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She is trying to minimize and dehumanize me. She doesn't like that I keep repeating militant atheist and fundy theist are the same type of personality disorder to me. people do that to try and level less valid claims with more valid claims.
I am forever amazed at how we go about exchanging opinion in this rather choppy sea of confusion and emotion, and no doubt we've all got a different take on what constitutes facts and opinions, truth vs nonsense, but most amazing is how much attention is given to our different styles or manner of communicating rather than focus on these claims more or less valid.
Your first sentence again reminds me of this quote that I am forever reminded about in this forum. Words I try to live by, but not easy in this forum. Still, always worth keeping in mind I think...
"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming." -- Goethe
Goethe did better what I tried to do, summarizing his thoughts and putting them to paper something like I did my ten truths many years ago (adding the tenth more recently as a result of my experience in this forum). Goethe kept it more brief and no doubt promoted a way that just about everyone can agree upon and embrace.
ONE: There are essentially two realities for all human beings. One reality is as we perceive it to be, our personal reality. The second reality is all that truly exists in the universe, the same for all of us. Our universal truth.
TWO: Human beings cannot know all that exists in the universe. The universe is forever in flux, full of mystery that will forever be marveled and explored by Man as long as he survives.
THREE: The first reality for human beings manifests itself in all the great many beliefs and faiths throughout the world; from Astrology to Zoraoastianism. Many books also stem from these beliefs; the Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita, Speaking of Faith, The Celestine Prophecy, the Book of Mormon and others. These are the books about men such as Jesus, Mohammad, Moses and Joseph Smith.
FOUR: The second reality, all that exists in the universe, known or unknown, is disclosed to Man most accurately and peacefully by way of well documented history (rather than religious books) and empirical science (rather than theology). Universal truth is all we can accept as reality, the truth, with the most certainty and least conflict. What we can all most reasonably accept as true for all concerned.
FIVE: Faith is spawned from the human inclination to speculate or suppose beyond universal truth as determined and defined by science. Such notions, religions, often involve spirituality or a belief in an energy, power or force. A belief in a deity, god or gods, the supernatural. These notions that go beyond common human awareness are typically based or recognized more by emotions and feelings rather than facts, reason and logic. They typically call for faith rather than proof, all stemming from personal experience rather than common observation or scientific verification.
SIX: Man's ability to theorize is a faculty that allows Man to advance toward greater awareness and understanding of universal truth. The theoretical guides Man to further scientific discovery. However, when conjecture about the supernatural leads to faith and religious inculcation rather facts, reason and logic, great harm can and does come to Man instead. This is because the great majority of people still today cannot accept the confines of science. Instead conjecture is continuously promoted as truth ultimately to the point of creating profound divisions between people resulting in great conflict, violence and war still raging to this day; the Crusades, Protestants v Catholics, Jews v Muslims, Shiites v Sunnis.
SEVEN: The alternative skeptical challenge and test of faith to limit spiritual conjecture is to foster a greater respect for the truth as currently defined or understood by science. Science is the most universally accepted effort to arrive at truth with no agenda other than greater knowledge and understanding of universal truth for all human beings. This path or quest of scientific discovery offers the way to peace instead of the sure madness that arises from the significant amount of conflict between differing faiths. As Man learns to universally accept both the great promise and reasonable limits of what science can teach, the source of conflict between Man is diminished, the path toward progress cleared and the prospect of peace improved.
EIGHT: Science fosters the peace of a universal patience and acceptance of our common condition and experience as humans. Faith forbids followers to question thus retarding Man's progress. Science encourages inquiry thus expanding Man's awareness and enlightenment. Faith typically deems any question about God's existence as evil in nature, not to be tolerated. Science has no such restrictions or judgement. Accordingly, there is no manner in which to reconcile these two competing approaches toward revealing Man's universal truth.
NINE: Faith can and does promote goodwill between some people. Creation of beautiful places of worship, help for those in need, community and comfort through difficult times. Even a code of conduct necessary for some to be moral. Yes of course, but with the good there is no need for the bad or falsehoods. Truth is best realized and peace most successfully promoted as more people patiently accept and embrace Man's common reality as revealed, defined and/or revised by science. The movement toward this patience and acceptance very slowly growing from one century to the next is the maturing of Man. His best chance for lasting peace and true understanding of all that exists in the universe, proven or yet to be proven.
TEN: People of faith will deny if not condemn these truths for many reasons; from fear of god to fear of no god. Fear of death to fear of Hell. Typically beginning with the significant influence of inculcation at a young impressionable age, the subsequent effects of confirmation bias over time, development of ego and bigotry all prevent objective reason and logic to prevail for Man as quickly as it should. Instead the condemnation persists even to this day much like when Galileo was even imprisoned for attempting to overcome these same obstacles centuries ago. Much like the Jesuits denounced Elvis Presley. Much like Harry Potter books are banned in Catholic schools today. The ignorance and intolerance persists. Much like the ongoing effort to overcome the ills of racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia that also still persist today, the effort to overcome these backward ways very slowly and painfully is the progress of Man that each generation represents better than the last.
How did you come up with these?
I agree with the gist of these truths, although it doesn't tell the whole story. There is so much we simply do not know. When I was 7, I figured out that if you could know everything, you'd be God - and that God is really the summation of all knowledge in the universe (as opposed to a sentient "being.") Later, I figured out that we're God experiencing himself - therefore there can be no judgment. We just experience.
I also believe that faith and science can someday be reconciled - I think we're making some progress on that now. I love science, but it doesn't tell the whole story, simply because some things can't be measured by science.
Here's a truth I'd like to add - Our existence would be so much better if people didn't try to control others. If I could play God and manifest a happy and prosperous race of sentient beings, this would be first and foremost in my objectives: No Person Shall Have Power Over Another, and Thou Shalt Be No Coercion. The dolphins which live in our seas probably have this down pat.
I am forever amazed at how we go about exchanging opinion in this rather choppy sea of confusion and emotion, and no doubt we've all got a different take on what constitutes facts and opinions, truth vs nonsense, but most amazing is how much attention is given to our different styles or manner of communicating rather than focus on these claims more or less valid.
Your first sentence again reminds me of this quote that I am forever reminded about in this forum. Words I try to live by, but not easy in this forum. Still, always worth keeping in mind I think...
"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming." -- Goethe
Goethe did better what I tried to do, summarizing his thoughts and putting them to paper something like I did my ten truths many years ago (adding the tenth more recently as a result of my experience in this forum). Goethe kept it more brief and no doubt promoted a way that just about everyone can agree upon and embrace.
No doubt I failed miserably by comparison...
Well, I did not get an answer yet, not that my posts need attending to. I read once in a post that there are 'codes' used in the business world to communicate from one professional to another about the status of a client or employee. Arach's belief about that '7' got me thinking about that post again. Now I am curious. But you know what they say about curiosity and the cat?
Well, I did not get an answer yet, not that my posts need attending to. I read once in a post that there are 'codes' used in the business world to communicate from one professional to another about the status of a client or employee. Arach's belief about that '7' got me thinking about that post again. Now I am curious. But you know what they say about curiosity and the cat?
When I was a new principal, one of our teachers had to move out of state due to her husband having to move because of his job, and she asked for a recommendation. She was a "good" teacher, but nothing special, but wanting to be nice, I wrote a rather glowing recommendation. A few weeks later I got a call from a principal out of state about the woman, and followed up the letter with a glowing verbal recommendation. She got the job. A year later, I got a call back from that principal saying that while the teacher had been satisfactory, they were disappointed in my recommendation letter than was less than realistic. The principal said, "I'm guessing you're a first year principal". I replied that I was, and he said, "You have an experienced colleague principal that you're particularly close to?" I said that I did, and he replied that I needed to have a sit down with him or her and ask about "the code". He laughed and said, "Bet I know what happened to you". A couple of days later we sat down for over an hour and he went over with me key phrases that were part of "the code". They all sounded very good, but with a little thought were clearly hollow.
After I retired I moved to Colorado and my doctor would end each appointment dictating a summary to be transcribed by his secretary into my medical record. And he used the same key words at the beginning of each summary. After I'd heard him do it several times I said, "You use the code, don't you?" He started laughing. "Yeah, we have it too. Can you interpret it?" I said, "That one sounded actually good". And then he read me the first couple of sentences from another nameless patient's summary from the day before. "That's a warning to other doctors to watch out for that patient", I said...hollow praise. He said, "Guess you principals use the code, too".
I agree with the gist of these truths, although it doesn't tell the whole story. There is so much we simply do not know. When I was 7, I figured out that if you could know everything, you'd be God - and that God is really the summation of all knowledge in the universe (as opposed to a sentient "being.") Later, I figured out that we're God experiencing himself - therefore there can be no judgment. We just experience.
I also believe that faith and science can someday be reconciled - I think we're making some progress on that now. I love science, but it doesn't tell the whole story, simply because some things can't be measured by science.
Here's a truth I'd like to add - Our existence would be so much better if people didn't try to control others. If I could play God and manifest a happy and prosperous race of sentient beings, this would be first and foremost in my objectives: No Person Shall Have Power Over Another, and Thou Shalt Be No Coercion. The dolphins which live in our seas probably have this down pat.
I came up with these in college (as a personal side project) after a fair bit of study about the major religions and some frustration born from the unnecessary conflicts like those I mention in truth six. I thought I addressed all "we simply do not know" right up front in truth two and thereafter. No?
No story can really tell the whole story, and though I enjoy both fiction and nonfiction, when it comes to the story of humans and our place in the universe, I prefer nonfiction most of all. After all, "truth is stranger than fiction," and as such we have plenty to marvel about without going beyond all the absolutely amazing stuff science can help us to understand.
Well, I did not get an answer yet, not that my posts need attending to. I read once in a post that there are 'codes' used in the business world to communicate from one professional to another about the status of a client or employee. Arach's belief about that '7' got me thinking about that post again. Now I am curious. But you know what they say about curiosity and the cat?
I hope your curiosity is soon satisfied, because I share some of it...
When I was a new principal, one of our teachers had to move out of state due to her husband having to move because of his job, and she asked for a recommendation. She was a "good" teacher, but nothing special, but wanting to be nice, I wrote a rather glowing recommendation. A few weeks later I got a call from a principal out of state about the woman, and followed up the letter with a glowing verbal recommendation. She got the job. A year later, I got a call back from that principal saying that while the teacher had been satisfactory, they were disappointed in my recommendation letter than was less than realistic. The principal said, "I'm guessing you're a first year principal". I replied that I was, and he said, "You have an experienced colleague principal that you're particularly close to?" I said that I did, and he replied that I needed to have a sit down with him or her and ask about "the code". He laughed and said, "Bet I know what happened to you". A couple of days later we sat down for over an hour and he went over with me key phrases that were part of "the code". They all sounded very good, but with a little thought were clearly hollow.
After I retired I moved to Colorado and my doctor would end each appointment dictating a summary to be transcribed by his secretary into my medical record. And he used the same key words at the beginning of each summary. After I'd heard him do it several times I said, "You use the code, don't you?" He started laughing. "Yeah, we have it too. Can you interpret it?" I said, "That one sounded actually good". And then he read me the first couple of sentences from another nameless patient's summary from the day before. "That's a warning to other doctors to watch out for that patient", I said...hollow praise. He said, "Guess you principals use the code, too".
Very interesting...
Spent all my career in business. Formally trained and served as an Executive Coach, and I never heard anything about this "code" until reading these comments just now. Is this something that can be Googled or passed along? More than interested to learn what this is about and to what extent really used in the education or business fields.
Spent all my career in business. Formally trained and served as an Executive Coach, and I never heard anything about this "code" until reading these comments just now. Is this something that can be Googled or passed along? More than interested to learn what this is about and to what extent really used in the education or business fields.
I would say no, although I've seen vague references to it online. I just know that after I learned it, I could look at a letter or recommendation that superficially sounded good and I guess you could say read between the lines and see that it was actually a somewhat negative letter.
Let me give you an example, in regard to teaching.
"Miss Jones consistently develops highly structured lesson plans which lead the student to learn important facts about history". Sounds pretty good.
Translation: Miss Jones relies on rote learning with few opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills. Her emphasis on "in the box thinking" stifles creativity, and the structure of her lessons don't vary much from day to day.
I would say "the code" is simply a way of expressing the depth of a recommendation.
I recommend
I highly recommend
I enthusiastically recommend
I enthusiastically recommend without reservation
To some extent it obviously varies with the field in question.
Yes, I'd be interested in the 'code' too. I have heard 'Cabin crew' codes and 'Actors' codes' to communicate when fans are about and they don't want them to overhear whet they really think.
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