SOME PEOPLE NEED TO ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM

According to Erich Fromm, freedom may cause some people to become isolated (or to have a feeling of isolation). Such feelings of isolation may be accompanied by feelings of loneliness. Subsequently, an otherwise intelligent person may give up freedom by submitting to a mind-altering or mind-controlling agent, agency, or substance--whether it be alcohol, drugs, religion, or some other agent or agency, ideology, or person. They then never feel alone as long as their minds are altered or being controlled. MIND-ALTERING OR MIND-CONTROLING AGENTS, AGENCIES, IDIOLOGIES, OR SUBSTANCES CAN KEEP A PERSON FROM FEELING LONELY. SOME PEOPLE WOULD RATHER GIVE UP THEIR FREEDOM TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES TO AVOID FEELING LONELY.

PROBLEMS THINKING ACCURATELY

Francis Bacon and the Four Idols of the Mind Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) was among the Enlightenment founders. He was one of the earliest thinkers to truly understand the nature of the mind and how humanity truly progresses in collective knowledge. Hundreds of years before the advent of modern psychology, Bacon understood clearly that the human mind doesn't always reason correctly, and that any approach to scientific knowledge must start with that understanding. Bacon called the wide variety of errors in mental processing the Idols of the Mind. There were four idols: (1) Idols of the Tribe, (2) Idols of the Cave, (3) Idols of the Market place, and (4) Idols of the Theater. The Idols of the Tribe have their foundation in human natureitself. It makes the false assumption that our most natural and basic sense of things is the correct one. Bacon called our natural impressions a "false mirror" which distorts the true nature of things. In other words, the human mind can be like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly, distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it. The Idols of the Cave are the problems of individuals, their passions and enthusiasms, their devotions and ideologies, all of which lead to misunderstandings of the true nature of things. In other words, besides errors common to human nature in general, everyone has a cave or den of his or her own, which refracts and discolors the light of nature, owing either to his or her own proper and peculiar nature; or to his or her education and conversation with othes; or to the reading of books, and the authority of those whom he or she esteems and admires; or to the differences of impressions, accordingly as they take place in a mind preoccupied and predisposed or in a mind indifferent and settled, or the like. As observed by Heraclitus, people look for sciences in their own lesser worlds, and not in the greater or common world. The Idols of the Market Place are formed by the communication, dealings, and associations of people with each other. The errors in thinking that this causes is primarily due to the force of words. Words tend to force and overrule the understanding and confuse people, which may lead them away into empty controversies and imaginings that may deviate from truth and reality. Lastly, the Idols of the Theater are errors thinking that enter people's minds from various dogmas and also from incorrect activities engaged by oneself or others. These errors in thinking are called Idols of the Theater because the thought-processes are formed by remembering so many stage-plays, representing words of their own creation after an unreal and scenic fashion.

THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF MYTHS

Myths are stories that are based on tradition. Some may have factual origins, while others are completely fictional. But myths are more than mere stories; they serve profound purpose in ancient and modern culture. The myths of lost paradise, for example, give people hope that by living a virtuous life, they can earn a better life in "the hereafter". Some myths simply reassure, such as myths that explain natural phenomena as the actions of gods, rather than nonpersonal events of nature. The subjects of myths reflect the universal concerns of humans throughout history: birth, death, the afterlife, the origin of humans and the world, good and evil and the nature of human beings. For example, cultures worldwide, from the Middle East to the distant mountains of South America have myths about great floods, virgin births, and the afterlife. The purpose of a myth is to provide the people of a culture with a story which they can interpret within the value system of their culture.

GENESIS STORIES

A narrative is a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. A story is a fictional narrative shorter than a novel. A myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

The Genesis creation narrative is the creation myth of both Judaism and Christianity. The narrative is made up of two stories, roughly equivalent to the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis. In the first, Elohim (the Hebrew generic word for God) creates the heavens and the Earth in six days, then rests on, blesses and sanctifies the seventh (i.e. the Biblical Sabbath).

In the second story, God, now referred to by the personal name Yahweh, creates Adam, the first man, from dust and places him in the Garden of Eden, where he is given dominion over the animals. Eve, the first woman, is created from Adam and as his companion.

Some people who lack critical thinking skills think that these narratives are true--that is, they think the events in Genesis, the Biblical stories, really happened.

THE SPIRIT IN WHICH MY BOOK IS BEING WRITTEN

The spirit in which I am writing the book is partly explained by the inspirational writing of Ralph Waldo Emerson, particularly in his composition entitled: The American Scholar. Following is my take from his inspirational composition:

The scholarly author’s most important duty is to develop unflinching self-trust and a mind that will be a repository of wisdom for other people. Self-sacrifice is often called for. Emerson asserts that the reward is to find consolation in exercising the highest functions of human nature; I call it self-fulfillment in making a contribution to humanity.

The true scholarly author is dedicated to preserving the wisdom of the past and is obligated to communicating the truest thoughts and feelings to the public. To be self-fulfilled, a scholar must always remain independent in thinking and judgment, regardless of popular opinion, fad, notoriety, or expediency.

Because the scholar discovers universal ideas, those held by the universal human mind, he or she can communicate with people of all classes and ages that are wise enough or have learned enough to relate to such ideas. Through his or her writing, he or she becomes the world's eye and the world's heart. Although he or she may appear to lead a reclusive and benign life, the scholar must be brave because he or she deals in ideas, which may be a danger to him or herself because some people may find some truths offensive. Self-confidence is the source of courage and can be traced to the optimistic thought that the true thinker sees all thought as one, because universal truth is present in all people, although not all people are aware of it.

But, Instead of thinking individually, many live vicariously through heroes; many also seek self-worth through others when we should all search for it in ourselves. The noblest ambition is to improve human nature by fulfilling our individual natures.

Thus, self-reliance is an author’s major contribution to the world of ideas. The scholar must be independent, courageous, and original; in thinking and acting, the scholarly writer must demonstrate that he or she is not timid. Although he or she must accept facts, the scholarly authors must refuse to be mere purveyors of past opinions, beliefs, or ideas.

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

This is from a Hallmark card that was given to me in celebration of my birthday; I am so delighted to get some more of my proverbial flowers of appreciation before I die so that I can smell them, feel them and see them and be even more self-fulfilled with more awareness of the appreciation that some others have for my having lived. I'm sharing it because it's nice to be appreciated and some who read it may empathize with me realizing that the same applies to you in regards to you and your respective birthdays:


"LET'S CELEBRATE YOU

It's nice to have a day set aside to celebrate you. All too often you go about your daily routine and responsibilities without hearing how much you matter to everyone around you.

That's why it's good to have a day just to celebrate you. and to assure you that you really do make a difference.

Happy Birthday."

ABOUT PHILOSOPHY

There is no body of knowledge called philosophy; and, unlike science, philosophy is NOT based upon facts; therefore, it is wiser to LEARN HOW TO PHILOSOPHIZE rather than to learn PHILOSOPHY. It is important to realize that the activity of philosophizing is not going to produce a set of cut-and-dried answers to clearly stated problems. We shall be moving in a world where 'one can't tell,' 'it all depends,' 'it's a matter of opinion,' will be essentially and frequently recurring phrases.