Levar Burton spoke about discernment at a recent university speaking event I went to. We need to be more humble about what we know, I think, and strengthen are skill at discerning.
So much of what you have posted in the last week has resonated. And may I add, even if you know know, that doesn’t automatically mean you have to do the social media by numbers gauntlet which is almost always hollow, when everyone reverts to talking about their holidays, dogs and whatever else is in their lives. There is absolutely a place for awareness and activism but to expect this from everyone - and to assume they don’t care if they don’t- is so tiring and feeds into this endless need for us to know who are the heroes and who are the villains. I have now seen this happen too many times, with the end result is that little is achieved, everyone is wrung out and sometimes things are said that cannot be unsaid.
Perfect timing on this post. Yes, more humility about what we truly know and a greater readiness to admit it when we're mistaken. This is why the most honest and accurate writing is to express our own reactions to events. I know what I think and I try to understand why. Anything else will stand on shakier ground.
I will contest one thing you said. If Macy Gray's lyric had indeed been what you thought–– "I'm worth grumbles when you are not here" –––I'd have been impressed as it sounds like a P.G. Wodehouse line and has a greater charm than the original.
Laura, I 100% agree with what you wrote about here. Yes, we don't know and we don't know we don't know. We are basically idiots if we use what we know to gauge our intelligence. But we can come to know a few things that are important. They may be the most important. And they are...
1. We KNOW we are AWARE, HERE, and NOW. Period. And we also have experiences that we can know.
2. We can come to know that there is NO PAST OR FUTURE, only now, this present moment.
3. We can come to know that we really DON'T HAVE FREE WILL. We are conditioned. We happen.
4. There is no such thing as an IDEAL, PERFECT STATE OF MIND, belief, or condition. We are the way we are right now.
5. If we argue with these four ideas we SUFFER. If we grasp them, there's a possibility (but no absolute certainty) that we will tend to THRIVE.
So, think about these five things. (Ask ChatGPT what they think might happen IN OUR LIVES if we understood these ideas.)
Look, it's not that we think we know more than we do. It's that we have no idea WHO WE REALLY ARE.
Levar Burton spoke about discernment at a recent university speaking event I went to. We need to be more humble about what we know, I think, and strengthen are skill at discerning.
https://www.theshorthorn.com/news/reading-rainbow-host-levar-burton-captivates-thousands-during-panel/article_eec8bda0-63fa-11ee-9c3c-239d7662582d.html
I wish we could edit comments. "Our" skill, not "are".
I hesitate to comment (obviously not enough) I thought that this piece alone is worth the subscription. Well said.
So much of what you have posted in the last week has resonated. And may I add, even if you know know, that doesn’t automatically mean you have to do the social media by numbers gauntlet which is almost always hollow, when everyone reverts to talking about their holidays, dogs and whatever else is in their lives. There is absolutely a place for awareness and activism but to expect this from everyone - and to assume they don’t care if they don’t- is so tiring and feeds into this endless need for us to know who are the heroes and who are the villains. I have now seen this happen too many times, with the end result is that little is achieved, everyone is wrung out and sometimes things are said that cannot be unsaid.
Laura,
Perfect timing on this post. Yes, more humility about what we truly know and a greater readiness to admit it when we're mistaken. This is why the most honest and accurate writing is to express our own reactions to events. I know what I think and I try to understand why. Anything else will stand on shakier ground.
I will contest one thing you said. If Macy Gray's lyric had indeed been what you thought–– "I'm worth grumbles when you are not here" –––I'd have been impressed as it sounds like a P.G. Wodehouse line and has a greater charm than the original.
robertsdavidn.substack.com/about (free)
Laura, I 100% agree with what you wrote about here. Yes, we don't know and we don't know we don't know. We are basically idiots if we use what we know to gauge our intelligence. But we can come to know a few things that are important. They may be the most important. And they are...
1. We KNOW we are AWARE, HERE, and NOW. Period. And we also have experiences that we can know.
2. We can come to know that there is NO PAST OR FUTURE, only now, this present moment.
3. We can come to know that we really DON'T HAVE FREE WILL. We are conditioned. We happen.
4. There is no such thing as an IDEAL, PERFECT STATE OF MIND, belief, or condition. We are the way we are right now.
5. If we argue with these four ideas we SUFFER. If we grasp them, there's a possibility (but no absolute certainty) that we will tend to THRIVE.
So, think about these five things. (Ask ChatGPT what they think might happen IN OUR LIVES if we understood these ideas.)
Look, it's not that we think we know more than we do. It's that we have no idea WHO WE REALLY ARE.
What do you think?