{"id":14659,"date":"2024-01-01T20:26:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T20:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/?p=14659"},"modified":"2024-09-13T07:05:27","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T07:05:27","slug":"please-be-free-and-brave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/sociocultural-issues\/please-be-free-and-brave","title":{"rendered":"Please be Free and Brave."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3>Many people aim to be \u2018meaningful from the ground up.\u2019 One cannot be so without being free. One cannot be so without being brave.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Being \u2018meaningful from the ground up\u2019 is my interpretation of what \u2018the free and the brave\u2019 strive for. Of course, it is basically genuine to do so. It should be no reason for divisions between groups. Unfortunately, it is precisely that to a considerable degree.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>From the ground up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This entails being meaningful \u2018as a human being, not as a cloud or a snowflake.\u2019 So, at least in some interpretation, this is about being:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>pro-life<\/li><li>pro responsibility, including after committing an error<\/li><li>against many petty regulations<\/li><li>against being continually afraid of x, y, and z<\/li><li>pro being allowed the means for self-defense<\/li><li>pro solid and well-tested values<\/li><li>pro taking care of the own people first, then others<\/li><li>pro having a solid belief system so one can get on with living one\u2019s short life<\/li><li>pro \u2013 in general \u2013 being able to feel alive<\/li><li>against excommunicating people just because they act or speak freely and bravely.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The list can go on. Meanwhile, one might discern a pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>These are all things that a strictly rational stance can stand in the way of.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn\u2019t make rationality (or what is meant as such) wrong if it does not stand in the way of what is more critical: meaningfulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the latter case, \u2018rationality\u2019 is seen as a weakness in disguise, which should \u2013 to those who aim to be meaningful from the ground up \u2013 not be tolerated. Their reason for this is seeing weakness as the opposite of the above features. This also clarifies why trying to convince them with rational arguments mainly puts oil on the fire \u2015 especially if done in a somewhat derogatory manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is rationality itself then to be disputed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my view, not at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, valuing rationality is challenging. It takes a continual lifelong effort. Unfortunately so-called \u2018rationality&#8217; is being used in many cases of what I would call pseudo-rationality. Much of this is mainly concerned directly with meaningfulness. A rational stance does not avoid most of what concerns any human endeavor. Most relevant to me: Rationality <em>includes<\/em> subconceptual mental processing. Also, it thrives on being free and brave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018Weakness\u2019 \u2015 seen as the opposite of the above list in the sense of being:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>not free: in letting oneself be bound and unfree \u2015 for instance, in saying what one means to say even if it\u2019s culturally incorrect.<\/li><li>not brave: in lacking the courage to stand up when it\u2019s needed \u2015 for instance, when one sees others being discriminated or otherwise wronged.<\/li><li>therefore, not meaningful.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This provokes a viscerally defensive response.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, meaningfulness is a primary condition of life. Therefore, if it is at risk of being taken away \u2013 even in perception \u2013 the allergic response can go very deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This depth can make it challenging to understand the intensity, as well as to see where it comes from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Unfortunately, this lack of understanding may also lead to easy manipulation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that\u2019s needed is pushing the right buttons. By putting into the mixture some \u2018enemy\u2019 (such as those so-called weaklings) for which one pretends to be the solution, a driven manipulator can win an election on a populist basis. One might discern another pattern here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paradoxically, this manipulation thrives on the opposite of being free and brave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So, it\u2019s better to reach for the real thing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This may let one see the paradox that the manipulator draws his followers into. Is reaching for the real thing simple? No! But honest and respectful in being deeply and openly oneself. Thus, it may make meaningfulness less easy to attain but more worthwhile to enjoy. In any case, it makes one more valid as a <a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1151\">total person<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So, please be free and brave!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But do so in a friendly way \u2015 here also, <a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1166\">friendly to the total person<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Otherwise, it\u2019s weakness in disguise.<\/p>\n<div data-object_id=\"14659\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkwrap cbxwpbkmarkwrap_no_cat cbxwpbkmarkwrap-post \"><a  data-redirect-url=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659\"  data-display-label=\"0\" data-show-count=\"0\" data-bookmark-label=\" \"  data-bookmarked-label=\" \"  data-loggedin=\"0\" data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"14659\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig  cbxwpbkmarktrig-button-addto\" title=\"Bookmark This\" href=\"#\"><span class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig-label\"  style=\"display:none;\" > <\/span><\/a> <div  data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"14659\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap\" id=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap-14659\"><div class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguest-message\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguesttrig_close\"><\/a><h3 class=\"cbxwpbookmark-title cbxwpbookmark-title-login\">Please login to bookmark<\/h3>\n\t\t<form name=\"loginform\" id=\"loginform\" action=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-login.php\" method=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-username\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_login\">Username or Email Address<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-password\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-remember\"><label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label><\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-submit\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button button-primary\" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many people aim to be \u2018meaningful from the ground up.\u2019 One cannot be so without being free. One cannot be so without being brave. Being \u2018meaningful from the ground up\u2019 is my interpretation of what \u2018the free and the brave\u2019 strive for. Of course, it is basically genuine to do so. It should be no <a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/sociocultural-issues\/please-be-free-and-brave\">Read the full article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-object_id=\"14659\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkwrap cbxwpbkmarkwrap_no_cat cbxwpbkmarkwrap-post \"><a  data-redirect-url=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659\"  data-display-label=\"0\" data-show-count=\"0\" data-bookmark-label=\" \"  data-bookmarked-label=\" \"  data-loggedin=\"0\" data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"14659\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig  cbxwpbkmarktrig-button-addto\" title=\"Bookmark This\" href=\"#\"><span class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig-label\"  style=\"display:none;\" > <\/span><\/a> <div  data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"14659\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap\" id=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap-14659\"><div class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguest-message\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguesttrig_close\"><\/a><h3 class=\"cbxwpbookmark-title cbxwpbookmark-title-login\">Please login to bookmark<\/h3>\n\t\t<form name=\"loginform\" id=\"loginform\" action=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-login.php\" method=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-username\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_login\">Username or Email Address<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-password\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-remember\"><label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label><\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-submit\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button button-primary\" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2351.jpg?fit=960%2C560&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fdiq-3Or","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14659"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17096,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14659\/revisions\/17096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}