Attack of The Super Duper Big Picture

[Richard Cribb]

He may be a non-conformist, but that's no reason he should look down at me.

Yea right. I am the condescending one.
By the way, where did I state that I look down on you?

 

[Richard Cribb]

Although humility is important to Buddhism, ultimately spiritual attainments are associated with such personal qualities as the "middle way," a balanced personality that is neither arrogant nor "humble" in the sense of self-abasement. Thus a semantic question may be raised as to exactly what we mean by humility. Does it necessarily imply an under-evaluation of one's own worth and merits that led the Tibetan lama to reject humility as a virtue for practitioners? From a true Buddhist perspective, the answer is "No." And we may add the following criteria to define genuine humility:

Behave without arrogance, self-conceit and other egoist tendencies such as jealousy and an impulse to show off.
Respect others and show a genuine human interest in them without a desire to please or to impress.
Come up with an objective and honest understanding of our own strengths and weaknesses, with a realization that we are far from perfect and have a lot more to learn, to improve and to accomplish.
While we do not recognize self-depreciation or self-effacement as part of humility, we must recognize that our biological self is fraught with frailties and ignorance and that a true self characterized by such divine qualities as love, compassion, joy and wisdom is innate in everyone of us.
With the above understanding, it is safe for Buddhists to speak of humility as a norm of personal conduct and a mark of supreme attainments that is consistent with the Buddhist "middle way."

From the link posted by Ram.
This reflects a very wise attitude towards life.

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

Humility? Not for me.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Psst, Luceafarul, see post #40

(as usual I spend 20 minutes coming up with a reply, only to see it immediately buried at the bottom of the previous page )

 

[The Last Conformist]

By the way, where did I state that I look down on you?

You implied that a conformist is a bad thing to be.

 

[Rambuchan]

You implied that a conformist is a bad thing to be.

He was implying right IMO.

 

[Marla_Singer]

That's clever Marla. Have a cookie.

Oh come on, I was just explaining to Superisis why his statement wasn't rational. Of course I know that paradox is the reason why you've chosen that nickname.

Though I do accept the cookie

 

[The Last Conformist]

He was implying right IMO.

You see, everyone is out after me!

He's oppressing me! He's oppressing me! * runs around screaming *

 

[Richard Cribb]

Luceafarul, I agree that this way of looking at things can be very dangerous, but only if large numbers of people begin thinking the same way. That'll never happen.

Not so sure about that, unfortunately.

I absolutely agree. Why not enjoy what comforts and pleasant things are available to us? Why not help others, doing so is a good thing. I think you can have this philosophy Ive outlined, and still fully participate in the world. Like any other philosophy, it can inform us while not destroying us. Take Christianity, you dont see too many Christians walking around naked and starving, because of Matthew 6.

Perhaps the difference betwen you and me is just one of semantics(I think so). See also below.

All Im saying is that regardless of how we feel about things, if we were to be really objective for a moment, we'd have no choice but to conclude that this world and all that happens on it is about important and relevant to the universe as a dog scratching behind its ear in an alleyway in Ulan Baatar would be to us (less actually). I mean come on, lets be honest. If some sort of cosmic scientists stumbled upon our universe and studied it for a billion years, they might never even notice we were here!

You are right in that of course, my point is just that such a perspective is sterile and even in most cases counterproductive in the context of our existence. I don't think it can be emphasized enough the importance of a concrete approach towards human dignity and the tremendous value of each and every individual even if our lives might be just small interludes compared to the age of the universe.

But Im not saying that means we should all quit our jobs and go meditate on a mountaintop. On the contrary, eat drink and be merry!

Well said. I drink to that!

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Last, no offence, but I couldnt imagine you running around screaming even if a Rottweilers jaws were clamped on your right butt cheek

 

[Richard Cribb]

You implied that a conformist is a bad thing to be.

Yes, but conformism is only one quality about you, it is not you as a human being. You are young and there is still hope that you can be "unconformized". Just give me a couple of years...

 

[The Last Conformist]

Last, no offence, but I couldnt imagine you running around screaming even if a Rottweilers jaws were clamped on your right butt cheek

For some reason, people I meet online tend to think I'm a rather more relaxed and dignified person than I actually am. It's true, tho, that I rarely run around and scream simultaneously.

 

[The Last Conformist]

@luc: In actuality, I'm a pretty individualistic sort. I was just making a joke based on my username.

 

[Richard Cribb]

@luc: In actuality, I'm a pretty individualistic sort. I was just making a joke based on my username.

I know that you were joking, and so was I. Hence the use of smileys.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Not so sure about that, unfortunately.

I think it'll be a cold day in hell before a large number of people think that they arent all that important. It goes against human nature. Thankfully for the world, most people dont agree with me.

Perhaps the difference betwen you and me is just one of semantics(I think so). See also below.


You are right in that of course, my point is just that such a perspective is sterile and even in most cases counterproductive in the context of our existence. I don't think it can be emphasized enough the importance of a concrete approach towards human dignity and the tremendous value of each and every individual even if our lives might be just small interludes compared to the age of the universe.

Well said. I drink to that!

Yeah I dont think we disagree that much. I think what youre saying is: Yes, so we arent that important, big deal, being unimportant isnt important. Getting the most out of life is what counts. I think thats basically what everybody has said in the thread. It often helps me though to take a maximum zoom out moment. Like for instance, Im out of mayo, and I cant have that sandwich for lunch, but its ok, settle down Bozo, remember, youre just a microscopic bag of fluids crawling on a pebble thats floating in an infinite void

@Last, about your calm demeanor, could be your submissions in the Member pics thread, the guy in the pics seems to be pretty laid back and relaxed. Post one of you either running, or screaming (not both at once) and I'll shut up

 

[superisis]

You guys have too much spare time on your hands... I go off to an italian class and now I've got 15 posts to respond to. Well, suck it. Not today. I'm just gonna say that yes Marla and TLC, I got the paradox that lies in your name (not a necessary one though... for reasons I'm not going into now, maybe later). Also I might add that screaming that you're being oppressed is a very conformist thing to do.

As to punkass's statements, I'd like some splainin here cause if one is an atheist, one may argue that all moral is relative and there is no true objectivity (or if there is, no one may know it... how can you or anyone else know what the truth is). However any person of faith (well nt necesserily but usually) would say that there is a higher being that dictates what is true and what is false, what is moral and what is immoral, hence what matters and what doesn't.

And that it... i think. Can't be bothered to search for more post that I wanted to reply to.

 

[Richard Cribb]

I think it'll be a cold day in hell before a large number of people think that they arent all that important. It goes against human nature. Thankfully for the world, most people dont agree with me.



Yeah I dont think we disagree that much. I think what youre saying is: Yes, so we arent that important, big deal, being unimportant isnt important. Getting the most out of life is what counts. I think thats basically what everybody has said in the thread. It often helps me though to take a maximum zoom out moment. Like for instance, Im out of mayo, and I cant have that sandwich for lunch, but its ok, settle down Bozo, remember, youre just a microscopic bag of fluids crawling on a pebble thats floating in an infinite void

Yes, you are right and I also think that we basically agree on everything except that I hate mayo!

@Last, about your calm demeanor, could be your submissions in the Member pics thread, the guy in the pics seems to be pretty laid back and relaxed.

I prefer sedate.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Grand scheme of things? Well, we can go down the other path... each body is composed of billions and billions and tiny cells, that in turn are made up of billions of atoms, that are in themselves bits of individual pieces; all actig in unison and with extreme precision. So every man is a world unto itself, why should he be humble?

 

[The Last Conformist]

Also I might add that screaming that you're being oppressed is a very conformist thing to do.

It's also a Monty Python reference.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Aphex, whats to be proud of? We didnt bring all those atoms and cells together ourselves, thats somebody elses doing Be proud of ourselves because we exist?

@ Lucea, ok if we ever have that beer, it'll be mustard only on the 'brots