We were never told about his ‘weird’ side, nor that he is considered one of the most important philosophers ever.

This blog post is about a key quote (no weird stuff here).

Pythagoras, who lived between 580 and 500 BC said:

As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other.

Let’s look more closely at one aspect…

These days, in our modern (so called civilized) era, increasing numbers of people, many of whom are young, are inflicting acts of terrible cruelty and barbarity on defenseless animals.

You may have read of modern psychologists’ comments that cruelty to animals by young people is an indicator that the individual concerned will later progress to harming people. This view is based on fact – statistics.

Here’s a thought:

Those kids torturing animals today could one day be coming for you!

Pythagoras, waaaayyy back in the 6th century BC, made a very pertinent comment indeed.

Moving on, we can look at it more deeply; even spiritually.

The spirit underlying the actions which Pythagoras speaks of is the big problem. The insensitive, selfish, uncaring and nasty attitudes involved will not simply disappear when dealing with people. In fact, such attitudes and behavior attract more of the same into your psyche. Have you ever noticed how when you get angry and do angry things, the urge to do even angrier things gets stronger? So much so that at times you may have trouble controlling yourself.

There is a lot more I could say about the quote above. Some of it is very deep and would only be understood by spiritual adepts. My aim here is to keep things simple though.

In summary then; we need to think more carefully about how we relate to animals. Some examples for the ‘modern consumer’:

• Do you eat food produced by inhumane animal farming methods? See this post for more. Not knowing is no excuse and might imply that you don’t care.
• Have you ever considered what might be happening to the cheap, mass produced chickens and other animals used by your local fast food chain?
• Are you one of those people who takes their pet to a local pound for frivolous reasons? A pet is for life. Many pets taken to pounds, besides suffering huge stress, get executed. Yes, killed. Some areas are worse than others.
• Do you care deeply for your pets; or are they some kind of accessory, child plaything, or (unhealthy) emotional crutch?
• Do you respect your pets?
• Have you altered your lifestyle so as not to be guilty of animal cruelty by association?

One final note; we are biological omnivores. Our natural state is to eat meat as part of diet.  A vegetarian diet is not the solution. We can choose to eat meat which we know is farmed humanely. Anything organic and some non organic. Have you thought of asking how your meat is produced? Do you even care?

Find more PETA videos at PETATV.com

Pythagoras – math nerd or philosopher? is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. Would you eat an animal which had been tortured before it died?
2. Australian live animal export cruelty
3. Pets & Life Balance

What picture fills your mind when you think of philosophy, or philosophers?

A dry, perhaps boring looking book maybe?

What feelings do the words philosophy, or philosophers engender?

I doubt that most people would instantly think that the study of Philosophy and Philosophers should be, or is, on their must do list.

So, why do I claim that the study of Philosophy and Philosophers is a must do?

It’s a big claim after all.

Let’s start with a dictionary definition of philosophy:

Philosophy

phi·los·o·phy (fĭ-lŏs’ə-fē) pronunciation

n., pl. -phies.

1. Love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.

2. Investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.

3. A system of thought based on or involving such inquiry: the philosophy of Aristotle.

4. The critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs.

5. The disciplines presented in university curriculums of science and the liberal arts, except medicine, law, and theology.

6. The discipline comprising logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology.

7. A set of ideas or beliefs relating to a particular field or activity; an underlying theory: an original philosophy of advertising.

8. A system of values by which one lives: has an unusual philosophy of life.

As we can see, philosophy is foundational stuff – for life, action, thought, government, business and so on.

Plato, an influential classical Greek philosopher, (c. 427 BC – c. 347 BC) said:

Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside, cities will never have rest from their evils — no, nor the human race, as I believe — and then only will this our State have a possibility of life and behold the light of day. – Plato, The Republic

Plato also said:

Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.

Seems very sensible to me. And relevant to our modern world. ( I wish my father and step mother had understood Plato).

These are just a couple of examples of how long dead philosophers can help us today. (We don’t necessarily need the latest book).

Personally, my life experience has been very diverse and I have come to realise that what we think and believe  is very important. As is truth – not our own opinions, but raw truth. A humble, teachable mindset is particularly valuable – even if one has had an excellent education such as I have. Acquiring more wisdom is the most valuable goal.

Life, the world, and people are fascinating to me and I have devoted much time to the study of human nature, spirituality and philosophy.

I therefore recommend the study of philosophy for many reasons, which include:

1. Thinking logically
2. Thinking creatively
3. Thinking laterally – outside the square
4. Problem solving
5. Objective analysis and evaluation
6. Effective planning
7. Succinct verbal and written expression
8. Effective reduction
9. Simplifying the complicated
10. Discovering hidden relationships and assumptions
11. Effective analysis and drawing accurate conclusions
12. Distilling, evaluating and summarizing large amounts of information concisely & clearly
13. Evaluating data quality
14. Evaluating the usefulness of services and products
15. Communicating a point of view utilizing varied techniques and arguments
16. Seeing the big picture
17. Uncovering truth
18. Growing as a person – personal development
19. Smart thinking
20. Taking “shortcuts” by learning from others wiser than yourself

Why the study of Philosophy and Philosophers is a must do. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. How to study – study skills resources.
2. Question: I would like to hear more about this path of yours… especially regarding truth. How long have you been a Shaman, what led you to it?
3. Philosophy – familiar = strange = familiar.

Philosopher

William James (1842 – 1910) , a pioneer in the fields of psychology and philosophy, wrote:

“To change one’s life start immediately – do it flamboyantly – no exceptions!”

This is a very interesting and pointed quote.

• Do it now!

• Don’t hide your activity. Be public.

• Don’t be boring. Spice it up a little, or a lot.

……are just some of the ideas which come to mind when reading James’s comment.

This quote will be a challenge to many people.

Not everyone is comfortable telling others about what they are doing for example.

Telling others can be a big help to you though. Just one example of this is that you can no longer fail in secret. It is therefore harder to fail – you have become ‘accountable’. If I keep eating those biscuits everyone will know.

It follows too, that if you procrastinate, then you are failing to change or achieve anything.

Take some time to think about the quote and how it might apply to your life.

What about this….who are we drawn to? The stars in their respective fields. Top sports people, musicians, authors, doctors (who wants a second grade brain surgeon) and so the list goes on. Be a star in your sector of life, occupation, family. Focus on being very good at what you do. If you can’t do that, then you may need to evaluate whether you are in the right job or situation.

I love Mondays. And no, it is not a day off.

To change one’s life start immediately. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. 100 Clever Ways to Change Your Habits and Improve Your Life
2. Looking for a job? Or career change? Consider new methods of job search.
3. Positive thinking is not optional. Life says so.

Philosophy…sees the familiar as if it were strange, and the strange as if it were familiar. It can take things up and lay them down again. Its mind is full of air that plays round every subject. It rouses us from our native dogmatic slumber and breaks up our caked prejudices….

William James – The Essential Writings

Philosophy is one of the fundamental keys to mental freedom.

Mental freedom from the *archetypes and *paradigms (*read: thinking patterns) which many of us are ‘pickled’ in since birth. Believing stuff because of a whole host of reasons, none of which are necessarily based on fact. Culture, what grandmother said, teacher said, religion said are just some examples.

Are you perhaps one of those people who clings on to the ‘comfort’ of their own opinion with no genuine regard for truth?

If so, then you are a slave to ideas, doctrines, archetypes and paradigms concocted by other misguided people(s) too.

Break free – embrace philosophical thinking and you will find it easier to see in the dark. (Mental dark).

What you seek you will find.

Philosophy – familiar = strange = familiar. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. Why the study of Philosophy and Philosophers is a must do.
2. To change one’s life start immediately.

I am not going to talk about the obvious such as peace of mind, financial prudence and so on.

No, I am going to discuss the concept of truth. One which is dear to my heart.

You see, insurance companies, who are in the business of risk management, gather and keep vast quantities of statistics. These statistics help them manage their exposure to risk.

Statistics gathered by insurance companies are very useful in other ways to.

Take this article about air travel for instance.

Why ARE so many planes falling out of the sky? A spate of disastrous crashes reveals one terrifying common flaw…

I quote:

“But flying is not risk-free, much as the airlines would like to persuade you otherwise. Flying is only the ‘safest form of travel’ if you take passenger miles into account – a dubious statistic, as by definition flights tend to be long-distance.”

Then we read:

“If you look at deaths per million journeys or per million hours – the more meaningful figures used by the airline insurance industry – flying fares rather less well, coming out worse than car or train travel, but still safer than cycling or motorcycling.”

I never knew that flying is less safe than car travel. I did suspect it was not as safe as we are led to believe however.

So, thanks to the insurance industry, who have to know their facts so as to avoid financial losses, we know that flying is not as safe as we think.

In fact, so much of what we think is correct is not. Spin doctors abound, in all fields.

But hey; maybe many of us are happier when we are being misled. Maybe we feel better. Until something goes wrong that is.

Take time to read the article and learn about how many new, modern pilots, don’t appear to have much experience in dealing with a difficult situation. And remember that the pilot who landed in the Hudson was a former military veteran who used to fly F-4 Phantom II fighter planes. He had experience of ‘being one’ with his aircraft.

In closing then, here is another example of how insurance company statistics debunk another commonly held belief…

Multitudes of young men pride themselves on their driving skills and will tell you that they are much better drivers than young women. Insurance company statistics tell a different story however, which is reflected in lower insurance premiums for young women of the same age as the young men. Facts tell.

One Unusual Reason I Like The Insurance Industry. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. Clever idea – pay as you drive car insurance
2. Where to go for travel advice?
3. Have you ever felt ill after a plane flight?

Every decision has a ripple effect similar to that which we see when we throw a stone into a still pond.

Some decisions are harder than others and many of us seek a ‘compass’ or ‘guide book’ to help us.

The trouble is, if our ‘compass’, set of beliefs, or other decision making matrix is wrong, it can have severe consequences.

Take this example for instance:

Child rapist strikes again days after being let off because victim’s Christian family forgave him

I quote:

Judge Adrian Smith spared the 16-year-old jail after the first victim’s family apparently forgave the teenager because of their Christian faith.

Clearly, the Judge was too lenient and misguided, however he appears to have been influenced by the first victim’s family.

If this is true, and I don’t doubt that it is, this is a clear example of how faulty religious thinking has played a significant part in facilitating the abuse of a second victim.

How caring and thoughtful is that?

I think many will agree that it is muddled thinking, inspired by religious dogma.

Another interesting aspect to the case is that by definition, Christians are people claim to hear from God and have a personal relationship with Him. If so, why did they not hear God’s warning that this guy would, or was likely to, commit another awful crime? Do they need a spiritual hearing aid? What kind of relationship do they really have with God we wonder?

A fundamental thread underlying this problem is that there are large numbers of ‘Christians’ who have this spiritual hearing problem. These same people read the Bible and live their lives in part according to their interpretation of it. Note: their interpretation. Many claim to believe the literal interpretation of the Bible (which speaks of a personal relationship with God) yet demonstrate that they do not really hear from God (see one of my earlier articles for clear evidence of this on a large scale, concerning both lay folk and church leadership). These ‘Christians’ spout their interpretation of the Bible and take decisions such as in the article mentioned above. At times, as in this case, their actions cause severe harm to others.

Personally, I like the Bible. It is a source of great wisdom. Wisdom is the key word. Wisdom to know truth and right. With so many differing interpretations is it any surprise that so much harm has been caused down the centuries, and so many wars have been fought, in the name of Christianity? Only this week, I saw a member of an Australian NRL (sports) team, on national TV, claiming that God was on his team’s side!

You see, many of these so called ‘Christians’ appear to have severe deafness when it comes to hearing from God and from the way they behave, one finds it hard to believe they have a relationship with Him.

They seem to have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof.

And some little boy has been abused (probably buggered up the arse) partly due to these religious people/Pharisees).

PS: Not all know the meaning of the word “Pharisee”. It means: A hypocritically self-righteous person. Jesus himself disliked them and hated their deeds.

Muddled thinking can have very serious consequences. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. Fix the problems on the inside, then the rest takes care of itself.
2. Easter – the real meaning.
3. Some things a significant number of Christians don’t know.