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A foolish consistency
is the hobgoblin
of little minds.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1947 essay entitled "Self Reliance"
is the hobgoblin
of little minds.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1947 essay entitled "Self Reliance"
QotD: Worrying about what others think
Sep. 30th, 2013 10:21 amYou wouldn't worry
so much
about what others think
of you
if you realized
how seldom they do.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
(Supports one of the Four Agreements: Don't Take Anything Personally.)
so much
about what others think
of you
if you realized
how seldom they do.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
(Supports one of the Four Agreements: Don't Take Anything Personally.)
Poem: The Way It Is
Feb. 2nd, 2012 10:08 pmThere’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.
~~William Stafford
as accessed here
http://www.panhala.net/Archive/The_Way_It_Is.html
Book recommendation: The Guru Papers
Nov. 10th, 2011 10:37 amThe Guru Papers
Masks of Authoritarian Power
by Joel Kramer and Diane Alstad
This book was particularly formative for my thinking. I believe the first time I read it was about a decade ago, though it's been out longer. I've recently loaned it to a friend and every time I pick it up I run across another awesome thought. Basically it starts out looking at gurus, who they are and what they do, and why. The tail end of the book is about authoritarianism, and the nuts and bolts of how people fall prey to bosses that don't even pay them. It was partly this book that programmed me to be hyper-aware of the word "should". I'm ready to re-read it, soon as I get it back...and have the time.
http://offgridsurvival.com/livingoffthegridcrime/
There are lots of stories here of self sufficient people getting run off their land for weak reasons. All over the US you can get in trouble for having a homestead that looks junky. It has happened to friends of mine. Bill had to get rid of his volkswagon collection because the neighbors supposedly thought it was an eyesore. He could have supplied his community with running vehicles for generations to come from that collection, but it is gone. It seems to me that we can allow self sufficient and creative people to collect materials for their projects on their land. If there really is a visual issue some kind of fencing or green living screen could be required. And whatever laws about decency we agree to, multinational corporations must also obey. Perhaps it would be useful to define quality of life--not for the individual, but for all humans, so that we could begin with a reasonable basis for such decisions. We don't just want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we want clean air, fresh water, whole food, quiet and space to pursue our missions in life... The link is a pretty impassioned statement from a few outliers who get hassled by authorities.
There are lots of stories here of self sufficient people getting run off their land for weak reasons. All over the US you can get in trouble for having a homestead that looks junky. It has happened to friends of mine. Bill had to get rid of his volkswagon collection because the neighbors supposedly thought it was an eyesore. He could have supplied his community with running vehicles for generations to come from that collection, but it is gone. It seems to me that we can allow self sufficient and creative people to collect materials for their projects on their land. If there really is a visual issue some kind of fencing or green living screen could be required. And whatever laws about decency we agree to, multinational corporations must also obey. Perhaps it would be useful to define quality of life--not for the individual, but for all humans, so that we could begin with a reasonable basis for such decisions. We don't just want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we want clean air, fresh water, whole food, quiet and space to pursue our missions in life... The link is a pretty impassioned statement from a few outliers who get hassled by authorities.
