567.  Past

Principles

Law of  contradiction.

Acceptance and reconciliation

In life, as one lives over time, one sees a law of contradiction seeming to take place.  Simply put, one has to learn to live with contradictions often without resolution.  This operates on many levels.  Thesis, anti-thesis, both exist within the realm of possibility.  The maker, purity of intent, both exist alongside sensual needs and pleasures.  Good and bad exist within the same person.

When younger one looks for a system, a paradigm that will include all things.  This always fails because we have no way of seeing the whole picture. Ideologies, “isms,” fall into this category.  In physics you have the poles, plus and minus, combining to make the whole.

In the realm of ideas, existence, theories and the spirit, the only antidote to contradiction is acceptance and reconciliation.  You just have to encompass both under a big umbrella.

376.


Law of contradiction

One way or the other

Well, hurricane Erica fizzled out and it was sunny this morning so I went for a swim.  At first I was one of three people and I was free to swim in any direction I chose, but one lady  had a relative who seemed a little mentally slow and I wasn't sure where he was going so I decided to swim laps the width of the pool.  As it wasn't too early and I got a late start others started to trickle in the pool, probably relieved after being cooped up in anticipation of Erica.  They all slowly swam or walked across the pool so my decision was the right one.

I finished some laps, then did some stretching and lay out to get a little sun before the clouds started to come.  A man who I didn't recognize entered the pool and he began to do the backstroke lengthwise oblivious to all the people walking width wise.  Nobody said anything and I wondered if I was the only one it bothered.  Anyhow, it got cloudier and I got dressed to leave and stopped to speak to Elizabeth, an acquaintance, swimmer, Peruvian, new facebook friend whose daughter just got married far away in Las Vegas. 

After listening a bit I noticed the man was still in the pool going the wrong way and I said to Elizabeth “He's going the wrong way.  Wondering if I should say something.”  Her answer was '”Ah, leave him alone.  Let him be free.”  Hmmmmm.  So I did and left.  Definitely the easier way.  If the man was Mike Tyson I probably wouldn't have said anything either.  But he wasn't.

So here it is.  Rules were there and I sacrificed my own swimming comfort to follow them.  We have a right to diplomatically and carefully correct others who don't, as it is for the general good.  Or, should we, a la libertarian style, let things work themselves out naturally.  Let the forces just build by themselves and actions and reactions would occur just naturally.  People are tired of being programmed and micro managed and listening to authority.  On the other hand the 'anything goes' policy often lets the selfish and forceful and inconsiderate have their way and others quietly become victimized.

So, as with everything, its a moment by moment decision.  Also to be considered is the tolerance of the person who sees what is wrong but is not sure whether to act or not.  A negative interaction can discolor  your entire day.  Oh my.  It's just a simple thing but even simple things aren't always so easy.

185.  Past



Strolling with Linda

121.  Past

Principles

Law of contradiction


Cellphone at the pool    

This situation brings to mind the “three point triangle theory,” where there is a  beneficial force at one point, a detrimental force at another point, and a third reconciliatory force at another point.  When trying to relax one day at the community pool a man was talking very loudly on his cell phone, despite a rule not to do so.  When the rule was made cellphones had not reached the general public.

One lady from Sarasota enthusiastically enforced all the rules at the pool, risking "life" and "limb" in her words to do so.  She had enlisted me also to do so.  She would speak in a forceful way about the rudeness of people and how she wasn't brought up with such disregard for standards, and how it was her duty to correct people.  Later, her arthritis semi-crippled this once pretty, athletic woman and her policing came to a standstill.

Now many people speak on their cellphones, and intimate details of their lives are shared with all, and peace and quiet had gone elsewhere.  So I wasn't sure if I should correct these people, keep the rules and respect the quiet, or let it go, just go along with the lack of manners and not place myself in a tense situation.  I would have to balance the need to do right and my own tolerance for creating a possible conflict.