Some people think that belief is important. The authors of Prisoners of Belief: Exposing and Changing Beliefs that Control Your Life probably could be numbered among them. Apparently, "Restricting negative beliefs can imprison you behind bars of conviction." Captain ILL doesn't believe anything, though some people don't believe that he doesn't believe anything. He does know a few things (very few), but belief doesn't play a large role in that. The Captain used to think that faith was the answer, and all he had to do was work on getting himself some of that. Now he's not so sure; he suspects that belief and faith may actually inhibit true understanding, but he's a superhero, not a philosopher, so he'll leave those conundrums to the professionals. Are there any philosophers out there reading this?
Friday, June 27, 2008
Interlibrary Loan of the day
Some people think that belief is important. The authors of Prisoners of Belief: Exposing and Changing Beliefs that Control Your Life probably could be numbered among them. Apparently, "Restricting negative beliefs can imprison you behind bars of conviction." Captain ILL doesn't believe anything, though some people don't believe that he doesn't believe anything. He does know a few things (very few), but belief doesn't play a large role in that. The Captain used to think that faith was the answer, and all he had to do was work on getting himself some of that. Now he's not so sure; he suspects that belief and faith may actually inhibit true understanding, but he's a superhero, not a philosopher, so he'll leave those conundrums to the professionals. Are there any philosophers out there reading this?
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Sorry, can't offer much insight into your philosophical quandry, but apropos of nothing, I will share my Evil Plan with you. This morning, NPR had a story on web extensions, those things after the dot, like 'dot com' or 'dot net'so that you'll soon see 'dot Coke' or 'dot food'. And here's where the EP (Evil Plan) comes in -- everyone's been so focused on the extensions, they've forgotten all about the DOT. Yes, I now have copyrighted "dot" so every single time someone goes to a web page, I get a nickel. Genius, I tell you!
brilliance! and drat! I have been looking for a way to make my millions and you have beaten me to it!
Is belief all it's cracked up to be? I am pretty strongly located in the same camp as the captain, though not usually willing to admit it...I hate controversy.(groovelily treading lightly, cuz she doesn't like to stir pots that might burn her ass. and please remember, this is only groovelily's opinion, and you are entitled to your own opinion.)
I'm betting the Captain has a very strong belief system, despite his misgivings. I mean, you gotta really believe to make lasers shoot from your eyes, and even R Kelly had to believe before he could fly.
I'll get you for this.
Uh oh.
I'm afraid I missed the "R Kelly" reference, but luckily Wikipedia came to the rescue.
Lasers are easy, but to fly you need happy thoughts and pixie dust.
Did someone call for a philosopher? As far as belief and faith are concerned, I believe nothing is designed for or directed toward a final result - there is no inherent purpose or final cause for all that exists. Depressing, you may say, but at the same time, most liberating! Believe in yourself! Believe in your children! Believe in the loved ones who surround you each day! Live life to its fullest and appreciate the little things. (Oh, yes, and don't forget the pixie dust.)
Most amazing...captainill is very far reaching. um. yeah. I do like what Rene had to say though...even if it is from the afterworld...
"Descartes, regarded as the founder of modern philosophy, gave expression to this primary error with his famous dictum (which he saw as primary truth): “I think, therefore I am.” This was the answer he found to the question “Is there anything I can know with absolute certainty?” He realized that the fact that he was always thinking was beyond doubt, and so he equated thinking with Being, that is to say, identity – I am – with thinking. Instead of the ultimate truth, he had found the root of the ego, but he didn't know that."
Mr. Tolle makes an excellent point, but strays from the topic a bit. Like Groovelily, I appreciate Rene's (may I call you Rene?) second statement, but it might be easier for me to accept if he replaced the word "believe" with "love". Love yourself! Love your children! "Love the ones who surround you each day! Live life to its fullest and appreciate the little things." That's an aphorism I can wholeheartedly embrace.
His first statement I have more difficulty with. Just because we cannot prove an "inherent purpose" exists, does not prove that it does not. I cannot prove that a flower is beautiful ... does that mean that it is not? I know a flower is beautiful, I do not know if there is an inherent purpose in the universe, but I also do not discount the possibilty that someday I might. That's the trouble with belief, as soon as you start believing things, your vision narrows and new ideas and possibilities are difficult to perceive.
"I confused things with their names: that is belief."
"Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good ground for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones."
"He who believes needs no explanation."
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
"Men freely believe that which they desire."
"I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world."
"Don."
"Yeah."
"Why don't people believe?"
"Why don't they believe what?"
"In God."
"I don't know. Not everyone has a Volkswagen."
"I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe- I believe what I believe is right."
"How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter?"
The believer is happy; the doubter is wise.
"I'm no missionary. I don't even believe in Jebus!"
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away"
"We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me."
"I don't believe in God because I don't believe in Mother Goose."
"I can see how it might be possible for someone to look around on earth and not believe in God, but I cannot conceive how anyone could look up into the heavens and say there is no God."
"I believe in God, only I spell it 'Nature'."
"The greatest thing about this man is he's steady. You know where he stands. He believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday - no matter what happened Tuesday."
"...when you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer..."
Double Post... also on CQ's blog:
groovelily said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rktW3byqdOs
Sorry in advance for the long comment... I copy & pasted the lyrics to one of my all time favorite songs. It's a totally bittersweet memory, that i swear brings me to tears every time i hear it. It was played at the funeral of a friend of the family. I loved him like crazy. He died of a heart attack at a youngish age, leaving behind his wife and 3 daughters. They really fell apart after he was gone. It was probably one of the first funerals I ever went to.
I want to to believe. I want their to be inherent good in mankind. But, it's in wistful way. I am mostly searching for some greater meaning or direction to my life... passion, happiness, and clarity.
Anyway, if you don't know the song, google it and give a listen...
I BELIEVE IN YOU
DON WILLIAMS - 1980
I don't believe in superstars
organic food and foreign cars
I don't believe the price of gold
the certainty of growing old
that right is right and left is wrong
that north and south can't get along
that east is east and west is west
and being first is always best.
But I believe in love, I believe in babies
I believe in mom and dad, and I believe in you.
Well I don't believe that heaven waits
for only those who congregate
I like to think of God as love
He's down below, He's up above
He's watching people everywhere
He knows who does and doesn't care
and I'm an ordinary man
sometimes I wonder who I am.
But I believe in love, I believe in music
I believe in magic, and I believe in you.
I know with all my certainty what's goin'
with you and me is a good thing
it's true, I believe in you.
I don't believe virginity is
as common as it used to be
in working days and sleeping nights
that black is black and white is white
that Superman and Robin Hood
are still alive in Hollywood
that gasoline's in short supply
the rising cost of getting by.
But I believe in love, I believe in old folks
I believe in children, I believe in you.
I believe in love, I believe in babies
I believe in mom and dad, and I believe in you.
Excellent video Groovelily. That song is an old favorite of mine as well, and I noticed when "I believe in music" came up, it was a picture of Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton that came up; the cimematographer obviously has good taste in guitarists.
I suspect that much of the difference in the Cardboard Queen's position, and my position can be blamed on semantics. From Wiktionary:
"The transitive verb believe and the phrasal verb believe in are similar but can have very different implications.
To “believe” someone or something means to accept specific pieces of information as truth: believe the news, believe the lead witness. To “believe a complete stranger” means to accept a stranger's story with little evidence.
To “believe in” someone or something means to place faith in that person or concept: believe in liberty, believe in God. To “believe in one's fellow man” means to place faith in mankind.
Meanings sometimes overlap. To believe in a religious text would also require affirming at least the major principles. To believe a religious text would likewise imply placing one's faith in it."
Mr Williams believes in love, old folks, children, etc, and so do I. I prefer not to use "believe in" because of the confusion it creates. These aren't things to believe, because we know them to be true.
I'm sorry for your loss Groovelily, he was obviously someone very special.
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