and exciting creative curriculum, we focus on teaching pupils to be their best selves, to take pride in their work, and to be positive members of the school, and greater global communities.
We want to create children who thrive on challenge, love learning, respect each other and have attributes that will ensure that they will be valued members of our society.
We also create a culture where staff are empowered to take risks and be inventive with the curriculum and learning, where mistakes are seen as a valuable part of the learning process, where all staff and governors support each other and the ethos of the school and most importantly where the relationships in the school between all stakeholders provides a secure foundation for skill development.
At Orchard we take ‘PRIDE’ in our school.
Positive – we aim to develop positive attitudes and motivation. Children are encouraged to meet challenges with confidence, determination and enthusiasm and to believe they can succeed; they are encouraged to persevere with challenging tasks and to value ‘effort’; self-confidence and high self-esteem are nurtured.
Respectful – children are encouraged to speak politely and to show tolerance towards the beliefs and values of others; to value friendship and kindness; to show honesty; and to develop the capacity to be empathetic and caring.
Independent – children are encouraged to be confident, to think for themselves, take risks, show initiative, ask questions, make decisions, solve problems, make connections and communicate their ideas. Pupils are also encouraged to be responsible members of the learning community and are supported in their ability to make good choices and decisions.
Diverse – we value and celebrate ‘difference’ and show tolerance and understanding towards the beliefs and ideas of others.
Enthusiastic – we endeavour to develop children’s enthusiasm to do their best.
As well as these values, we have identified three additional key values that we aim to develop in our children.
Reflectivity – children are encouraged to: think about what they are being asked to do; what they already know; what they need to know; how they will achieve this; and to evaluate their ongoing progress.
Collaboration – children are encouraged to: communicate, listen, co-operate and work together as a team with equal responsibility and with clear roles. They are responsible for both their own learning and that of their team members.
reativity –children are encouraged to question and challenge. They will make connections and see relationships, envisaging what might be, exploring ideas and keeping options open, reflecting critically on ideas, actions and outcomes.
Areas of Responsibility
Pupils throughout the school are offered opportunities to take responsibility, to show initiative and to extend their social and cultural experiences.
These roles include: Classroom Monitors; School Council Representatives; House Captains; Anti-Bullying Ambassadors (ABA); Librarians; Playground Pals/Play Coaches and Hall Monitors.
Values Assemblies teach pupils about the personal qualities valued in society e.g. honesty, consideration, independence and self-respect. Assemblies also enable pupils to explore issues relating directly to rules, behaviour and bullying.
Achievement Celebration Assembly
We hold a weekly Achievement Celebration Assembly where we celebrate children’s classroom achievements. Each week teachers choose pupils to receive certificates for a range of attributes, both personal and academic e.g. ‘Star of the Week’, ‘Writer of the Week’, general ‘Well Done’ certificates, best class attendance etc.
The ‘Values Certificate’ is awarded once a week in an achievement assembly to a child chosen by their class teacher who has demonstrated one of the school’s five values (Positive; Respectful; Independent; (appreciation of ) Diversity; Enthusiastic).
The Always Children
Each class teacher will keep a record of the ‘always children.’ These are children who never need verbal reminders, never lose Golden Time, consistently work hard and are outstanding role models in terms of both behaviour and their learning attitude. At the end of each half-term, any child who is on the list will be given a special award in Assembly.
SPACE Team launched!
To promote Character Education across the school, we have our ‘Fab Four’, who will be known as ‘SPACE’ (short for Super Positive Awesome Character Educators!)
They will lead assemblies and will discuss with pupils new ideas for making Orchard pupils awesome!
Hot Chocolate Fridays have arrived!
Mrs Shields has launched ‘Hot Chocolate Friday’!
The idea of Hot Chocolate Friday is for a member of staff to nominate a child from their class who has gone ‘over and above’ during the week to share a hot drink and a chat together, with Mrs Shields.
It’s an opportunity to say ‘Well Done’ to members of the school who get on quietly but might not always get the recognition they deserve. What better way to end the working week than with your hands around a mug of warm, comforting chocolate, especially on a cool Autumn day – Mrs Shields is certainly enjoying it!
Shooting Stars Reward System
The competition is on to see which class has the best values with the launch of our shooting stars reward scheme.
Putting the new piggy banks to good use, pupils are rewarded with a plastic silver star token for showing any of the following characteristics: kindness, determination, respect, grit, consideration etc.
Each week, the winners are announced in assembly; the class with the highest total at the end of each term will be rewarded with a Golden Afternoon. | philosophy |
http://www.frugalculture.org/2009/08/money-cant-buy-you-happiness.html | 2017-04-24T09:17:29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917119225.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031159-00069-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.960438 | 404 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__265000125 | en | A result that deserves more attention is that at levels beyond poverty, there is little correlation between money and happiness.
"Americans who earn $50,000 per year are much happier than those who earn $10,000 per year," writes Gilbert, "but Americans who earn $5 million per year are not much happier than those who earn $100,000 per year."
If you have basic financial security, but you're unhappy, so you're scrambling for more money to buy more things to make you happier, you're just running up a mountain you're making bigger as you go. You would do better to look elsewhere for happiness.
This article comes to a frugalicious conclusion --
If more money doesn't buy more happiness, then the behavior of most Americans looks downright insane, as we work harder and longer, decade after decade, to fatten our W-2s.
-- but then turns 180.
But what is insane for an individual is crucial for a national economy--that is, ever more growth and consumption. Gilbert again: "Economies can blossom and grow only if people are deluded into believing that the production of wealth will make them happy ... Economies thrive when individuals strive, but because individuals will strive only for their own happiness, it is essential that they mistakenly believe that producing and consuming are routes to personal well-being." In other words, if you want to do your part for your country's economy, forget all of the above about money not buying happiness.
Gilbert is a psychologist, not an economist. I find it a refreshingly honest commentary on our modern economy that people are delusional, not rational, actors. But as to embracing this situation and prescribing delusion and the production and consumption of things that don't add value to our lives?
Give up the delusions. Don't buy crap. Don't make crap. There'll still be an economy, but it would become an economy that rewards innovations that actually add value to our lives. | philosophy |
https://www.mhcc-ucc.org/pastors-page/welcome-back5729637 | 2022-01-27T23:22:38 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320305317.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220127223432-20220128013432-00445.warc.gz | 0.929764 | 192 | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-05__0__225433748 | en | The poet Mary Oliver writes,
.......what I want in my life
is to be willing
to be dazzled -
to cast aside the weight of facts
and maybe even
to float a little
above this difficult world.
I want to believe I am looking
into the white fire of a great mystery.
I want to believe that the imperfections are nothing -
that the light is everything........And I do.
In my own life, I've found that when I've welcomed in the unexpected--whether that be person, place or experience--I just might experience what Mary Oliver calls "the white fire of a great mystery." One of the enduring themes of the Bible is to welcome the stranger. How about you? When have you welcomed a stranger and been surprised, dazzled even, by what you discovered?
Blessings, Rev. Beth
Mary Oliver, House of Light, "The Ponds", 1992 | philosophy |
https://healthproadvice.com/mental-health/Rational-Emotive-Behavioral-Therapy-An-Approach-to-Counselling | 2023-01-30T17:01:32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764499826.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20230130165437-20230130195437-00259.warc.gz | 0.940024 | 1,858 | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-06__0__76279172 | en | What Is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is considered the foremost example of a cognitive-behavioral approach. Albert Ellis founded the approach and emphasized our thoughts as the way to change our emotions and behavior. Ellis posits the ABC theory of self-disturbing: A for activating event, B for person’s beliefs, and C for emotional, behavioral, and cognitive consequences that result from B.
According to Ellis, people contribute to their own psychological problems by how they interpret events and situations. However, clients can learn skills in the therapeutic process that help them to identify and dispute the irrational beliefs they may have.
REBT employs various forms of therapies. The main methods include individual therapy, group therapy, brief therapy, and marriage and family therapy, which utilize cognitive, emotive, and behavioral techniques.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Major foci of REBT include self-interest, self-direction, tolerance of self and others, flexibility, self-acceptance, and scientific thinking. The assumption is that people who adopt this type of balanced thinking will experience minimal emotional disturbance. This reflects Ellis’ argument that psychological problems stem from how people think about things.
He calls this the philosophy of “musturbation,” which, he explains, is the core of much psychological trouble. This involves irrational ideas that are self-defeating. For example, a person might continually tell himself, “I must do things exceptionally well at all times.” Internalized, self-defeating thoughts like this could make the person emotionally disturbed.
There is a twofold goal to help clients “disturb” themselves less emotionally in order to feel better and decrease emotional disturbances. People are able to work towards changing their irrational thinking and self-defeating effects. So the emphasis is on a philosophical restructuring of irrational beliefs that can result in long-lasting changes.
In his book, How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything, Albert Ellis outlines several outcomes of the REBT strategies, including:
- coping with difficult life situations and feeling better when you are faced with them,
- learning to control your emotions and destiny,
- promoting scientific thinking, reason, and reality,
- achieving profound philosophic change and a radically new outlook on life,
- taking full responsibility for your “upsetness,” and
- using strategies that can change your personality and are backed by objective, scientific experiments.
REBT is an action-oriented, practical approach to managing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disturbances. Through the use of REBT methods and techniques, individuals can develop a philosophy that leads to a more self-enhancing life.
Albert Ellis' A-B-C
|A - Activating Events||B - Beliefs||C - Consequences|
Facts, events, behavior, attitudes
The person's belief (B) about A causes C
There are emotional and behavioral consequences (healthy or unhealthy)
For example, a person experences depression after losing his job (A)
The person's belief about A is irrational and self-defeating
The feelings of failure result in the depression (C)
Loss of job
"I am a worthless person"
The person feels depressed
REBT and Issues of Diversity
REBT has a certain appeal from a multicultural perspective. In this approach, therapists function as teachers, and clients focus on learning skills to deal with the problems of living. In this respect, REBT is especially appealing to those individuals in cultures who prefer strong, directive counseling and an active counselor.
It is likely that cultures where people want their teachers and advisers to be strong and authoritative would be amenable to these approaches. However, clients in some cultures could find REBT’s direct disputation of their irrational beliefs realistically, practically, and pragmatically intimidating.
People from different cultures tend to appreciate the emphasis on cognition and action. REBT is especially effective for those who prefer a focus on reason and thinking rather than effect or behavior to bring about a positive change in their lives. However, since exploring the client’s beliefs play an important role in the REBT approach, therapists need to be careful about challenging the client’s beliefs, until they have a deeper understanding of the client’s cultural context.
Read More From Healthproadvice
“People are not disturbed by things but rather by their view of things.”
— Albert Ellis
Methods and Techniques Used in REBT
REBT is multi-modal; that is, it uses many therapeutic techniques, including cognitive, emotive, and behavioral. However, cognitive interventions are considered to be at the heart of therapy, which involves disputing (D) irrational beliefs (IB) with vigor and force. The disputing process consists of three steps detect, debate, and discriminate.
According to Ellis, the most effective cognitive disputing methods to use fall under these three realistic, logical and practical headings. Strategies to dispute beliefs, realistically, show clients that there is no evidence to substantiate these beliefs. To dispute irrational beliefs logically is to help clients see their overgeneralization. While pragmatic disputation is to help clients recognize the practical consequences of their irrational beliefs.
The therapist has a presence in the treatment process using influence to effect changes and is seen largely as an educator who seeks to establish the best environment for clients to learn in. However, while REBT regards establishing an effective therapeutic bond between clients and therapists as important, it is not a necessary ingredient for successful therapy.
Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
REBT posits that people's emotional problems largely result from irrational beliefs. This approach focuses on reason and thinking rather than emotion and behavior to bring about positive changes in lives. People can change their disturbances by first recognizing the self-defeating beliefs and then disputing them.
REBT uses cognitive, emotive, and behavioral methods to help clients minimize their irrational beliefs. Disputing and replacing self-defeating thoughts could help you to experience a better quality of life.
References and Further Reading
Dryden, W., & Ellis, A. (2001). Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. In Dobson, K. S. (Ed), Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies (295-348). New York: Guilford Press.
Ellis, E. (2001). Rational emotive behavior therapy: Overcoming destructive beliefs, feelings, and behaviors.Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for formal and individualized diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed medical professional. Do not stop or alter your current course of treatment. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
© 2013 Yvette Stupart PhD
Share in the conversation ....
Yvette Stupart PhD (author) from Jamaica on February 11, 2018:
Thanks for telling me Lynette. I have made the necessary adjustments.
Lynette on February 10, 2018:
I think the "correct" answers on the quiz are wrong.
Yvette Stupart PhD (author) from Jamaica on June 22, 2013:
Thanks for stopping by. Although Beck's Cognitive Therapy and Ellis' REBT both focus on the role of cognitive processes on feelings and behavior, there are differences in emphasis especially in the techniques utilized. For example, REBT employs challenging and debating to help clients let go of their irrational beliefs. In contrast, Beck's Cognitive Therapy helps clients to identify certain patterns of thinking called "schemata," but uses a more collaborative approach, which facilitates clients' playing a more active role in treatment.
Dr. Gary L. Sidley from Lancashire, England on June 11, 2013:
Interesting hub about a type of cognitive therapy that seems currently less popular as compared to Beckian CBT.
I've always found elements of it - such countering a "demand" philosophy to life - very helpful and relevant for some depressed patients.
Yvette Stupart PhD (author) from Jamaica on May 03, 2013:
MsDora , according to Albert Ellis Ellis, "musturbation" is the irrational belief that things "MUST" be a certain way. For example, I might say, "I MUST be approved or accepted by my colleagues at work." Of course, such beliefs, will bring emotional disturbances, so they should be disputed and replaced with more rational beliefs.
Thanks for sharing.
Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on May 02, 2013:
The philosophy of “musturbation” is an expression I have not heard before. Made me smile, but it makes sense. It is really a challenge to fully accept the whole concept about changing by thinking. We cannot teach it enough. Thanks and Voted Up! | philosophy |
https://raven2009.wordpress.com/category/events/page/2/ | 2015-11-25T12:11:52 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-48/segments/1448398445142.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20151124205405-00122-ip-10-71-132-137.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.957656 | 810 | CC-MAIN-2015-48 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2015-48__0__79262186 | en | “Conversation should be loved; it constitutes good society; friendships are formed and
preserved through it. Conversation brings natural talents into play and polishes them.
It purifies and sets the mind to rights and constitutes the great book of the world.”
– from Pierre Richelet’s Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise, Ancienne et Moderne, 1728
Does that quote ring a bell? We featured it nearly eight years ago when announcing the creation of the Athenaeum Salons. I came across it again this summer while reading and re-reading some of the many books and articles that have been written on salon history and the art of conversation (and it is an art!) and was struck anew by both its astutely observed truths and the relevance of those truths to the Athenaeum’s aims over its long life. Conversation, like reading, creates an opportunity for us to develop our own thoughts and become more known to ourselves by listening for, and cultivating our understanding of, the ideas of others.
Over the course of this past year, a variety of separate occurrences have coincided to make me suddenly aware of the evolutionary and exponential accretion of meaning that the Salons have achieved since that first tentative Friday evening gathering in February 2006. From Salon conversations where someone would make reference to a previous year’s Salon in order to connect to a point just made by a presenter, to Molly Lederer’s perceptive observations in her piece on the Salons in last April’s issue of East Side Monthly, to the RI Council for the Humanities’ recent exciting public recognition of the Salons’ community role of providing connection and context across disciplines and organizations, it is clear that the Salons are no longer merely a mad whim – they now have a life and history of their own. And because so many of you have made it a priority to be here Friday after Friday with your curiosity, your openness, your voices, your support, and your enthusiasm for learning about new people, new endeavors, and new ways of engaging in issues and ideas, that long-ago vision of an ongoing conversation that would thread itself through our lives and the life of our community is no longer a dream – it’s a dream come true.
I was recently mulling the question of what the humanities bring to our lives, and realized that one of the things I value most is the way they teach us to ask questions, and then find in the answers even more questions – which perhaps explains why my no longer questioning the healthy present life of the Salons has made me suddenly very curious about their past and future. To answer these new questions and inspire many more, we will feature a Salon series this year called The Cosmology of Conversation, where we look at times and places in history (including 18th and 19th century France, 18th century Rome, 19th century New York City, early 20th century United States, and a bit about Providence in another era as well) in which the conversational format flourished, satisfying both personal and communal goals. “Cosmology” includes the study of origins, structures, laws, and evolution, and evokes the idea of constellations, a metaphor found not infrequently in the study of salon culture. (A favorite example comes from one of our series speakers, salon historian Daniel Harkett, who relates that to convey the 19th century poet Delphine Gay’s charismatic centrality within the social sphere, a contemporary critic referred to her as the “planet Gay.”) As always at the Athenaeum, we seek to shape the future by means of what we can learn from the past – so I hope you will all become cosmonauts this year!
See you in the Salon!
Our thanks to Guest blogger, Christina Bevilacqua, Director of Programs and Public Engagement, for her Fall Program Preview. | philosophy |
https://www.enac.es/web/english/who-we-are/about-enac/operating-values | 2023-02-07T12:34:01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500456.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20230207102930-20230207132930-00294.warc.gz | 0.933959 | 155 | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-06__0__109863371 | en | The main asset of an accreditation body is the confidence it delivers regarding its activities. To this end, it must at all times operate according to the most rigorous ethical and professional principles so that not only it unquestionably guarantees its independence, impartiality, transparency and objectivity, but is also clearly perceived as such at all times. At ENAC, we endeavour to achieve this goal by following our operating values.
Our operating values:
Code of ethics
ENAC’s corporate values are represented in the way we perform our activities and recognised in the underlying principles guiding our behaviour, as set down in our Code of ethics: impartiality, independence, integrity and professionalism, confidentiality and transparency. | philosophy |
http://www.hicuespeakers.com/en/speakers/nilima-bhat.html | 2023-01-29T12:03:21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764499713.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20230129112153-20230129142153-00482.warc.gz | 0.952884 | 493 | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-06__0__35511618 | en | Nilima Bhat is the co-author of Shakti Leadership: Embracing Feminine and Masculine Power in Business, and My Cancer is Me: The journey from Illness to Wholeness.
Nilima is a facilitator of personal transformation and coaches individuals (and organisations) in their quest for conscious evolution. She is an international speaker/trainer on organisational culture, conscious business, women in leadership, self-awareness for work-life balance as well as Indian wisdom and wellness traditions.
As a facilitator of personal and collective transformation, she is a sought after global keynote speaker and trainer on Conscious Leadership, Resiliency and Mindfulness as well as Diversity & Inclusion. She has 28+ years of corporate experience and consciousness-based health and growth training.
Nilima headed Corporate Communications for an ITC Hotel, Philips and ESPN STAR Sports before certifying as a Sivananda yoga teacher and taking up the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. She is also a dancer and choreographer, co-founding a dance company (Sri Shakti) to de-mystify Indian dance and spiritual sciences for international audiences.
Nilima is currently inspired to leverage her corporate experience and 15 years of consciousness-based health and growth practices to build enduring institutions and change-agents, especially women, who can lead India and the planet to sustainable solutions and positive impact. Her new and widely acclaimed book ‘Shakti Leadership’, with Raj Sisodia and publisher Berrett-Koehler is taking her on speaking engagements globally. She also writes a column, Shakti Speaks, based on dialogues within Women's Circles, initiated by a leading national media house, aimed at restoring gender relations.
Her integral approach synthesizes best practices and paths from around the world, and customizes to meet audience needs. Her particular expertise is in developing BQ & SQ (Body Intelligence & Spiritual Intelligence).
She has lived in Germany, Singapore, UK and Hong Kong and has spent the last couple of years between India and the US, serving as guest faculty at the Whole Foods Academy, Austin, Bentley University and Babson College, Boston and Esalen, Big Sur. She is actively involved with supporting the Conscious Capitalism Movement, WIN (Women’s International Network) and is on the board of Peace Through Commerce and MixR. | philosophy |
http://iisko.tumblr.com/ | 2014-03-08T00:37:32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999651907/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060731-00016-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.959413 | 201 | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2014-10__0__52457511 | en | "Sannyasa is only the renunciation of the ‘I’ thought, and not the rejection of the external objects.
He who has renounced (the “I” thought) thus remains the same whether he is alone or in the midst of the extensive samsara (empirical world). Just as when the mind is concentrated on some object, it does not observe other things even though they may be proximate, so also, although the sage may perform any number of empirical acts, in reality he performs nothing, because he makes the mind rest in the Self without letting the ‘I’ thought arise. Even as in a dream one appears to fall head downwards, while in reality one is unmoving, so also the ignorant person, i.e., the person for whom the ‘I’ thought has not ceased, although he remains alone in constant meditation, is in fact one who performs all empirical actions. Thus the wise ones have said." | philosophy |
https://www.geograveltuscany.it/en/stories/what-is-gravel | 2023-12-06T11:37:46 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100593.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20231206095331-20231206125331-00319.warc.gz | 0.96521 | 214 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__49456314 | en | Gravel is therefore not asphalt
Gravel is therefore not asphalt, but neither is an excessively rough path.
It is not a racing bike, but neither is it a mtb.
In the end then, this gravel, what is it?
It is precisely everything in between.
It is new territory, the frontiers of which have yet to be discovered.
It's a trip with friends on roads behind the house, but whose existence was previously unknown.
It is a journey of 200, 500, 1000 or more kilometres that one has dreamed of all one's life.
It is the freedom of not having to limit yourself to one terrain or another: it is the possibility of being able to go wherever you want, continue for another hour on asphalt or turn off at the first trail, find a nice clearing where you can pitch your tent and enjoy the evening with whoever you have next to you.
Gravel is a style of cycling, a new way of cycling, indeed of living, that has a very simple principle. Freedom. | philosophy |
http://www.people.academy/blog/07/25/2016/authenticity-whats-your-definition | 2019-11-13T00:13:32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-47/segments/1573496665809.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20191112230002-20191113014002-00264.warc.gz | 0.960273 | 694 | CC-MAIN-2019-47 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-47__0__29602474 | en | Are you yourself when you are at work? That’s the question People Academy have been asking Leaders in BMW UK.
People are generally social chameleons, adapting to different people in different situations; changing their behaviour and discourse to fit social conventions. In the workplace, our behaviour is also influenced by cultural norms that prevail – the espoused values of the organisation, codes of conduct, hierarchical power structures as well as unwritten conventions that influence communications in emails, over phones and in meetings. Where the pressure to conform is very strong, the organisation produces corporate clones.
"To find yourself, first think for yourself."
Recent research has shown that the qualities people value in their leaders are changing. People want to be managed by individuals who ‘bring their real selves to work’ and are led by their values and the courage of their convictions.
What does ‘being authentic’ mean? In principle, it’s about having the freedom to embody your values and personality without the shackles of corporate convention. What that means to each of us will inevitably be different, because each of us is unique. It sounds quite liberating doesn’t it? But is it really THAT simple?
Of course not! Firstly, there are obvious and sensible constraints, - we have to behave within the rules set down by law. So, if your personal views compromise the equality of any individual who works work with you – tough, that sort of authenticity is simply not acceptable! Leadership carries a responsibility for decision-making and there may be times when your authenticity is tested. For example, when the future career of others is being determined, or when your personal views are at odds with decisions made by higher authorities. The trick is to know how far you are able to flex without a wholesale attack on the values that you stand for.
“This above all: to thine own self be true."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Is being authentic simply a case of ‘this is me, take me or leave me’? To answer that question, you first have to ask yourself ‘what is my purpose as a leader’? If you take the view that your purpose is to add value to the those you lead, then being ‘you’ all the time may hamper your ability to engage with some, particularly if their personality is dramatically different to yours. Interpersonal agility: the capacity to consciously make small, but significant adjustments in behaviour, will improve your ability to connect with a broad range of people. The good news is that this can be achieved without posing a risk to your values or your ability to be the genuine you.
Being authentic starts with knowing yourself, your behavioural preferences, your values and motivations. You have to know something about what kind of person you want to be, how others see you and what constrains you. As a leader, it would be naive to think that it’s easy or straightforward – life isn’t that simple.
We are privileged to have worked with BMW’s leaders to help them craft their own definition of authenticity. Each person has come up with his or her own inimitable version; a fascinating insight into the diversity of people at work.
One leader’s philosophy, in particular, really struck a chord. You don’t have to be an animal lover to understand its meaning… | philosophy |
http://laurenamos.com/values-collage/ | 2021-03-01T20:07:53 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178362899.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20210301182445-20210301212445-00263.warc.gz | 0.940274 | 859 | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-10__0__222537694 | en | Apparently I am meant to live by my values, if only I knew what they were.
What’s a value word? It’s hard to think up on the spot.
There are lists of suggested values on the internet. Staid concepts like honesty and harmony. Values most of us share but would struggle to rank if pressed to prioritise a top 5.
The list is a starting point, but what is missing? A while ago I met a corporate escapee turned jazz singer. She radiantly told me about now living her values, beauty and romance, which aren’t always in the ‘serious’ lists.
It’s tempting to pick the values you ‘should’ have rather than listening to the ones which you really connect to.
Instead of being limited by the list, or struggling to come up with words off the top of my head, I decided to let my intuition guide me by creating a collage.
The benefit of collage as medium is that I don’t have to create the artwork myself. I can flick through magazines and wait until I find something that ‘resonates’. I can choose phrases or pictures that say so much more about my complex values than simple words on a list.
Discover my true values
A variety of scrap magazines.
Scissors, glue and a piece of large paper.
Set the intention to look for what resonates with your values.
Browse the magazines and notice your reaction.
If an image or piece of text resonates, check in with yourself – does this feel like a should or a true value?
Cut true value pieces and set aside (Optional: keep ‘should’ values for an alternative collage on the values that have been imposed on you)
Arrange cutouts on piece of paper and glue in place
I stuck my values up on my whiteboard as a reminder.
I wasn’t sure why I chose some pieces but it became clear by the end. I had to trust the process, that I had chosen enough, but that I had space and it would all fall into place.
I noticed the underside (option: choose images and stick upside down for interesting reveal).
What did I leave out – ‘expert how-to’. What did I rearrange – a model, using the feet, head and patterns separately.
Once finished I noticed themes emerge; light to the deep home, the quest and adventure for new experiences, nature describing growth. I also arranged the collage in a timeline; past, present future. I was heading home to the future. A head above, the watcher.
It didn’t make sense to me to reduce this rich picture to a list of 5 top value words. Instead I have this to refer to, asking myself “does this action fit within this picture?”
This activity is something I can redo to see if my values shift over time.
I am quite happy with this picture as a collection of my values. It has more depth than a list of value words, it’s more personal. I can still use this to evaluate my decisions.
It has been a few months now since I created the collage and I’ve noticed that I’ve turned some of the images into reality. The travel theme is strong, I recently returned from a European holiday including visiting Santorini – the picture in the top right corner. I didn’t consciously use the values collage to book my trip but it was stuck on my wall, I wonder if that influenced me?
Try this for yourself and share your insights here.
Try this for yourself and share your insights.
- Do you have a list of top values, do they reflect you well?
- Do your values come from a place of ‘should’ or authenticity?
- How does it feel when you are aligned with your values?
- Do you bring your values into everyday decisions?
- Can you display your values as part of your branding/identity (personal or business)? Are you known for your values? | philosophy |
https://miss.joker.myblog.de/miss.joker/page/1906759/Quotations | 2018-06-18T05:49:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267860089.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20180618051104-20180618071104-00326.warc.gz | 0.969057 | 798 | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-26__0__82102401 | en | “I think know, looking back, we did not fight enemy, we fought ourselves and the enemy was in us. The war is over for me now but it will always be there, for the rest of my days. As I’m sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah called ´possession of my soul´. There are times since I’ve felt like the child born of those two fathers. But be that as it may, those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again, to teach to others what we know and to try with what’s left of our lives to find a goodness and meaning to this life.”-Chris Taylor (Platoon)
"The first real casualty of war is innocence."
“Hell is the impossibility of reason.”
“How about alive? Hm?
Wanna know how I got these scars?
My father was a drinker and a fiend. And in one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn’t like that - not one bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me and he says "Why so serious?". He comes at me with the knife: "Why so serious?" He sticks the blade in my mouth, "Let's put a smile on that face!" and why so serious? Now, our operation is small..but there’s a lot of potential for aggressive expansion. So, which of you gentlemen would like to join our team? – Oh, there’s only one spot open right now, so we`re gonna have tryouts. Make it fast."
-The Joker (The Dark Knight)
“I only do this because I'm having fun. The day I stop having fun, I'll just walk away.”-Heath Ledger
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get."
-Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)
“I love this place at night. The stars…there’s no wrong or right in them. They’re just there.”-Sergeant Elias (Platoon)
“But the rest are even scared to open up and laugh. You know, that’s the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn’t anybody laughing. I haven’t heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.”
-McMurphy (One flew over the cuckoo's nest)
“Especially when you've given your heart to someone who barely knows you exist, who insists on plowing through strange, stupid women who could never love him the way you do, leaving you to stand outside, alone in the night, wishing with all your heart that he would come to his senses and realize that his true happiness lies with you and no one else, but knowing all the while that it'll never happen, because he's a selfish, immature, heartless jerk!”-Rose (Two and a half men)
“I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.”-Noah (The Notebook)
"Uncertainty is a sign of humility, and humility is just the ability or the willingness to learn."-Charlie Sheen | philosophy |
http://vonfressen.com/ | 2016-07-28T12:18:59 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257828282.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071028-00112-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.914948 | 135 | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2016-30__0__136675996 | en | FressenFoodHere in Vesterbrogade 124 we live and die by two principles: homemade & range.
We try to make everything on site. We focus on specificity. We don’t just cook “food”, we cater to omnivore, vegetarian and vegan guests alike. We try to use as much local and organic produce as possible. We pay attention, we care.
In short, our aim is to make sure that, whatever is your flavor, life-choice or tolerance, whether it’s a flensburger or a vegan soup, your dish is infused with the same love, passion and respect. | philosophy |
https://writersquarry.org/ | 2017-10-17T13:23:11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187821189.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20171017125144-20171017144810-00033.warc.gz | 0.941866 | 206 | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-43__0__190071343 | en | RSVP to our October 19 workshop
From Dani Shapiro’s Still Writing
If you’re waiting for the green light, the go-ahead, the reassuring wand to tap your shoulder and anoint you as a writer, you’d better pull out your thermos and folding chair because you’re going to be waiting a good long while.
It’s strange and challenging, glorious and devastating, this business of being a writer. Every day, a new indignity. The rejection is without end. … We writers are a thin-skinned, anxious lot, and often feel like we’re getting away with something, that we’re going to be revealed, at any moment, as the frauds we really are.
But when we give ourselves permission, we move past this. The world once again reveals itself to us. We become open and aware, patient and ready to receive it. We give ourselves permission because we are the only ones who can do so. | philosophy |
http://thatsnotmayo.blogspot.com/2008/05/being-missional.html | 2018-07-23T16:52:22 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-30/segments/1531676599291.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20180723164955-20180723184955-00637.warc.gz | 0.972526 | 998 | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-30__0__93289136 | en | "To be or not to be, that is the question." Famous lines of the Great Bard, Shakespeare. A concept that is worth spending some time in self reflection over. What is it that we are to "be?" One may quickly recognize that "to be" is an active verb, meaning there is no place for passivity when we are "to be" _________.
Many of us spend so much time, money, and energy "being" something whether it is a coffee barista, an accountant, a lawn care specialist, a wife, or a friend. Stop and think how much of you is required simply "to be" whatever it is you are. Would you say that it is always easy, always natural, always enjoyable, or always self-promoting? The reality is "being" requires obedience, whether it is obedience to a boss, a landlord, a system, or even a conviction. And do you ever notice that the greater the authority to which you are obedient the greater amount of effort it takes to "be" that which we are "being." Perhaps that is why "being" missional is not always easy, natural, enjoyable, or self-promoting. To "be" missional requires obedience to the God of All Reality, All Essence, and All Existence. Certainly this is no task we can achieve in and of ourselves, for that which is opposed to God cannot obey God and thus cannot be an agent of God (Rom. 2:10-11; 3:23). Yet from our model of Creation we see that God breathed life into humanity so that we would "be" those who represent and reflect God to all of Creation (Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:7). As followers of Christ, we are called to “be” part of something drastically and unfathomably bigger than our vocation, our culture, and our time period. Hence, “being” missional is a major endeavor.
However, "being" representatives of God, "being" proclaimers of Christ, "being" missional is also a struggle because of the smell of that Old Master that once took residence in our lives--the Master of Sin--constantly taunting our New Master--the Master of Life, the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:11-14; 8:2; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; Gal. 5:17). “Being” missional involves living in battle, a battle that is fought in the unseen realm yet manifests itself in the physiology and psychology of our bodies, in the weariness of our minds, and in the cravings of our stomachs. Hence, “being” missional anticipates opposition.
So, if "being" a school teacher, computer tech, or pastry chef is not all you thought it was wrapped up to be, consider "being" missional. "Be" one who exudes the desire for seeing your co-workers come to know and love and be loved by the One who created them. "Be" one who spends time, money, and energy connecting with your cubicle buddy so that he would see a shadow of the persistent initiating love displayed by the Incarnate Son of God. To "be" missional is not easy, but it is "being" at its core.
My wife and I have been striving to connect on a deeper level with some friends who do not follow Christ for the last two years. It has taken as much planning and preparation as it does for my wife and I to go on a date. Perhaps this is more indicative of our perpetual business, but it is also a reality of our here and now and we are commissioned to "be" in it. We have sought to hang out with these friends at least once per month and often times these get-togethers turn into parties at their house giving us little face time with our friends. Needless to say, I walk away from those gatherings frustrated because that was supposed to be my shot at telling them about following Christ. Yet a month later, we'll get a call, or my wife will have a conversation with this friend at work, inviting us to hang out with them again. What boggles my mind is that this invite will be at their initiative. How unexpected is this response simply because we took the time to "be" with them in their world, a world they are fully aware that we may sometimes feel uncomfortable in (e.g., "How many beers can you drink in an hour?"). This is when I am reminded that "being" missional, as difficult as it is, does matter.
Sometimes, simply "being" is all it takes for a friend to respond to the grace you have exhibited. And that is what we pray for; a response of faith in the greatest "being" of grace: Jesus Christ | philosophy |
https://monospace.design/en/about-us/ | 2022-12-01T16:01:55 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710829.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20221201153700-20221201183700-00593.warc.gz | 0.959999 | 339 | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-49__0__144971107 | en | We believe, your brand lives in the "space in-between". Between you and your customers. It’s where you meet. Online. Offline. Anywhere. This is where every single encounter gives rise to the desire to meet again. Or to the decision to move on. So, be yourself. Introduce yourself. Have an open mind.
Sometimes the space in-between is just a brief moment. At other times it’s a business card that catches attention. An exhibition booth that invites your customers to say hi. Advice on your webpage that helps them. Packaging that delights. Or a full-blown film that illuminates your shared vision.
Often, the space in-between is well known. You and your customers have been in there for years. But too often something goes wrong. Someone else moves in. Someone else becomes part of your customers’ world.
The problem: by letting yourself go you let them go. You didn’t care about yourself. Now they think you stopped caring about them. Why did you? Someone else takes over. Someone who cares more. You will see them go. Some are angry, some disappointed.
Never stop showing you care. Never stop being a partner. Never stop evolving. Because we like brands that like us. Because we like brands that are like us.
At monospace, we believe your brand’s mission is to celebrate every single moment in the space in-between. To make it a place where your customers want to come back to. To make it a place that makes the world a better place.
Make the world better. | philosophy |
https://www.gridconnect.com/blogs/news/the-iot-in-2025 | 2024-03-02T07:58:05 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475757.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302052634-20240302082634-00759.warc.gz | 0.951945 | 629 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__182516474 | en | When we talk about the future, wandering minds drift toward watery visions of flying cars, personal robots, and hover boards where all work is banished by fully automated technology. I tend to picture this kind of future a bit more like Wall-E: humans as a race of fat sluggish incompetents surrounded by an entirely preset system. Thankfully this vision just doesn’t line up with reality.
The Internet of Things (IoT) in its current state is almost a tongue-in-cheek phrase representing the market for connected devices. Familiarity with smartphones that connect to the internet has sparked all sorts of new devices with similar compatibilities. These devices range from shades that sense the heat and direction of the sun, adjusting accordingly, to the already-standard Nest thermostat. What makes this technology unique is a dual-compatibility to “sense” its surroundings and to connect to the internet.
That is today. When we look at the future of the IoT, we need to take into account our world’s culture values. Technology is driven by what consumers want, but most people don’t really want to end up with how Wall-E depicts automation of experience rather than of environment. No one wants their computer to pick how they are going to dress. What they would like is a computer capable of presenting all their options, helping them find what they are looking for, placing an order, and delivering the package. The concern comes when looking at automating joyful activities: think of a computer taking over the technical joy of sailing, biking, writing, playing an instrument, etc. It’s a horrible thought. People don’t want to automate enjoyable difficulties.
Opening up the concept of the IoT, we discover that as time goes on, this technology should become, in a sense, less noticeable. As the design and technology behind the products becomes more powerful, homes will connect automatically in the background and every device will be infused with a sense of awareness. Picture waking up on a beautiful day, your shower’s temperature is set right where you like it, shades open automatically when you wake to let in the sun and you can hear the coffee maker beginning to brew downstairs. This is all set by a chain of events which will become even more subtle and seamless as time goes on. At some point, the house should even be able to recognize special days throughout the week and year and make change the environment accordingly. Other environments will be updated in a similar manner: restaurants will know what you ordered last time and waiters will be able to offer suggestions based on your past choices; and grocery shopping will be triggered by they way you read the recipe logged on your phone and direct you to the aisles. Simply put, every electronic device will have some level of human awareness. Products will fit into a greater web of connectivity, providing for simple transitions between the appliances that we use every day.
The Internet of Things is just the modern preliminary to the modern ecosystem, where objects are bound together in a way that promotes automation while preserving the activities you love. | philosophy |
https://www.newassemblage.com/danielle-thiris | 2021-07-24T13:23:24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046150266.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20210724125655-20210724155655-00069.warc.gz | 0.958911 | 398 | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-31__0__126571732 | en | PAST BELIEFS & FUTURE WISHES, 2021
TERRACOTTA, BONE CHINA SLIP, MID FIRE AND EARTHENWARE GLAZE, TERRA SIGILLATA
“When I reflect on my own relationship to objects, I find that my desire to collect, cherish and live alongside something can often be traced to the evidence it bears of human touch. Those objects that are handmade, that have been passed on to me by friends or family, are those that I treasure most. I’m drawn to pieces that reward a sustained gaze, that allow space for discovery and hold a story: a napkin set, handwoven and embroidered by my Yiayia’s cotton-farming neighbours and a small, hand-bound book of prayer that was her constant companion. I cannot read the book (it’s in Greek) but I treasure it for its ageing leather cover, its brittle pages, its smell and the comfort it gave my Yiayia.
Conversely, we urgently embrace mass-produced objects that seem to offer the promise of an improved life only to promptly abandon them when they don't deliver. Perhaps they fail to satisfy because they have little presence, no humanity to relate to. Having said that, I recently heard a story about an artist who used the same plastic cup in his studio for over 20 years. He brought the cup home with him from a hospital stay and carefully used it to wash his brushes each day. He chose to care for and cherish this plastic cup, and passed it onto his son once he retired from his art-making practice. I hope to make pots that will sustain and reward attention over generations, that will become a part of the lives of those who choose to live with them.”
Material: Terracotta, bone china slip, mid fire and earthenware glaze, terra sigillata
Price On Application | philosophy |
https://www.epipole.com/company-values/ | 2024-04-19T09:42:45 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817382.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240419074959-20240419104959-00004.warc.gz | 0.917741 | 584 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__112752149 | en | Welcome to our company values page, where the heart and soul of our organization shines through.
At our core, we have always believed that ‘Company Values’ aren’t something handed down from a distant, faceless, corporate entity, but instead are things that should be cultivated collaboratively, with the whole team involved – This way the values are truly ours.
These values serve as our guiding light, helping to shape our decisions, interactions, and our contributions to the world around us.
Formed in 2011, by Dr Craig Robertson, with the aspirational intent of ‘eradicating preventable blindness’, epipole is not just another imaging company – We’re on a mission to revolutionize the eyecare industry with our retinal imaging devices, and we are doing it with style and personality!
With our flexible purchase and support options available, we make it all as easy as possible to access our technology; because let’s face it, retinal imaging shouldn’t be a pain in the eye.
Our innovative solutions support healthcare professionals in their day to day, whilst also enabling them to do things they weren’t doing before; by helping them take eye care directly to existing (and new) out-of-practice patients, wherever they are.
By supporting our practitioners, and actively helping them generate more revenue for their practices, we help them grow, which in turn helps us grow our business too; this then benefits our close-knit team, and supports future product development.
On top of this, our academic partnerships are helping support future developments in global eye healthcare – from Europe to the US, our partners are helping lead the scientific revolution around the world, and we couldn’t be prouder to be involved.
Welcome to seeing things in a whole new light.
At epipole we strongly believe in the power of collaboration, and so when writing our company values, we actively sought input from our entire team (from the intern to the CEO!)
We did this because we wanted our Values to speak to the people that work here, and resonate with everyone directly and personally, rather than some stereotypical, cookie cutter ‘corporate values’ passed down from up on high.
Through collaborative idea sharing, ‘round table’ meetings, meticulous analysis, and thoughtful consideration of every input, we are thrilled to announce that the essence of our collective effort and dedication can be distilled into two simple yet profound words: “We Care“
These two words beautifully encapsulate the ethos of our organisation. They represent our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional retinal imaging solutions with a deep sense of compassion and empathy.
“We Care” serves as a powerful reminder of our shared purpose and the significant impact we strive to make in the field of retinal health. | philosophy |
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