The basis of all understanding is that all things are connected.
The more we understand this, the more we understand anything and
everything.
We most want to be valued and/or be of value. If we feel we are not,
we are depressed - this is biologically based.
We most fear being unable to cope.
We are most what we love.
Yet for the survival of our species, we are biologically pre-programmed
to want to belong and be valued; this diverts most from pursuing things
they really love and being authentically themselves, leading to an
unsatisfying life spent imitating others.
To seek the meaning of life is to seek to love life.
The more we love life, the more meaning it has for us; the less we love
life, the less meaning it has for us.
That is the meaning of life.
The more you love life, the more life will love you.
Our lesson in life is to learn to love life, and as far as possible to help others to love it also, or at least not to obstruct them.
Love never hurts - it is unfulfilled expectations and demands of love which hurt, because love is the opposite of being demanding.
Since all things are connected, we are inseparable from our
environment.
Therefore we neither have nor do not have free will.
Since all things are connected, you benefit yourself by benefiting others, and harm yourself by deliberately harming others.
Science has shown that our brain's pleasure-centers are activated when we give unselfishly to others, making us feel good when we do so. This serves to preserve our human species, since "united we stand - divided we fall".
Overall, women are peaceful and seek passion; men are passionate and
seek peace.
(Logically enough, we do not seek what we think we already have.)
Heterosexual men and women are biologically evolved, and culturally
conditioned, to perpetuate the species in complementary tandem - this
accounts for most human activity and aspiration.
Heterosexual women like attention drawn to their femininity, and are
rarely shy in taking opportunities do so themselves.
'The man chases the woman until she catches him'.
Homosexuality is a genuine mutation of Nature, just as, say, blue eyes
are.
Generally, physical pain serves to protect and heal us by warning us
what to avoid, and forcing us to rest afflicted parts so they can heal.
It is a guide or teacher which can save our lives - and probably already
has. It is like a red light, or wet paint sign or lighthouse.
It is the best friend we never want to encounter, and the opposite of an
enemy. It is there to help, correct and save us.
Geneticists have recently discovered, and precisely located, a 'religion gene' - some people have it and others do not. So to criticise someone simply for being or not being religiously inclined is ignorant. To avoid discrimination against themselves, some people pretend religiosity, while others conceal it and/or apply it to political or other ideologies or beliefs which do not appear religious.
By all means, believe in a higher power or guardian angel or guardian ancestors, but beware of those people who insist they know what you should believe. Voltaire observed: "Those who say 'believe as I believe, or you will perish in Hell' are the same as those who would say 'do as I say, or I will kill you'". And indeed, they often do. Maniacs justify themselves with religion, and more death and misery have occurred in the name of religion, by far, than from anything else.
The more that someone proclaims their religiosity, the closer they should be scrutinised; if they are as pious as they claim, we may learn something from them - if not, we will learn something else.
It is clear that external displays of religiosity, such as frequent attendance at church, synagogue or mosque, are no indicator of a person's character, motivations or actions.
Voltaire also famously said: 'If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him'. We would add that this also applies to 'Satan' or 'The Devil' or 'evil spirits'. If these are also invented, God can be reserved and praised for all good, and the devil(s) blamed for all bad.
People tend to believe what it suits them to believe (not necessarily what they want to believe) - especially that they are not wrong - until it suits them to believe otherwise. A 'fact' is something believed to be true until believed otherwise.
No work that we benefit from is 'menial' - we should appreciate,
respect and be grateful for it.
It is an error to feel superior to those we depend upon.
Ironically, the much-publicised work of 'celebrities' is usually far
less useful and more dispensable than that of the average worker whose
work, unless it is not done, often goes unappreciated by the general
public. Rarely do we consider the workers whose daily work gives us joy,
comfort or convenience. So it is no wonder that so many feel
unappreciated for their work, but most should not, and should instead
congratulate themselves for their anonymous contributions to our welfare
and enjoyment.
A small effort at the right time is better than a big effort at the wrong time. Any task is best done as simply and with the least use of resources necessary as possible.
Whatever we think is helpful we call 'good', while whatever we think
is harmful we call 'bad'. Opinions can differ and change about what each
applies to.
Frequently a thing, like a person, can be both good and bad - a mixed
blessing - and long-term and short-term benefits and costs need to be
considered in the hope of reaching a result which is a net 'good'. This
is the perennial preocccupation in politics, in business, in personal
relationships and in life generally.
Those who make war invariably say that they have to - not that they choose to, although they do. They seek to gain support by insisting that their war-making is a moral imperative. Nobody gains from the hell of war and its consequences, except a few who amass wealth from it.
There are some warmongers (such as Bush and Blair in the most recent Iraq war) who attempt to slide out of personal responsibility while maintaining 'the moral high ground' by claiming that they were 'told by God' to make war, and presumably to torture, kill and maim innocent men, women and children and visit life-long tragedy on innumerable others. Beware of such sociopaths.
All things proceed with a mixture of conservation and innovation -
but survival and prosperity depend on getting the right balance. Too
much conservation results in stagnation, while too much innovation
results in instability. Biologically, mutations allow living things to
adapt, but excessive mutation can, ironically, result in inability to
fit in and even susceptibility to fatal disease. Economically,
innovation can lead to improved efficiency and productivity, but too
much innovation is disruptive and counter-productive.
Adolescents seem to be biologically wired to challenge their parents. We
may call this social mutation, although it is usually temporary, and it
serves to open the door to possible improvements, although enthusiasm is
no substitute for wisdom gained from experience. Interestingly, this may
go full-circle between generations, with children feeling closer to
their grandparents than to their parents.
Dissent is healthy if it is constructive. Hegel's famous 'dialectical'
analysis of history ('thesis - antithesis - synthesis' - or in terms of
physics: 'action - reaction - resolution') seems to apply universally.
'All things in moderation' is not a good principle to live by, as some things are dangerous, toxic or fatal in even the smallest amounts. 'Nothing in excess' is more intelligent, practical and enjoyable.
Whether they show it or not, everyone is struggling and muddling their way through life, one way or another. Everyone wants to be happy. If people are rude or irritable or violent, it is because of their difficulties - past, present or imagined.
