Araxie's Corner of Zen

[CosmicTomato]

When one starts out on a path to acquiring truth, the first roadblock is common sense. Common sense is often touted as, well, common sense and is often confused with reason. Common sense is not the same as reason! What sufficient reason is there for human sense perceptions to be more “true”, or, accurate than that of a bat, or, a fruit fly? What it boils down to is, sense perceptions are useful for navigating the every day world of space and time, but, are clearly not useful for discovering truth. In the words of American economist Stuart Chase, “Common sense tells us the earth is flat.” You might say, well, then aren't we trapped in our own material prisons looking 'through a glass darkly'? The answer is, yes and no. If we continue to be mired in the physical domain we will forever only have opinions of physical things. The reason why we emphasize reason so much is because reason is the faculty of the mind able to transcend the physical domain. Our reason is what allows us to probe beneath the surface of the physical world into the realm of the Forms. Why were mathematicians able to discover black-holes before scientists were able to physically detect them? Our innate rational faculty! So remember, common sense is really glorified personal and public opinion.

Try this exercise: next time you are with a group of people, remain silent and intently listen to the conversations being had. How much of what people are saying is personal, or public opinion, and how much are your own opinions are tainting the observation?  

[CosmicTomato]

Kudos to anyone actually reading my ramblings.  

[CosmicTomato]

Does nature prefer to hide, or, do we lack the ability to see? Nature is laid bare before us if we could but “see” her signs and signatures. Our “reducing valve of consciousness”, as Aldous Huxley most brilliantly put it, is not permanent. We can undo this reducing valve by becoming more rational and plumbing the depths of our own unconscious. This is, however, only the experiential aspect of it. The ultimate signatures of nature are to be found in mathematics. We should study these signatures and have them inform our experiences. This is how ultimate knowledge is to be attained.  

[CosmicTomato]

A small group of people have already changed the world, however, for the most nefarious of reasons. It's the small number of people who have tried to own the world in perpetuity, the Old Family. Although the family might change, year in and year out, it's the same old story and their same old game. This year, however, is different. A schism has happened, one that was always apparent. Well, the elephant in the room has taken off its mask. Laid before us is old humanity versus new humanity, the irrational mob and the Logos minority. The irrational mob is led by values based on feelings, emotions, and ultimately beliefs.. The Logos minority is led by reason, logic, science, and compassion.

Times are uncertain, however, you can be certain that a revolution is not only necessary, but dialectically and historically inevitable. We have reached the tipping point and it is up to all of us to direct humanity to a more enlightened future. Democracy, as Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek has put it most accurately, “is not only formal rules of elections, but rather, an entire thick network of how political consensus is built; there are a lot of unwritten rules.” Zizek goes on to state that the United States is in a very important moment. These unwritten rules have broken down, and historically either “direct fascism can take over, but, these can be also moments when the left provides a new answer.” And provide them with a new answer we shall. Our future will be one based on merit, where one cannot put a dollar sign on power, or, influence. One's drive, and ultimately talent, will be the sole factor in how far one gets in life. Let us get rid of nepotism and cronyism once and for all and do all in our power to spread values of enlightenment to the world. Let us take advantage of the inevitable breakdown of the political consensus machine. We may be small, but, collectively, our will, passion, and dedication is great and you can be certain that we will prevail. Let us then, take up this most noble cause and let it pump like ice through our veins. Hail New Terra!