#28: Acts of Kindness

Hi Folks,

It is helpful to remember that all we really have to do is the next right thing. It is rarely hard to know what that is — instead it takes self-discipline to do it.

Have you performed a random act of kindness lately? If not, you should try it. It is one of the things we can actually do right now.

Perhaps you can help an isolated senior. I know several people that have turned 70 in this last year and celebrated this milestone by themselves. Thankfully, one of the best aspects of social media was the ability to reach out to such friends.

Voltaire was a famous French philosopher during the 18th century. He wrote: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

This need for clarity of thought is one of the reasons I love philosophy so much. It asks us to be seekers of truth. We can reach out to people, but it is very important that we understand how addicting and manipulative social media sites are.

Too many people believe what they hear on social media. We can be smarter than that. Before the Nazi’s got people to commit atrocities, they got people to believe in absurdities.

Are we doing the same thing today? Where and how is information given to us about immigrants, about the War on Drugs and the War on Terror, about systemic racism and climate change?

Books have been written on what is perceived as Americans’ tradition of anti-intellectualism. Why do so many prefer entertainment over education? Why do we prefer to believe what makes us feel better rather than believing the truth?

Students have asked me if it is hard to be a philosopher, “to be thinking about things all of the time.” Well, for one thing, I don’t spend all of my time thinking! But I do try to form my opinions carefully and be willing to change them as new information comes in.

What is it about human nature that wants to take the easy way? I am reading a book right now that was given to me by my stepmother before she passed away. It is about pioneer women (rather than men) and it came to me how difficult life was for people back then.

Of course it is not just back then. Billions of people are struggling on this planet. I have read that there are over 30 wars currently being waged and that 90% of the causalities are civilians. It is difficult to let that in. But it seems to me that it is only in being committed to seeking truth that we can make a difference, such as committing a random act of kindness.

Let’s avoid believing absurdities and instead commit ourselves to compassion. Right now, send someone a message that you love them. Do it right now!

To Kindness,

Apophat

#27: The Contemplative Life

Hi Folks,

William James taught: “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.”

I find this a positive message because I have proven that it is true for myself. Attitude seems to be everything.

It goes back again to how we create the world we experience. If it is raining I might call it lousy and if it is sunny I might call it beautiful. Either way, we could change our perception to one of joyful acceptance of whatever the weather offers us.

How does my attitude hold me back? How does your attitude hold you back?

Do you whine or do you celebrate? I tend to be a whiner, but I make efforts to change this default emotion to one of gratitude. Life is life and what is going to happen is not largely up to me. But I do know that whining is not going to help. In fact, it only makes things worse.

One of the best ways I have found to change my attitude is a regular practice of contemplation. What is that exactly? I don’t know of any definitive “answer.” But I do know it means living an inner life and not being stuck in only my outer life.

A contemplative life is a meditational life. Meditation may be one of the best ways we have to rewire our brains. Negative thoughts are a habit we learned from those around us. However, we can choose to let go of the beliefs that hold us back from becoming who we could be with the right attitude and practice.

Aristotle taught that “contemplation is the highest form of activity.” For me, this means that the most important and active part of my life is actually an inner job rather than an outer one. I need to determine what I want to give my time and attention too. Meister Eckhart taught, “What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.”

If we want to change our outer lives, then, it seems, we need to focus on changing our attitude. This is not easy, which is why it is called a practice rather than a goal.

Is my life a reflection of my attitude? I think so. Am I outer driven or inner driven? I think fear comes from the outer world and loving and peaceful experience from our inner world.

There is little to no support in our society to have a strong inner life. We must make this a choice, a vow even.

Thomas Merton wrote is Seeds of Contemplation: We have the choice of two identities: the external mask which seems to be real...and the hidden, inner person who seems to us to be nothing, but who can give himself eternally to the truth in whom he subsists” (295).

To the Contemplative Life!

Apophat

#26: Excellence

Hi Folks,

Aristotle wrote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

This means a lot to me because it is a reminder that I don’t just become an excellent person by birth or by wishing so. Instead, I become excellent by practicing excellence.

One of the ways I do this is to keep track of actual data, rather than relying on my memory. For example, some people will say “Oh, I don’t watch tv or Netflix that much.” Instead I would track how much TV I actually watched.

It is easy to say I don’t spend that much time on social media. So, instead of saying that, look at the real data of how much time you spend on social media.

I think I need to do this because of the very strong psychological tendency to be in denial about our lives. It is part of the human condition. Journaling is good for this too. Sometimes I write in my journal, but almost every day I keep track of data so that I don’t fool myself.

Right now, I am keeping track of how much I exercise, calories (because my doctor wants me to lose lots of weight) books read and how many concerts I go to. In fact, I even keep lists of what songs were played on any particular night.

Of course, like so many other things, keeping data can become neurotic. Nevertheless I recommend it as a way of living the examined life so that excellence becomes a habit.

I came across this saying, “Everything in your life reflects a choice you once made. If you want different results, make different choices.”

Excellence, then is a choice. Will you choose to be excellent? I hope so! So…how to get there? Be honest with yourself. Live an examined life. Keep track of data if that helps. But more than anything, develop habits that foster growth. The habits we fall into become our traits. These traits become a part of our character, which, in turn, become a part of our choices.

I want more peace in my life. How do I find that? By making peaceful choices as often as I remember, I can verify for myself that it leads to a more peaceful life. Emerson wrote: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

That, too, is a choice.

To Excellence!

Apophat