Art, Culture, and Religion

Art, culture, and religion show us how we can be united (and divided) via underlying unconscious forces... The underlying currents that flow through us as humans, and expressed in outward forms for us to share in.

Honoring the Mystery by engaging in Art

It seems partaking in "Art", something which isn't clearly defined, as well as asking questions related to "Art": What is the Purpose of Art?.... This is a way of honoring the Mystery... the parts we can't fully know... much like the existential questions of life and death... "Why do we live?" "What happens when we die?" "Why does life itself exist?"

With Living and Art(ing) one can only trudge on, holding onto whatever beliefs one has about the subjects... perhaps believing fully in one's viewpoint on such matters... But not fully knowing the answers for sure. The Mystery remains mystery.

People are Not as Conscious as We Often Make Them Out To Be

Beneath the facade of "kindness" and "proper behavior" exists strong impulses which lead to behaviors we typically label as "brutish", "barbaric", "unkind", "improper". We tend to assume that humans are more in control of their behavior than they really are. We place responsibility of human behavior onto conscious will, as if "we should know better", as if we can completely dictate and control all of our own behaviors.

As humans we have conscious will... but our reserves are quite limited, with many other processes (usually related to survival) running in the background. When the reservoir runs dry, what lies beneath is more easily exposed. And what lies beneath is often bigger and stronger than any one individual.

I Love Words

Words... I love words and how they are able to convey or come close to capturing and expressing an experience, an impulse, a drive, a reaction... of that which is either internal or external... concrete or abstract.

Every now and then I ponder upon words that reflect what I currently admire:

- magnanimity: since falling in love with words after studying them for a standardized test, upon learning this word, I was immediately drawn to it. It reflects some of my highest personal goals. The word seems to repeatedly come up in my psyche

- passion and compassion: these words to me reflect some kind of strong drive toward a feeling of wholeness and connectedness toward those forces that feel bigger than my conscious experience

- harbinger: I don't know why, but this is the word currently permeating my mind. I guess I really admire those who help show the way for others... a beacon, a light for those who which to venture upon a similar path

- creativity and imagination

- courage and persistence

A lot of these qualities I wish for more of in myself... I often wonder what qualities are qualities I myself can fully embody versus qualities that are more complimentary, qualities that others more fully embody and can help to support me in areas where I'm not as skilled or strong. I wonder how to differentiate between the two.