Category: Philosophy & Musings

I have met many that are willing to give away money and things, but few who are willing to give away time or comfort.  It seems to be too uncomfortable a prospect, unless there’s a guaranteed wage or return attached to each hour.  IMHO, as someone who wants to create, time and comfort are the…

“Tradition and structure are all-important, and must be preserved at all costs.”   —Perpetuators who hamper their own evolution by blindly supporting established belief systems. “Tradition and structure are a means to an end.  Change them as needed (while maintaining your ethics) in order to achieve results and hit your targets.”   —Paraphrase of Musashi, polymaths, and autodidacts.

Irony (specifically the kind where I’m hampered by the very traits I accuse others of harboring) bursts from the surface of reality, entangling me with insubstantial tentacles that solidify and strengthen as I struggle harder and harder, with ever increasing zealotry.  The only way to free myself is to dive deep deep DEEP into the depths of…

IMHO, writing is about understanding human nature well enough to cobble together a mess of squiggly symbols (letters) into a magic spell that attunes a reader’s brain into a parallel dimension.  The barrier to entry is almost nonexistent—almost anyone can write.  The barrier to perception (great writing, after all, is meant to undo the walls of…

“Unless you’re using speech as a practical asset like Mcgregor or Ali, don’t waste your breath spewing fiery words or empty platitudes.  Do the job and talk about it later.”   —Paraphrased from people who get stuff done.

Every mechanism, every thought, every feeling…all of it can be used constructively, or it can be co-opted by the ego to justify self-destructive action.  Fear and love, for example, can serve to keep us safe and happy.  Conversely, both these things can weigh us down with ideas/patterns that should have been relinquished long ago.  Outward awareness of…

“Learn to poke fun at things without being mean.  (Every once in a while—if it’s genuinely funny—it’s okay to be a little mean).” —Paraphrased from every wise person worth their salt

From what I’ve seen, the quest to “feel good” will result in all sorts of opportunities for the ego to waylay progress and evolution, under the umbrella excuse of “it feels right,” and often seems to result in self-deception.   In contrast, the quest to BE good—to become fulfilled and capable—will result in all sorts…

IMHO, the best belief systems should inspire one to grow and evolve, constantly reiterating the system’s core values in new and more effective ways.  If this isn’t the case, then there runs the danger of even the best operating system lapsing into an old, maggot-ridden religion, predictably red in tooth and claw.

The ironic thing is that most worthwhile journeys seem to point out that we never needed to look outside us; what we were looking for was within us, all around us, the whole time we were looking. The doubly ironic thing is that most of the time, it seems we need to go on these…