April 15, 2009
-
Deep and Troubling Thoughts and Questions
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
~~Carl Rogers
Is that true? I was changing all along, even before I gained any self-acceptance. Now that I have learned to accept myself, what is true is that I have more control over the direction of some of my changes. Some, but not all — I continue to change in ways I haven’t anticipated or intended, too.Is anything said in words really true? …when words mean whatever anybody says they mean?
Take, for example, “justice,” “the maintenance or administration of what is just.”
just
adjective
Etymology:
from jus right, law; akin to Sanskrit yos welfare
1 a: having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason : reasonable <a just but not a generous decision> b archaic : faithful to an original c: conforming to a standard of correctness : proper <just proportions>
2 a (1): acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good : righteous <a just war> (2): being what is merited : deserved <a just punishment> b: legally correct : lawful <just title to an estate>
synonyms see fair, uprightSo unjust laws and extralegal justice may or may not be real and true, oxymoronic, or paradoxical, depending on how one feels about the words involved.
But, jumping back to Carl Rogers, would we have to accept things outside ourselves “as they are” before we can change them? I suppose that a large number of “us” or one or two of the very powerful or influential ones among us would have to accept that “things” need to be changed, before such change would be initiated, unless things just accidentally change by themselves.
Things do change. That would be a comforting thought if things always changed in ways that I desire for them to change. That’s not the way it goes.
Jumping back to “justice,” which was what I had on my mind when I started this little rant today, life isn’t fair — but “life” and happenstance are a lot more fair, just, and impartial than people are. Natural systems and events are less likely to favor rich white people than, for example, the U.S. criminal justice system is.
That is a demonstrable, documented fact. I won’t argue it, and I have a damned hard time accepting it, but I certainly would like to see it change. How do we change it? It’s hard to achieve meaningful change there, especially when most of the judges and justices in the system are rich white men.
Criminal justice is only one of the matters on my mind. There is also social justice. Is it fair that a few people have ridiculously extravagant luxury while many people lack even life’s necessities? If that’s not fair, then would it be more effective to tax the rich and restrict a few of their luxuries to provide some necessities for a lot of little people, or would it be more effective to arm the little people and train them in guerilla tactics?
Comments (13)
*ponders*
I really don’t know. But I am going to read that book — “Reality is what you can get away with”
The law of “nature” is that only the “strong” survive. Human experience is similar in that the strong do still do better, but the social system still cares more for those less fortunate (sometimes.) Justice still is largely perverted by the heap (as in dung piles) of honours upon those “more fortunate.” And, Through all of this, Justice still seems to be omnipresent-even if it is applied or dolled out in the most paradoxical ways.
I’ve only the vicarious armchare experience of wolves thanks to multiple PBS-esque specials. Wolve tend to be communal- yet not always as why else would the term “lone wolf” have entered language-it wouldn’t likely be because there wasn’t evidence that numberous examples show something successful occured to burn that expression into collective memory. but mostly its the exception proving the rule that very few acheive anything without the interplay of community.
Community can be highly annoying as it no longer is but one’s oppinion or voice but a collective one- which just screams trouble! I communicate what is good for me but without the acceptance of my “community” my words are made mute. how unfair!?
Words or more properly perceptions of oppinion differ between those having oppinions. Common Sence is another such expression meant to be Reasonable if not inevitable- yet as much as an older soul upbraiding a youngster making an odious an embarrasssing mistake-as the younger should have, could have, exhibited common sense and avoided this embassment, I say Common sense (unoriginally) is neither common nor does everyone make the same sense-there are too many ways to be right that are diametrically different philosophically from the other-yet still are successful.
But your muse on whether one can paradoxically change with acceptance, and is there any justice with such differing perception? Yes, there is, i think.
Exceptions to any pattern exist theorectically-if only to make room for us all to have a wider experience in what is intrinsically possible. Justice is a personal oppinion that can thus be two or more people intriscically right but exactly diametrically opposed to each other’s oppinion. how can the opposite be true? Paradox? it just is….usually.
but, just because I’m blind, relatively poor by my general societal standards, diabetic and arithritic atop being somewhatdisinclined to an active life anyway, who can instantly justify I showing myself to be a weaker person when just by being alive I’ve outdistanced so many technically stronger individuals by all evidence available should have won out over me? for that matter, have i really won? I don’t know but I’m a lot happier about getting the continued chance to think I am. but i asked if i’m a lesser soul.
before I’m answered- I ask this somewhat selfishly and rhetorically-I’m not sure i’d want a logical oppinion casting doubt upon my oppinion! I have been held up at gun point in front of my house, I have strong payable evidence that links my troubles to exposure upon my parents parts and the unfair genetics gamble in life, and the best efforts upon my behalf by those whom love me, to honestly say, I may be wholly ignorant of justice and what you say and yet prideful and oppinionated enough to suspect I’ve gotten not just a fair deal but a generous one- and to not leave a dangler, I think I’ve just proven here I can offer a lot of words- if nothing else
I think life is a whole lot fairer than it seems it is.
this is my take and something I have mixed feelings about
one I do not think you need 15 cars in a heated/air conditioned building when you are not using them…I really don’t think that you need a house for 2 poeple that could house 100 comfortably….but that is my feelings that they money used should go to (fill in the Blank) charity….you should help those less fortunate then yourself…I mean I don’t have money I have time so I volunteer my time….. I figure some one else will help me if I need it….I also feel that if you have something…you should not be forced to share…..you should know that you should share….so I am kind of stuck as to how to get poeple to realize they need to share with out forcing them to do it
Words and their meanings…
There’s a lot of “doublespeak” going on in politics these days. Words left vague in order to interpret them however you like, or words with double meanings, usually meaning the opposite of what you’d assume.
Slang changes the language. Bad means good.
Anything I may express stands a chance of being misunderstood, even if I go to great lengths to make sure I’m crystal clear, it can still be a matter of another meaning to someone else. I recall a song by Terry Scott Taylor that talked about that–he said, “should you really reveal anything when I just misunderstand it?”
As for the extremely wealthy, the Rushpublicans want more tax cuts. Tax breaks can sound like a good thing, but when there are reductions for the wealthy, and not the poor, or lower middle class, this is a matter of fairness. What it does is to create a larger rich class, and a larger poor class, and eliminates the in-between. I’m all for a flat-rate, based on earnings…that is, as long as we have to pay taxes based on earnings, which is not what I’d call fair, or legal.
What Rebubs have trouble with, not that they are becoming a minority. Or are they? I plan to hear and heard a lot of whining from their corner.
@Uncious - A “lone wolf” is notable because it is rare.
@fairydragonstar - With a few notable exceptions, people who can ill afford to share what they have are more likely to be charitable than the ones who live such excessively wasteful lives.
I draw a distinction between “legally compulsory” and “forced.” Occasionally, I see children forced by their parents to share. The resentment I see in the kids’ faces makes me wonder if the parents are making them even less willing to share than they were before.
In a society where financial gains come at the expense of someone, or are based on the work of someone, such as profits from manufacturing that far exceed what was paid to the people who did the work, is it wrong to require that something be given back to the society as a whole?
@saturnnights - I like the social system Robert A Heinlein posited in his first novel. It would be doable, but it is so sensible that few people would believe it could work, and most believers in the Judeo-Christian ethic would consider it diabolical.
@SuSu - Sounds a little like Roddenberry’s Genesis Two movie set in 2133.
I have heard a lot from Conservatives regarding taxing them to give to those less fortunate, or programs for those less fortunate. “socialism” dontchaknow. Many appear to feel that “I worked hard to become rich so why should I be punished for it while those who were less ambitious did not improve their own lives.” Personally, and bear in mind that I come from a country where we all pay higher taxes specifically so that our people have programs and free healthcare, etc. that the wealthy should not get tax breaks. Make a fair tax where everyone pays, say, 15% of their annual income. Unfortunately, the grand majority of wealthy people do NOT give charitably and those who do would not do so without receiving a tax break, so they must be taxed. If people were better citizens, there would not really be a requirement for taxes at all would there?
Nothing happens contrary to nature, only contrary to what we know of it. Yes? And I’m not sure what that has to do with anything, necessarily, it just came to mind.
As for the wealthy & taxes & what not… they should bear a higher burden. Sorry if that hurts their feelings… though I understand why it would. I wouldn’t be all that thrilled with busting my ass only to have to pay for someone else’s lazy ass. However… I’m guessing a good number of the wealthy folks probably didn’t bust their asses all that much and out of those on the receiving end, most probably aren’t lazy… but actually in need for whatever reason.
Those with should want to help those without… if that were actually the case, we’d probably not even need to worry about taxing them more. Maybe.
For me it is more or less getting to some binary thing really. it is on, it is off. I have been wrapping my mind around the thing I was taught that all life was preprogrammed with a self survival mechanism in their design but no one has to necessarily live. I have watched people steal, lie, cheat and they not only run away with the spoils they are royalty. Look at how the Kennedy’s rose to fame, Baron Rothchild, Donald Trump and the list rolls on. Who is to say that an honest man can indeed rise to a position of power and prestige without knowing murderers, liars, theives and yet not be part of them? It is possible. I have fought with many concepts that I still feel are erroneous in their creation. First and foremost, the very idea of complying with law. I can surely say that I was in a part of society where my conditioning and treament of myself has been programmed into being a “good boy” an avoiding the wrong side of the law so to speak.
However, in the one hopeful thing many people have told me and I listened to is the concept of Karma. Just suppose that indeed everyone gets the punishment for doing wrong that they deserve. It still would not be as severe as what I would expect to be a fair compensation of justice. Yet, justice is relative and only with the narrow solidity of something absolute like a standard, it means little really. A murderer is released from prison for some overcrowding reasons while a marijuana seller remains in jail longer than a rapist or murderer and even a cocaine trafficker. The victims of crime often just have to suck it up because most criminals have no monies to gain as a win in civil law suits.
I have waded in pools that I consider being part of a dark heart/dark mind sort of way of seeing things and I cannot adhere to them. However, in a more stoic mindset, we could certaily find the moral objective and be able to remove it. What then? I believe that much of society has unraveled beyond repair and the very standards and means by which we keep ourselves and our governing bodies in check have been thrown out with the abortion babies and bathwater. It may be a necessary survival mechanism to be able to do wrong in order to get what we need. Times I feel are going to draw tighter and make people more aggressive toward each other and this overall I do not feel is going to come out well.
The pendulum has to swing back the other way I truly believe, but it might take something rather catastrophic on a grand scale to do it, if it is not too late. The really afflicting thing for me is reading Revelations in the Bible and that part where the hearts of people will harden and so forth surely could be applied to many different eras in time, but it does make a nice fit now.
Personally, I think winter has been too long by you and you need some warm sun. JMHO
Namaste!
@soul_survivor - Your final question brought a smile to my face as I imagined a world in which rich guys got together (as they do at Bohemian Grove, for example) to consult educators, engineers, artists, etc., and plan public works projects. It could happen. Imagining it is the first step.
@warweasel - Until the mid-’60s, the U.S. had a progressive tax that could take as much as 80% (if memory serves) of gross income from those in the highest bracket. It certainly didn’t cause any of them to go without the necessities of life, and didn’t seem to discourage them from trying to earn more. I see no reason why those who have more should not give more of what they have for the benefit of society at large. I see people struggling to get funding for simple little projects that could save lives or protect the environment, while there is always enough money to go on destroying and despoiling, and my feelings range from rage to despair.
@CastroCafe - I suppose it might be possible for someone to rise to a position of wealth and influence without consorting or at least associating with scum, but it is unlikely.
Before I would speculate on what might be a just response to any specific “wrongdoing” you’d have to define “wrong” to my satisfaction, and I doubt if you could do that. I favor situational ethics, and there is nothing about “punishment” anywhere in the concept of Karma as I understand it. Karma, in my reality, is simply cause and effect. Actions have consequences. The “good karma,” “bad karma” bullshit is an amalgam of Judeo-Christian beliefs with Eastern philosophy. Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so.
@lacemagicke - Actually, we are getting a lot of sunshine lately… more than anyone is who is living south of 62 degrees north latitude. Do you think the weather is affecting my mood? I’m more inclined to ascribe my current train of thought to the political climate.
@SuSu - reminds me of Shakespeare’s wisdom… nothing is good or bad but thinking doth make it so..