The Meaning of 'Dissent is Patriotic'

Earlier last month I wrote a post called Dissent is Patriotic. Well, it's been getting some traffic lately, but it was really nothing more than a rambling rant, that didn't really do either the title or the subject justice. 

In fact, I see now that I didn't even explain in that post exactly what that slogan means, because I took it for granted that it was self-evident. 

Well, I'm sure the phrase 'dissent is patriotic' has probably been used by many people, but it is officially attributed to the historian Howard Zinn. That is where I got it from. But what does it mean? I'll tell you what I think it means.

To say that dissent is patriotic does not mean that all dissent is patriotic, or that dissent in and of itself is patriotic. What it does mean is that dissent, which generally means the opposition to official policy, can be patriotic in certain circumstances. And not only that, but the right to disagree with official policy, or the freedom to have a dissenting opinion without fear of suffering unreasonable punishment for disagreeing, is built into the very fabric of a free and democratic society.

For instance, if your country is founded on a specific set of rules and principles, and the people in charge institute actions and policies that violate, undermine, or subvert those rules and principles, dissent (meaning rebellion, opposition, protest, the failure to comply or support the people in charge and their polices), would in such circumstances be considered patriotic.

Patriotism simply means love and support of country. By country we mean not only the land and its people, but our collective society, our culture, our government, and the founding principles and laws of our nation.

But laws can and do change. Just because something is lawful, doesn't necessarily mean that it is true, or just, or morally sound. For instance, slavery was once legal. At the time of legalized slavery, would you say it is patriotic to support the institution of slavery? If the founding principles of your country support slavery, than perhaps you could. However, if you believe that the institution of slavery violates what your country stands for, than supporting slavery would in fact be quite unpatriotic.

If you believe that all men and women are created equal, and that all human beings have a natural born right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and such a belief is written into the very laws and principles that your country was founded on, support for slavery, or anything else that opposes those principles, would be inimical to not only patriotism, but the ideals of truth, justice, and democracy.

So in such a circumstance those opposing the legalized institution of slavery, would be a good example of dissent being patriotic.

In a society based on democracy and the rule of law, patriotism does not mean uncritically supporting your country, right or wrong, no matter what. Country in this sense meaning government, your elected representatives, their official policies, and the military. Patriotism means supporting certain fundamental founding principles, values, and laws inherent to a democratic society, and holding your elected officials accountable to them.

If on the other hand a democratic nation is for instance taken over by a fascist tyrannical coup, that subverts democracy and the rule of law, it would not be patriotic to support such an administration's policies or military engagements.

So in conclusion, to reiterate my points: The phrase 'dissent is patriotic' basically means an opposition to tyranny and evil, corruption and injustice, and the abuse of power in high places, while actively seeking to change the people and policies responsible for subverting democracy and the rule of law.

The Difference Between Solitude and Loneliness

Here's a great quote from The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt about the difference between solitude and loneliness:

The lonely man finds himself surrounded by others with whom he cannot establish contact or to whose hostility he is exposed.

The solitary man, on the contrary, is alone and therefore "can be together with himself." In solitude, in other words, I am "by myself", together with my self, and therefore two-in-one, whereas in loneliness I am actually one, deserted by all others.

All thinking, strictly speaking, is done in solitude and is a dialogue of thought.

Solitude can became loneliness; this happens when all by myself I am deserted by my own self. Solitary men have always been in danger of loneliness, when they can no longer find the redeeming grace of companionship...

To me this description in many ways parallels the differences between introversion and shyness. With introversion as an orientation of thinking more akin to solitude, and shyness more akin to loneliness. In that someone who is shy, may wish to be with others, but is afraid to reach out to them, and if ending up alone feels lonely; whereas an introvert being fully content with themselves, may selectively choose to be alone but without feeling lonely at all; with solitude being a positive experience of being alone, loneliness being a negative one.

I myself am a solitary person. Not a lonely person. I've never felt lonely before in my life. Not even as a little kid, when I was for awhile the new kid on the block who didn't have any friends. I've always felt perfectly at peace with myself, my greatest solace being nature and books. I've never felt completely alone because I've always felt a deep sense of companionship and connectedness with the earth and the sky and the greater universe.

If I were locked up in solitary confinement without a book or a window, that would be hell, but so long as I either have access to a good book, or can be outside and see blue sky and stars and green grass and trees, and hear the sounds of nature and the sounds of birds singing, even by myself I wouldn't feel alone, wouldn't be lonely.

Of course that could all change in the blink of an eye, where solitude could easily digress into loneliness, where strength could be overtaken by weakness, where peace of mind could dissolve into misery...where if this connection to love is severed completely, all that would remain in its place is a feeling of separation, alienation, and isolation.

All it takes is a split second for your attitude to change completely, where your entire world could be turned upside down and inside out.

Attitude really is everything.

In order to never lose this feeling of connectedness, this "redeeming grace of companionship" with the world, it requires an attitude of openness and goodwill toward the whole world.

So that even in the absence of human companionship, you will never feel entirely alone, and even in the absence of housing or material possessions, you will never feel entirely homeless or deprived, but feel at home and among friends wherever you may be, even when alone you'll experience a peaceful solitude without loneliness.

Faces of Death

Today I finished watching a documentary called Faces of Death.

I started watching this one last night and finished it today, and let me tell you, all I can say is WOW! I've never seen anything like this before. Not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. But if you can handle it, it's worth watching at least once.

Faces of Death is a graphic documentary film about death, but could just as easily be a horror film. In fact it's so graphic that it has been banned in over 40 countries! Yes, it's morbid. Yes, it's disturbing. Yes, it's shocking. Some may even refer to it as death porn. Using real life film footage from hospitals, morgues, autopsy rooms, war zones, slaughterhouses, public executions, accident and crime scenes, mausoleums and graves, this video graphically depicts the many faces of death, be that death by disease, accident, murder, or execution, this film shows it all.

It's not something I ever need to see again, but I do think it is worthwhile watching once. At least catch the first 20 minutes of it. The tour of the cemetery in Mexico with the mummified corpses is one of my favorite parts. Well that and the autopsy showing the removal of the human brain. It's not that I like it, but it's shockingly mind blowing and unbelievably surreal stuff.

It's uncanny to see how much the face is like a mask. When a person is dead and the skin of their face is peeled away from the skull, what's left is a lifeless mask, no different than any mask you could buy in the store. Because there is no life in it. The mask only comes alive when someone is wearing it. You see this truth illustrated most vividly during an autopsy. How a dead body is like a lifeless doll, like an inanimate object. Because it is not the flesh and bone that lives, but it is the energy of the spirit of the person that animates the flesh, and when that energy leaves, what's left is nothing but a pile of rotting meat and bone.

Yes, death is an unpleasant reality, a reality that most people do not want to face, that most people do not want to think about, but you should, because like it or not you too will die, and so will your loved ones. This is not to say that you should become obsessed with it, but just that you should never forget this painful truth, that you will not live forever, that death is stalking you every moment of your life, and will eventually catch you in the end when you least expect it.

I'd like to think that I will live a long time. Seriously. I'm all about longevity. Very health conscious. Doing everything in my power to maintain my strength my youth and my healthiness. But you know what? Even if I beat the odds and become the longest living person, and maintaining my youthfulness for as long as possible, you still can't live forever. Maybe there is such a thing as the immortality of the soul, but the body itself is doomed. While you may extend your life, you can't extend it forever, all things must eventually come to their end. That's just the way it is. It's a painful truth that I'm still trying to come to terms with. And there is no other way to come to terms with it without facing your own death directly and resolutely with your eyes wide open and wide awake and aware.

All things die. You could even say that life lives by eating life. Someone must die in order for another to live. Though I must tell you that after seeing this film vegetarianism seems even more appealing to me than it did before. I don't want to be complicit in the taking of anyone's life. Sure plants are living things too, but a vegetarian diet just seems a lot kinder to me. There is no viciousness in it.

Whereas killing an animal is extremely vicious. What you don't think so? Why don't you put yourself in its place for a moment, and see if you still would feel that way. Do onto others as you'd have them do unto you. Does that mean anything to you? How would you feel to be hunted for your flesh? How would you feel to see your loved one's murdered before your eyes to satisfy someone's hunger? Because that's what's been done to the animals you eat. Murdered. If you kill a person to eat their flesh? It's called murder. If you kill an animal to eat their flesh, it's called hunting, it's called survival, it's called sport.

But either way it's killing, the taking of a life. Obviously you must do whatever you must do to survive. People have even been known to turn to cannibalism in times of need. Desperate people often do desperate things. But if you have a choice in the matter, if vegetarianism is an option, it seems the far more superior choice. But what do I know? Some people love the thrill of the hunt, and are truly blood thirsty people. The African Masai for instance, drink the blood of their prey, it's like a sacred ritual to them...where their not just drinking blood, their feasting off of it like a vampire consuming its soul.

I had a dream of being hunted once, actually I've had more than one dream of that nature, but only one dream where not only was I being hunted, but I was actually caught and killed and eaten alive. It was terrifying. I remember it vividly, even though it occurred a couple years ago. In this dream I was hunted by a very large bird, either an owl or an eagle. It had me cornered and immobilized by its talons, and there was no escape, no talking my way out of it. I was going to die that day becoming somebody's dinner and there was not a single thing I could do to stop it.

You could say that hunting is natural, that it is natural for life to eat life, but I got to tell you that from the perspective of the hunted, nothing could seem further from the truth. Nothing felt more wrong than it did at that moment of being hunted, like it was the ultimate injustice, the ultimate betrayal, the ultimate violation. It felt like what was happening to me shouldn't happen to anyone ever, because it was nothing less than murder.

Random Insight - 4

Be not deceived by appearances.

Very often sexual attraction, that of being completely captivated by a person's appearance, is very much like being hypnotized and put under a magical spell, a spell that makes you feel like you're under the influence of a very powerful drug, a drug which may cloud your judgment causing you to make all sorts of poor choices. Where you may perhaps see someone in a more favorable light than is actually the case, simply because of the way they look, while ignoring possible red flag warnings, like character flaws and personality incompatibilities, that you would have noticed right away if you were not attracted to them.

This is true not just in romance but in all interpersonal relationships. Sometimes beautiful people get more favorable treatment, are taken more seriously and given better opportunities than ugly people. So it's a good idea to sometimes imagine a beautiful person as ugly, and an ugly person as beautiful, while really listening to what their saying, and closely observing what their doing, to get a clear and honest sense of who they really are as a person independent from their appearance, because appearances can sometimes be deceptive.

I do this quite frequently, not just in person, but also while watching television. Especially when watching something serious, like an interview, a speech, or political debate, I like to close my eyes, or cover the TV, and just listen to it without watching it, without being distracted by their appearance and mannerisms...to really focus on the substance of what people are saying. Because appearances can be deceptive, not just in person, but especially on television, with all the smoke and mirrors and magical incantations, with all the glitz and glamor and fancy suits and flashing lights, it's easy to be distracted and deceived into misinterpreting what you see, or mislead into putting greater or lesser value on the essential message of what a person is saying.

Try this sometime:

1. Visualize a beautiful person as being monstrously ugly, maybe even imagining them looking like a skeletal corpse.

2. Visualize an ugly person as being the perfect embodiment of beauty, like an angelic being right out of a heavenly sphere of perfection.

3. And momentarily try not to concentrate on a person's outward appearance at all, seeing them as neither ugly or beautiful, but letting their words and deeds speak entirely for themselves.

Random Insight - 3

Carpe diem - Seize the day; gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

What do you like? What do you want to do? Make note of whatever interests you now, because interests have a tendency of changing over time. Sometimes your interests, passions, and callings in life are a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sometimes it's now or never, and if you miss the call, you miss the boat forever.

For instance, if you are interested in climbing a mountain, embrace it while you can, because chances are if you put it off for too long, there will come a day when it is no longer an option, perhaps due to declining health or old age, or simply because your interest itself has eventually faded away, and so it will forever remain impossibly outside of your reach.

Which is okay, but don't take your interests for granted. Not everyone shares them. Not everyone feels the same calling as you. Are you troubled by the state of the world and want to do something about it? If so, know this, that not everyone is troubled by it enough to actually want to do something about it. Not everyone wants to solve the problems of the world. Many people are apathetic, so wrapped up in their own lives, that they don't care. But if you do care, it's up to you to answer that calling, because very few hear it, and even fewer actually act upon it.

This simple observation applies to all things, everything that interests you, whether it be a hobby, or topic of research, a career ambition, or a physical challenge, as you get older, new interests emerge, and your old interests may assume less significance, possibly falling to the wayside completely.

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May
(1909) by John William Waterhouse

Never take it for granted that whatever interests you now, and whatever you feel passionate about doing now, will always be of interest to you. Because time has a tendency of changing our lives, altering our perspectives and inclinations. So if you hear the calling in your heart to do something, no matter what it is, however simple or complex, however trivial or profound, do not put it off for too long, because otherwise as they say, he who hesitates is lost.

For instance, right now my interests are primarily educational...reading. I do not yet know enough to successfully do what I want to do. I have not been happy in my previous roles of employment. I have yet to find work that is personally meaningful to me and that I believe in with all my heart. And the only way I'm going to resolve this problem is through education, by reading extensively, embracing my interest in reading before this interest fades away.

I've been a reader for quite some time, but the problem has been that I sort of jump around from one unrelated topic to the next. But if you jump around too much, it's like going around in circles and takes you twice as long to reach your goals. This isn't to say that you shouldn't diversify your reading, because you should, but you also want to make sure that you concentrate on the key areas of interest. Otherwise without concentrated focus, you become what they call a Jack of all trades, but a master of none.

I think big. World changing. Creating a new template for a new world. That is where my thoughts are, and have been since my teenage years. But I have not been focused. I've been jumping around, not just in reading, but in life. So have accomplished nothing, by my standards, other than bringing me to this point in time now where I have enough presence of mind to recognize where I now stand.

Where do you stand? What interests you? What do you want to do? Whatever it is, don't put it off for too long, seize the day now before the passion is gone.

Random Insight - 2

Insight cannot be forced.

While sitting here pondering what to write, I was thinking about how much I really like this new series of mine, of posting random insights, profound insights that spontaneously occur to me, and how great it would be to do so on a daily basis.

I really liked my first post in the series, even though it was a very simple and obvious observation. What I think gives it power is the fact that it is grounded in an experiential truth, that is actually quite profound, but due to its simplicity is so often overlooked, which is what makes the observation all the more meaningful.

So once again I'm pondering what to write, but I'm drawing a complete blank, and realize that I've got nothing. Which is when random insight number two occurred to me: that insight isn't something that can be forced or deliberately invented, but is more of a gift that is received, like a creative blessing that is divinely inspired.

Reason and concentrated thinking can certainly expand upon the insight, but the initial insight seems to appear spontaneously out of nowhere.

For me, it is not something that I sit down and logically invent, but rather it just comes to me when I am not looking for anything or thinking about anything at all. Most of my insights, just pop into my mind out of the blue. And if I'm fortunate enough to have a piece of paper and pen handy, or a computer to record my thoughts, I may capture the insight in its fullest details.

Or if the insight is powerful enough, such was the case in Random Insight - 1, where it was an understanding that was inspired by direct experience, then I may remember it very well without needing to write it down immediately.

Insight cannot be forced. This isn't to say that you shouldn't actively pursue or brainstorm ideas, because ideas come all the time, whether you are actively engaged in them or not.

But for myself I have found that the most innovative and creative insights seem to come to me when I'm not seeking anything at all, when my mind is a blank. Or if I'm thinking about something else, sometimes interesting ideas just come to me in a creative flash, totally unplanned, unrelated and out of the blue.

Four techniques that help open up and deepen your capacity for creative insight.

1) Stream of consciousness writing.
2) Drawing, painting, or some other artistic activity.
3) Playing a musical instrument/Listening to instrumental music.
4) Meditation.

Note: Techniques 1-3 all induce a sort of meditative state of mind. Therefore, meditation is truly the key factor here. So when I say that insights appear to spontaneously occur out of nowhere, it is very likely that these random insights of mine occur when I am in a mildly meditative state of mind. That is, when I am extremely relaxed, focused and aware, I tend to be much more insightful.

Meditation is the doorway to insight. To relax your body and momentarily clear your mind of all thoughts, so as to be completely open and receptive to the direct perception of truth that exists beyond the boundaries of words.

*Originally Published 1/2/2011

Random Insight - 1

The more people that are focused on the same thing at the same time, no matter what that thing may be, gives it power. 

I wanted to write a poem about the lunar eclipse that occurred a week ago, but no words would come. Though I did manage to see it, went outside a couple times after midnight, but it was partly cloudy and pretty cold outside, so I did not observe it for very long. 

One notable observation that came to mind while I watched the lunar eclipse, was that there's probably thousands of people all around the world looking up at the moon at the same time. So if you happened to catch it, there is a real possibility that you may have been looking at the moon at the exact same second that I was. 

Could it be that the more people that are focused on the same thing at the same time, generates power by way of a sort of collective group meditation, which energizes the experience and object of attention, giving it more power, inspiration and influence over the minds of all those sharing in that experience?  

The same thing happens with holidays, they have power because people give them power by way of popular consensus (collective observation and mutual agreement; or people focusing on the same thing at the same time). The fact is that even if I don't celebrate Christmas, it's next to impossible not to be effected by this holiday in some way, simply because so many people do celebrate it. 

The more people that are focused on the same thing at the same time, no matter what that thing may be, gives it power. 

What events in nature are visible to the greatest amounts of people at the same time? 

Astronomical events. The sun, sunrise, sunset, the moon, the stars and constellations, and meteor showers. All other natural events are pretty much localized events. For example, if you see a rainbow, that is something that only a few people in your area are going to see. But if the moon is full, that is something that can be observed by people all over the world, or at least half the world who happen to be in the same hemisphere, and in a time zone that is not too far apart. 

Anyway, the insight I obtained from observing the full moon lunar eclipse of 2010, was the realization of the fact that such an event is collectively experienced. I mean of course you know this right, but did you ever stop to really consider it while actually watching the moon, especially if you are alone or only with a couple other people? To really soak in the awareness that thousands of people located in different cities thousands of miles away from one another, are looking at the very same thing at the exact same time as you? 

This is most likely to occur on a more widespread scale during special (rare) astronomical events that occur at an exact time, such as a lunar eclipse, comet, or meteor shower, rather than the typical monthly full moon. Sure they'll be people watching that too, but when the event is of a greater magnitude, especially when receiving a great deal of publicity, that's when you know for sure that there are a larger percentage of people watching it at a given time. 

What else holds that sort of power, to attract the attention of thousands, and possibly millions of people, all over the world at the same time? 

Television. Radio. The internet. Newspapers and other media outlets. But nothing else compares to television, in terms of making it possible for great numbers of people to be focused on the same thing at the same time. And if you look at the TV, what types of programming dominate the airwaves? Idiocy. Dumbed down entertainment. Excessive violence. Glorification of greed and immorality. Lying, stealing, cheating, betrayal, adultery, jealousy, envy, pettiness, immaturity, superficiality, impulsiveness, undisciplined weak minded behavior. 

 I'd rather watch the full moon than a television that is full of shit.

Nature Solitude

I find it very therapeutic to spend at least a few minutes outside everyday, just listening and observing nature, without uttering a single sound.

No talking, no conversation, just listening to the sounds of nature, and observing whatever is within your field of space, be it a leaf, a flower, a rock, a bug, the birds, the trees, the sky. Just spend some time with it, taking note of everything, soaking it all in, noticing what thoughts and feelings it triggers. Therein lies the fruits of nature's inspiration.

Observing nature without speaking is important, because when you are speaking you are not listening. It's good to take a break from human speech from time to time, and the same can be said of the intrusive noise of machines, take a break whenever you can.

That's the one thing I dislike the most about computers, is the noise they make, that annoying hum, it surely must have some kind of subconscious influence on your bodies brainwaves and biorhythms. There's got to be a study somewhere on it, if not, there should be.

I try to sit outside in silence in a mindful eyes-wide-open meditation of nature on a daily basis. Sometimes it's hard for me to find some peace and quiet. The people I live with talk incessantly, sometimes I have to wear earplugs just to get a bit of peace of quiet around the house. Which is another reason why I often stay up well past midnight, because its the only time when the house is quiet.

In order to be able to hear more clearly my own inner voice of wisdom and intuitive insight, I have a profound need for solitude, silence and nature. We all have access to intuitive insight, it's our birthright. Problem is, many people out of habit and distraction, have conditioned themselves to block it out, to such an extent, that this ability calcifies and the connection is lost.

There are all kinds of distractions in our world that interfere with psychic perception. To me, the sound of machines, especially those of an electrical nature, create a sort of artificial fog, made up of noise pollution and electromagnetic fields, that interfere with and obscures our capacity for intuitive insight.

Of course machines and computers have their useful purpose, but their usefulness comes at a price to our health.

How many people look closely into the depths of their soul, the depths of their heart, the depths of their mind? How many people spend hours of the night looking up at the night time sky without naming what they see, just simply observing it as if it were the first time they beheld it, having no preconceived notion of what lies out there, just looking, listening, and feeling the star filled sky with your eyes?

There are many benefits to be gained from this. Inspiration. Clarity of Vision. Insight. Foresight. Depth of Perspective.

When two objects meet, there is an instant communication, an exchange of energies. When you look up at the sky, in a way, the sky is also looking back down at you. Everybody is communicating with everyone and everything they encounter, even if there is no exchange of words, or direct touch, whatever your senses apprehend there is a mutual exchange of communication occurring.

So make it a point to spend some time alone with nature, listening without speaking, observing without teaching, soaking in the psychic healing, that comes from tuning in and realigning yourself with the resonance of the earth and the sky.

The Lonely Road to Enlightenment

Knowing that this blog most likely will be obliterated someday, I feel that I have free reign to write anything here at all, anything. Imagine that, such open-ended freedom, such unlimited potential and possibility, to create anything you can imagine, or at least to create the idea of anything, if not the actual thing itself.

So I sit outside in my courtyard, though it's not mine really, I'm just a squatter here, occupying this space on borrowed time. But it is a courtyard nonetheless, which may as well be the courtyard to a royal palace, where I sit in relative peace and quiet and comfort, reposing amongst the cactuses and flowers and hummingbirds and statues.

I sit out here at different times, both day and night, but lately I've come to prefer the night, because it is cooler and quieter outside, and I enjoy being alone with the night under a star filled sky. Watching the stars inspires all sorts of philosophical thinking, and triggers many more questions than answers. I wonder if I will ever transcend my human limitations, and evolve into a more enlightened being, someone who is no longer controlled by feelings of selfishness, or held back by negative thinking and emotions.

So let's just say, what if? What if you were enlightened?

To put it bluntly, let's say that just when you think you've gotten your shit together, in terms of personal growth, psychological maturity, self-knowledge, and self-mastery, that you have become an enlightened being. That you see and understand everything with crystal clear lucidity. You know yourself, you know other people, you know the world, and you know exactly what you want, what needs to be done, and how to do it and why.

You have a clear vision. You see the problem and you know the solution. Not idle speculation. Not a theory. Not maybe this will work, but knowing that this will definitely work, that this is what needs to be done, and it is the best course of action to take. There is no hint of selfishness. No personal ambition. No lust for personal wealth, power, or recognition, just a selfless act of charity, of providing a solution to a problem, that would benefit the entire world.

Let's say this is the case. What happens next? Then the reality may sink in that you suddenly find yourself an enlightened being living in a very unenlightened world. Most of your fellow human beings are not enlightened, and they are not receptive to your message. You have the solution to their problem, but nobody is willing to listen. It's like in that movie Idiocracy. The idiots won't listen to reason. It's an upside down world, where the fools rule, and the enlightened are either ridiculed and dismissed as fools, or they're assassinated.

So what does an enlightened person do in this situation? How does the wise person relate to the foolish? How does the reasonable person reason with the unreasonable? How does an enlightened person communicate their message to an unreceptive audience? What do you do when you give excellent advice and wise council, but your words go unheeded? Or when you know exactly what to do to improve the lives of others, and yet nobody will listen?

Obviously I myself am not enlightened, because if I were I suppose I would have the answer to these questions.

But I do experience temporary moments of lucidity, enough to know that the more you know, the more you see that other people do not know. That the wiser you become, the more foolishness you see around you. That the less selfish you become, the more selfishness you see in others. And that the more you perfect yourself, the more aware you become of the world's imperfections.

In other words, you are where you want to be, but the rest of the world is not up to speed. So what do you do? You've perfected yourself and attained enlightenment, but you still have to deal with an imperfect and unenlightened world. How do you manage in this situation?

Are you a kind hearted person, having removed all traces of hatred and maliciousness from your heart? What happens when you are confronted with someone who is filled with cruelty and hate? How does that affect you? How does it affect you when you show someone compassion, when you show them loving kindness, and they spit in your face?

What happens when you have purged yourself of all your lower qualities, removed all traces of selfishness, hatred, jealousy, dishonesty, only to encounter these qualities in another? What happens when you are doing everything right, acting perfectly noble, kind, loving, truthful, and just, but you are treated like shit?

What happens when your kindness is returned with cruelty? When your love is returned with hate? When you help someone, and they hurt you in return?

What should an enlightened person do in such instances? How does the wise person get through to the unwise? How does the enlightened person enlighten the unenlightened?

I suppose only an enlightened person would know.

Future World Metropolis of Hell

Here's a disturbing trend:

World's largest cities are morphing into overcrowded 'mega regions' defined by poverty and pollution, UN report warns

The report also says that by 2050 over 70 percent of the human population will be living in densely populated urban environments, and that this "urbanization is unstoppable", but will "not necessarily be a bad thing".

Oh really? Well you know what image comes to mind when I think of this future world scenario? I think of Soylent Green the movie.

Over-population poses a serious problem for our world, not just ecologically, but also psychologically. Despite the fact that human beings are social beings, I think that there is a point where a high population density actually negatively affects social relations. That instead of improving quality of life and bringing people closer together, it actually may drive people further apart, contributing to more feelings of social isolation, alienation, and depression.

It's difficult to find community in a sea of millions of indiscernible anonymous faces, all perpetually on the go, in a hurry to be someplace else, anywhere else but here. And this feeling of isolation will only be compounded by living further and further away from green natural open spaces, locked away in this endless gray concrete prison of a global metropolis, from which there is no escape.

Have you noticed how people tend to be friendlier to strangers in small rural towns, as opposed to big cities?

Personally I would much rather live in a rural setting, that is quiet, with clean air, and few people, than in an overpopulated concrete prison. I know of many people who rave about New York City. My cousin lives there. She loves it. Yes, it's culturally rich, with many very interesting, intelligent, and often very wealthy people, but at what greater cost to sanity and health, does such a life so removed from nature incur?

Life is probably much sweeter for the wealthy city dwellers, who can afford to get away to the rural countryside, having multiple home's and vacation getaways all around the world. But what about the cities poor, who do not have such an option? I don't know how many poor people actually live in New York City, being that it's one of the most expensive cities in the country and in the entire world, but how about Mexico City, or Bangkok, or Manila, or Beijing, or Delhi?

As these world metropolis's get bigger and bigger, they must accommodate the growing poor, and as more and more people are squeezed closer and tighter together, the quality of life diminishes, along with sanitation, clean water, and clean air.

What do people do when their world is ugly and their life is hell? They often look for an escape. If there is no physical escape, or no place else to go, they may look for a mental escape in artificial environments, artificial worlds. This is where drugs, television and the internet comes in. If the physical world loses all sense of beauty, people will look for beauty some place else, if not in the real world that you can actually smell, taste and touch, then in the surreal virtual reality world of artificial pixelated digitized and sanitized sights and sounds.

So as the human population continues to increase everyday, more and more people are forced into the cities seeking employment opportunities that do not exist any place else.

But I want to hear birds singing, not car horns beeping. I want to smell fresh flowers in the air, not putrid car exhaust. Problem is there are few jobs in the country, and even fewer higher paying one's. To live in the country you almost have to be independently wealthy, retired, able to work from home, or willing to commute long distances. This is why more and more people are moving into larger cities, for education and jobs. But I do not want my whole life to be about making money. Yes, you need money to live, yes you need a job to make money, but if it means giving up the beauty and serenity that a rural landscape provides, then that's almost akin to selling your soul for money. But for some people, its either that, or death.

The future sounds bleak. Overpopulation is a huge problem. More people means more mouths to feed, more garbage to contain, more pollution to control, and more natural resources consumed. Pretty soon there won't be enough resources to go around, and not enough space to safely contain and control all the pollution and waste. Then what? Wars. Disease. Natural disasters. Massive starvation. And incomprehensible suffering.

The elite know this. Who do I mean by the elite? The very intelligent and the very rich. Although it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Some conspiracy theorists speculate that some of the elite are planning a major population reduction, forced population reduction. Some say a massive poisoning, perhaps through vaccinations, bio-warfare, genetically modified foods, microchip implants, or other toxic exposures that will either weaken immunity, cause sterility, or just outright kill you.

I'm thinking that widespread sterility would have the most immediate, far reaching, and long-term consequences, and perhaps would be viewed as being more humane than murder. Only problem with that would be how would you contain it, so it doesn't make everything sterile, like in the film Children of Men, which would defeat the elite's whole objective, by getting rid of everybody, themselves included, through the eventual extinction of the human race.

Well I'm not having any kids EVER so they don't have to worry about me.