Tag: Choice
Discovering optimistic individuals and their contribution to our world
In this interconnected modern world, there are possibilities like never before. The possibility of discovering optimistic individuals who can contribute positively to our world is definitely there. It is with optimism for such a possibility that enormous efforts have been made. From a local level to the global, this possibility drives so much human communication.…
When attention is sustained, a small change can hold the potential for a major shift
Could it rightly be said that small things can hold the potential for a major shift? It is possible that you already understand the possibilities. It is possible, you have seen by way of observation, or experienced in your life when such a thing happens. A very simple, innocuous-seeming conversation, reading a passage in a…
Bipolar disorder – the inner conflicts arising from trying to reconcile the Old and New Testament writings
Bipolar disorder has become the accepted name given to the manifest inner conflicts of disturbed individuals. While there are questions and concerns over the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) itself, there are special considerations that arise as a person’s beliefs are considered. The source of those beliefs also invariably comes into question. Aside from…
What is one to do when confronted by stories of evil?
I understand that so many of us would like to find a place of security and comfort, away from all the evil done in our world today. And who are the doers of great evil? Not the wild animals or some predatory birds; it is the people who live right among us, people who look and…
Crisis of democracy – social decline through politicization, and insistence on freedoms and rights
It is easier to answer the question, what is democracy as compared to why is democracy. Yes, why is democracy favored and touted as the ideal principle for governance, even though its failure was anticipated right from the time of Plato. As it is practically impossible for all the people to get together and make…
Indian government’s demonetization step – rooted in the concept of the divine
Try as one may otherwise, the human mind by necessity needs to have some basic concepts about the world around us. The concepts we have could be, should be, of a more general nature. Upon these basic concepts, details are added through observations, experiences, training, and learning. If the basic concept is correct, they will…
The nature of conviction, and the certainty of belief
Conviction and certainty of belief impart a particular trait to the very thinking and expression of a person that goes counter to reason, and the willingness to listen. Be it blunt or sharp, the absolutist conclusion of the convinced person does not have the opening to alter the conviction. The belief is not only unchallenged,…
Is the future determined by our beliefs?
Think of belief as a future destination. Yes, there are beliefs of such nature. All beliefs are ideas, and ideas can travel through time.
Conceptualizing justice in the age of impatience
For those who are thinking actively, it would seem prudent not to put words like justice and impatience in the same sentence. However, as soon as one steps out of propriety and sentence construction in theoretical settings, it is easy to see that, our practical reality puts us in precisely this undesirable position. In the…
The future of human society is predicated upon our perception of justice
The featured image: Weighing of the Heart Book of the Dead written on papyrus showing the Weighing of the Heart in the Duat using the feather of Maat as the measure in balance. What is justice? Is personal justice and justification more important than social justice? Is human intelligence capable of offering satisfactory justice? Is divine justice the only possible hope…
Extreme views: Seeing the world from the edges, or rooted in a view
The greater the sense of confusion grows, so grows the desperation to find answers. Finding oneself unable to compete in a world of ever-growing divides, even those with experience find themselves thrown off-balance. Falling down the slippery slopes of divided views, people find themselves secure at the very edges. From the very edges they establish…
Overcoming disappointment with Jehovah’s witnesses, and humans in general
I was never interested in organized religion. Organized religion meant the confining and defining of any real faith a person might have. The worst taste of religion for me – deeply organized and correctly identified as a cult – was with Jehovah’s witnesses. Right from the time I was studying, I could see some crucial…
Individualism and the challenges to democracy: uncertainties in the hands of men
The rise of individualism and social congregation of like-minded individuals on social networks is, most certainly the end of traditional democracy. Already there is a kind of reactionary leadership, leading to a weakening of authority.
Why the growth of extremism in recent times? Is there a remedy?
It would be a mistake to confine extremism to religion or political ideology or a nationality. Extremism can be found anywhere, even in music and art. It is usually a response to some external trouble. It could be seen as a means of countering the negative influence of outside forces, and as a means to…
Why a human is incapable of truth, but is capable of peace?
The truth could be seen as, when, a statement is the same as the existence of a matter. When a man speaks of what is in existence, he offers his observation. He observes, understands, and expresses. If the understanding is the same as that of everyone else, it has to be regarded as truth! This…
Tested by our own beliefs
The idea of freedom is an illusion. Human beings have never been free. We are chasing illusions, and we serve those illusions. So how can a human who is capable of believing, ever be free? Our beliefs hold us captive! What is more, we need something to believe in to do anything. The words that…
