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The Core of Individualism: Humility, Empathy, and Courage

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Intellectual Humility: Having a consciousness of the limits of one’s knowledge, including a sensitivity to circumstances in which one’s native egocentrism is likely to function self-deceptively; sensitivity to bias, prejudice and limitations of one’s viewpoint. Intellectual humility depends on recognizing that one should not claim more than one actually knows. It does not imply spinelessness or submissiveness. It implies the lack of intellectual pretentiousness, boastfulness, or conceit, combined with insight […] Read more »

Law as a Type and Shadow of Reason

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John Locke’s “law of reason” refers to the natural capacity of human beings to use rational thought to discern moral and ethical principles that govern just interactions, independent of external authority. It is an internal guide, accessible through reflection, that aligns individual actions with objective truths about reality and human rights. Law, at its core, represents a fundamental failure to trust in individual reason. While proponents often frame it as […] Read more »

Transcending the Veil: Depth, Trauma, and the Expansive Consciousness

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Transactional Love is a conditional exchange where affection or care is offered with the expectation of receiving something in return, such as validation or reciprocation. It operates like a contract, driven by external motives and often tied to a sense of obligation or debt. Non-Transactional Love is given freely without expecting repayment, rooted in genuine care and intrinsic motivation. It prioritizes authentic connection and truth, unbound by calculations or external rewards. The […] Read more »

The Metaphysics of Narcissism: Stealing Innocence & the Emperor’s New Clothes

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The Genesis account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden provides a foundational narrative for understanding the loss of innocence, particularly in the moment when they sew fig leaves to cover themselves after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:7). Before this act, their nakedness carried no shame (Genesis 2:25), suggesting that their innocence functioned as a natural garment, a state of unselfconscious […] Read more »

Shallowness, Depth, Truth, and the Purpose of Force

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The angry mob, fueled by ignorance and prejudice, stormed the castle, their shallow understanding of the world reduced to simplistic labels and stereotypes, as they sought to destroy the monster, which they called “Depth” – a symbol of complexity and nuance that threatened to shatter their comfortable illusions. With each blow, they struck not at the monster’s heart, but at their own limitations, attempting to silence the whispers of doubt […] Read more »

Abductive Reasoning and the Pursuit of Truth Through Imperfection

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Abductive reasoning is a form of logical inference that starts with observations and seeks the simplest, most likely explanation, embracing uncertainty and iteration. It thrives on generating and refining hypotheses, often leading to surprising yet plausible conclusions, as seen in Sherlock Holmes’ investigative approach. Abductive iteration is the cyclical process within abductive reasoning where initial imperfect hypotheses are proposed, tested against evidence with deductive reasoning, and refined or discarded in […] Read more »

Hades and the Alchemy of Pain: Transforming Hurt into Depth

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We live in a culture obsessed with positivity, productivity, and the relentless pursuit of “moving forward.” Yet, this constant push for superficial success often masks a deep-seated fear: the fear of feeling. The truth is, pain is an inevitable part of the human experience, and our attempts to escape it are ironically what keep us tethered to a life of shallowness. It’s time we re-evaluate our relationship with hurt, recognizing […] Read more »

The Matrix Trilogy as a Metaphor for the Trivium Method

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The Matrix trilogy, comprising “The Matrix” (1999), “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003), and “The Matrix Revolutions” (2003), serves not only as an engaging science fiction narrative but also as a profound metaphor for the process of knowledge acquisition through the Trivium method. The Trivium, one of the foundational components of classical education, consists of three stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. These stages correspond directly to the trilogy’s progression from initial revelation […] Read more »

Duality, the Garden of Eden, and Ayn Rand

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In the biblical narrative, duality emerges as a consequence of humanity’s choice to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, an act framed by me as providing the necessary “opt-out” from a higher harmony and morality, to ensure free will. Eating the “forbidden fruit” plunges existence into a polarized state, where good and evil are no longer integrated within a unified moral framework but are instead […] Read more »

Abductive Reasoning, the Matrix, and the Morality of Opt-Outs

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Below is a Socratic like dialogue that I had with Grok today, exploring various forms of reasoning, which led to thoughts about using abductive reasoning to explore the nature of reality, including the possibility that we are in a simulated reality, much like is posited in the Matrix trilogy. Then discussing the necessity for opt-outs for transforming our current simulated reality into a “new earth” that’s inherently moral, including offering […] Read more »

Ritualistic Observances Based Upon Logocentric Principles

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In a world yearning for meaning amidst the fleeting currents of modernity, ceremonies that ground commitment to a higher purpose offer a timeless anchor, particularly within a philosophically logocentric and religiously Christian framework. Drawing from the rich traditions of Baptism, Communion, and Marriage, these rites exemplify how public declarations can unite individuals with the Divine, their faith, and transcendent ideals, weaving personal intent into a tapestry of eternal significance. Here, […] Read more »

Integrating the Intellectual Character Traits to Make You a More Meaningful Reflection of God

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“Who you become is infinitely more important than what you do, or what you have. You were purposefully created and created for a purpose. You are here at this very moment to become the-best-version-of-yourself—not some second-rate version of your parents, friends, siblings, colleagues, or even your heroes. Life is a quest to become perfectly yourself. It is through this quest that we become real…” – The Velveteen Rabbit Life is […] Read more »

Grokking and the Divine Logos

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Q: In five paragraphs, where does the concept of “grokking” come from, and how is it related and relevant to the concept of the Divine Logos and divine logic, divine empathy, divine reason, and divine understanding? For example the “for God so loved the world” verse highlights God’s empathy by participating in human life as a man to experience life with us, and to redeem us. A: The concept of […] Read more »

How to Defeat Power-Directed Systems of Thought

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It is not the truth of Marxism that explains the willingness of intellectuals to believe it, but the power that it confers on intellectuals, in their attempts to control the world. And since, as Swift says, it is futile to reason someone out of a thing that he was not reasoned into, we can conclude that Marxism owes its remarkable power to survive every criticism to the fact that it […] Read more »

Locus of Identity and NPC Like “Spiritless Humans”

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My partner and I have been discussing the concept of the the Adamic man and pre-Adamic man, and how pre-Adamic man doesn’t have an internal monologue, has an external locus of identity, and lacks a distinct will of their own (instead being subject to a group mind/group soul). Mystics call them “organic portals”, “soulless humans”, “anthropoids”, and “spiritless humans”, and are essentially considered NPC’s in a video game that are […] Read more »