If a person commits rapes, and is truthfully identified as a rapist, does that define him? Can he still be a wonderful person, otherwise, even if he continues to rape? What if he believes he has good reasons or somehow believes he is doing the right things? What if some people agree with him?
Tag: identity
The Alt-Right Has No Future in the US
Racial politics in Europe on the right are having a rise in the US in the last several years, in the form of the alt-right. However, I believe this will not be a very strong movement in the future like some people believe.
A Dumb Cultural Narrative
No longer are people concerned with overt racism nor dignity of the individual. Today we are focused on the original sin of whites, the covert racism that leads to inequality of results, victim/predator narratives, cultural appropriation, etc.
Deep Empathy is Overwhelming
The great task that awaits the individual who becomes secure in his identity… is to share that identity with others. You need to know with every bit of who you are that you are not alone in the world. Consider deeply, for a moment, what that implies about how you interact with other people.
Explore New Ways of Living
Any inherited rules for how to live are a personal mental prison. You will continue to carry them until you discover life’ s many alternatives. So long as you do anything because you think it is what you ought to do, your are not living your own life. You are living as a manifestation of another mind. You are not true to yourself because you have not discovered what that even means.
Liberty and Community Go Together
There is a form of community that is the whole basis of the market economy. It is an extended network of human relationships worked out in peace and mutual agreement. So far as we know, the capacity to form such cooperative relationships is distinct to the human experience.
Rise Up From Your Chair of Self-Condemnation
Here’s the ironic thing: Most people get stuck in self-condemnation because they believe it’s the morally right response to have towards failure. After all, what could be more irresponsible and disrespectful than walking around with an inspired countenance after you just let everyone down? A truly good person, it seems, would be one who punishes himself or herself after doing something wrong. The logic makes sense, but it’s still flawed.
Understand the Origins of Your Fear
If curiosity is excitement about the unknown, fear is its opposite. Fear is resistance to the unfamiliar. While curiosity has its foundations in hope and optimism, fear stems from caution and pessimism. These two forces are in a constant struggle within the minds of every person.
Grow Beyond the Space You Occupy
The great trap you must avoid is allowing the world to direct your curiosity onto things you have no care for. It is the default state of ordinary people to push their interests and concerns onto whoever will listen. Nature abhors a vacuum, and those with authority will rush to fill the vacuum they perceive in your head. If you can sidestep these social pressures, you can direct your own learning onto the exceptional path you have chosen.
Your Gifts Are More Than You Think They Are
A strength is more than an ability. It is an offering. It is the first way you find your place in a crowded human world. Your strengths might not be limited to whatever you currently think they are. They are not so obvious or neatly categorized as the world would have you believe. To know them thoroughly, you will have to dig deep into the catacombs of your body and mind.