Agreement is Harmony

I enjoy the saying, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." This saying goes without saying in some ways, but to the majority of the public it goes without knowing and without heeding. If you are in any doubt to how serious the saying is to everyday life, look at any person of any age who doesn't set their mind on anything other than what seems popular or 'acceptable'. You may notice some sociobehavioral patterns that are akin to a marionette (puppet on strings). Their entire life determined by the ever so subtle pull of what they are connected to.
It's no surprise that upheaval of what is guiding these puppets leads to dramatic life altering choices that are nothing less than destructive or outright suicidal.

Where did the idea that being open-minded meant not standing up for something?

I understand the value of seeking agreement.
This is important in conversation and other facets of human interaction. The idea isn't to be so open-minded that you don't adhere to moral absolutes or disregard your beliefs, it is to suggest a mentality of civility. Even if you agree to disagree with someone. Which there is nothing wrong with settling between yourself and someone that you aren't out to convert each other even if the topic is sharing opposing views in a debate-like style.
A debate, as I and many others may agree, does not have to be negatively charged with a polemic mannerism poised to achieve victory in logic or emotional superiority. There seems to be a lot of people who get the idea that whatever they say has to be bigger, better, stronger, and more influential. These are the people who do more talking than they do listening. Which makes another saying come to mind, "You have two ears and one mouth. Do twice as much listening as you do talking."

When I think of harmony in agreement.. I imagine an musical orchestra. Regardless of the talent or frequency of play from any of the individuals, the entire orchestra is given credit for a musical score; regardless if the reaction is negative or positive. Conversely, within the group, an individual who fails to do their part is admonished by the peers if their is a disregard for the manner of how they participate. A good team is careful to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each other, quick to help a peer falling to mistakes, and even quicker to help a falling peer in finding ways to strengthen their weaknesses.
As much as I don't like looking at sports for my examples, because the energy derived from competition isn't as glorious as that from artistic energy, I must say that sports teams are another good example of how individuals must compliment each other if they want to see victory.

Agreeing with a fool for the sake of civility is an insecure compromise.

I certainly find it ridiculous to seek mutual agreement about something that we don't understand or otherwise suffer dissonance because of some fundamental aspect. Seeking to understand the heart of evil when you are seeking moral goodness is an example of compromising with a foolishness. You can be resolved to be civil in your disagreement, but it is not the same when you resolve to relate to what can't work for you.
It is the beauty of opposites attracting each other that we find the harmony is in the differences coexisting without counteracting each other. This is not a constant in all things of the universe; just because it is opposing in nature doesn't mean it will attract the opposite. Light and Darkness are definite examples, so is hate and love.
That is why the principle of Yin & Yang is finite, or why the expression "Love to Hate" is a set of misnomers made into a phrase. The former is limited in expression of things in the Universe and the latter is something akin to stupidity or a lack of capacity to articulate an expression more accurately. It really doesn't matter if there are secondary explanations to make sense of things that make sense to a specific culture or a particular language, the truth doesn't care for euphemisms being the manner of the conclusive ascertaining of an idea. All that matters is the universal acclimation of any given thing.. That is what separates timeless wisdom from philosophy limited to a particular era, location, nationality, religion, and/or gender.

My challenge to myself and anyone who thinks they are brave enough is to not seek affirmation or applause. Seek not the approval of mankind and disregard the notion of keeping people comfortable if it means sacrificing your moral nobility.
Seek a balance between standing firm in moral goodness, without pushing offense on others to make a point.

4D Pain

Today I wrote a long post in the "Inspirational Moments" blog about 4D thinking. The idea was centered around the not-so-foreign idea of the Spiritual plane of existence and how Humans are linked to it. I felt it necessary to carry on the thought about 4 Dimensional essence in the area of emotions. The most profound aspect of it in fact, which would be Pain.

Think of pain in any way you want. I don't think there is any kind from any situation that can't relate to what I'm getting into. Even physical pain has merit in my point, due to the uncanny principle that physical pain can have an effect on the ability to mentally function efficiently.

To make one thing clear, I am very well aware of the power of psychosomatic properties; which is the biological or physiological effect of thoughts. If anyone is skeptical about the perplexing power of thought over the body, don't take my word for it, simply look to a renowned Endocrinologist by the name Hans Selye.
To put it short, this man revolutionized the understanding of stress factors on the body as well as categorized different hormones that contribute to 'good' stress and 'bad' stress. His work contributed to many other 'breakthroughs' in the cognitive sciences. One of the main things he documented was the power of the placebo. In doing so, he opened up the door to understanding why things like meditation and changing the way we think contributes to better health, longevity, and mental aptitude of higher plateaus.

When it comes to Pain, most people fear it as if there is something terribly destructive about it. Well it can be, but it usually isn't that bad if you know how to deal with it. Such as being heartbroken by a failed relationship or being hit on a nerve such as smacking your below into the corner of a wood table.
It is ironic that some people handle pain so well that their facial expression doesn't change, while other people literally collapse to the floor and cry out in murderous agony. Sometimes I don't know if the person is really dying or is dead inside.
However, when does Pain become 4 Dimensional?
Well simply put, it is when you are affected in a non physical, non mental, non emotional way.
It is a type of pain that may manifest physically, such as tears or mental anguish, but the pain is felt so deep that it feels like something is tearing you apart from the inside out.

Far be it from me to categorize this as your 'Soul' being torn apart, since I don't look at the Soul as being the engine of consciousness. So to clarify, I'll use the term "Spirit". And I affirm the idea that there is pain so deep that it feels like your Spirit is being torn in two.

Some extreme examples of such a deep Pain would be a parent losing their child to death. Or a married couple losing one to death, or even realizing the vanity of life before your own death (not to say you have to be on your death bed to come to such a realization). Within the examples I provided there is a certain factor that makes the example an extreme. It isn't just about how people relate to a tragedy, it has everything to do with being out of order of what can be considered natural. As the notion that death is not natural is a lot harder to swallow unless it happened because of choices, since it is a basic precept that death is inevitable.
From there any sensible person can understand why certain cases of death strike deep and time doesn't heal the wound easily, that is if it ever does at all.
However, the pain of loss doesn't have to be about death at all. Some people exacerbate their feelings to such an extent that it is like they may as well claim death took everything they love. Then again, the effects of that kind of thinking should be taken seriously since it can be as detrimental as what death can surround an individual with.

Personally, I respect the power of Pain. I find it to be a terribly powerful weapon in my arsenal. I can use it against people to bring them down or it can serve to help me relate to people. However, there is one other thing I can do that disturbs me greatly.. I can revisit emotional Pain of the Spirit-Splitting kind and allow it to take over my psyche. The reason why it is disturbing is because I can go from calm to enraged without any provocation; a potential blood lust that nullifies any empathy or compassion I may have. When I say blood lust, I mean that kind of violence where you have no disgust with eating someone's flesh off their bones, drenching yourself in their blood and laughing at their blood curdling screams the whole way through.
I do not pride the ability, I think it is evil and bizarre when not engaged by such influential emotion. The only reason why I bring it up is because the power of it is based on Pain so deep that the only thing I can do is share in the madness...

I challenge anyone to consider the nature of Pain beyond the selfish realizations of what may not have been realized that other people go through. I am not impressed by people who are in their 40's coming to the realization that there are people who are stuck on the streets, without family, hopelessly addicted to substances, and/or lost in affliction of sickness and thus are unable to find the motivation to persevere through the troubles of the world.. I simply cross my arms, tilt my head to the right, raise an eyebrow, and hold my tongue in my mouth as I wonder the true depth of intellectual and emotional negligence.
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Mourning with people who are mourning is not a bad thing, but it doesn't mean you understand their Pain. Helping people who need help isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't mean you care about their Pain.
Being compassionate to those who have less is good, but it doesn't mean you have numbed their Pain.
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I better not get too deep in the idea, I am simply making a point centered around the average philanthropist. I have a really hard time with them because I have been shown sympathy for what I've gone through and hardly did it ever feel like there was any understanding of Pain as opposed to a shallow display of affection to encourage a self-righteous behavior. Which I find ridiculous since we don't have to experience identical events to relate to the deeply wounding effect of Pain.
This translates into conditions for understanding someone.. Somehow there are so many people who figure that if someone doesn't fit their criteria of Pain then there is no way to relate. I don't know what's worse for a person to do, be shallow in their relating to someone else's Pain or to put conditions on what 'true' Pain is.
None-the-less, Pain is not a matter of interpretation. It is a matter of life-altering influence. All that needs to be done is to relate to the influence.

If we could learn to relate to each other's Pain in a 4 Dimensional way, many more people would find that 'Soul-binding' energy that people talk about is real.
We can bridge divides as great as the generational gap, cultural differences, and even societal roles.
Or we can just remain 2 Dimensional, which is a definition of selfishness, or 3 Dimensional.. Which is just me suggesting being mediocre and ultimately shallow, or rather conditional.

To the World You May be One Person, but to One Person You May be the World

Recently I had posted on my Facebook Page, Urban Ninja, the same quote of the title of this blog entry. It was something that I was resonating with heavily because of how I usually hold people to high esteem. Even the people who truly don't deserve any attention from me.
I am one of those types that holds the hope that any individual will change, because they have the capacity to do so. I am especially sensitive to the idea that any individual shouldn't be given a chance to rectify their crimes or times of dishonor. I do believe there is a limit to what kind of mercy you can show to someone who refuses to change and goes as far as to perpetuate evil. However, I think the pursuit of justice requires the pursuit of compassion to prevent tyranny from grasping people who are corruptible.

I absolutely love the idea that we humans can have feelings for one another that transcends our physical bodies. Not many people agree with this idea, let alone understand it, but the idea is that we can resonate on a much deeper level than the scientific definition of our physiology. It is my opinion, which is supported through personal experience of anyone relating to this, that it is the resonance of energy that occurs first and then influences the body.
That feeling of having butterflies in your stomach is just a physiological response to having a resonance. That feeling of lust that overwhelms a person is just the physiological response to a resonance of energy also, even though it is more of a primal instinct that is heightened by hormones. However, there is that very strange occurrence when energy resonance on a purely intellectual level, inciting all the other physiological responses of the body that form the totality of attraction.

I laugh so hard at teenagers who believe with all their mind that their hearts are telling them what they are experiencing is truly meant to be. I do not deny that such a thing is possible, I simply find the irony in their explanation.. Because all you have to do is give it some time and they are onto the 'next big thing' in their supposed 'love' life.
It is possible though.. I know I've experienced overwhelming sensations that transcended my intellect yet had absolutely nothing to do with a surge of hormones. It was in those times that I had my first glimpse of inner peace; it was also those times that I was strangely content with giving up what I obtained for the sake of loving sacrifice. Yet a subtle hint that inner peace is not determined by people, but rather inner peace is determined by something more grandeur.. Something I'm meditating on to find a way to articulate a witty way to define intuitively.
This sacrificial love is very important in my eyes, it always has. For me, to love someone so much that they mean the world to you is to be ready and willing to sacrifice all your dreams and even the treasures of the world so that you can let that person know the true depth of your love.

I don't mean to criticize the relationships that anyone is in, as if I know the depth of feelings or the extent of circumstances that have brought people together. I am suggesting that there is a difference between infatuation and love. Many people fall into infatuation and confuse that with love. The meaning of love in English is so vague that most people grow up thinking it means anything positive that is emotionally based and directed to another creature; even your pets.
Well that can be true to some extent.. Thankfully there are Greek words that are ancient and true which describe the different the facets of love. What I am talking about is one step below Agape, but contains elements of it that make it true to at least one particular individual that holds a special interest to you. So special that infatuation is a misnomer, so influential that romantic is being modest, so deep that 'soul' mate is child's play.

There is a certain behavior that I have watched played out with couples. I have noticed that there may be a deepness of infatuation that is selfish and then there's a deepness of concern that brings an individual to consider their feelings less important than the one they care about.
I took these two extremes and applied it to other scenarios like the two extremes of parent[s]. The example is ones who are flippant in their concern for the individuals they brought into this world and the other side are the ones who give up everything they desire in this world to protect the individuals they helped bring into this world. There are plenty of variances that fall between, but the extremes bring clarity to the blog title for a reason.
We can all admit that there are times we're willing to deal with a selfishly inclined person if it means getting the love we require. At some point in time we all admit there is a desire to experience 'true love', most of us admitting we have no idea what that really is; especially when we come across someone who rattles the cage of resolve of such a definition.

I think humans have the capacity to learn all the meanings of love, down to the deepest parts, regardless of the situations that we may be in; at any given moment of our individual lives.
We humans have the capacity to display love, understand love, and to teach love to the world..
There is no sense in denying our natural ability to take care of this world and all that is in it, which includes each other. Since this isn't a perfect world, it makes more sense for the individual to learn how to deal with adversity and affliction. Because we can't guarantee that we'll live our dreams, it's relevant to find a way to be content with what we have and to give others the chance to make the best of life.
This is a given, I shouldn't feel the need to explain this. However, this isn't a perfect world.. So the necessity for me to speak these things is very relevant.
After all.. By putting more time into making yourself suitable for someone who has the sincere intent to give back to you, you make yourself worthy of meaning everything in the world to that someone.

Eternity In Our Hearts

In every Heart, exists a place that is Eternal

Why is it that Humans are the only creature on Earth that display that ability to discern the finite attribute of themselves, other creatures, and the Universe? 

This understanding goes beyond the mortality of a life, the growing disorder of a system, and the dissipation of energy. This understanding is of time itself, as we inherently know that an end will come to ourselves just like an end comes to our childhood or parenting days or the days of our "prime". 

"How can we be sure that we are the only ones on this Earth with this understanding?"

What does it matter if no creature shows concern for the long term like humans? Even the smartest animals don't protect the Earth from the destruction Humans bring forth. Moreover, these highly intelligent animals do nothing to protect themselves from Humans by further evolving into something capable of surmounting the dominance Humans have of this planet. 

To suggest that any animal is more capable of Humans is to suggest something we don't see. Yet it is just as ludicrous to suggest that any animal on this planet doesn't have it's proper place on this planet and in our hearts. We are more than just neighbors on a living sphere of intricate ecosystems, we are being of a similar life-force that rely on each other for a completeness that none of us asked to be a part of. 

Yet there's still this massive emptiness in the hearts of Humans which causes each individual to seek answers to things that are beyond the scope of scientific discovery or medical healing. There is a hole in the hearts of Humans which many try to explain away with a myriad of things that this Universe can offer, but it is temporary like the Universe. 

"That hole is infinite in magnitude, powerful in influence, and devastating in implication."

Often we Humans are influenced by our society to think that the only way to happiness is to satisfy our urges. By this satisfaction we somehow create chemical responses that persuade our brains to perceive life as fulfilling, regardless of how bad our circumstances may have been just prior to the fulfilling experience. To say it is a common theme in stories is no understatement. In fact, Disney makes billions on the idea of "Happily Ever After". Ironically, that idea usually carries the ideology that the good guys and the weak only suffer until they rise up to be heroes and are even honored even unto death. 

That ideology is great in theory, but impractical in reality. 

Bad guys rise up to fame, fortune, personal satisfaction, and even rulership. History has proved this to be more true than the opposite scenario. In fact, heroes die without being recognized, good guys are cursed and crushed by the world, and nothing goes according to plan. That is the stark contrast between Disney and Reality... Looking at the current state of the average person in the world will show that the "Happily Ever After" ideology is nothing but a farce. 

Why should this mean that life is a harsh reminder to those suffering affliction that they may as well curse the source of their existence?

"This is why hope becomes a matter of filling in that hole in the heart, not changing the world."

The greatest endeavor for any individual shouldn't be selfish. That is why the endeavor to satisfy the self yields suffering for others. This is because there is no true happiness in selfishness, but pursuing it anyways is a path into the abyss which is the hole in the heart itself. 

Why would anyone want to hold hope in an existence that seems cursed in every respect? Vanity is everywhere, life itself has no meaning in affliction if the troubles are endless. No sane person seeks destruction of themselves when there is light at the end of the tunnel, unless that light is an end to their affliction. Yet, is that truly sanity?

I could say what the answer is to filling in the hole in our hearts, but I know that the answer is hidden by a haze of immaturity when it comes to my own perception of life. However, that doesn't keep me from understanding the problem itself. In fact, the certainty I have is based on the toils of the individuals who have come before me. Each one, good or bad, giving insight to the problem of being an intelligent and understanding being that is finite in life and limited by the physical essence that define our humanness. 

"If there is any truth to the answer, it is understanding the problem itself."

You must fill the hole with an infinite, powerful, and insurmountable solution. The answer is obvious to me, even though the explanation of it is not easy to articulate. I know that it is a riddle to those who have no desire to be open minded and the answer is foolishness to those who pride their intelligence over correction.

So I have no desire to share my answer without being asked, even though I have an immense desire to share my understanding of the problem.
My hint to anyone is to stop looking inward for the answer and look outward instead. Yet, don't stop with the 'box' we live in called the Universe, look beyond... Far beyond.
Hopefully you learn that there is a place in your heart that is eternal, the answer is also eternal.

Exile

Exile: "Expulsion from one's own native land; to live in exile: prolonged separation from one's home by force of circumstances."

How about when you are exiled from a romantic relationship?

Does it count as exile, or is that just rejection?

Is all types of exile just rejection?
If so, is there much of a difference to the effects on emotions?

"I have been rejected many times. I know I have also been 'exiled' from relationships."

There is so much in this life that I look forward to. So much I want to experience and also help others experience. Yet there are times when I have to reject experiences and people, all at the expense of the uncertainty of the legitimacy of my choice.

"Does this mean I don't care how I affect the emotions of the people I reject?"

I look at exile as a temporary concept. It may be necessary for the long term, but it is not necessary to be permanent. Most of my thought comes from inspiration of the divine concept of Forgiveness. 

How could anyone possibly hope to maintain a marriage if they are not willing to forgive their own spouse? I really don't see anything that is bad enough that a person can't be forgiven, even if punishment is required to uphold justice. 

I may be the type who is compassionate to people for the sake of my own emotionally stability, but I don't do it out of fear of the consequences to my mind.

"The cost of Love is Sacrifice. The weight of Sacrifice is Pain. The result of Pain is Growth."

Here is where my point solidifies... All in this one statement, that we all have come to know:

"Home is Where the Heart is."

Think of the definition of "Exile" at the beginning. 

Being exiled from the place you call "Home" is like being exiled from your own Heart. 

"A wounded Heart in Exile can't be healed, no matter how Evil it has become."

What a shame it is, when an individual makes their home in the Heart of Evil.

There is no reprieve from fear and no hope for peace. Pessimism becomes a way of life, and life's end. 

Perhaps this is why my deep calling in life is to recognize the Pain of this world and do something about it. 

I can not give anyone a home of peace, that they can put their heart in...
However, I can help someone understand how a broken and rejected person like me found one.