Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Wed, Feb 16 2005
If It's All About Me, Where Do The Rest Of You Fit In?
At first glance, an article on the use of the word 'evil' in forensic science and an article called Opening Up to Happiness didn't seem to have much in common, particularly since one mentioned Satan and the other mentioned Buddha. But after reading them both, I realized that the same thing that prevents our own happiness is often the same thing that causes unhappiness in others. The selfish focus on self, whether due to early childhood abuse or early childhood permissiveness, robs many of us of the ability to experience empathy for others. Whether one is an attention-seeking narcissist or a person completely lacking self-worth, the end result is usually the same. The two extremes are both rooted in a self-centered fixation on one's place and importance in the universe. Both extremes can destroy both the self, and others we come into contact with.
Seeking a higher plane, or a higher power, isn't enough to change things unless we're also willing to give up our own distorted sense of self. It's only then that we can see others as genuine equals without placing them on a pedestal or subordinating their position as fellow humans. I guess fully practicing the Golden Rule is probably the best happiness habit we can cultivate.
posted at: 13:24 | category: /Religious and Spiritual | link to this entry
At first glance, an article on the use of the word 'evil' in forensic science and an article called Opening Up to Happiness didn't seem to have much in common, particularly since one mentioned Satan and the other mentioned Buddha. But after reading them both, I realized that the same thing that prevents our own happiness is often the same thing that causes unhappiness in others. The selfish focus on self, whether due to early childhood abuse or early childhood permissiveness, robs many of us of the ability to experience empathy for others. Whether one is an attention-seeking narcissist or a person completely lacking self-worth, the end result is usually the same. The two extremes are both rooted in a self-centered fixation on one's place and importance in the universe. Both extremes can destroy both the self, and others we come into contact with.
Seeking a higher plane, or a higher power, isn't enough to change things unless we're also willing to give up our own distorted sense of self. It's only then that we can see others as genuine equals without placing them on a pedestal or subordinating their position as fellow humans. I guess fully practicing the Golden Rule is probably the best happiness habit we can cultivate.
posted at: 13:24 | category: /Religious and Spiritual | link to this entry
Got Your Gas Masks Ready?
I was very disappointed that the federal appeals court ruled against the reporters who would not reveal their sources in the Valerie Plame case. I hope the general public will get behind reporters who bring them news. Those who report what's happening are very likely to be the First Amendment rights equivalent of the caged canaries placed in coal mines in earlier times. If journalists get taken down, it should be a warning sign to the rest of the citizenry that they could be the next ones pressured to reveal all sorts of information. We should all support the freedom of the press now, or be ready to live with the consequences later.
posted at: 08:55 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
I was very disappointed that the federal appeals court ruled against the reporters who would not reveal their sources in the Valerie Plame case. I hope the general public will get behind reporters who bring them news. Those who report what's happening are very likely to be the First Amendment rights equivalent of the caged canaries placed in coal mines in earlier times. If journalists get taken down, it should be a warning sign to the rest of the citizenry that they could be the next ones pressured to reveal all sorts of information. We should all support the freedom of the press now, or be ready to live with the consequences later.
posted at: 08:55 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
