I came up with this phrase in a context entirely not of its making. So to speak, write. So let’s leave that out and move to what I liked about the saying in the first place.

Prudence and the People sort of evokes an interesting combination looking at prudence as what I consider a constraint notwithstanding John Lennon’s wonderful tribute to some chick he was enamored with in his incredible Dear Prudence. Yeah, he was married at the time and I doubt there was anything more than a certain “lighten up” in his tune.

So I am gonna have to reference the dictionary definition of prudence here. Should I say a dictionary rather? I can’t think of this word without thinking about my buddy Greg Borden’s mock quoting of George H. W. Bush saying “wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture” about some US interests that have long faded into history. George knew his English apparently.

So let’s go with self interest for prudence, or self interest and caution with discretion. So I guess, really, it’s the sound of Prudence and the People that get’s me going, not the meaning. But once the words roll off the tongue or mind then the meanings one gives them can begin to coalesce, of course with point of view, and humor and irony typically abound. Prudence and the people. I suppose the irony I see is that people are typically not very prudent, at this juncture, and though we have animal instincts to preserve our self interests we in fact are destroying the same on a daily basis. I also like to think of Prudence as an entity, now, here they are, Prudence and the People. Nice band name.

Let me introduce you two Mr. Wild Abandon’s playground long in the works and at last manifested by a need to upload massive files, Freedom Philosophy, where one can digress with great eloquence and meet Adam’s dad Jared. Or is Adam Jared’s son? Who belongs to whom?

Tools. Useful. Steady. Irritating. Not to blame.

Been thinking about the old quandary, the old excuse really, if only I had this or that to do this or that, or I can’t do this or that because I don’t have this or that, and so on. Touched on it before, but I always had a real affinity for digging, literally. You want to jonez the flow? Dig. A lot. Hit the second wind. Hit base brain. See each small step. Lose site of the big picture. Be in flow. Reach that pinnacle.

So when thinking about tools, what better example than a shovel?

And when thinking about causes of lack of reaching some ridiculous goal, some material goal, some societal goal, some admired Western achievement, the shovel becomes a metaphor for the means, the hole is the end.

You get the obvious then, I expect.

No matter what equipment one has, or doesn’t, motivation is the ultimate means.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

The shallow minded people who hold on to things so far removed from being one with the earth are absolutely astounding. Out of touch, out of time, out of reality, yet. . . blissfully ignorant.

This is the painfully correct assertion of the age old saying. Yes, what you don’t know, you don’t know. Will it hurt you? If you don’t care what difference does it make?

So in observing shallow people in their shallow lives living their shallow values and over using the word shallow one can only be left not only astounded, but a touch envious too. Well, not really. I’d rather be a visionary suffering the angst of existence or the peace of enlightenment than worrying about shallow things. Of course, if you are shallow you can’t drown.

Ignorance truly is bliss for those in that space, without vision and awareness you have. . . blissful ignorance.

Nothing, on the other hand, you will gain with vision and enlightenment.

An ancient repetitious theme here. Worthy of yet another visit.

One’s actions display one’s values. Disregard any stated values, purported values, promised values and watch the action and all will be revealed. The truth will be revealed.

And will set you free.

Big difference. Only time is an illusion. Only time is subjective. Only time keeps counting. I have no concept of time.

Well, in practical reality this is a reference to the old excuse one makes about not having the time, is that real? Is that true? Likely, no, it’s about priorities. Not making the time to do whatever it is. So not having time is really not making time, hence not finding the time.

How does one find time? If time is an illusion, can you find an illusion? Not really.

So you are actually in effect, affecting the making of time, time you will take, time to take to make the time, to take time out to see that you have and want the time, to give to the taking of time and making good time in taking the time to make time for taking time out in a timely fashion.

Devin’s post on Living Your Choices dealt with reacting to events as our only area of choice. So of course I was reminded of the truth about comfort zones and control of ourselves.

One of the things that I’ve observed is the massively divergent apparent comfort each person embodies in any given space or situation. Beyond confidence alone, there are people who just don’t apologize for existing, on any level, and the reason appears to be two fold. One, that they are confident in general, and two that they don’t care about other’s perception of them in particular. This isn’t planned or practiced, they just are, what I would call, casual.

I am not one of those, really, I am a verbose opinionated truthist with a penchant for avoiding situations I don’t like, logically enough. I also won’t keep my mouth shut when the truth will do so much better. I do know, though, along the lines of the inspiration or reminder for this post, that I am the one controlling my mood, or behavior, always, in any given situation.

Now, that doesn’t mean I am elated to know that if I am uncomfortable, gee whiz, I just ain’t comfortable in my own skin, no, on the contrary, I can study my reactions and use that technique I told Yianni about where you visualize yourself from without and are taken out of your emotions by so doing. Better yet, flee the situation. Or give myself enough time to flee by visualizing. Or drink alcohol.

Anyway, we all control how we react ultimately, just like choosing values, roads, pathways, friends and so on. So our reactions are once again on us. We aren’t pissed off by others, we are pissed of by ourselves. We aren’t enlightened, freed, comforted, loved, pushed and so on by anyone but ourselves. Sort of a bizarre can’t be done to you thing.

How you react is your choice. But not your only choice as Devin implied.

Do you see yourself? Do I?

Look in the mirror. OK. Yeah. There you are, I am.

Now look inward. How?

Probably the toughest question. In our minds we exist in a verbal way, in a visual way, and no way.

So in actuality to look inward is much like meaning, a personal subjective point of view.

When I look inward I am aware of certainties.

Certainties of fact, feeling, thought and opinion.

Leads me to a my way or the highway type of mentality though I am really the most open minded person I know, too open minded.

So there you have it. Nothing.

The result of seeing yourself is that you can then know yourself. Sometimes some people find the facts about themselves to be surprising. Sometimes they are expected. I would say that most times most of us really don’t see ourselves. When we do, its a problem for the most part for then the ego slips away. . .

I know some who are always down on themselves. I think that is really a way to avoid an appearance of vanity, which results in revealing. . . vanity. This is not an ego free mode of being. On the contrary.

So why are they down on themselves? Michael Freemire suggests there is an unconscious element to free will.

Then there are those who are completely vain. As you may have supposed that is the same as being down on yourself. So we have inferiority complexes and superiority complexes, two sides of the same coin, and we have. . . . truth. That is the goal.

How can you see yourself, then, without subjectivity? The tough question referenced above, for our own awareness comes from the chemical dance going on in our physical bodies, a dance that must by definition filter all of our perceptions rendering them subjective, however, if we think of our awareness like a window, or camera, and we then point that view back on ourselves objectivity is obtainable.

So step on out and see yourself.

The truth will follow.

Listening to a friend of mine going on about how he could spend 365 days a year under an oak or he could spend 365 days a year working his butt off and either way wind up with nothing prompted a response.

I said, yes, but you forget the huge sense of satisfaction derived from. . . .

Sitting under the oak.

He was pleased.

Not as easy as it appears.

This is typically construed as a downer, a negative, something lacking.

The essence of achieving nothing is anything but.

Of course, as is the problem with all beer (Young Einstein, Yahoo Serious), one needs to define terminology to be speaking in the same context as everyone else.

So define achieving.

Reaching a goal maybe? Creating something? Earning some dollars? “He achieved greatness” for example would mean he became great. So lets agree that achieving means to reach something tangible or intangible but definable.

So define nothing. (Fine, end of story.)

No, I will.

Nothing is the ultimate subject of this site on the meaning of life perspectives and values and as such is much more than the lack of something, or the absence of all.

Nothing can be a state of peace, contentment, enlightenment, rest, ease, calm and emptiness.

Nothing has meaning without point of view.

Nothing is being.

Being nothing.

So achieving nothing in one context is equated to spiritual and all being enlightenment. In another may be achieving the ability to let go of productivity and begin to value nothing in particular.

In this context, the context of this web site on the meaning of life, achieving nothing is highly respected and a goal of the enlightened ones.

Ah the joy of calendars. Welcome to 2007. Great achievements await us all, depending on your paradigm and point of view.

Yes, we mark time, and time keeps counting. Yet, as the years roll away, we are less and less in awe and less aware of the passing and more caught up, maybe.

Some of us are enlightened and ever static, and hence dynamic in a way, the beatified smile and serenity of the unaffected residing upon our lips.

Some of us are dead.

Some of us are shallow blind apparitions of animal instinct perfumed into oblivion.

Some of us are unconcerned.

Some of us are tired and waiting.

Some of us are suffering constantly and wondering why.

Some of us have knowledge that we share and then discard and start all over again.

Most of us are unaware of anything at all to do with anything.

Food for thought. Or maybe food for nothing.

Believing implies that the nature of things is a decision. There is no recognition of what is, or that anything is, when one “believes”.

Now, I may see a tree, and believe I don’t. I may believe I am intelligent when I am stupid. I may believe in dreams, when dreams are an illusion. I may believe in gravity, when gravity is without me. I may believe just about anything I want, when those things are not real, definable, or apparent.

Seeing the truth is a state of recognition, not belief. Seeing what is, is a rare ability, to be debunked by the believers.

Truth exists. Within you and without you.

Well meaning. No meaning. Nothing has meaning.

The meaning of life.

Sounds like a broken record, an old analog recording done on a wire spool and played back through ancient equipment repeating over and over. Meaning is subjective, inherently personal, non-existent without a consciousness to create meaning.

Let go of this strange attachment to feeling that there is something more than that and you are free.

Be free.

How can we not be attached? After all, we are only human. Van Morrison

You’re just a human, a victim of the insane. John Lennon

Wellp, actually, we can not be attached but that is one heck of a difficult place to be in a society built on stereotypes, intolerance and religion.

This is also a tough place to be in a society based on freedom, tolerance and justice.

So we are all attached in some manner to something. What do I hold dear? What do you hold dear?

Not as easy a question as apparent. Not so simple to answer. What do you want from life? The Tubes

Why even talk about attachment? Why not?

The underpinnings of attachment are our old favorite, values. Values come from subjective point of view pre-seasoned with genetics and environment.

Unattach yourself.

Royalty. The term comes from payment to the king. Got nothing to do with the post but rhymes.

Thinking about perspective and values now, and again. Seems like thats the topic of this diary. Nothing has meaning without point of view and then all I talk about is point of view. Cool.

So Loyalty is kind of like blind faith. Believing in someone, or something, standing up for them or that, backing up, supporting without question.

Now you can’t be loyal without point of view either, cause those without any preference, or care, cannot find themselves in a position to back a position or a person, really or genuinely. These thoughts are present but difficult to relate. Almost like images and feelings behind the eyes and speaking or writing them doesn’t communicate fully the meaning, or lack thereof.

So the loyal party sets aside potentially conflicting values to support this person or cause unconditionally, many times at their own peril.

Like the chain of command in any military situation where one is presumed to act without question and with loyalty when commanded by higher authority.

True loyalty is rare, good or bad.

When times get tough you want loyal friends and family at your back.

I got your back.

My brother Yianni once said this to me.

He then proceeded to travel a path that took him to many strange and fantastic places, sometimes losing sight of this. Actually, this wise comment came during the particularly strange or remarkable portion of his ongoing journey.

I later reminded him that he told me that no matter what, be true to yourself. To this he said “Really?”

I bring this up because I observe that in a value set, with a value set, one is always finding challenges to these values, compromises, disregardings, ignorings (lovely nouns aren’t they?) and basically a wanton failure to uphold our own personal values.

Why have values if they are to be sold to the highest bidder?

Be true to yourself and the rest is easy.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Category: The Meaning of Life

Came across this in the book The Prize all about the petroleum industry history.

A Wise Old Owl Lived in an Oak
The More He Saw the Less He Spoke
The Less He Spoke the More He Heard
Why can’t we all be like that old bird?

This recalls to me an old saying (presumably) I read in a long forgotten work of fiction.

Least Said Soonest Mended

by Devin Castles

Just as there are universal truths regarding the laws of nature and not to be redundant, but the universe, there are also universal truths about the human condition.

Our brains our wired to benefit from interaction with other people.

Our bodies heal faster around human contact.

Man is not a solitary creature. Solitude can help reflection, but is not a necessary ingredient all the time.

Nothing matters, but truth exists.

Nothing’s really something because nothing ever changes
It just takes a little while to realize what same is
But it’s all the same to me

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Category: The Meaning Of Life

This gets back to the underlying concept of nothing.

Rather than talking or thinking or writing or speaking in circles by attempting to define “nothing” simply think of nothing as “something”. Like a dream. A shadow of something real. (The Last Wave.)

So nothing motivates me. That can mean I am unmotivated by anything or that can mean that I am motivated by nothing.

So by now you can see that I am motivated by nothing or this site wouldn’t exist.

What is the meaning of all this?

Nothing Has Meaning.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Category: The Meaning of Life

So next we move to the subjective. First, we accept that we exist, or not, irrespective of any intent or perception on our part. (If you cannot accept that, hit the home button on your browser.)

Next we can, or will, look at the context in which we find ourselves.

Context is a tricky word.

Context Defined

Much used by Adam Clark of Freedom Philosophy and sk8evangelist fame, the meaning (pun intended, permanently, consider the use of the word meaning here a permanent pun as the lack thereof is the premise of the site) of the word in its simplest form is, of course, meaning.

The meaning other than meaning is setting. The setting in which something occurs.

Do you remember Alice in Wonderland by Charles Dodgeson aka Lewis Carroll? The part about meaning what you say versus saying what you mean brought up by the Mad Hatter? (I hope. Been a long time since I read that passage.) Very cool mind workout there.

Context is relevant in that passage because obviously you can say what you mean and not be meaning what you say or vice versa. So context can mean, meaning, or intended point of view.

Values. The foundation of meaning.

Totally subjective, totally arbitrary, totally cultural.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Category: The Meaning of Life

Been using the truth a lot lately, in describing these simple lessons on the nature of things, so I thought . . . . . .

Seeing the truth, hearing the truth, being the truth, all for naught.

Is truth subjective? No.

Is truth conceptual? No.

Is truth something? Yes.

Is truth nothing? Yes.

So which is it? Both.

Think of truth as something physical and you will begin to get my drift.

If a monolithic wall of granite, say, is standing there, there it stands.

What I call it, or what you call it, or how we see, hear, feel, taste or sense doesn’t change the granite.

There it stands.

Just like the truth.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Category: The Meaning of Life

Apparently there are those unwilling or unable to ponder. Philosophy being what it is makes us humans not too prone to philosophizing. Philosophy is pondering. Meaningless pondering resulting in recognition of . . . . . . . . meaninglessness.

The concepts here are simple, and not provocative, and not original.

Perception is reality. Reality is perception. Truth, on the other hand, is not reality. When one confuses the two, one ends up missing the point, again and again and again.

If I use the word “reality” here to mean perception forgive me. Words have many meanings, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective (haha) so try to glean the context. I also use reality to mean “true existence” or “the nature of things” problem being of course that reality is filtered. Then dreams show up and throw a spanner in the works.

The point being, there is no point. This shouldn’t be hard to grasp but all too often is because people simply don’t want to acknowledge or observe their own insignificance.

The truth stands all by itself, usually alone, unobserved and unrecognized. Now the world (reality, space, consciousness, whatever) we live in is created by our perspective, values, mindset, intelligence, history, environment and, again, whatever influences us.

See the difference?

Yeah. Not too original.

The idea being, pun intended, to be present in all awareness. Sit still and listen, see, feel and suddenly the world is a universe of realities that surround our beings.

Here and now, we have nothing else.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Category: The Meaning of Life

I got to thinking about something Hazelrah said. This was in a comment regarding plans, and how life did turn out the way we had it planned, always. Hazel was not too hip with that one.

Hazel was on about realistic goals. This is self-defeating. No one would ever amount to squat, in his or her view, or any view, if they only allowed themselves to seek that which they thought was possible or realistic. Nothing wrong with just being alive either. That goal isn’t as easy to attain as it appears.

This Fourth of July 4, 2006 is a perfect day to talk about seeking what one desires, without limits, before figuring out how. (Perfect spot for a link to Off Every Day’s Figure Out How.)

The Declaration of Independence talked about in essence the right and duty to stand up for justice, stand up against tyranny regardless of the costs. Now if they had the mentality of “realistic” the United States of America would not exist. Those dudes were my kind of people on the whole.

So first and foremost we need to know what we want. We need to figure out exactly what, not some vague “a million dollars” or “freedom” or “love, friendship and understanding”. Those are all good starts. Yeah. But refine the baby a bit. What, precisely, do you want?

Then realize what you have. As John Lennon quoted you don’t know what you got, until you lose it. Possibly you are more where you want to be then you realize.

After an assessment of what you desire, then, and only then, figure out how. Don’t let anything stop you. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t play by the rules but there are ways, with perseverance, to achieve just about anything.

First there’s the what
Then there’s the how
Don’t limit the what
Figure out how

Thank you United States of America for being a perfect example of this. Now don’t become 18th Century England.