Tools for Building Better Thinking

Elevation-a higher plane of reasoning, a level of thinking which is higher than where our mind was, just a moment ago, before we ran into THIS! This particular stop along the pathway is a place to reflect upon gaining some insight which will, in turn, give me something more to build with. Because I am ALWAYS looking for ways to better myself- always looking for ways to improve my mind, my life, my thinking. Do the usual petty things in life affect me like they do everyone else? Do I run into the snags and snares and trip on the same things everyone else does!?? You bet!

My co-worker upset me yesterday. Someone else cut me off in traffic. Somebody in the cafeteria said something rude or nasty. I got an attitude right away, because of them. Today at school someone picked an argument with me or had an attitude with me. Stuff happens. It's called "life".

But I know that I can do something about it-something within the framework of my own "intellectual and attitudinal being"! I can stop and think it over! "Why am I angry?" "Why does so & so have an attitude with me"? "Why do I get one, right back?" "Why do I think I even have to protect myself, verbally or in writing?" Why do I even think I have to physically get into it with someone?"

Am I better than that?

You bet! I can stop myself and say to my "adversary" "what's eating you?" Or I can walk away! I can choose a completely different attitude! An attitude of "I'm not going there with you"! Sometimes it is really tough to do.

But I can! I just have to DO IT.

Angry?? STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP-STOP YOURSELF RIGHT NOW! CHANNEL THOSE THOUGHTS INTO CREATIVE POWER! Inwardly, silently pray, sing, tell yourself that this moment passes and that I "can do all things with Christ... "

Scarcity of truth

"As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand." --Josh Billings

The truth.. is never so obvious as a man who exists, knowing that his existence is a truth undeniable. Physical truth is ever so obvious! "The sky is blue". "Physical pain hurts." Then we leave this realm..

And people are ever so ready to argue.. to fight..for fun- or for war! For truth, though? The truth is, men are imperfect and their ability to reason is severely hampered by their own limited thinking abilities. Truth? Hmm, let's see.. whose truth? Mine? Yours? "OURS?"

The earth is round, this is an "objective truth".. and the earth will continue to be round, whether or not everybody agrees upon that, or they don't. But one man isn't going to disagree with the rest of the world on this and it will be true. He will be wrong.

Objectively, reason is pure.. we hope... and truth is too.. the problem IS that most people are about as objective in their reasoning abilities as being human can allow. The truth is, we see as far into the truth as we allow ourselves to.. or not..

And so we find that we are intellectually corrupt.. and whatever truths are uncomfortable and do not allow us to have complete freedom of or from what is socially OR morally responsible, then we allow our minds to choose and accept or deny pieces and parts of the truth as we find comfort and solace in. To pick and choose, though, which parts of the truth we will find acceptable is hardly intellectually acceptable except within the frameworks of our own abilities or inabilities to think and analyze.

We are so limited in scope.

"and freedom, oh freedom.. " which he sang in ME AND BOBBY MCGEE well, that's just some people's concept of what feels right at the time, is..

Give me liberty or give me death.. (Patrick Henry)

Calling all Angels..

God is real. He exists, He is creator, He is all-powerful. This is objective truth. People can deny it, and say it isn't so- but that will not make it so.

Reason vs. emotion

Ayn Rand, philosopher and authoress, coined the phrase "emotions are not tools of cognition." Indeed, she was correct. Intuitively I know it. And I can thus say, emotions are not tools of reason. When "reason" bows to emotion, it is clear that the person is being ruled by their feelings- and not by reason.

Even Ayn Rand herself allowed her feelings to rule her head- and thus, she was never able to rise above her emotions, and follow her own philosophy to its natural conclusion.

Her "philosophy", if followed to its natural conclusion, would show mankind how to separate the feelings and reason- and to allow reason itself to rule in the human mind. Thus could perfection find its outlet in discipline of the highest order!!

I speak of the kind of perfection in self-discipline that happens when reason rules in the mind: negative habits of all kinds would be overcome and not allowed to happen again!

Anyone out there know what I am about to dig into??

If we were to develop the ability to rule our lives by ruling our minds through reason, we would develop the habits of better diet, stop smoking and drinking and doing anything else which is not considered a habit of practicality, right thinking or productivity!

Right thinking is a reflection of optimum cheerfulness, positive thinking and positive attitudes.. have I left anything out? In the realm of "reason", and ALL THAT IT IMPLIES, there is not room for anything negative or hateful. Or anything that implies the opposite of "reason"!

Can reason itself, and of itself, exist as anything else than what the word implies? I will not go into its "roots" as far as whether it is greek or whatever.. but when I think of "reason", I think of bold, intellectual discipline- a perfect mind and a perfect body!

REASON. It does not denote a beauty of physical proportions.. but of the intellectual.

Lets you and I begin, right now, to take charge of our lives and discipline our bodies and emotions by putting reason to work! I ain't talking about a philosophy like Rand's nor one like that of Hubbard's "Dianetecs." Even he had no personal control over his life. His life was ruled by his passions.

When mankind stops living by his passions, mankind will find peace in the world...