Final Post

And ten years later...

The New Millenium brougth hopes and worries... but nothing new in its essence.
Life is quite cyclical, everything happend again and again in different or similar ways. The point is how can we avoid repeting the events that were not so good. Avoid doing or repeting the mistakes from the past. How can we plan our future, how can we make a better future...

As human beings we are part of the flock. We are surrounded by our peers, those who are similar to us and reflect us. But as soon as somebody different appears... BOOM! Discrimination! Segregation!
We are all immigrants in the Earth, and we will be here for a while (life is not so long) so, treat the mankind the way you like to be treated. Be hospitable and kind. Treat the Earth as if it were your home, because it belongs to you and to your inheritors and the rest of us.

Just trust yourself and trust on you peers. Give the best of you... and we all gonna get a better world, but we need to be together!

Si diez años después te vuelvo a encontrar en algún lugar,
no te olvides que soy distinto de aquél pero casi igual. (...)

Aquello fue un gran punto de partida,
pero a la vez qué fácil se olvida.
Diez años después quién puede volver atrás.
Estamos en la tierra cuatro días
y el cielo no me ofrece garantías:
diez años después mejor volver a empezar.

Si tu credulidad se deterioró en algún lugar,
no te olvides que soy testigo casual de tu soledad.

Si diez años después no estamos igual, qué le vas a hacer.
Otros diez años más y luego, empezar juntos otra vez.

(...)Diez años después el tiempo empieza a pesar.
(...)Diez años después mejor reír que llorar.

(...)Hoy, diez años después, todo sigue igual, nunca te llegó.

Dentro del corazón, al día de hoy, no queda lugar.
Si perdí la razón, no fue por amor, fue por soledad.

La vida es una gran sala de espera,
la otra es una caja de madera.
Diez años después mejor dormir que soñar.
No se puede vivir de otra manera,
porque si no la gente ni se entera.
Diez años después quién puede volver atrás.

Diez años después, mejor decir que callar.

Los Rodriguez

Life.... What for?

What can I do with my life? What should we do with our lives? How can I know the meaning of life? Has it got any meaning? Is life worthy of being lived? Are there something after death?or it's just death and that's it?

When we are born we are given something unique and invaluable: LIFE

We don't learn how valuable are our lives till we get older or we loose a beloved somebody, even then we cannot estimate the valuable gift we have in our hands.

We have very little time to be here (in life) and learn how to live. We make many mistakes, sometimes when we get olders with our white hairs we whisper 'if I could be young again...' and tend to advise those young people who seem to be wasting their time and lives...

Our duty in life is live it and find or make up the purpose for our life.
Life has meaning, we are here as the result of love (in the best of the situations) and to do something.

Life is not a game, we cannot repeat moves and generally we cannot correct certain movemetns. Anyway we are given a lot of different opportunities. What we need first of all is to know what is that that we want, think how to get there and reflect on what we are doing.
We are going to make a lot of mistakes, we are human beings and is part of our nature, but we can learn to avoid them or find new ways and possibilities.

Life is not an exact science, where we always get the same results.
'The good life' is not something general, and it's not manufactured in mass production. Each of us must create our own 'good life' according to our likes, uniqueness, irrepetible, individual and fragile.

INTENTA NO OCUPAR TU VIDA EN ODIAR Y TENER MIEDO.

Ethics and politics: Spot the difference

Ethics has to do with choosing the best options and living the best possible way. Ethics has to do with our own freedom and how we deal with it. Ethics helps us to want the good things of life. It has to do with improving ourselves, wanting to be or become better human beings. Ethics helps to answer: How do I want to be?

The aim of poilitics is to organize the social affairs in order to let each member of the society to choose what is convenient or good for them.
Politics trys to coordinate what the whole does with its freedom in order to be beneficial for all.
In politics the results of the actions taken are important, no matter what for.
Politics' aim is that the majority of the whole work in armony.

From ethics... The ideal political organization:

a) It has to start from freedom, and it has to respect social freedom. It also has to regulate the social resposibilities.

b) It has to treat and consider the people as human kinds!
That's be able to stand on their shoes. Justice.

c) To be on other's shoes has to do with recognize them as equals and their dignity. It has to assist those who suffer within the society.


FREEDOM, JUSTICE and ASSISTANCE are the three fundamental pillars for an ethical and political organization.

The fragmentation of the world do nothing but hold up the possible solutions.

The break of the armony and balance caused by the selfish self-interests of the man make the situation worst, and blind them at the extreme of not knowing when to stop, where's the limit.

"Sólo cuando el último árbol esté muerto,
el último río envenenado,
y el último pez atrapado,
nos daremos cuenta
que no se puede comer dinero"

Living on the Edge

This is the typical Humpty Dumpty case. You cannot live on the edge of anything unless you want to lose your life quickly, or lose the control of your life.
Why not take pleasure in life? Life is nice if you live it nicely, so why not gratify yourself?
There are many pleasures in life... Why not have a pleasant life?
The pleasure of having a dinner with friends, the pleasure of travelling, the pleasure of doing where you like, the pleasure of resting, the pleasure of sharing moments with your partner, etc.

There is nothing wrong with pleasure. Daily pleasures make your life better. But as I already mention extremes are not good at all. To much pleasure could kill you (Lol). You can enjoy the pleasures of life while being a down-to-earth person. You should take the control of your life, and enjoy your life, but excess of pleasures tend to distract yourself from your lives.
If you like drinking wine, and you enjoy it, Ok!, as long as you don't wake up naked in the middle of the park (I mean, you lose the control of your life).

Another important point to be made is that pleasures are not good if you damage your environment (or yourself). I mean, a drunk person can be funny for the first five minutes, but if you have to be with them for a long time, they stop being funny.

From pleasure we can get happiness!
The art of getting happiness from pleasure is known as Temperance, what I would sum up as Living in Balanced!

"La moderación presupone el placer; la abstinencia, no.
Por eso hay mas abstemios que moderados."

In Your Shoes

With others or against others, but among others...

Ethics main interest has to do with: how to live a good human life ... a good life among humans. We're unique, irrepetible, very different from the rest, with different cultures, languages, likes, customs, etc. but....

WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS!

Friendship and respect are the most beautiful feeling among people.

Even the worst person (is still a human being) can learn to transform himself into a better person, or behave in a different way (better for all of us - humans).

If we sow love and caring, we're going to get love in return. Bad people lack of caring and love. If it's true that we learn by experinece and imitation, then bad people need to experience love before they can love somebody else. Love is paramount in any relation (at least some regard).

WE NEED TO BE TREATED AS HUMAN BEINGS!
(and treat the rest as well)

To be able to treat others as human beings, we need to see from their point of view, we need to be in their shoes, we need to understand them deeply... And from my viewpoint, there is no better way to know the others as getting to know you very well. In that ... we're all humans! To conclude, I think we are again refering to: don't do others what you don't like to be done to you.

Todos los humanos estamos hechos de la sustancia con la que se trenzan los suelos.

Shakespeare

The duty in my life

(Well this chapter was a bit too long for me. In fact I think Savater is retelling some of his previous topics. I will try to avoid repetition by focusing on what I found more interesting and 'new')

The Three Sillies and some more...
For the first silie everything it's ok. The second one wants everything (be in mass and ring the bell at the same time; want to be the winner and the looser at the same time). The third one is the one who doesn't know anything so he is for or against the situations without (personal) reasons.The fourth silly knows what s/he wants but without the necessary strenght. Last but not least, the one who knows what s/he wants fiercely but somehow always misslead the goal. To avoid idiocity: Learn as much as you can!

La imbecilidad acecha y no perdona!
Unlukily, this is true, there are many sillies around...

Just the opposite of being sillie: Having a conscience
1- Desire to live humanly well.
2- Do what we really want to do.
3- Try to do what is good, and like what is good.
4- Be responsable for our facts = Bare in mind that each action will affect the self.


Summing up, from my point of view this has to do with live as well as you can, don't bother your pairs, and do it well!

And avoid using sticks, or excuses to live...

TIME FOR BARDIC TRADITION

I finished this chapter on Savater's book, but I didn't find new things, at least not many (you always learn something anyway). But it rang me some bells, that is why I want to share with you these stories and quotes...

Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6, 19-21

He then told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop, so he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ will be demanded back from But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12, 16-21

VIAJE AL CAMPO

Una vez, un padre de familia bastante acaudalado llevo a su hijo a un viaje con el firme proposito de que su hijo viera como vivian y cuan pobre era la gente del campo. Estuvieron por el espacio de un dia y una noche completa en la granja de una familia muy humilde. Al concluir el viaje y de regreso a casa el padre le pregunta a su hijo:

- ¿Qué te pareció el viaje?
- ¡Muy bonito papá!
- ¿Viste cuan pobre puede ser la gente?
- Si
- ¿Y que aprendiste?
- Vi que nosotros tenemos una piscina que llega de pared a pared a la mitad del jardín, en cambio ellos tienen un riachuelo que no tiene fin. Nosotros tenemos unas lámparas importadas en el patio, ellos tienen estrellas. Nuestro patio llega hasta la pared del vecino, el de ellos termina en el horizonte. Ellos tienen tiempo para conversar y estar en familia. Tú y mamá tienen que trabajar todo el tiempo y casi nunca los veo.

Al terminar el relato, el padre se quedo mudo y el hijo agregó:

- ¡Gracias papá por enseñarme lo ricos que podemos llegar a ser!

WHAT DO I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE?

I think this is a big question and the answer, in my case, is changing very often. I don't like to plan things in long term, of course I have some goals and dreams I want to achieve (perhaps in long term). But sometimes I resign or postpone some dreams for later on, or I simply change my mind on them and replace them with some new dreams.

We are free to dream, and we are free to reach or not each dream, it just depends on us. But, what I think it is also very important is the value we put on each of them. I mean I should make a balance with priorities, necesities and whishes... That is why I should carefully know what is what I want, and reflect on that. And then the answer comes to my mind and seems so simple and easy: LIVE A GOOD LIFE.

But, in fact it's not so easy. Some people seem to be dead on life, they have no goals, no aims, no hope, no nothing... They are dead, because they think that anyway they are going to die... Let me tell you something nobody can scape from that (not yet - and not taking into account religion) but at least we can make our lives and the lives of the ones around us a little better, pleasant, etc.

"I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

"La vida puede no ser la fiesta que esperamos, pero mientras estemos aquí, ¡deberíamos bailar!"

DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT!

Why should I have to do the same adults do?
What do we need to be a good man (or woman)?
How can I determine if a person is good or not?
Why all forbiden things are more apealing than the 'legal' ones?
Is it possible to exist such place as Theleme Abby? I think it's utopian.

If you want to act in an ethical way... do what ever you want, whenever you want...
(but stay there to see what comes next)

"Lo mejor que contiene el mundo se encuentra en la cantidad de mundos que el mundo contiene. Está bien que haya tantas contradicciones. Ahí reside la vida activa" Eduardo Galeano

Automatic Pilot

It's true, the majority of acts in our life are done in automatic pilot. We tend to avoid thinking to much about daily routine (don't you think it's a waste of time use hours to decide if we prefer coffee or tea for breackdast?).
can Motives run the automatic pilot for us. Motives are the reasons why we behave this or that way. As for motives, wemention orders (given by an adult, authority, etc.), customs (because we're used to do something and we repetit, and perhaps all the people around us tend to do the same), and caprices (we do what we want, by impulse). But what I think is important here is the weight each motive has, or the weight we give to them. What is more important for me? To follow an order (in order not to be against the authority), a costume (just because it is comfortable and easy) or a caprice (just because).
But sometimes to observe an order, or to follow a costume is not enough, not even to mention caprices.Sometimes in life, we have to take an important decision, and we want this decision to be correct, but it's not that easy. We allways run the risk of making a mistake.
Taking a decision allways imply to reject other options, and who knows...(there is no automatic pilot in this case) you have to take the risk.
=P No pains, no gains!

FREEDOM WAY

We all want to have the ability to distinguish between what is good and what is bad. Animals have a great advantage over human beings, because they seem already programed to live in certain way - the correct way!

But what is amazing is the fact that we - human beings- are FREE to choose the way we live. To be honest, we are always limited by our own possibilities (cultural, economical, physical, etc.), but what is true is the fact that we can choose among many options. There is always another option, another viewpoint, another side of the situations, it depends on where are we standing (or where we choose to stand) at the very moment.
There are many things I can do, because I'm free, but not everything depends on my will. People's necesities and wills restrict my freedom (and the other way about). Anyway it is important to be consciuos of our freedom, because it is a powerful tool through which we can make a difference in the world... How? for example transmiting our values.
To sum up, we are free to choose the way (the good or the bad one) in which we live. But we have to be careful no to mistake what we choose. We have to learn the "art of living," that is learn to live in a good way.

You can Choose the Way

What is ethical? What should be considered right and what wrong? Is there any recipe to make us morally good persons?
I believe a solution would be to foster the habit of thinking, and reflect about our actions, attitudes, ways, and every other aspect that helps us build a personality.
We could start by learning to know ourselves better. Look into our hearts (taking our time) and evaluate if we like who we are. What do I like about myself? and What would I like to get rid of? What can I improve?!

TRUST YOUSELF. BE CONFIDENT.
TRUST YOUR INTELLIGENCE, IT WILL HELP YOU BE BETTER THAN YOU ALREADY ARE.
TRUST YOUR HEART AND YOU WILL FIND GOOD COMPANY.
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT IF YOU PUT YOUR HEART IN IT.