Passion and Attitude are more important than beauty, intelligence, physical prowess, talent, or peac

reply to post by charles1952


Doing is not future or past.

Does it matter for the present moment if time will eventually wash away all traces of our existence. All passion is fleeting.

If it is all an illusion, use your illusions. Sometimes in the middle of something, you discover it was based on illusion, or false assumptions, what ever you want to call it, and if you have any control over your passions, you deal with it.

Good and evil is another subject.

reply to post by poet1b

Dear poet1b,

I suspect that perhaps my confusion is based on the words we are using. I suspect they have different definitions for each of us. I would call "passion" a powerful emotional drive, and "dream" a supremely desired, distant goal.

My position would be that, with one exception, everything we do here is temporary. It will be destroyed and forgotten no matter what it is. None of those "dreams" are permanent, even if we accomplish them, so the question should be asked "Is it worth it to put our passions into these dreams?" I would answer "No, they're not worth it," with, as I said, one exception. You may change your dreams, redirect your passions, but you remain in the same pit. Unless you choose wisely, your dream doesn't matter and your passions are wasted.

The wise choice? The one exception? Giving love to people wherever you can. That includes yourself.

That is the one dream that will make a permanent change in the reality of the universe. The passion to do that is the one drive that is directed to a worthy goal. It is not fleeting, it is not an illusion, there are no false assumptions involved. The question of good and evil is answered if you have love as a dream and love as a passion.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


I would say we are seeing pretty much the same thing.

Might want to consider that it is a possibility that time, in another dimension, is just various locations. When moments become the past, for us, they continue to exist. Once those moments past, they will always exist as they occurred, and so what we do with our passion in our moments may very well continue to exist.

reply to post by poet1b

Dear poet1b,

Now, that is a fascinating idea. I wonder if we create those "locations," or if we choose among an infinite number of possibilities which we could make real.

I agree that at least the memory and knowledge of our past actions and their results stay forever, but I would argue that everything material passes away.

poet1b, you've got an interesting brain, nice to know you.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


Thanks Charles, I am going to start another thread in this forum next week on Truth. Truth being the only real currency, IMO.

I thought I should do a better job of answering the question that essentially deals with Nihilism, being that Nihilism has been so dominant over our culture over the last century, whether or not people realize this.


In the modern world, as more and more people lost their faith in religion, seeking more concrete purposes in life, they found themselves looking out into oblivion. A vast nothingness where all sense of meaning is lost. Everything is temporary, and possibly nothing more than an illusion, or perhaps in a darker view, everything has already been determined, and no matter what we do, we are all consigned to our fate. All trappings of self awareness are only an illusion.

This leads so many to embrace nihilism, that nothing matters, and truth only exists in the moment.

What it most often comes down to in modern pop culture is:
Live fast and die young;
Who ever dies with the most toys wins;
Because nothing matters, because everything in life is temporary and therefore meaningless, and these are the paths so many people find.

My personal philosophy is that doing the right things in life, being inventive and creative, doing for others as well as yourself, in the end, leads us to a richer, fuller life. Maybe fate exists, maybe time will wash over everything that we have ever done or been or thought, but even so, there is no evidence that we can not take advantage of the moments life offers us, or change our fate. Rather than looking out into the eternal nothingness, we can look for closer goals to guide us into the void. Maybe that tower will eventually fall centuries from now, but if we are no longer around to see it, does it matter? That we were able to ascend that tower, and look out over the world from the perspective it offered, and take in that moment, makes that moment ours. Who knows, if higher dimensions exist, and our conscious lives on, these moments that we have lived might turn out to be gold. We've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, by taking advantage of the time life gives to us.

Whether or not you believe in a God, an afterlife, or higher plains of existence, a philosophy of building for a better future stokes our passions, leads us to a more fulfilling way of life, and has far more advantages.

reply to post by poet1b

Because nothing matters, because everything in life is temporary and therefore meaningless, and these are the paths so many people find.

For so many of us - at one time or another - life is about survival. We all have very personal ideas about what it means to survive - but we all live through those times. When we lose a loved one, a job, a relationship...when we are ill or just under an enormous amount of stress - when faced with the monsters that share this planet with us - living with fear...sometimes it becomes a moment to moment, day by day attempt to just keep your head above water

It's easier to survive in a universe that has meaning than without. It's easier to find balance in a universe with rules. It's easier to survive life once you know you can and will survive

Young people are sometimes thrown into situations they aren't prepared to handle. They haven't survived yet - so they don't realize they can. They're at an age when they are still working out the differences between what they've been told and what they believe to be true for themselves. They don't know that the overwhelming feeling of despair they're living with isn't forever. Their sense of self hasn't always gelled in time for them to weather the really big storms

Nihilism, for many - represents nothing but emptiness, despair - a godless, meaningless, lawless, worthless existence...

We're human. It isn't possible to live a meaningless existence - we exist inside our own meaning. As individuals and as groups. There is a bond between us and a sense of purpose that can't be destroyed or erased by ideas. We cannot think away meaning

Though I think we all have to find and understand meaning in our own way and in our own time

My personal philosophy is that doing the right things in life, being inventive and creative, doing for others as well as yourself, in the end, leads us to a richer, fuller life. Maybe fate exists, maybe time will wash over everything that we have ever done or been or thought, but even so, there is no evidence that we can not take advantage of the moments life offers us, or change our fate.

Ditto that poet - even while I contemplate living in a universe that doesn't know I exist - I exist

I can't know the answers to the big questions - but not knowing doesn't make my life meaningless. It doesn't make me care less about my life or the life of others. Quite the contrary - I feel just as connected to this world and my fellow man as I would if I were instructed to do so

We've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, by taking advantage of the time life gives to us.

If you're not busy living...

:-)

That line always kinda annoyed me - but, there is something to it. It's why I agree with the title of this thread. It's not possible to Pollyanna our way around all the problems of this world and this life - but attitude and passion...no matter what you were born with, these are things we can claim as our own

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


Great post, thanks for the reply.

The way I see things these days, technology re-shaped our world, removing us from the natural arena, and placing us in this artificial world of our own creation.

We need to develop new philosophies to deal with this new world, beyond religion or science. I had meant to start a new topic on this concept this weekend, but didn't manage to get one written.

I think ultimately most of us desire to be creators, to build things, be artistic, create new concepts, or at least this is the higher passion. This is how we evolve.

Originally posted by poet1b

Most of life is about maintaining our passion and approaching things with the right attitude. This is an area that most philosophies ignore, or treat only as a side notion. Peace is great, but passion is better. The key is not to let your passions burn out of control, but more importantly, not to let it die. Our world is a place that runs in cycles, and so does our passions.

Its our passion that drive us through life, and attitude that allows us to take it all on. Our primary goal should be to hang on to our passion, and maintain the proper attitude. Living is Defying Inertia.

All that we do, and all that we make out of our life in this world comes from our passion to make these things happen, and bring our dreams alive.

Isnt this ripped straight from the "Sith Code" from Star Wars?

Lol im amused no one has noticed this..........

The Sith Code as taught by Darth Bane: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.

I mean its cool but, atleast give credit where credit is due instead of posting this as your own idea

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask

I mean its cool but, atleast give credit where credit is due instead of posting this as your own idea

do you honestly believe the subject of passion was originally and only discussed in the Star Wars series?

one hardly knows what to say...

:-)

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


I would say that my statement that "peace is great" is completely opposed to the sith code "Peace is a lie".

Passion and Attitude are only the foundation, it certainly isn't the only thing. Passion without reason is just a projectile.

Not the Sith code.

Originally posted by Spiramirabilis
reply to post by ManBehindTheMask

 

I mean its cool but, atleast give credit where credit is due instead of posting this as your own idea

do you honestly believe the subject of passion was originally and only discussed in the Star Wars series?

one hardly knows what to say...

:-)

edit on 3/11/2012 by Spiramirabilis because: (no reason given)

Really? thats the retort? If thats the thought process then i guess NOTHING has been left unsaid in the history of humanity has there?

I guess plagiarizm shouldnt exist either?

My point is, its a direct rip , including the explanation of it, from George Lucas years ago....

Originally posted by poet1b
reply to post by ManBehindTheMask

 

I would say that my statement that "peace is great" is completely opposed to the sith code "Peace is a lie".

Passion and Attitude are only the foundation, it certainly isn't the only thing. Passion without reason is just a projectile.

Not the Sith code.

That one word is basically the only difference between what you said in your opening post.....and the whole premise behind it...

Im just saying, it seems awfully close to a rip off of George Lucas

Originally posted by poet1b
reply to post by biggmoneyme

 

Which Buddha?

Reminds me why I turned about from Buddhism back when I was ten.

I never saw the worth in spending most of your time sitting around meditating. I think you learn far more, and do far more for yourself by getting out and exploring the world, spending your time doing things, building things, creating art, growing things, growing, nurturing, evolving, being creative.

'Many of us may be hesitant to read about ethics and morality, but according to Buddhism, our lack of self-control is the very thing that leads to our problems. Hopefully, the large amount of rules and vows will not stop you to investigate what they are all about; they should not just be accepted and followed, they must be understood and then you may automatically find yourself living according to them.'

Does religion really prevent you from building things, creating art, growing things, growing, nurturing, evolving, being creative?

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


Everything I say about passion is opposite of the Sith philosophy.

Try reading it again, you are missing the entire concept I have put up.

My point is, its a direct rip , including the explanation of it, from George Lucas years ago....

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


it's really not

:-)

anyone who can read can see it's not

if you're going to accuse someone on the one hand - of plagiarism - you'll have to do better than that

if on the other hand you're only accusing someone of being unoriginal - well, there's nothing new under the sun

nothing is so thoroughly discussed it can't be diiscussed again

are you a troll - or just crabby?

Without passion, you will never really succeed at anything. Passion aimed at specific goals are how success is created. The people that rise to the top in any creative field are very passionate people. And they know how to harness and focus it.