Interesting post, with several overlapping ideas and concepts. There's a lot to unpack, and I'm not going to attempt to do that. But there's a couple points to ponder: The first thing to confront might be our choice to be born in the first place. That's a big one to get past! "Who were you before you had a face?" Another thing is the difference between a choice and a decision. They're not the same thing but often collapse in on each other. Then there's the situation where you have a good job on Monday and Tuesday the company closes. You're out of a job. That really wasn't a choice or a decision: it was an effect. When we're able to create causes AND effects -- consciously and deliberately -- then we're well on the way to knowing life and death as choices, not obligations or burdens. I see it as a higher form of responsibility such that, from a pan-determined consideration, we become responsible for our choices, and the choices others make. We're not there yet.
After I posted this, we had a discussion about the concepts. There is so much I had to leave out in order to make my main point....this is a big issue with lots of threads. So much more can be said.....Thanks for your input!
Interesting post, with several overlapping ideas and concepts. There's a lot to unpack, and I'm not going to attempt to do that. But there's a couple points to ponder: The first thing to confront might be our choice to be born in the first place. That's a big one to get past! "Who were you before you had a face?" Another thing is the difference between a choice and a decision. They're not the same thing but often collapse in on each other. Then there's the situation where you have a good job on Monday and Tuesday the company closes. You're out of a job. That really wasn't a choice or a decision: it was an effect. When we're able to create causes AND effects -- consciously and deliberately -- then we're well on the way to knowing life and death as choices, not obligations or burdens. I see it as a higher form of responsibility such that, from a pan-determined consideration, we become responsible for our choices, and the choices others make. We're not there yet.
After I posted this, we had a discussion about the concepts. There is so much I had to leave out in order to make my main point....this is a big issue with lots of threads. So much more can be said.....Thanks for your input!