Secularity has its limits.
Even the most hard-headed, rational, logical people I know tap into something beyond them.
They call it
1) art
2) humanity
but they feel the need to go beyond themselves, to see a greater end, to see the beauty and wisdom in things.
The rest of us call it spiritual.
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I often muse on the Hungry Soul. When all the basics of human life have been satisfied (a home, a family, a job, comforts) there is still a streching out towards something greater – towards the intangibles. I have seen it in too many faces.
A quest for greatness? immortality? It is something more. It is an inner satisfaction – an inner balance.
The mysterious, the wondrous, nature, beauty, life – it is all around us to inspire and spark the being inside. We can go beyond ourselves. At anytime.
This additional layer – the mystique – sits above all the other things we have as a person. It is an extra layer – going deep. It is an addition to our personality, habits, and experiences. It becomes an extra lens to see things.
It also empowers all the other things we do – our community minglings, warm family, proper work. It becomes a lifelong source.
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I am in awe.
March 9, 2007 at 5:09 pm |
Secularism isn’t an entirely logical world view. In fact, it’s religion that claims emotions and whatnot are rational (being that they’re given to us by some god who, by necessity, thought of them first). Secularist (well, more accurately evolutionary) accounts for emotion, etcetera, claim just the opposite. These things are ingrained in us, instinctual, things that are by necessity not rational. If they were, we wouldn’t be here. To be rational, a thing has to be thought out. If our ancestors had to think out why they should run from a hungry predator or why they should copulate, we likely wouldn’t be here. Now, there is a rational explanation for why emotion came into being. But that explanation isn’t the same one for why emotion is important to us. We value not being robots. Why? Who knows why. We have no reason to think it’s bad being a robot. In fact it’s probably safer. But we like not being them, whatever the reason may be.
It may not be enigmatic and awe-inspiring to think that our capability for emotion is an adaptation for our survival. But why shouldn’t it? It is, after all, a vastly improbable thing that we, specifically, exist, and not another permutation of the billions upon billions upon billions of permutations that could’ve resulted instead.
I don’t agree with the idea that disavowing mysticism means nothing seems mystical anymore. It’s the old, “Scientists can’t see the beauty in a rainbow” argument. Well, I find rainbows quite beautiful. Knowing more about them only increases my appreciation.
March 9, 2007 at 8:10 pm |
Well, sure we can drug ourselves into robotic emotionless existence, Jon. They’re called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, among other types of compounds.
March 9, 2007 at 8:10 pm |
Of course they might make you psychotic, but that’s the risk you take for avoiding those irrational emotions.
March 10, 2007 at 11:11 am |
I never said we should avoid irrational emotions. :p
March 10, 2007 at 12:33 pm |
I wasn’t disagreeing with you. I think emotions are beautiful things, but we have to be decent to one another if that is to hold true.
March 10, 2007 at 5:08 pm |
The hungry soul can never be satisfied…it feasts upon all and devours the endless bounty. Life is a never ending buffet. It is bountiful, splendid…And FREE!!! Let us give thanks to Life’s Diner, Open 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week.
Early Bird Special…to those hungry for knowledge…