It all begins with the 'I am'.
The most self-evident of all truths, that 'I' signifies something distinct and unchangeable, is not just under dispute in the modern world; it is rejected by default. According to the inter-subjectivity of today's researchers, genes and environment are the only factors to explain who you are; as if we're some sort of biological robots without the presence a free will.
The fact that we have a conscious experience of this life cannot be explained by modern science; it is a phenomena in-itself (no, this is not a reference to Kant). Even the (seemingly) anti-spiritual English philosopher, Bertrand Russell, accepted this, but managed his headache by claiming that beyond the recognition of its existence, no further analysis was possible (my interpretation, not an exact quote).
If there is no free will, there can be no meaning of life beyond what our senses has to offer. To the truth seeker, the idea that this life is mainly about survival and earthly pleasures, is simply unbearable. The superficiality of the mundane way of living, the futility of social ambition, and the lack of independent thought, repels him/her so strongly, that almost any alternative path of life, no matter how riddled with uncertainty, is regarded as a better alternative. -As long as there is some justified hope for an elevation to a higher level of consciousness. Even chaos is preferred to the horrors of total stagnation.
Emotional numbness and mental stagnation are connected as plague and fever. No truth seeker can be anything but hypersensitive (not to be confused with hysteria, which is a form of social manipulation). He/she observes more, sense things stronger, and is easily caught up in an emotional turmoil. This makes him/her, needless to say, vulnerable.
Most people refuses to see the distinction between weakness and vulnerability. Weakness is to choose the wrong path when you can choose otherwise. If your vulnerability is overrun, you're out of options. Every effort will just make you sink deeper down. Weakness is related to will, vulnerability is how much your system can handle.
A truth seeker is strong in the true sense of the word. He/she takes on the most formidable task of all; to acquire a genuine insight in the self and the universal purpose it was put here to serve. The everlasting search for meaning, the rejection of hypocrisy, and the primus motor for all of his/hers endeavours: The belief in a sharp distinction between good and evil.
Evil is ultimately the lack of will to understand.
2007-01-06
22:08:01
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➔ Philosophy