Something to think about today

[jacuzzigal]

Fear

This is paraphrased from a book I'm reading called Life of Pi:

"Fear is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life."


What do you all think about this?

 

[DLL]

Re: Fear

Originally posted by jacuzzigal
This is paraphrased from a book I'm reading called Life of Pi:

"Fear is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life."


What do you all think about this?

The Life of Pi is a story of heroism, a survival story; testing of endurance, deprivation, hardship, and will to live. Pi finds himself stripped of everything, and searching for a motivation to survive. Ironically, it is the thing he is most terrified of - the tiger, which becomes his sustaining inspiration. Richard Parker shields Pi from experiencing complete isolation. Caring for Richard Parker becomes an integral part of Pi's daily schedule, and prevents him from succumbing to boredom.The tiger is a metaphor for fear, and gives us insight into how to overcome fear:

It seeks to rot everything, even the words with which to speak of it. So you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.

Reading on you are faced with the paradoxes of humanity. The boat serves as metaphor for the human condition, wherein the highest ideals such as religion and justice are trapped with the ferocious animal. The constant tension between these two opposites that motivates human behavior. What we will become will in part depends upon what we aspire to, and to what extent we allow our animal nature to control us.

The book makes a strong pitch for religious tolerance by creating a character who regularly worshipped Allah, Krishna, and Jesus. and ties all three religions together by asserting that "Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims." Although Pi is devoutly religious, he has a better appreciation for atheists than agnostics, and sums it up in the following way; "to choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation".

The Life of Pi reflects some postmodern ideas. Ultimately two stories are presented, and the reader must choose which story to believe. Do we believe in the story that sounds more realistic, or the story that provides us with hope and meaning? How we create our reality will shape our lives. A character at the start of the book informs us that this is a story that will make you believe in God. This may be a tall order to fill, however the story makes a strong case by asserting that faith can provide us with a better story.


IMHO........

that was a good book

 

[TantaLiza]

I have many fears to overcome.... with the help of friends, I will be released into a more satisfying life...

 

[Lonely Knight]

Though the future be hidden from me,
like a candle in a darkened room,
it cannot and will not be found,
until a step is taken,
or a hand is put forth,
by me,
today.

Me 1976

 

[jacuzzigal]

Re: Re: Fear

It seeks to rot everything, even the words with which to speak of it. So you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.

great analysis, DLL!

I am very bad at expressing fear. It is my nature to cover it, to deny it, to put on a brave face. In some ways I worried that speaking fear would make it more real and less manageable to me.

But then I remember the words of Stephen King:"The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things that seem timeless when they are in your head to no more than living size when they are brought out."

Sometimes when things go unspoken - especially fears or secrets - they seem limitless in our heads, bigger than us in some ways. But if we speak them then they become smaller, and the possibility to manage them seems more attainable. I'm learning to break the habit of holding things in and being brave, to be honest and speak my fears and being able to deal with them even better than ever.

 

[DLL]

Re: Re: Re: Fear

Originally posted by jacuzzigal
great analysis, DLL!

I am very bad at expressing fear. It is my nature to cover it, to deny it, to put on a brave face. In some ways I worried that speaking fear would make it more real and less manageable to me.

But then I remember the words of Stephen King:"The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things that seem timeless when they are in your head to no more than living size when they are brought out."

Sometimes when things go unspoken - especially fears or secrets - they seem limitless in our heads, bigger than us in some ways. But if we speak them then they become smaller, and the possibility to manage them seems more attainable. I'm learning to break the habit of holding things in and being brave, to be honest and speak my fears and being able to deal with them even better than ever.

Truth has no path. Truth is living and, therefore, changing. Awareness is without choice, without demand, without anxiety; in that state of mind, there is perception. To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person. Awareness has no frontier; it is giving of your whole being, without exclusion.

the words of Bruce Lee......

 

[jacuzzigal]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Fear

Truth has no path. Truth is living and, therefore, changing.

the words of Bruce Lee......

thank you - this is great!

 

[babydoll2u]

Though the future be hidden from me,
like a candle in a darkened room,
it cannot and will not be found,
until a step is taken,
or a hand is put forth,
by me,
today.

Me 1976

beautiful and so true LK

 

[tall_n_tight]

My fears

I have been very lucky to have few fears in my life.

I was raised in a wonderful family where we talked about EVERYTHING. With both my mom and my dad. As well as my brother and sister.

Then as I grew older, I was blessed to have friends that I could confide in. Girlfriends and boyfriends. Bottom line, I have ALWAYS had a great support network to allow me to talk about my fears and face them.

I have been VERY lucky. And blessed.

 

[babydoll2u]

Re: My fears

I have been very lucky to have few fears in my life.

I was raised in a wonderful family where we talked about EVERYTHING. With both my mom and my dad. As well as my brother and sister.

Then as I grew older, I was blessed to have friends that I could confide in. Girlfriends and boyfriends. Bottom line, I have ALWAYS had a great support network to allow me to talk about my fears and face them.

I have been VERY lucky. And blessed.

yes ma'am, you certainly have been

 

[MysteriousRomantic]

I have been very blessed also. Over the past two years I learned what it felt like to love someone more then life itself.

And I also had this young man come into my life. HE is my grandson Gabriel Alexander

 

[dcraz]

Re: My fears

I have been very lucky to have few fears in my life.

I was raised in a wonderful family where we talked about EVERYTHING. With both my mom and my dad. As well as my brother and sister.

Then as I grew older, I was blessed to have friends that I could confide in. Girlfriends and boyfriends. Bottom line, I have ALWAYS had a great support network to allow me to talk about my fears and face them.

I have been VERY lucky. And blessed.

Wow! You ARE lucky. Not just lucky to have little to fear, but fortunate that you have such great family and friends to helpp you work through them.

We should all be so lucky.

 

[dcraz]

I have been very blessed also. Over the past two years I learned what it felt like to love someone more then life itself.

And I also had this young man come into my life. HE is my grandson Gabriel Alexander

I see there are lots of blessed people around today. Good for you MR.

So few have known true love like you describe. And a grandson to boot!

 

[dcraz]

Thought for the day

Ideals are like the stars: we never reach them, but like the mariners of the sea, we chart our course by them.

Let's make sure we do not lose sight of our ideals and principals.

 

[tall_n_tight]

Can I post a thought?

How about this one?

Oversleeping will never make one's dreams come true.

I love sleeping as much as the next woman. But I just can't stay in bed once I wake up. There are so many things I want to do. I want to live life to the fullest!

 

[babydoll2u]

a *bump* for this great thread

 

[Stryderthorongil]

Can I post a thought?

How about this one?

Oversleeping will never make one's dreams come true.

I love sleeping as much as the next woman. But I just can't stay in bed once I wake up. There are so many things I want to do. I want to live life to the fullest!

Ah yes, so many things to do and so little time. Wonderful thought TnT.

Sigh...a thought myself. Why am I not in the Mountains right now?

Stryder

 

[dcraz]

Ah yes, so many things to do and so little time. Wonderful thought TnT.

Sigh...a thought myself. Why am I not in the Mountains right now?

Stryder

Thanks for stopping by Styder!

I just came back from a weekend of backpacking in the hills. It was great to get some fresh air, a little peace and quiet and time to reflect. Not to mention how I love sleeping out in the wilderness!

Too bad I had to come home to so much crap! Come to think of it, I wish I was back in the mountains too!

 

[shysmoothlove]

I was told to stop by a say hello here.

I enjoy getting up early too, but not if I have someone to snuggle with. In that case, I am happy to let the world pass me by!

 

[babydoll2u]

I was told to stop by a say hello here.

I enjoy getting up early too, but not if I have someone to snuggle with. In that case, I am happy to let the world pass me by!

if only.......

 

[dcraz]

Thanks to Shy for stopping by. Come back any time.

And thanks to Babydoll for the much needed bump.

 

[babydoll2u]

Thanks to Shy for stopping by. Come back any time.

And thanks to Babydoll for the much needed bump.

you're very welcome my sweet friend

 

[Guest]

It's easier to build a child than to repair an adult.

 

[babydoll2u]

It's easier to build a child than to repair and adult.

truer words were never spoken

 

[Guest]

Damn... it would have been better had I not made an error and/an... an/and! It's late... but I'm glad you knew what I meant Peg!