Ridding of Ignorance, Re-Invigorated

Your cynicism is showing!! The pendulum swings both ways in positive contributions and negative ones. I dare you to argue the work of scientists to create vaccines against polio, malaria, and smallpox..to name a few. Their lifetime efforts of research and development were worthy endeavors. Can you state that works of literature that have taken years to write in order to teach and challenge thought of the reader wasn't a worthy endeavor? Can you believe that our best composers who took years developing their talents to compose great music for which generations would continue to enjoy were not contributing valuably to society?? I continue to believe that only being concerned with the moment and now is immature and irresponsible.

Humanity has lost much that is not recoverable. Nothing lasts forever; this planet and this solar system will be scattered throughout the galaxy, just like our bodies will be scattered across this planet. Living your life thinking that somehow what you do now or ever will be etched into history forever, seems a painful way to exist. I doubt that Frederic Chopin or Louis Pasteur considered for one minute what we're doing right this minute.

You miss the entire point of what I've been discussing with myself here. This is understandable; let us have some patience with ourselves.

Don't you see that by comparing yourself to all these composers, scientists and writers that you've totally lost focus on doing something right this moment? You're so lost in the mesh of what you think you know so well that you cannot contemplate anything nor any concept not known to you right now.

You continously use words to qualitatively lower others around you, and due only to the presentation of a different idea or a different opinion to your own. Words like irresponsible and immature directed toward anyone demeans yourself. When you enter a discussion feeling as if you must prove something or someone wrong, you're no longer discussing anything. The ability to expand your view diminishes considerably.

Being certain means you're actively engaged in your life; you're doing something with your life. Realizing the destructive potential of our living power does not negate the constructive potential of that same power today. It's a recognition of the truth. Many truths can co-exist and contradict each other simultaneously. The key is to be flexible enough and aware enough in this moment to act with certainty yet not be attached to the outcome you so desire to be the result.

These are not easy waters to wade into casually. Attempting to apply fixed concepts to non-fixed realities is going to always be painful if you remain aware. So many are not aware, yet experience vivid pain and suffering as the result of that lack of awareness.

I feel the reason people do not act differently and participate directly in their community is because they hold the view that these massive problems we all face are fixed situations and are immoveable and intractable. Some people feel as if they have no affect on those problems, and, accordingly, don't bother to do anything at all.

These fixed concepts are the ignorance I so wish to rid from my mind, my life and my community. This is the heart of the ignorance I wish to tear out of my life and do so openly, with compassion and patience for others.

Thank you for this opportunity to re-invigorate my efforts toward this aim.

Follow these series.
Frightening World, Scary Me 2
Crucial Certainty
Frightening World, Scary Me