First of all – I’m wishing all my friend and foes sparkling, blessed and worthwhile festive days.
In the New Year – wouldn’t be great if we could take first steps all over again? … And resist making others walk, since they get more satisfaction from accomplishing this feat themselves.
I’ll never forget the first day my son walked, on his first birthday. He rose, took a few steps, fell, rose again, took a few more steps, fell, and so on … By the end of the day he walked – beaming with pleasure. I had the wisdom not to interfere – a wisdom I did not always apply to myself or other people in my life.
And if you’ve walked beyond the edge … you might like Gide’s quote …
‘One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.’
Which brings me to the theme of ‘cognitive dissonance.’
The Four Horse Men …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DKhc1pcDFM&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaeJf-Yia3A&feature=relmfu
Watching these hour-long sincere debates between Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchen, I had the following thoughts:
Split brains are unstable … a good thing, because cognitive dissonance is vital for evolution …
Knowledge will always be a blessing and a curse and that’s our challenge …
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And here the poignant reflection of a man whose’s thoughts penetrate the heart:
‘Thoughts are beings that generate … One thought of kindness gathers a thousand beings of love and kindness around one.’
Hazrath Inayat Khan
Course of Mirrors 