Stupidity

There is an old Bulgarian saying: “Stupidity occurs to humans”. Indeed, it does. All too often. More often than we all would like to see. But what can we do? There is no stupid animal. Animals are just natural, so are trees. For people stupidity is natural too. In order to achieve something more than naturally occurring stupidity we need to make an effort and think. By making an effort I don’t mean – over exert oneself. No, on the contrary, natural life is hard work and full of frustration and disappointments only the clever ones can lead a truly good lazy life in luxury or whatever you consider good life: might be devoting your life to yourself, your family, the advancement of humanity or science and invention. But alas good life doesn’t come naturally. You must plan it, build it, and then enjoy it. And all that involves thinking. And thinking is a dangerous process always prone to stumble into the trap of stupidity especially if it is done in a stuck up self-conceited: ‘holier than you way’. 

  We all know stupidity after the fact. Well, most ot the time. That’s not a big feat. It’s easy to notice when it hurts. It’s harder to grasp it before the fact: Danger! Stupidity! Will get us into trouble! Will most possibly hurt! Probably a lot! Evade, prevent, desist, in one word: THINK!. Thinking may be painful and confusing and is not a sure antidote to stupidity. Actually stupidity is a one of the possible outcomes of thinking) still it is the only known remedy against the pains and frustration of stupidity. 

The Choice of Freedom

Liberty has two interrelated aspects. First it is an inalienable right and that means that you are not free to sell your freedom. and any contract to that end is null and void.
The second aspect is the realization of this right. The mere fact of it’s existence doesn’t give me anything tangible. It’s up to me to make use of it. Freedom if used knowledgeably can lead to happiness or if you make the wrong choices that can severely limit your freedom. So knowledge how to make freedom your own is crucial.
Paul said it simply: You’ll know the truth and the truth will make you free. But what is that truth that will make us free? That’s something you have to find for yourself. If Paul knew it he certainly would have given us the answer. Truth is personal and truth is born in discussion.
We organize in families, neighborhoods, churches, business partnerships, bridge clubs, and countries to achieve different goals in our lives. We can only be free with the help and acknowledgement of others. A savage person alone on an island has limited choices and respectively limited freedom, free from oppression but oppressed by need. We need the help of others to be free. We are free to choose what we want in life, but we can only achieve it effectively in cooperation. Truth is personal because the most important part of it is: what we want. It’s our purpose in life and only we can know it even if we can only achieve it cooperation with others.
There is no such thing as country, society and the economy outside of our combined interests. And we are the only one who really know and can take care of these interests. Any institutions or persons who claim that they know better than us are either confused or hypocritical.
Liberty is not about freedom from the government. Government helps us keep our freedom. And if it doesn’t, we have the right and obligation to choose a government that will. It may be easy or it may be hard but we have to do it in order to earn our freedom. Liberty is our right, the knowledge what we want and how to get there and what we are doing to successfully get there. (not mindless work to avoid idling but creative, passionate action geared to win).
Majority rule is about choices and the majority may be right and they may be wrong in the end they are only human the only gamble here being that the majority is more often right than wrong. still that doesn’t give the majority any right to oppress the minority whose rights are equally inalienable. The truth is born in discussion and as the truth is essential for freedom we need to make sure every voice is heard so we can have more chance to strike the mother lode of wisdom. Democracy is about, majority rule, observing the rights of everyone and good governance but ultimately designed to assist us in our pursuit of happiness.
We the people have Liberty and no one can take it from us. Still it’s up to us to turn this right to freedom into the reality of happiness without which freedom will have no meaning.

Master of Reality

“Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of Mankind is Man.”

Alexander Pope. An Essay on Man

I believe we are responsible for our own lives. It would be irrational to delude yourself with rewards sometimes in the unknown future let alone in unknown worlds. We have the greatest gift of life and all we need to forge our path through it. Unbelievable as it may seem at times most of us have the ability to reason. Regardless of if you believe in God or Nature, we have freedom because God loves us, because Nature values us. Loving parents respect their offspring and wouldn’t offend them with demeaning micromanagement and control. Slaves do not have responsibilities, free people do, regardless of position and in our own lives we are entitled to the highest possible position.

We are the sovereign kings and queens of the most important realm: our own lives. That’s a right to govern we don’t have the right to cede. And if that sounds too comfortable to be true it isn’t. If we are free of constraints it should be OK to do with our lives whatever we want including wasting them completely. But I don’t believe that’s true.

I love the biblical story about the Master of Talents who gave his servants talents according to their ability and when he came back demanded not only the talents back but also profit and reprimanded the one who buried them. That’s why I believe that as we expect good governance from politicians to deal with our taxes and other common resources and from business leaders to whom we entrust our investments it’s only logical that we have the greatest responsibility to govern our own lives not only to preserve but to make them as good as possible.

To put it simple I see God or Nature if you prefer as Masters of Talents and us as Masters of Reality. We take it as it is given to us and have the responsibility to make our lives as good as possible. We have all the tools and the ability to think is the most powerful among them followed by the ability to communicate and cooperate to achieve goals unreachable on one’s own.

We make mistakes along this road and that is only human. It is part of the learning process. The best bet to avoid mistakes and errors is to discuss and learn from others. Success is based on the respect for everyone’s rights and opinions even if we don’t agree.

Reality is what we create, it is what we dream of and work to achieve. A castle in the clouds will collapse if we don’t build foundations under it and that makes us real Masters of Reality. Reality exists as we create it or is the way it is because of our neglect. The Master has given us talents and it’s up to us to use them for prosperity. That’s the only way to be human. We have talents and freedom including the freedom to choose the life of a beast.

What’s it all about?

Source: What’s it all about?

What’s it all about?

Source: What’s it all about?

What’s it all about? A plan to take over the world, again!

Source: What’s it all about?

The start of a quest

The quest for an empire – powerful enough to deter all potential enemies and thus secure peace and prosperity for its subjects!
How did humanity try (and keeps trying ) to achieve this dream, where did we succeed and when and why did we fail?

I an attempt to discover a pattern I noticed that:
It obviously starts with concentration of power to achieve security, followed by large development, defence and ideological projects. Soon concentrated power leads to abuse, abuse erodes support for the government and ultimately the empire fails. Therefore, better systems – those with a better chance of survival are those that have implemented better governance. Good accountability is essential for good governance. Therefore, in essence, accountability is indispensable for sovereignty.