I Have Only Come Here Seeking…

 

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h3>”The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
— Stephen Hawking

 

Save me from surety. It is so easy to ‘know’ things. We decide that the universe is a given way and immediately it conforms to our view. Anyone who thinks differently is either foolishly wrong or mendaciously evil. Very little will happen in contradiction to our world view that we cannot explain away or ignore until it goes away. When contradictions arise that are too difficult to explain or ignore, we can distract by pointing out what someone else is doing wrong. If we cannot see any evident wrong-doing, we can invent it and add it to our body of knowledge. We can become so busy pointing out wrongdoers that soon we will never have to explain anything and our ‘knowledge’ of the universe will remain pristine.
At least during my more cynical times, that is how the world appears.
Blessings, G

 

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The Unmapped LabyrinthThe UnMapped Labyrinth by G A Rosenberg

 

Reality BubbleReality Bubble by G A Rosenberg

 

Coat of ArmsCoat of Arms by G A Rosenberg

What We Know, Who We Are

 

“A burning itch to know is higher than a solemn vow to pursue truth. To feel the burning itch of curiosity requires both that you be ignorant, and that you desire to relinquish your ignorance.”
— Eliezer Yudkowsky

 

What would you trade for knowledge? Would you be willing to give up what you think you know? Are you able to admit that everything you believe is at best partially right and is in all probability mainly wrong? Are you what you know? Many people seem to believe they are and when challenged they fight for their assumptions as if their very identity itself is being challenged. It is only by surrendering ignorance that we can attain knowledge. What we have learned up until now has to continually be smashed on the rocks of life’s experience in order for us to learn more. This can be devastating if we believe we are what we know. Most times I tend to believe I am more defined by my ignorance than my knowledge.
Blessings, G

 

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<h5 style="text-align:center;"Energized2Energized by G A Rosenberg

 
<h5 style="text-align:center;"Spatial AnomalysSpatial Anomalies by G A Rosenberg

 

Encouraging Candles in the Darkness…

 

“Never discourage anyone…who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”
― Plato

 

To my mind we are all progressing upon our path. Some of us may stay willfully ignorant for weeks, months or possibly even decades but then something happens that shakes their world view and perhaps in the smallest way they open up. Perhaps they are willing to understand a point of view they never have before. Perhaps they (and by they I almost always mean we for I have yet to meet anyone fully free from ignorance. I know that I have my share and possibly more) have found an iota of compassion for someone whom before they withheld any understanding. Funny thing tho how much difference such a change can make. It is something akin to lighting a candle in a dark room as opposed to one with all kinds of sunlight streaming in. The candle may be as bright in most cases but in the darker room it stands out a lot more…
If we are all progressing even at the rate of a candle every thirty years, then how can we discourage anyone in their growth. The realization that we all progress has been one of those candles for me.
Blessings, G

 

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Lava GuardianLava Guardian by G A Rosenberg

 

MarbleGameMarble Game by G A Rosenberg

 

Surrendering Ignorance

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
― Stephen Hawking

 

Ignorance is a difficult thing to admit to. So often when we find ourselves in conversation with others and they start talking on a subject we know little about we feel the need to claim more knowledge than we have. I have missed out on much by doing this. There is so much out there on so many subjects that even in our areas of interest it is all but impossible to know everything. Ignorance is not a crime. I am ignorant of many many things and hopefully I am gaining greater courage with time to admit my ignorance. It seems that pretending to know or understand something when I don’t may be the easiest way to hold on to ignorance that I can think of. Even when I do know something, I may not grock it from the perspective of the person I’m speaking to. By being open to all and treating each person as my teacher I can only learn.
Blessings, G

 

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Peacock's FuryPeacock’s Fury by G A Rosenberg

 

Indigo PulseIndigo Pulse by G A Rosenberg

Bumping into Walls

“Stupidity is like bumping into a wall all the time. After a while you get tired of it and try to look the situation over and see if there’s a doorway somewhere. I think most people eventually do look for the doorway and stop bumping into the wall”
― Robert Anton Wilson

 

How often must we make the same mistakes before we learn? How often do we choose to trust others rather than ourselves? How often do we refuse to listen to what we tell ourselves? How much do we need the lesson and how do we get past it so that we can free ourselves to learn more? I agree it has to happen sometimes and some of our mistakes we fall in love with too deeply so that it takes us that much longer to get past it. Luckily even there such infatuations do not last forever and even that burst of pleasure we get for bad behaviour will pale before the joy of getting over it.
Blessings G

 

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MaelstromMaelstrom by G A Rosenberg

 

Cross SectionCross-Section by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – February 6 2013

“I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn’t know.”
― Mark Twain

 

I’ve been told that ‘I don’t know.’ is the most common honest answer in the english language. Yet admitting it seems so difficult.  Is it but one more crime to heap on the educational systems of the world or is it something deeper? I don’t know. What is it that we know for sure? Our names that is to say our identities? Yet how often do we surprise ourselves acting in ways, both good and bad that we never expected. I used to claim I knew so much. Now more and more often I see the things I am ignorant of. I must admit tho I find not knowing  to be FANTASTIC. Because as long as I don’t know, it means I am open to learning. Will this always be the case? I don’t know =)

Blessings, G

 

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Doubts Consigned to the Flame as the Spirit takes flight

Doubts Consigned to the Flame as My Spirit Takes Flight by G A Rosenberg

 

Green Thread Mandala

Green Thread by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – August 13 2012

“Of all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance, what Buddha called ‘the greatest evil in the world.’
The friction which results from ignorance can be reduced only by the spread of knowledge and the unification of the heterogeneous elements of humanity. No effort could be better spent.”
– Nikola Tesla

I’ve been listening to William Shatner cover songs all day and going to see Macbeth (or should I say ‘the Scottish Play’ for are we not all actors, especially when we act according to our natures) tonight so am feeling a bit well bloody minded? Nah just feeling the world and hopefully it is a pleasant feeling for us both.
Ignorance can be tricky. We all have areas of ignorance and have so much trouble admitting that fact so often… I don’t get why. I mean ignorance enlightened can feel as good or almost as good as sex in the right situation. When all of a sudden something is understood that wasn’t before, it’s orgasmic or at least i feel that way.
Blessings, G

 

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Geom by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – April 3 2012

“The universe isn’t vague and ignorant. I am vague and ignorant. Something is true, and it doesn’t matter what it is, I’m not going to be false any more. I have not even the slightest trace of the slightest reservation that I would rather suffer and die figuring out what is true than continue this life as a slave to lies and ignorance.”
–Jed McKenna

Wow, I am relating to this on so many levels. THere are periods on this journey where I see just how far I have to go. The parts of my life that feel less authentic needing to be shed like a snake sheds his skin to find what lies beneath. Longing for the truth of the moment every moment and reaching for the courage to not only say it but live it.I know I have nothing to loose but my chains. Some chains are easier to loose than others. Yet all will fall away in time. Each moment brings new opportunities and new beginnings.
Blessings, G

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Protection by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – November 2 2011

When nothing is for sure we remain alert, perennially on our toes. It is more exciting not to know which bush the rabbit 

is hiding behind than to behave as though we knew everything.”

 

 

    –Carlos Casteneda

I’ve been thinking about wisdom and how to define it. Self-knowledge seems to be a large component of wisdom. The more I know myself, the more I understand the universe. Do I become wiser as I understand the universe better? As I add to my experiences, I can better help others when they ask for advice or knowledge. Tho I find that if I truly need to know something, all I really need to do is look within and ask and usually I get an answer if I remain patient.. But still, it seems that wisdom has to mean more than just experience. I have met many who have had all varieties of experience whom I would not call wise. Likewise I have met many, who have had relatively sheltered lives yet within them seems to lie the wisdom of the universe. It seems to include understanding, patience so many things. Perhaps I many never be wise. That would be ok, I have the wisdom of others who have touched my life and that gives me (and others thru me?) both comfort and new avenues to explore. I may never be able to point to myself or have others point to me and say “He is wise”  but that’s ok, I still have much ignorance to dispel

    — G A Rosenberg

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Rescue Mission by G A Rosenberg

Psychedelic Forest by G A Rosenberg