NFWism: Boon or Bane? (Truth, it's all about truth. )
When taken by itself non-free will enlightenment is pretty much a wash. By this I mean that for every ounce of guilt that is expunged, an equal measure of credit is evaporated. For every bit of shame that can be cast off, so too is every bit of pride. It allows one to know that they have no choice but have the flaws that they have, but one also must admit that the strengths that they have are by cosmic accident. Whether it is our cowardliness or our heroics, none of us choose either, they are chosen for us.
There is nothing that I can claim as my own design. I can't even claim that realizing that I’ve nothing to claim is mine to claim. Even as I feel myself freed of anger and ennobled by compassion, I realize that it's still the same indifferent universe in which I have to dwell, a universe that makes no note of anger or compassion.
For me the benefit of recognizing the truth about our lack of free will, is that it is the truth. This is significant to me, because I appreciate the value of truth; others who have no fundamental or axiomatic appreciation for truth might very well miss this sublime benefit.
Also, we all feel the unseen pressure of the forces of our lives that move us to do what we do, and keep us from doing what we don't do, but without knowledge of our un-freeness, we live a discombobulated life, never knowing why. In our hearts of hearts, we know we always do the only thing that we can do, and yet hold expectations for our fellow beings to somehow do other than what they can only do. This irreconcilable accounting of living makes for an almost universal neurosis particular to humanity.
There is nothing that I can claim as my own design. I can't even claim that realizing that I’ve nothing to claim is mine to claim. Even as I feel myself freed of anger and ennobled by compassion, I realize that it's still the same indifferent universe in which I have to dwell, a universe that makes no note of anger or compassion.
For me the benefit of recognizing the truth about our lack of free will, is that it is the truth. This is significant to me, because I appreciate the value of truth; others who have no fundamental or axiomatic appreciation for truth might very well miss this sublime benefit.
Also, we all feel the unseen pressure of the forces of our lives that move us to do what we do, and keep us from doing what we don't do, but without knowledge of our un-freeness, we live a discombobulated life, never knowing why. In our hearts of hearts, we know we always do the only thing that we can do, and yet hold expectations for our fellow beings to somehow do other than what they can only do. This irreconcilable accounting of living makes for an almost universal neurosis particular to humanity.
posted by Steve | 9:14 AM
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