Creating paradise
Why do people focus on the negative aspects of life? Would it not be more fulfilling to move on, believing that every breath taken is paradise?
- Emile Rposted 13 years ago
0Sure. If we ignore the pain and suffering of others throughout the world. This isn't paradise. We are duty bound to the human race to recognize the negative aspects and work toward solutions. Imo.
Focus on being a gentle person and then help others. Do not help others to bolster pride. To make this world a paradise, we must create paradise for others. Life is not about me or you, we are no more special and serve no higher function than that of a rock or a grasshopper.
Beg to differ. Can a rock feed another rock? Can a grasshopper use his brain and skills to alleviate the pain and suffering of another grasshopper or another living thing? We are unique and we have a responsibility to recognize and use this to its highest advantage.
But I agree, in theory, to the rest of your statement.All things are unique, no one rock has the same shape as another and no two tigers have the same stripes. Everything is vastly unique and everything has a function. We refuse to see the function, because we see ourselves as being vastly superior and believe we serve a higher function. We do what we do to preserve the species, as do all living things. Though animals have it a bit harder, we are only different by our own standards.
We are vastly superior to all other life on Earth. Fact.
It's funny because there is nothing factual about that statement. What you said is utterly full of ego. To me the superior life form is the one that can kill without being seen, like a virus or a spider. We are at the mercy of nature, we only think we're in control.
So, you consider the ability to kill as the measuring stick for worth?
No just pointing out how vulnerable we truly are as opposed to nature. We think we are superior, we are but only toying with nature and truly have yet to see what we are doing.
Lack of complete knowledge doesn't negate the value of our unique characteristics. What we don't know can be discovered. Damage done can be reversed. A herd of cattle will decimate a pasture. They wouldn't stop to ponder a way to alleviate the problem. They couldn't find solutions that would keep their resources from dwindling.
The world had a ballance, we only lived as long as nature would allow. Nature had a ballance and we through it off by doing what we thought was right for us. We only see ourselve's, ancient man saw nature and was at one point subject to it's changes.
Many ancient pockets of civilization worked against nature as strenuously as their level of knowledge allowed them to. I assume you are therefore referencing nomadic peoples. Had that been the model that survived the centuries I seriously doubt either of us would be alive today. I also doubt we'd be communicating at this moment.
These things that we have are part of evolution, but still greed, power and belonings mean more to most than other people. Most Americans give most during the Christmas season, imagine what the world would be like if people were apt to share with everyone. I don't see the point in having a billion dollar estate or having a bigger house. This world has become ever so small and we make it a negative place when we only see how "I" can get ahead.
Your opening statement doesn't support your post. Even a land grabbing robber baron can breath in and believe they are in paradise. Heck. They'd possibly have more reason to believe it, since they are well insulated from the suffering of others.
To create paradise for ourselve's, is to not create paradise for others. To create true paradise for ourselve's we should create a paradise for all. I believe humillity and love are dying on this planet and that it is those that seek to be above everyone else that truly suffer. What happens to the richest man when he can buy everything? He tends to suffer the loneliness of true desire.
What happens when others don't define paradise as you do? Who's ideas trump the others?
It doesn't matter, we'll still be creations of life and nature whether we choose to see it or not.
If it doesn't matter, why the OP? You do realize you vacillate a lot? It makes it difficult to follow. If you say what you mean and mean what you say....this would be infinitely more interesting.
I mean exactly what I say. I know what I am and who I am is part of it. I have given my self over to life and living, I did not need religion or science to find my true self and my true self is a representaion of nature. Suffering was created by mankind and mankind compounds the suffering by living in a prideful mind.
We created suffering? How is that, exactly? Suffering is a part of life. I'm all for seeing the silver lining, but I'm not sure how that statement would comfort a flood victim who has lost everything, a malnourished child or someone who has just lost a loved one.
It's always fun to attempt to sound philosophical, but a percentage of life is pain. Anyone who says different is selling something.
And if you know who and what you are, the assertion needs to be supported with some consistency when commenting. Imo.I accept that I will suffer and I will feel pain. That does not give me an excuse to let others suffer as they do. Would you let a starving person eat your food or let a flood victim live in your house?
Of course. But that small contribution will not change facts. There will always be disasters that disrupt our lives. The poor will always be among us.
Convincing everyone to look at life as if it were paradise isn't like inoculating the world with the Smallpox vaccine. Life is what it is. You can't eradicate suffering.I can't stop suffering only give suggestions to ease the pain of it.
Ego?
Perhaps you could shows us the wonderful pieces of art created by armadillos, or the musical masterpieces by aardvarks. Maybe you appreciate the philosophical musings of ants, or the high tech invented by albatrosses. And why follow manmade religions when we have the belief systems of antelopes of the Serengeti?Those things are unimportant. I am an artist, but that does not make me special. We all have talents, but we are still natural creatures.
They are critically important. The differentiate us from animals that only live to survive and procreate. They make life worth living and they take humanity forward with each generation building on the last.
You are special because you are human and your work can inspire others to develop art onwards.To think we are special, we are building a pedestal. We are natural creatures and we procreate, we eat and we die. We are no different from the other animals in this respect.
I give up, you win, I'm no better than a field mouse.
I'm not trying to win, I am only pointing out our prideful nature.
I have only pride in the beauty of life, I don't believe it is important that I have a talent, we all do. The other animals have a talent for living, otherwise they would not be here.
How very, very true!
Your perception of this beautiful world is all Anthropocentric. We humans will be the cause of our downfall.
If you could only see the interconnectedness of everything in this world. Yet the superiority, which you believe we have over other lifeforms, puts us up on that pedestal, where we cannot see the foundation which is right under our feet... to use another analogy.
You believe that a bird, whilst darting at speed through a thicket, does not "think;" that a spider does not see and reason as to the size and strength of the prey hooked up in its web. The octopus was formerly seen as just a useless, slimy low life. Yet now we know it is extremely intelligent.
Each life form adapts, over generations, to the circumstances in which it lives. We will never know for sure where that ability to adapt comes from.
Any species which cannot, or will not, adapt to change will ultimately die.
Mice, know your place!
Yeah, and just think, Dolphins and Humans are supposedly the only "beings" that have sex for pleasure, but yet the Bonobos, for example, are known for penis fencing and foreplay; go figure...
Well, penis fencing is another thing entirely. I suppose if we add that talent to our bag of tricks we'll be truly unique as a species.
That would be an excellent name for a penis fencing team. Now all we have to do is come up with the rules of the game.
Sounds a little too homo-erotic for me.
Actually, the Bonobos that perform the "penis fencing" activities, can at least be considered semi-bi-curious, if ya know what I mean. But why discriminate, since they were just using what God gave 'em, right? Then again, even monkeys can have ego issues... Ha-ha!
I would not argue against the value of everything within existence. The loss of even what we perceive as the tiniest piece within the diversity of life throughout our world is a travesty we are in no position to understand the full ramifications of.
However, we are unique. Maybe that isn't as wonderful a thing as some imagine; but it is a fact one cannot effectively argue. How many grasshoppers are posting on the forums?A grasshopper will not post because they can't. The thing I am pointing out is the function, not the abillity to do certain things. We are unique for sure, but our function is no greater, if not more destructive than the grasshopper.
We have great powers of destruction, yet we are the only species capable of taking great measures to preserve life. You can't downplay that ability.
I'm not trying to downplay anything. I'm simply pointing out the possibility that we are not as special as we presume. In trying to create a better world for ourselve's we have created hell for others. Our belief that we are unique and special, has lead us into inequity.
No. Our selfish ego and greed has led us down the road to inequities. We can recognize our unique place with humility and be better stewards of the environment; or we can continue along a path toward our possible extinction.
The need of the one outweighs the need of the many. At least in this day and age.
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