Home to Roost

let's connect the dots...

Home to Roost

Somewhere between there and here...

We have lost sight of context and nuance and angle and perspective.

Somehow between then and now...

We have transformed fluid realities into prisons of permanence.

Such that...

What used to be known - with necessary - caveats, disclaimers, provisos, if you will - are known now - without necessary - caveats, disclaimers, provisos, etc.

Such that...

What is known now - without necessary - caveats, disclaimers, provisos, etc. - has evolved (or devolved, if you will) to - justify, defend, legitimize, etc. - egregious misuse.

Such that...

Egregious misuse is rampant throughout society - from norms to institutions to conclusions - to the detriment of truth and all.

~ * ~

Case in point: States of 'Mental Illness'

Egregious misuse with respect to states of 'mental illness' is rampant - from norms to institutions to conclusions.

Why?

Because states of 'mental illness' evolved (or devolved) to justify, defend, legitimize, etc. this misuse.

Verily -

States of 'mental illness' used to be known with caveats, disclaimers, provisos, etc., including context, nuance, angle, perspective, etc.

Especially -

that the use of categories was descriptive - not determinative -

such that categories did not determine realities - but rather - described them -

to further our knowledge -

not predetermine truths - much less artificially limit or conscribe realities vis a vis arbitrary categories -

such that the usefulness of categories was per utility - not per permanent certainty -

to establish conditional truths of reality - not inviolable facts -

~ * ~

Case in point: Data by 'Race', Data by 'Sex'

Egregious misuse with respect to data by 'race' and data by 'sex' is rampant - from norms to institutions to conclusions.

Why?

Because data by 'race' and data by 'sex' evolved (or devolved) to justify, defend, legitimize, etc. this misuse.

Verily -

Data by 'race' and data by 'sex' used to be known with caveats, disclaimers, provisos, etc., including context, nuance, angle, perspective, etc.

Especially -

that the use of categories was descriptive - not determinative -

such that categories did not determine realities - but rather - described them -

to further our knowledge -

not predetermine truths - much less artificially limit or conscribe realities vis a vis arbitrary categories -

such that the usefulness of categories was per utility - not per permanent certainty -

to establish conditional truths of reality - not inviolable facts -

 ~ * ~

Yet -

Here we are -

We believe categories are determinative -

We believe categories determine realities -

We believe categories predetermine truths -

We believe categories establish permanent certainties -

We believe categories  establish inviolable facts -

~ * ~

Such that -

Norms and institutions and conclusions - across societies -

Are mired -

By artificial limits and arbitrary divisions -

That have been perverted - misused - warped -

From the furtherance of knowledge -

To perpetuation of ignorance -

From the furtherance of understanding -

To entrenchment within mire -

~ * ~

This -

Is how pursuits of 'science', 'inquiry', 'discovery', etc. - evolve - or rather, devolve - into ideological dogmas -

In other words -

This is how pursuits of 'truths' - devolve into 'religions' that eschew 'facts' for 'faiths' -

Whereby certainties are affirmed on the basis of - beliefs -

That cannot be disputed - that cannot be questioned - that cannot be doubted -

Ever -

~ * ~

Of course -

'Science' and 'religion' and 'facts' and 'faiths', etc. - are labels, too -

As interchangeable as all labels -

That - we determine -

Meaningfullness or not - worthfullness or not - etc.

Such that - such labels - thereby artificially limit and arbitrarily divide -

Fluid truths and grey realities -

Within mires of ignorance - within mires of determinism - within mires of fatalism - 

~ * ~

All of which is to conclude -

That -

Categories are not determinative -

Categories do not determine realities -

Categories do not predetermine truths -

Categories do not establish permanent certainties -

Categories do not establish inviolable facts -

Regardless -

Of whether categories are categories of -

states of 'mental illness' -

data by 'race', data by 'sex' -

any label, every label -

including -

'science', 'religion', 'facts', 'faiths' - etc.

PERIOD.

~ * ~

Note

Conversion of portion of text above from Normal to Times New Roman per independent contribution sans moi -

See also Note (I) @ MG -

~ * ~

Note

In order to nullify thought.

In order to nullify dispute.

In order to silence doubt.

In order to silence questioning.

In order to blame extrinsic factors.

In order to blame intrinsic factors.

In order to nobilify self interest.

In order to nobilify isms of 'species', 'race', 'sex', 'class', etc.

We have lost sight of context and nuance and angle and perspective.

We have transformed fluid realities into prisons of permanence.

We have perverted, misused, warped truth -

We have perverted, misused, warped faith -

Into norms and institutions and conclusions - across societies - that down instead of up and left instead of right.

Categories were never meant to transform realities into prisons.

Categories were always meant to facilitate understanding and knowledge within information dense realities.

Yet. Here we are. In prisons. Nay, coffins. That deprive us of light. Nay, life. Such that. We'd rather die. Than break free.

Yet. There it is. The truth. Beyond categories. Nay, boxes.

Will it ever be otherwise?

- M.

~ * ~

Case in point: 'Artificial Intelligence'

Does not - this category - determine - artificial limits and arbitrary divisions?

Does not - this category - establish - permanent determinism that is inviolably fatalistic?

Does not - this category - pervert and warp - fluid truths and grey realities?

Does not - this category - affirm certainties - that cannot be disputed, that cannot be questioned, that cannot be doubted?

Then -

How - exactly - does such categorization - such classification - further knowledge - further understanding - within any information dense reality?

Does not - such categorization - such classification - entrench - ignorance?

Such that - such categorization - such classification - transforms - fluid truths and grey realities - into prisons of determinism and prisons of fatalism?

~ * ~

Case in point: 'Fact Checking'

How - exactly - does the use of this categorization - this classification - further knowledge - further understanding - within any information dense reality?

Verily - truths that are fluid and realities that are grey - cannot be artificially limited nor arbitrarily divided - by categories that - affirm certainties - that cannot be disputed, that cannot be questioned, that cannot be doubted.

Such that - 'fact checking' - is determining -

That - coherence with categories that pervert and warp fluid truths and grey realities - versus incoherence with categories that pervert and warp fluid truths and grey realities -

Is - meaningfull - insofar as coherence versus incoherence - is - meaningfull -

Regardless of - the truth of fluid truths and the reality of grey realities -

Which are nullified and invalidated - by categories - including that category - 'fact' -

That cannot be disputed, that cannot be questioned, that cannot be doubted -

Which transforms that category - 'fact' - into that category - 'religion' - that affirms inviolable 'truths' that are believed to be true on the basis of - beliefs.

Does it not?

~ * ~

Epiphany of Faith

(originally published @ cfam (7/2/16), below with minor modifications)

Doubtless faith - is blind faith -

Doubtless faith of secular realities - is mind blindness -

Doubtless faith of spiritual realities - is soul blindness -

To doubt faith - to test faith - is to affirm faith -

The undoubted faith - the untested faith - is sycophantism -

To embrace doubt - is to trust - that faith is a process - not a stationary state of being nor a fixed virtue - of the noble, the valiant, the believer -

Indeed - faith is an action - faith is a verb - faith is the actuation of our willingness to doubt, to test, to question, to challenge - in pursuit of the truth -

For those whose faiths reside within secular realities - faith is the actuation of willingness to doubt, to test, to question, to challenge - in pursuit of the truth of secular realities - Knowledge -

For those whose faiths reside within spiritual realities - faith is the actuation of willingness to doubt, to test, to question, to challenge - in pursuit of the truth of spiritual realities - Grace -

Be faithful - !

Doubt - !

Test - !

Question - !

Challenge - !

The light of truth is a pursuit - of ceaseless inquiry -

The light of truth is a path - of endless discovery -

The light of truth is a journey - of faith in action -

Lest the faithless lead us astray with temptations of facile sycophantism, let us be faith full -

For the tyranny of absolutism is the poison of zealotry and extremism, that robs the faith full of Knowledge and Grace -

No dreamer of secular realities - no creator of spiritual realities - sanctions nor sanctifies - mind blindess in service to ignorance and soul blindness in service to intolerance -

Free your mind - free your soul - of myopic obedience to tyrants of the mind and despots of the soul -

~ * ~

be ~ live ~ free ~ sum ~ vivo ~ liber ~

faithfully yours,

a m