“Self induced peer pressure to try to avoid sounding like an idiot, I suppose! Hopefully it works.”
There is something referred to as a ‘public intellectual’, meaning a thinker who exposes their thoughts and ideas to public scrutiny. I suspect you’d reject such a high falutin’ title, but that’s exactly what you are by writing/sharing an essay like this. This reader’s judgment: your experiment in self-induced peer pressure worked! 👏
“We’re not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.” — Joseph Campbell
To oversimplify this I have the belief that anything good or virtuous or any other remarkable thing that comes "from" me is actually God working "through" me. The best I can do is get out of the way and be what I am, a broken vessel in which He showers His blessings down on me and through me towards others. May I never grow a cold heart to His enduring love and mercy.
I realize your essay entails a great deal more in its intricacies but this is my true response.
It’s a very compelling belief and point of view. Not exactly the same, but I could compare it to the Stoic idea of the logos. This is a divine reason that they said exists in all of nature and every person has a spark of it in them. So, the capacity for virtue is a person’s highest fulfillment of the logos.
Personally, I find the deep sense of higher purpose and connection in both viewpoints profound!
Great piece Eric - so many folks tend to characterise themselves through their “beliefs” or thinking, rather than their actions. To imagine we are kind and decent is so much easier than ensuring we behave with kindness and decency. I believe we attain real understanding of who we are when we can moist closely align what we think with what we do…as your essay so beautifully outlined. Self awareness is certainly a journey - not a destination.
The journey, not the destination is important to this, I believe. What still gives me trouble is the possibility of unintended consequences. Example- what if i internally want to be kind and helpful, so i give a homeless man $5, but he uses it to buy drugs and overdoses? To be purely defined by my actions means that I would now be an enabler and a killer. But this is where the Stoics say that practicing kindness in every aspect of our lives strengthens our ability to be kind and it becomes objectively apparent based on the totality of who we are that our intended act was kind.
Wow, you just helped me clarify that for myself even more! Thank you Selma!
This is basically what I was going to share. I feel that totality of our actions and consistency is what others perceive about us. Intentions matter when they are put into action. I'm no philosopher and can't speak rationally about the subject, but I feel in my heart that being a positive person is reflected in how you treat others and the world around you.
I believe all of this is valid. Additionally, the practice of virtue makes us better at virtue. The more practice the better the insight and understanding, and therefore the better the outcomes!
Those first two points are all that I could hope for. Thank you!
That you trained BJJ is incredible! I could have never guessed that. I have a passion for it and trained quite a lot through my department and when my kids were young and did it. Well, the kids stopped wanting to and the department stopped providing access to it and with time and money being short it’s been several years. But I look forward to starting again one day!
“Self induced peer pressure to try to avoid sounding like an idiot, I suppose! Hopefully it works.”
There is something referred to as a ‘public intellectual’, meaning a thinker who exposes their thoughts and ideas to public scrutiny. I suspect you’d reject such a high falutin’ title, but that’s exactly what you are by writing/sharing an essay like this. This reader’s judgment: your experiment in self-induced peer pressure worked! 👏
“We’re not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.” — Joseph Campbell
Ha, I haven’t heard of the term ‘public intellectual’ before! It does fit, but I would substitute ‘questioner/inquirer’ for intellectual!
Thanks Baird, and that’s an inspiring Campbell quote!!
To oversimplify this I have the belief that anything good or virtuous or any other remarkable thing that comes "from" me is actually God working "through" me. The best I can do is get out of the way and be what I am, a broken vessel in which He showers His blessings down on me and through me towards others. May I never grow a cold heart to His enduring love and mercy.
I realize your essay entails a great deal more in its intricacies but this is my true response.
It’s a very compelling belief and point of view. Not exactly the same, but I could compare it to the Stoic idea of the logos. This is a divine reason that they said exists in all of nature and every person has a spark of it in them. So, the capacity for virtue is a person’s highest fulfillment of the logos.
Personally, I find the deep sense of higher purpose and connection in both viewpoints profound!
Also, really like that bear photo angle. And I never tire of the Appalachian landscape.
I took so many photos of that bear! 🤣
Great piece Eric - so many folks tend to characterise themselves through their “beliefs” or thinking, rather than their actions. To imagine we are kind and decent is so much easier than ensuring we behave with kindness and decency. I believe we attain real understanding of who we are when we can moist closely align what we think with what we do…as your essay so beautifully outlined. Self awareness is certainly a journey - not a destination.
The journey, not the destination is important to this, I believe. What still gives me trouble is the possibility of unintended consequences. Example- what if i internally want to be kind and helpful, so i give a homeless man $5, but he uses it to buy drugs and overdoses? To be purely defined by my actions means that I would now be an enabler and a killer. But this is where the Stoics say that practicing kindness in every aspect of our lives strengthens our ability to be kind and it becomes objectively apparent based on the totality of who we are that our intended act was kind.
Wow, you just helped me clarify that for myself even more! Thank you Selma!
This is basically what I was going to share. I feel that totality of our actions and consistency is what others perceive about us. Intentions matter when they are put into action. I'm no philosopher and can't speak rationally about the subject, but I feel in my heart that being a positive person is reflected in how you treat others and the world around you.
I believe all of this is valid. Additionally, the practice of virtue makes us better at virtue. The more practice the better the insight and understanding, and therefore the better the outcomes!
Erik, three quick thoughts (I know dot points are very unSubstack like!):
- There is nothing like writing something down to clarify the thinking.
- I enjoy your posts for the journey, rather than learned opinion.
- I couldn't go past your reference to BJJ! I trained in that for quite a few years. Now that was a journey!
Those first two points are all that I could hope for. Thank you!
That you trained BJJ is incredible! I could have never guessed that. I have a passion for it and trained quite a lot through my department and when my kids were young and did it. Well, the kids stopped wanting to and the department stopped providing access to it and with time and money being short it’s been several years. But I look forward to starting again one day!