Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 10:44:23 -0700
From: "Senex R. Rupicapra" <olgoat-AT-kdsi.net>
Subject: Re: stoic peace


roger wrote:
> 
> Senex R. Rupicapra wrote:
> 
> > "Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of
> > one principle: some things are within our control, and some
> > things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this
> > fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what
> > you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer
> > effectiveness become possible."--Epictetus

> seems it's the "distinguishing between" part that gives
> so much trouble.  to carry it further:
> 
> nothing is under our complete control except our own
> thoughts and dreams.  the only PAZ/TAZ we'll ever find
> is between our ears.  thus, tranquility.  outer
> effectiveness?  if personal autonomy without coercion
> is the root of justice, then politics is the extension
> of our personal soverignty to include another . . . 
> family, kin, people, faith, nation.  to care more for
> the fate of another than for oneself is love; and it is
> the heart and soul of community; to extend that
> sovereignty to include all is virtue.  to do so and
> survive is wisdom.
 
	y certainly be smarter than the average cracker,
son.  wisdom be the result o experience; experience the
result o damned foolishness; surviving damned foolishness 
most often be the result o dumb luck.

> to deny any individual these uncoerced choices is the
> root of oppression.  the challenge is to forge individual
> action into a common enterprise and to collectively act
> without diminishing individual choice.  this would be
> anarchy.

	the prayer "let there be peace on earth, and let
it begin with me," is certainly well-intended, but the
groundwork needs to include "grant me serenity to accept 
things i can't change, courage to change things which 
require change, and wisdom to know the one from the other."
	i been saying such since i been here, but them who
still have more fire in the belly than me been telling me
"no, no; action, action."  y be right, roger, each individual
is primarily responsible for what he says and what he does.
it be an inordinate sense o responsibility which puts my
innards into a knot.  happens ever time i forget.  them
what know me know that as a agnostic, i aint the praying
type, but, when nobody's looking i do use the above, just
as a reminder about what i'm in charge o and what i aint.
keeps me outta a lotta tight places, dont y know.  
	o course, this dont preclude action, but a right
soul is most liable to lead to right action.  to lead by 
example be the true way. drop a stone in yr pond, who 
knows how far them ripples will go?  

> >         "Of all the benefits which virtue confers on us,
> >         the contempt of death is one of the greatest."
> >         --Michel Eyquem De Montaigne
> 
> sounds a bit the optimist to me.

	true, but i prefer "idealist."  what we discussed
above is the true foundation o virtue. a lotta folk have
a stilted view o what virtue is or does.  (the word really
gets their dander up.)  as a ideal, though, it be something
to strive toward.  the closer we come the more we able to
truthfully say, "oh, grave where is thy victory; oh, death
where is thy sting?"  
	them what call me Pollyanna are free to do so, o 
course, and may continue to throw their bombs; but i say unto 
them: dont knock it if y aint tried it.  one caveat, though--  
be careful, it can be habit-forming.
	BTW, sorry to hear y aint gonna make The Indy, i was
looking forward to meeting y.  ah, well, lo que será, será.
mebbe someday i gets to Jawjaw.

	old goat.
	Of all the benefits which virtue confers on us, 
	the contempt of death is one of the greatest.
        --Michel Eyquem De Montaigne 
	ÐÏࡱá