tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post1063092004833015457..comments2023-12-23T05:14:34.273-05:00Comments on Wit's End: Playing with FireGail Zawackihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-40225270381741438562019-04-04T16:59:10.447-04:002019-04-04T16:59:10.447-04:00Yes, I believe that is from Denial Of Death. I fig...Yes, I believe that is from Denial Of Death. I figured a fellow pessimist would enjoy that! The fact that humans can come to this conclusion is proof that we don't belong here, we don't fit into nature. We demand things from nature that it can't provide. <br /><br />"The tragedy of a species becoming unfit for life by over-evolving one ability is not confined to humankind. Thus it is thought, for instance, that certain deer in paleontological times succumbed as they acquired overly-heavy horns. The mutations must be considered blind, they work, are thrown forth, without any contact of interest with their environment. In depressive states, the mind may be seen in the image of such an antler, in all its fantastic splendour pinning its bearer to the ground."<br /><br />— Peter Wessel Zapffe, The Last MessiahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-2273140350647832772019-04-04T15:54:38.417-04:002019-04-04T15:54:38.417-04:00Thank you for reading AND commenting Flipper! It&...Thank you for reading AND commenting Flipper! It's much appreciated. Gail Zawackihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-66588651541254826232019-04-04T15:43:01.744-04:002019-04-04T15:43:01.744-04:00LOL made my day, thank you!!
Was that From the D...LOL made my day, thank you!! <br />Was that From the Denial of Death? It's many years since I read it when first published but it made a huge impression on me. He explains so much about human behavior, something the climate scientists and activists manage to ignore in their perennial optimism.Gail Zawackihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-72176070069507556122019-04-04T14:13:09.133-04:002019-04-04T14:13:09.133-04:00"What are we to make of creation in which rou..."What are we to make of creation in which routine activity is for organisms to be tearing others apart with teeth of all types - biting, grinding flesh, plant stalks, bones between molars, pushing the pulp greedily down the gullet with delight, incorporating its essence into one’s own organization, and then excreting with foul stench and gasses the residue. Everyone reaching out to incorporate others who are edible to him. The mosquitoes bloating themselves on blood, the maggots, the killer-bees attacking with a fury and a demonism, sharks continuing to tear and swallow while their own innards are being torn out - not to mention the daily dismemberment and slaughter in “natural” accidents of all types: an earthquake buries alive 70 thousand bodies in Peru, a tidal wave washes over a quarter of a million in the Indian Ocean. Creation is a nightmare spectacular taking place on a planet that has been soaked for hundreds of millions of years in the blood of all creatures. The soberest conclusion that we could make about what has actually been taking place on the planet about three billion years is that it is being turned into a vast pit of fertilizer. But the sun distracts our attention, always baking the blood dry, making things grow over it, and with its warmth giving the hope that comes with the organism’s comfort and expansiveness." - Ernest BeckerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-79877733995136121042019-04-04T11:49:20.289-04:002019-04-04T11:49:20.289-04:00"forgive them for they not not what they do&q..."forgive them for they not not what they do" ..... MMMmmmm ??? When HE created all there is, HE might have spent a little more time making HIS favorites a little wiser. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916687287899770048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-7820275384553358112019-04-04T09:31:53.658-04:002019-04-04T09:31:53.658-04:00>>>is hope that others starring into the ...>>>is hope that others starring into the same black cauldron find comfort in knowing that they were not alone in arriving at this dark line of thought<br /><br />Hi Remonster, I'm right there with you buddy, please take what you can from that!<br /><br />Hi Gail, longtime reader, first comment. I've lived in the same small town in central MA for 50+ years and I'm constantly shocked at the state of our trees. And ya, as a fellow atheist I agree that "forgive them for they not not what they do" is an great way to acceptance. It works *most* of the time anyway, ha. Take care Gail, I really appreciate your work. Flippernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-49529032038585838972019-04-04T07:38:56.852-04:002019-04-04T07:38:56.852-04:00There are, of course, bad actors - people who know...There are, of course, bad actors - people who know better but do evil things on purpose. But far more often, people just don't see the consequences of their actions, and in general, they can't. Our brains are hard-wired to deny unpleasant things, it's a survival technique that developed over our evolution and there's nothing we can do to change it. Being an atheist I hate to quote Jesus but his sentiment "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" is an excellent source of peaceful acceptance of the horror that is humanity. I just wrote on fb - "Before discovering fossil fuels, humanity effectively drove whales to the brink of extinction to burn their oil. Before whales, humanity deforested vast regions of earth. Once we learned to control fire we would never stop expanding our numbers, exploiting resources and destroying habitat. We will have an ignominious end. There’s a reason Moby Dick is a classic, and Prometheus is a legend." - You are right it is a solace to know that we can share our vision, given how universally unpopular it is, with others - thank you for your comments.Gail Zawackihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5549306427964459740.post-44735532433277288792019-04-04T02:01:29.977-04:002019-04-04T02:01:29.977-04:00I often wonder if the question posed in your last ...I often wonder if the question posed in your last paragraph "...you want to bet that nobody pays any attention to the existential threat posed by ozone to all life forms which are dependent upon vegetation - including, of course, us?" is due to some form of scientific cognitive dissonance or ...? Whatever answer I arrive at inevitably leaves me numb and beyond depressed. I see bad actors across the board and this is not conducive to good health, mental or any other kind of positive health affect for that matter. The only thing looking back at me from the abyss is hope that others starring into the same black cauldron find comfort in knowing that they were not alone in arriving at this dark line of thought, and as thin as that reed is to lean on I will take it.Remonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06203215890997736214noreply@blogger.com