Climb high, Sleep low

I Love People, I really do. I don’t like to admit it, but deep down there is just something about them that rings true to me (pause for effect). Now that you have let that statement perculate for a bit I will continue. Every People embodies the very best of humanity, as well as, the very worst. Some People tend to show these attributes more than others. I myself am an other. I find it funny that the purest joy and the purest evil can both spring from the simplest of circumstances. People bring so many things to the table, when they interact with other People: biasis, predjudices, hopes and dreams. People never meet another People without this luggage. No matter how open or closed they may be, People can not escape this reality. Some try admirablly but it is to no avail. Why? Because People aren’t People without it. With no luggage, People aren’t. They cease to be People. People are a product of their experience. People can be no more, nor any less than what life has given them.

(Some People may object to this statement with a rag to riches story, but it was life that gave those People a way out. They simply chose to take it when other People did not.)

So in the same day a People (singular) can be both serly and nasty, as well as, loving and sweet. One minute defiant and the next obedient. So…I Love People. Sometimes people’s actions frustrate and flumux me, and other times they leave me awe struck and wonder bound. But they are only being what experience has taught them to be, and he is the most successful teacher ever. I will not hold it against them simply because I caught them during the wrong experience. So I will make it my goal to leave People with a loving experience. Then, hopefully, I will be helping to make People a more enjoyable People to be around.

I have said this before, but I must say it again, I am People too, and I am a work in progress. I am simply trying (really hard), to love as many people as I can in my experience that I call life.

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.

I never had a selfless thought since I was born.

I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through;

I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

 

Peace, reassurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,

I cannot crawl one inch my proper skin;

I talk of love—a scholar’s parrot may talk Greek—

But, self-imprisoned, alway end where I begin.

                                    - C.S. Lewis

The problem is easy to find when it is not me.  The world is easy to b lame when it is not my fault.  When I am right, it becomes so obvious that everyone else is wrong.  I have pointed fingers all of my life.  I have been very diligent to consider all of the facts so I would always be above reproach.  So what do I do now that the blame falls on me???  I cannot lord my superiority over abortionist when I won’t take time out of my day to council at risk youth?  What gives me the right to complain about gas prices when I still drive to the places I could walk?  How can I diminish someone else’s style of worship when I don’t devote all of my worship to God.

 

Every problem that I come up against is not some other groups fault.  Every problem that I face is directly proportional to my in-action.  I will never get anywhere until I realize that “life” is not someone else’s fault.  No matter how wide ranging a circumstance may be; until I apply myself nothing will change.  In all actuality my rightness and wrongness is meaningless until I start acting on my convictions.  Not boycotting a movie because it does not represent my moral stance, but supporting a movie that does.  Not privately slandering a corrupt politician, but publicly praising one of exceptional character (and in certain cases where one cannot be found, becoming one).  Am I ready to take the steps required to change the world?  I want to say yes, but I am afraid that it will not be as easy as it sounds.  It will be an interesting ride; this I will guarantee.  Any company would be warmly welcomed.  See you soon.

I love our democracy, but apparently majority is over rated.  I was taught, as we all are, from an early age that majority rules in our society.  Which is a great concept in theory.  However, what I have witnessed in politics and other forms of social interaction is not “majority rule” but “emotional rule”.  Pathos is the most over used model of persuasion, why because it works.  This is why so many minority opinions have such great influence in our society.  Not everyone is logical (logos); not everyone is given to follow authority (ethos).  But everyone has emotions and we as a culture have been primed to have our emotions “tickled” by every orator that passes by.  I recently read an article in which the author offered up a “fact based” rebutle of his antagonists position, which I applaude.  We do not get enough logos or ethos in our debates.  Unfortunantly, every paragraph, if not started with, at least contained incendiary language.  Designed to set his readers firmly against this particular topic and the group of people who would agree with said topic.  Funny, he accused and condemned his antagonist of doing the exact thing.  So, where does all of this pathos come from…pride.  It is because we believe that we are right, but not only right, but that our logic and decernment is beyond reproach.  So we take the cheap shot, the easy way to win supporters, when it is offered.  We are convinced that everyone will ultimatly see the shortcomings in there own arguments, and come running to our opinion with open arms.  So we just despense with the middle man, presenting unbiased facts so our audience can come to there own conclusions, and slander our opponent from the start.  That way everyone will see the light sooner and we can all live together in perfect harmony.  That statement my seem harsh but watch the upcoming electorial process.  Go to the coffee shop and pay attention to the debate about religion.  Listen to the kids on the playground, you might be suprised how soon children call each others character into question when talking to a group of their peers.  I can’t even seem to write this entry without trying to sway your emotions.  I believe there is a time and place for emotional pleas, but when it turns into coersion, pride has taken over control of the argument.  I did not write this to set one opinion above another, but to question tactics.  When pathos is taken to this extreme, defenses go up on both sides and discussion dies. 

P.S. I know you will agree with everything that I said, but if for some reason you need clarification or take objection to anything I have written, I would be more than proud to put you back on the correct path.

 

So “climb high, sleep low” is a quote taken from mountaineering.  It is a basic principle which implores you to climb higher each day, but to sleep at a lower altitude.  This pracitice will help ensure that you do not sucumb to High Altitude Sickness or H.A.F.  This is an effective way to stretch your limits.  I think that it would be in our best interest to adopt this philosophy and graft it into other aspects of life.  It seems that anytime change is implimented, in any group, there is always resistance.  The implimenters of change push, push, push and the recipiants of change resist, resist, resist.  The symptoms of this kind of change are headaches, nausia and loss of appitite (for anything new), surprisingly similar to the symptoms of H.A.F.  Maybe the change should flash briefly in front of the recipiants at first.  They need a chance to digest and adjust to the new “altitude”.  Over time the chnge nolonger seem invasive or nausiating.  Alright those are just my thoughts, what are yours?

I love People. I am not a People person. It is hard for me to spend too much time around too many People. People are set in their ways. People makes up its mind about a subject and no amount of subjective information to the contrary can deter that opinion. People hold that family members always get the short end of the stick when dealing with others. People do this one thing, this one way no matter what goes wrong, because people have always done it this way. What is the definition of insanity? People come in every shape size and age. For People personal opinion trumps community, no matter the effect on the others involved in that community. People is the polar oposite of Christianity. People cannot place the love of others before the love of self. People can show no grace toward others because they use it all for them self. I love people. I am people, but I am trying real hard to remedy that situation. What about you?