20090319

March 19, 2009

You seriously could make a stronger case for the force (i.e. panthiesm) than YAHWEH. But then again, if you believe the world was created around 6,000 years ago, or that sprinkling some water on a baby while a guy says some magic words will somehow change the outcome of that baby's life (or death), you might just be willing to believe anything... like that a man once turned a wooden staff into a snake or parted the oceans. I don't see anyone being able to reasonably explain how any of that works.

I look at these people as kids pretending to do what grown-ups do. But when people with infantile mentalities start writing laws, instituting programs and policies, organizing, and getting into positions of authority of people who are more mentally mature, it causes a lot of problems and frustration. Anyone who has been in the military know that. How many backwards, mentally challenged authoritarians have you come across, or worse, had to work for? How should we react to that? And how can we reduce that?

How great would it be if a majority of the world was reasonable in its beliefs and respectful in its relationships with people? Isn't that worth working towards?

I keep talking to people at work about two main things:

1 - Leadership. Whether or not other people's feelings and happiness are a concern of yours, people are generally more likely to do what you want them to do if you encourage and enrich the growth of their intrinsic motivation, rather than try to force them by your sheer domination/authority/power. Leadership doesn't consist of getting things done that your bosses want you to get done, but rather it consists of inspiring people to want to do a good job for their own benefit in life, simply by pointing a good direction, or leading them to consider that they have the power, and the motivation to fulfill their purpose in life, even if they have to start by being the best damn sweeper even known.

and

2 - Improvement. Do something. Anything. Just one thing. Give a shit; care about something. Apply your abilities and intellect to some goal or purpose. Don't waste yourself and your life. I guess a lot of people feel like they can't grow or improve under certian conditions (that they feel are hostile). I have felt the same way... a lot. But, the stars never seem to align. And I feel like people are generally waiting for circumstance to become favorable enough for them to start doing what they really want to do in life. Doesn't buying into religion seem to be going down that path to "giving up?" Like, things are so terrible in the world, we should just let God deal with it... defer our abilities and see what happens, cuz hey, people are jerks, and we probably are too. What's the alternative. There are a million ways to give up. But, there's only one thing to count on in order to improve. Your-self.

Everyone knows that you can't "love thy neighbor as you love thyself" if you don't love "thyself."

Down with cloudy mysticism and self-deprecation. Up with clear reason and perseverance. (And not just because Jesus would agree)."