From 2008 to 2010 Sapphire and I maintained a blog that I then discontinued for several reasons. The content is transferred to this page.
Good News – Bad News
“To discover real good news is really great joy; to know bad news and stand opposite and do something for against is courage; to close eyes to avoid know something bad is … to become cowards…” [Olga Bleykhman]
We all know the Kassandra-effect, no one listens to the truthteller. Or “Don’t kill the messenger”. People want to hear good news, but they tune in to the news channels showing one catastrophy after another. The discussion I copied this closing remark from was on LinkedIn Q&A.
Jürgen, January 23rd, 2009
Change
Water flows
eating rocks
growing trees
feeding life
we got to learn
to accept change
as a basis for life
Jürgen, January 04th, 2009
The Atomic Universe
A thesis I once read asked: What if the solar system is what we consider an Atom? Planets (electrons) circling suns (protons/neutrons)? Then universe may be what we believe to be “god”. Hmmm… Thinking a step further? What if our entire universe is nothing but one atom making the body of god?
Internet (by opte.org)
» Jürgen
Jürgen, December 10th, 2008
Honor
One man’s theology is another man’s belly laugh. [L. Long]
Honor means something very different to most people. But the concept is rather easy. It is “self-respect”. So if honor is in low supply, so I think is self-respect.
Wikipedia summarized it very well: [Honor|Honour] is the evaluation of a person’s trustworthiness and social status based on that individual’s espousals and actions. Honour is deemed exactly what determines a person’s character: whether or not the person reflects honesty, respect, integrity, or fairness. Accordingly, individuals are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions, code of honour, and that of the society at large. Honour can be analysed as a relativistic concept, i.e., conflicts between individuals and even cultures arising as a consequence of material circumstance and ambition, rather than fundamental differences in principle. Alternatively, it can be viewed as nativist — that honour is as real to the human condition as love, and likewise derives from the formative personal bonds that establish one’s personal dignity and character.
In today’s industrial societies, I believe “Honor” is in low supply. Many managers and politicians showing neither honesty, nor respect, integrity or fairness, as I expressed in my business related Food For Thought-blog.
» Jürgen
Jürgen, October 23rd, 2008
What Love Is Not…
Based on “Love vs. Friendship” (08. Sep 2008) I got into a discussion what love is not.
Love is not, if one forces you to love. Or manipulates you. If one threatens to suicide if you don’t love. Neither if one dominates you, bosses you – nor if one beats you. Many times, love is mistaken for it. But that is not love!
Love is based on mutual trust, respect and honesty.
Yes, under these circumstances one may dominate. It usually is part of a good relation that you complement each other. What the one can, the other may be less good at. Like I can handle electricity and telephones, but I am not good at wallpapers and renovation. Or I like to cook (preferably not alone though), but my cleaning readiness needs the one or other push occasionally. Yeah, that’s me. Other couples have different setups. But none of my friends threaten their spouses to make them stay. None bosses around, but all show a deep respect for their own.
We all have our flaws, shortcomings, roughs and edges. That does not make us any better or worse than another. If you don’t love your loved ones with all these edges and flaws, sorry, you do not love.
Reliability I was asked. Reliability is part of honesty and respect. If I tell you I do something for a friend, I do it at all cost. Sometimes even if it was meant as a joke Reliability is important!
Intolerable Cruelty: Knowingly giving false hope to one you know loves you.
The result must be him/her suffering! The longer it takes, the more suffering…
» Jürgen
Intercultural Communication
Would Marco Polo have been able to survive the first year of travel if he had been as focused on cultural differences as many people today are? Would my best friends not only be Germans?
“Build a wall around Russia” an Irish consultant told me lately (2008) on LinkedIn when I asked a question on my research about a Russian province. Those are the proud but prejudiced idiots that make our world miserable. Full of hatred for things they do not understand.
Russian friend Olga wrote me about making friends in Russia:
- Be honest and keep your promises, have and show out respect to the country and to the people. Show you trust the Russian side as much as all other countries.
- Behave yourself to the Russian partners, colleges etc. same as from other countries.
- Underline what is in common in life, business etc. – not what differs.
She closes: … Usually Russians are open-hearted and friendly people
But these are universal truths. Honesty. Respect. Faith. Reliability.
Xenia, the concept about hospitality is natural in most societies. It requires as much effort from guest as from host. Did Marco Polo not make friends across the barriers of culture or language during his travels?
» Jürgen
Jürgen, September 22nd, 2008
The 10 New Commandments
The Ten Commandments are frequently discussed as outdated or even obsolete. Based on a discussion by Maureen Johnson with her father in To Sail Beyond The Sunset, concepts of Alan Dean Foster in his Commonwealth and many discussions with friends, I came up with the following 10 New Commandments.
If you object, please discuss with us.
If you like them, spread them!
- There is a god. All variants in the end are facets of that same truth.
- Do not murder or command murder.
- Honor and foster love and live in all it’s facets.
- Love your spouse, children and friends and nourish your love.
- Raise your children that they are proud about their heritage.
- Help when you can.
- Treat all live with respect. Foster nature and it’s resources.
- Do not acquire valuables without a fair compensation.
- Do not lie without a very good cause.
- God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
1 Don’t believe the priests or politicians trying to convince you differently.
2 That includes mass murder as war. The sin.
3 is main to 4, 5, 6, 7… Not limited to human life, but also nature!
4 includes to spend time with the family (nourishing, “Sabbath”)
6-8 includes not to abuse labor
10 Thank you friend and co-author Ice-Sphinx for suggesting the Serenity Prayer as No. 10!
» Jürgen
Jürgen, September 19th, 2008
A New Momentum
a new momentum
one that could have been yearning
for a moment more
stifling look that his
mirror was smiling with the
widest of eyes brown
think I was starting
to think I was starting to
think I have spare time
down most of life churches
we’ve seen on this bulbine which
I have to grow in
towering above
the lantana planted there
against the skyline
I put away just
in case of a soft storm or
winds that visit
the dust yesterday
and I am now watching
as it is covered
xsapph. September 18th, 2008
Friends or Foe
Photo credit:
Protected U.S. soldiers shield a wounded comrade from debris kicked up by a rescue helicopter in Qubah, Iraq.
Unaffected,
natural progressive harmony,
streams that mesh into one
the murmur of throaty thunder
then a piercing shard of light
slashes the horizon
diamond brilliance
it’s clarity:
simple Self-sacrifice,
requiring no prior planning,
absolution, or apology.
Spontaneous simplicity
it just simply is.
Grimy indifference would ne’er
comprehend or act.
Yet… I can also reflect on another thought that supposes …
It is a delicious quote by an exquisite talent that was lost when he was shot down in the war in the bunkers…
“The sacrifices of friendship were beautiful in her eyes as long as she was not asked to make them.”
by: [H.H. (Hector Hugh) Munro] Saki (1870-1916), Scottish author. Beasts and Super-Beasts, “Fur.” Pseudonym oh Hector Hugh Munro.
xsapph, September 09th, 2008
Xenia » My House Is Your House
My House Is Your House.
I always called this “Open Door Principle”. Anyone is welcome any time.
There is a simple rule I get very upset if it is ignored: You are guest. You do not own the place for being offered my hospitality. I happily share what I have, but the rules of courtesy and my household are applied. And I shared even to people I did not know in case of need. And made “friends” doing so.
The most common rules for anything applied to the ancient Greek rules:
Trust, Respect and Honesty
» Jürgen
Jürgen, September 08th, 2008
Love vs. Friendship
Thank you to Ice-Sphinx to inspire me to this blog and to address these philosophical issues in broader public. Sapphire quickly became a dear friend and is a master where I sap to be able to express the basics. I hope she will join in this blog and share her own thoughts about philosophical issues.
A constant nuisance for me is for example the difficulty I have explaining what love and friendship mean to me when talking English. I do refer to the ancient Greek definitions quite a bit in my life, so I will try to explain my understanding of the underlying concepts on that basis as well.
- Love in the way I use the word is the mix of Eros and Agape.
- True friendship is the mix of Agape and Philia.
So using the English definition and language I can love many people, without any “indecent” thoughts. And in fact, I consider some people true friends and I do love them dearly! And I cannot (never have been able to) truly “love” on the basis of Eros, without Agape.
But in English, all the time I mention “love” in this context to someone, there is confusion. If I address someone “my dear”… But a friend can be anything from someone I have met somewhere once – to a loved friend in the meaning of Agape and Philia.
Raised with traditional values, I value friendship truly. Anyone I meet somewhere, I approach faithfully and honest. What could I gain lying? How could I expect someone to trust me, if I don’t trust that person myself? Agape says that love is mutual and the more you love, the more you will be loved. But once you lied, how should someone trust you ever again unconditionally?
I found it rather a two-edged sword. If you are trusted, you feel obliged to meet it with faith. But if you are being approached with reservations, you keep your own. How shall you become friends, if you do not trust? I found it to always fail when I have been trying to convince people who are reserved that they should open up to me. They never truly did.
Today all my true friends are “naturals”. They know they can rely on me. As I know, I can rely on them. And I can trust them as unconditionally, as they trust me. This is mutual. And honesty is the basis.
» Jürgen
Jürgen, September 08th, 2008
Time Enough For Love
Time Enought For Love is a title by Robert A Heinlein. This is a title of one of the best books I ever read, which I can reread any time, especially the first part. Another on is Illusions, by Richard Bach, author also of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
English is a very bad language to talk about philosophical concepts, especially where the concepts of love and friendship are involved. So I would like to share some of my interpretation of these concepts and have invited Sapphire, a master, to join me in this challenge…
Jürgen
Leipzig, Germany
September 2008
Jürgen, September 08th, 2008