Life On A B-I7

# 139

I like to view my life as a beautiful hand-bound book. I will spend the greater portion of my life writing the pages. In the end, I will carefully stitch the pages together and bind them using a beautiful cover. I will then place the book into the hands of someone I think will refer to it occasionally and perhaps, just perhaps, will find a small portion of it useful in some way.

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# 138

Sometimes I write things that have great meaning to me but most likely leave whomever is unfortunate to be reading this scratching their head. To those who find themselves in that boat, I have two comments: First, try writing daily, I think you’ll find it’s not always easy. Second, be assured that even if it doesn’t make sense to you, it probably makes sense to me… Sometimes… Maybe…

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# 137

There are many ways to pay attention to our lives. Writing a poem is one way, but not the only way. What matters is that we find a way to do it. It might not be the same way every day. By paying attention to our lives, we stand a better chance of consciously fulfilling our destiny.

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# 136

Some days the writing comes more easily than others. Like today. That does not lessen the experience. The satisfaction that comes from reflection is the same even if no conclusions are revealed.

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# 135

Artificial Intelligence is the biggest intellectual achievement in human history. (Arguably, General Relativity is right up there.) What we choose to do with it will challenge our biological intelligence and our social adaptability. It will do so to a degree never before experienced or even imagined.

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# 134

A history that looks back and mythologizes what has come before is nothing more than a tool of persuasion disguised as “thought.”

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# 133

If all cats are pets, it does not follow that if it is not a cat, it is not a pet. Listen carefully, you will hear this argument made in different forms more often than you can imagine. Don’t let this sort of thinking stand as an intelligent argument.

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# 132

Nothing that presents itself as a problem is ever a problem for long. The trick is to recognize it so it can be dealt with. If it can’t be dealt with perhaps it is not your problem.

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# 131

Tomorrow will come before you know it. Never let what is happening today stop you from waking up tomorrow with new hope and anticipation.

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# 130

Any activity that helps you to pay attention to your life is good.

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# 129

If I am having dinner with you and I take my phone out of my pocket without your permission, feel free to take it away from me.

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# 128

It’s fine to pursue perfection but it must be tempered by the understanding that perfection is a thing not attainable… except perhaps by nature.

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# 127

A work of art needs to be created apart from time. It’s said that time “slows down” when we are being creative. This is a great truth of the universe, time is relative, not fixed.

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# 126

What do I know about writing? Nothing really. All I can say for sure is it makes me feel good. Perhaps this is a need I don’t understand. I do know it makes me feel fulfilled. Perhaps that is why I come back to it each day.

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# 125

Here is my advice to you (please forgive me for being so bold) write every day. You will learn more by exploring your own thoughts than you will by blindly adopting the thoughts of others.

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# 124

Which is better: The “collective intelligence” of society or the whims and desires of “great men?” To my way of thinking, the notion of “a great man” is pure fantasy. It is possible to rise to greatness when called upon, but to do so requires a special quality, not conferred by greatness, it is much more about humility and compassion.

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# 123

To understand the path we are on, we have to understand what drives us. What it is that made us choose this path. We must also ask if this is the right path to be on. There is no disgrace in altering our path if that’s what it takes to remain true to ourselves.

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# 122

I should write a poem
for my birthday,
but I don’t know how
to begin.

Perhaps it’s COVID
that brings me this feeling
of not knowing,
maybe it’s just me.

I want to be somewhere else
today, but circumstances
are what they are,
I’m here.

We will fix this
by going out to dinner tonight.
Fuck COVID.
I’ll have a bourbon and some fresh pasta.

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# 121

Most Americans are just fucking stupid when it comes to understanding the workings of our democracy. Another sign of someone who falls into this category is how willing they are to be told how to think.

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# 120

If someone is not giving you the space you need to be yourself there is a question you need to ask: Is that person someone you truly need in your life? Would you be better off If there were more distance between you and that person?

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# 119

When it’s time to retire, it’s best to walk away and start a new life. You only get one shot at living, don’t spend the entire time doing the same things over and over again…

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# 118

Heraclitus and Parmenides defined the basic conflict that society must continually resolve. The conflict between stasis and flux. You cannot have a society that evolves in a positive direction if you adhere unwaveringly to one or the other of these views and refuse to acknowledge the role of the other.

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# 117

I am happy to have firmly held beliefs, but that does not put me above you, that does not give me the right to impose those beliefs on you. As long as we respect the law and our fellow man, we can say we are living justly.

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# 115

You should always keep a vision in front of you. No matter how weird or unattainable it may seem, it is the force that drives us and keeps us moving forward.

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# 114

Life is short. It’s a shame we tend to realize that so late in the game. It’s time to play catch-up.

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