At this point in my life I have simplified my interactions with others. I generally have minimal contact with people. When I do, I am polite and courteous. The big epiphany came when I realized that I cannot change anyone else. They are what they are. I can change me. I have just started reading Marcus Aurelius and he seems to have gotten the big picture.
The stoics had many things figured out. The interesting thing to me is that even in those far simpler times, life was very complicated. Unless you worked to simplify it. ✌️
I just finished reading Meditations and found it fascinating as well as relaxing and reassuring. One of those "If you could have dinner with..." things with Marcus would be a very educational experience.
Thanks, coming from you that means so much. I so enjoy doing what I do. My varied life experiences have blessed me with a wealth of different perspectives.
So, Doc... Having taken that little personality test you recommended and discovering I'm an "Architect", I see that, at least according to the list of well-known Architects with similar personalities into which I'm supposed to fall, I'm basically an uber-wealthy nouveau riche enigmatic party animal with a Nietzschean philosophical bent, who's into eating healthy food, body building, and reinterpreting Greek classics on giant movie screens with a cast including a character or two which drives the MAGA crowd to distraction for various reasons...
... all while contributing to the military downfall of a couple of 20th century dictators in foreign lands while being profitably engaged in cooking up batches of Blue Sky in a clandestine meth lab and declaring "I am not in danger... I am the danger", which meshes nicely with being an academic arch nemesis to a famous detective while practicing Istari wizardry in my spare time.
Yeah. That pretty much sums me up in a nutshell, I think.
I've learned not to start formulating my response to your messages until I've read them through at least once, sometimes more than once. Today was no exception, and I've learned again the value of perspective. One's relationship with the world is founded on self-perception, self-esteem and self-respect, because without those attributes to keep one centered and as stable is anyone can be in the interesting times we inhabit, having any sort of positive relationship with someone else approaches the impossible. Thanks.
I haven't seen Meyers-Briggs in that format before and hadn't done one for a while so that was an interesting exercise. I'm ENTJ-A, and that hasn't changed in a long time although I've learned to occasionally keep my mouth shut and listen to other people because I don't know everything and can sometimes learn from someone else; one such resource is the group that follows your posts including especially you. Thanks again.
Some of the smartest and nicest people I know have difficulty with the lens issue. They just can't see why someone doesn't "see" things the same way...why they don't act more "sensibly"...
I suspect we all share that trait to some degree...but some seem to make it a serous avocation.
I really believe that if we tried harder to use another's lens, there could be more peace.
Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But instead we harden our positions and get more angry with predictable results.
Would seem to be a good role for political and faith leaders who really want to unite us. And if they don't, are they fit to lead?
OMG, I had to laugh b/c I'm an INFJ as well and luckily married to one (which I understand is very rare).
I used to think we all saw the same world, but now I know that's definitely NOT the case. Social media, narrative engineering, media manipulation...are not helping either. It's the old "divide and conquer" playbook which prevents us from establishing honest connections with others. It breaks us up into "teams": red, blue, democrat, republican, liberal, conservative, black, white, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Coke, Pepsi, etc.
Our overlords are up in their skyboxes looking down at the chaotic mess going on the playing field and they're loving it. They're the ones who are winning and we're getting our butts kicked!
Well, what happened to Team Humanity? The 30,000 ft view? IDK...but I do know we could start acting with more diplomacy and flexibility towards each other if we're going to make any headway in this world.
Assuming others see as we do us a roadblock to honest communication
thank you robert
for putting the core idea
into such clear words
i like your term roadblock
because it invites us
to lift it out of our way
so we CAN
communicate honestly
dear bob
just want to welcome you
to our little solutions community
each person here
is very important to me
if i had my way
i would correspond with you all:)
but then there would be
no steam left
to write my letter:)
but i am always right here
listening to your thoughts and insights
and i look forward
to learning from you
At this point in my life I have simplified my interactions with others. I generally have minimal contact with people. When I do, I am polite and courteous. The big epiphany came when I realized that I cannot change anyone else. They are what they are. I can change me. I have just started reading Marcus Aurelius and he seems to have gotten the big picture.
The stoics had many things figured out. The interesting thing to me is that even in those far simpler times, life was very complicated. Unless you worked to simplify it. ✌️
The job of emperor was not exactly low stress or secure. Often the retirement plan sucked.
Truth.
It wasn't a bad plan, it just didn't often last long enough to go into effect.
Another truth!
I just finished reading Meditations and found it fascinating as well as relaxing and reassuring. One of those "If you could have dinner with..." things with Marcus would be a very educational experience.
yes we cannot open
anyone else to us
but we can lead the way
by opening our self to them
some will respond to us
and some will not
but nobody can shut us down :)
For me the litmus test is simple:
Are you a person of integrity? Do you treat others well? Are you kind hearted? Do you do as and what you say?
“I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.” - James Baldwin
thank you very much al
these questions are indeed
the vital ones
i ask them
about my self
every morning
Empathy Empathy Empathy
thank you michael
for giving us
your beautiful essential contribution
to how we get along
with others
yes
we need to not only LOVE this other person
and see the world through THEIR eyes
as well as our own
we most of all
need to FEEL what they FEEL
BELIEVE
that what they feel
is IMPORTANT
and emotionally CARE
about this precious person's FEELINGS
yes michael
you nailed it
empathy empathy empathy
is ultimately how
we will all relate
soooooo much better
with each other
and build each other
and our country
into a new stage of freedom
Think of learning as an opportunity!
you dear stanley
take up on
every opportunity to learn
that you can find
then you share
all you are/know/see
with all who read you
dude you are livin'
through all you are givin'
and we enjoy you
to the full
Thanks, coming from you that means so much. I so enjoy doing what I do. My varied life experiences have blessed me with a wealth of different perspectives.
So, Doc... Having taken that little personality test you recommended and discovering I'm an "Architect", I see that, at least according to the list of well-known Architects with similar personalities into which I'm supposed to fall, I'm basically an uber-wealthy nouveau riche enigmatic party animal with a Nietzschean philosophical bent, who's into eating healthy food, body building, and reinterpreting Greek classics on giant movie screens with a cast including a character or two which drives the MAGA crowd to distraction for various reasons...
... all while contributing to the military downfall of a couple of 20th century dictators in foreign lands while being profitably engaged in cooking up batches of Blue Sky in a clandestine meth lab and declaring "I am not in danger... I am the danger", which meshes nicely with being an academic arch nemesis to a famous detective while practicing Istari wizardry in my spare time.
Yeah. That pretty much sums me up in a nutshell, I think.
if you get
any more fascinating
dear michael
i will be obliged
to pen your biography
whether that is a threat
or a promise
i leave
to your inscrutable wisdom
meanwhile
since you are an architect
equally gifted at building the good
and unbuilding the rotten
i thank you
for carrying on
your splendid endeavours
(o-u-r-s for our beloved canadians)
getting along
with our allies
and getting
long gone
our tormentors
I've learned not to start formulating my response to your messages until I've read them through at least once, sometimes more than once. Today was no exception, and I've learned again the value of perspective. One's relationship with the world is founded on self-perception, self-esteem and self-respect, because without those attributes to keep one centered and as stable is anyone can be in the interesting times we inhabit, having any sort of positive relationship with someone else approaches the impossible. Thanks.
I haven't seen Meyers-Briggs in that format before and hadn't done one for a while so that was an interesting exercise. I'm ENTJ-A, and that hasn't changed in a long time although I've learned to occasionally keep my mouth shut and listen to other people because I don't know everything and can sometimes learn from someone else; one such resource is the group that follows your posts including especially you. Thanks again.
dear dave
i hear you that
it takes time to digest
one of my letters
it takes me days
to digest the deep responses
people offer me
some of my letters
(like that one on denial)
are enough to bring up
a fur ball
(cat owners will understand
my analogy:)
the beauty of having you
and our other deeply engaged
community members
is i always know
my efforts are not in vain
you read and ponder
and read and ponder again
and then you offer all of us
your own ideas
i really like your thoughts on
the value of perspective:
"one's relationship with the world
is founded on self-perception,
self-esteem and self-respect,
because without those attributes
to keep one centered
and as stable is anyone can be
in the interesting times we inhabit,
having any sort of positive relationship
with someone else
approaches the impossible."
Thanks Deborah.
Ah...the lens, the damn lens!
I start getting along by not requiring myself to be "right".
how succinct can it get
parsimony is beautiful
you are a man of action
dear bill
you not only know HOW
to clear the runway
you actually CLEAR it
Some of the smartest and nicest people I know have difficulty with the lens issue. They just can't see why someone doesn't "see" things the same way...why they don't act more "sensibly"...
I suspect we all share that trait to some degree...but some seem to make it a serous avocation.
I really believe that if we tried harder to use another's lens, there could be more peace.
Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But instead we harden our positions and get more angry with predictable results.
Would seem to be a good role for political and faith leaders who really want to unite us. And if they don't, are they fit to lead?
that is a great idea bill
expect our leaders
to be fit to lead
by leading us
to look through different lenses
alas the typical political or faith leader
wants their own party
and/or their own faith
to WIN
actually believe
victory for THEIR side
of our great divide
is both possible
and desirable
it is neither
only a servant leader
has the goal
of UNITING us
by finding our common ground
and building on it
My policy is a bit cynical:
If my children are respectful to me and my neighbors ignore me l consider it a good day.
Every once in awhile someone says hello and we chat. That makes for an exceptional day.
But generally l do not have high expectations and am seldom disappointed.
there is wisdom here
dear babette
what we can do with others
is often modest and limited
yet when moments of grace
are possible
we are grateful and honored
to enter and open them
💖
💖
OMG, I had to laugh b/c I'm an INFJ as well and luckily married to one (which I understand is very rare).
I used to think we all saw the same world, but now I know that's definitely NOT the case. Social media, narrative engineering, media manipulation...are not helping either. It's the old "divide and conquer" playbook which prevents us from establishing honest connections with others. It breaks us up into "teams": red, blue, democrat, republican, liberal, conservative, black, white, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Coke, Pepsi, etc.
Our overlords are up in their skyboxes looking down at the chaotic mess going on the playing field and they're loving it. They're the ones who are winning and we're getting our butts kicked!
Well, what happened to Team Humanity? The 30,000 ft view? IDK...but I do know we could start acting with more diplomacy and flexibility towards each other if we're going to make any headway in this world.
dear victory palace poetry
thank you for bringing
your delightful soul
and insights therefrom
to our little neck of the woods
HA indeed!
you and your beloved
a rare pair of INFJ birdies!
all the teams you list
are welcome here
we are getting along
quite famously
partly because
everybody here knows
or can surmise
that i will kick the ass
of anyone
who plays superior
and disrespects
any person here
i like keeping team humanity
close to the ground
yeah on our knees even
so we don't
have as far
to fall
You're so welcome, Dr. Hall. Anytime!
You got it!!!
Or shall I say we both did.