Scott wrote:
Sue: You are closer to something – but it has nothing to do with wisdom. Openly and honestly admitting that your actions are emotional is fine.
I said it's closer than something contrived. Like pretending to be philosophical, when you're hiding everything that would naturally come out "inside" of you.
Not saying that you've done this...just that it seems to be the case with most people. It has definitely been the case with me.
Like I said Scott, admitting your emotions is fine, but using them to hide your lack of philosophical understanding isn’t. First work out what the Truth is; then use that Truth to judge everything by.
Sue: But you go on to say that you consider that this outpouring is “closer to wisdom†– just because you admit it. If admitting your feelings is being on the verge of enlightenment then 99.999% of people are nearly enlightened.
Admitting something, like in confession to a priest...or by me talking on this board...is not the same thing as admitting something to yourself. Looking at things clearly.
No one here has fully done this. I'd say that 0% of all people have done this.
Be sure you know what I'm talking about.
Everyone has attachments: some better than others. To develop philosophically, you need to understand which attachments will best serve you on this path. The only way to discern which attachments are useful, and which are not, is if you already have a pretty good understanding of what the Truth is. So, once again, know the Truth first - then act from that knowledge.
Sue: And maybe Scott, you actually believe that to be the case, but to anyone with a brain, it just isn’t true.
That being honest is a fundamental step towards wisdom? If someone with a brain doesn't think that's true...
Honesty, in the worldly sense, is totally dishonest since most people haven’t a clue as to why they do the things the do, or why they feel the way they feel – they just get shoved along by their emotions. So someone will say they love, hate, treasure, appreciate, respect, despair over, or mistrust someone – but it is all meaningless babble unless you understand where those emotions arise from and what purpose they serve.
Sue: Wanting something to be true isn’t the same as working out what is true.
Duh.
You say “Duhâ€, but that doesn’t change your ignorance of this point. If you did understand, you wouldn’t make the mistake of trusting your emotions.
Sue: Moving away from trusting in your emotions to trusting in your mind is a big step – but it needs to be done before you can even begin to look at philosophy.
Then I doubt anyone should be here talking about philosophy, since none of us are perfect. Including yourself, Sue.
Trudging out the old “none of us are perfect†scenario at this late stage isn’t going to work. You have to choose between your attachment to the emotional chaos you now exist in and a life of Truth – you can’t have both.
"Don't try to take the sliver out of your brothers eye when you have a plank in your own." Or however it goes...
First work out what the Truth is – afterwards you can get into ophthalmology.
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Sue