from Verse One Hundred Thirty-ThreeHuman nature and feelings are such that people all wish to consider themselves wise and hate to be inferior to others. If you wish to consider yourself wise, then contentiousness arises; if you hate to be inferior to others, then resentment and conflict rises. When resentment and contention arise, then the mind is deranged and one's attitude becomes vicious.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
In my life, I know how true the above passage is! Owing to my obsessive-compulsive nature, I'm not the kind of person you want to enter into a debate with -- particularly not one that involves political philosophy.
Recently, on another blog, I and two others got into a debate. It got rather vicious at times and, as is my wont, I simply couldn't let go of it. Rather than saying my piece and then walking away, I had to counter each and every point made by the other two. In situations such as this, one of my worst traits is having to have the last word. I kept typing away long after I should have simply shut up.
This is one of the prime reasons I often don't respond to your comments left here. It's easy to write a word or two, if we're in basic agreement and/or I have something substantive to add. However, if I disagree with your stated point, stating such often leads me down a slippery slope. So, my resolution to this problem is that I try not to respond to such comments at all.
It seems that when I break this rule, more often than not, I regret it. I try to leave a solitary comment, but if the first person responds to it, then off I go again.
One of the chief problems with having obsessive-compulsive disorder is that it's not easy to catch myself when I go overboard. Once I start down that slippery slope, it causes its own momentum and it's next too impossible for me to stop it. Consequently, knowing my nature very well by now, I need to be more diligent in keeping myself away from those kinds of situations. If I stay away from debates, in the first instance, then no problem will occur.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
Recently, on another blog, I and two others got into a debate. It got rather vicious at times and, as is my wont, I simply couldn't let go of it. Rather than saying my piece and then walking away, I had to counter each and every point made by the other two. In situations such as this, one of my worst traits is having to have the last word. I kept typing away long after I should have simply shut up.
This is one of the prime reasons I often don't respond to your comments left here. It's easy to write a word or two, if we're in basic agreement and/or I have something substantive to add. However, if I disagree with your stated point, stating such often leads me down a slippery slope. So, my resolution to this problem is that I try not to respond to such comments at all.
It seems that when I break this rule, more often than not, I regret it. I try to leave a solitary comment, but if the first person responds to it, then off I go again.
One of the chief problems with having obsessive-compulsive disorder is that it's not easy to catch myself when I go overboard. Once I start down that slippery slope, it causes its own momentum and it's next too impossible for me to stop it. Consequently, knowing my nature very well by now, I need to be more diligent in keeping myself away from those kinds of situations. If I stay away from debates, in the first instance, then no problem will occur.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
Taoism is not religion without God.
ReplyDeleteIt is God without religion.
I could get behind that notion.
ReplyDeleteEven before I got to the second paragraph of your commentary, I thought, "OCD is a condition of not being able to let go." (In my particular case, I could probably stand to be a little more OCD--I could use the opposite version of that drug that makes people STOP washing their hands; I could take it when I need to scrub my floor or wash windows.)
ReplyDeleteBut, on the other dirty hand, Taoist practices (and philosophical thinking) should help one let go of these compulsions. Taoism is not about ACCEPTING one's OCD or whatever one thinks one's "nature" is, but learning how to rise above or move beyond it. (I've said before, all these afflictions, and I have some too, are not our "true nature", they are just obstacles to overcome.) This is the primary goal of cultivating your qi (which I think beats drugs and therapy.)
Avoiding debate may be a good thing, but what do you really learn from that? Debate is just mental push hands. Ultimately in martial arts, you want to avoid viciousness, but the practice gets you to the point of knowing when not to fight.
@Crow -- Nice.
@BR: likewise.
ReplyDeleteTaoism is not religion without God. It is God without religion.
ReplyDeleteThis may sound nice and some, including me, might be favorable to that type of interpretation, but there is no substantive reason provided to draw that conclusion.
A taoist needs no substantive reason to recognize truth.
ReplyDeleteWe are not discussing chemistry.
I am surprised you didn't know that.
You haven't offered truth, only unsubstantiated opinion.
ReplyDelete