[MD] The Greeks?

[John Carl]

Happy Sunday Morning, Mary,

On Sun, Jun 13, 2010 at 10:40 AM, Mary <marysonthego at gmail.com> wrote:

 As an aside, one of the many things I admire about Jesus was what
>
> appears to be his refusal to play that game, the seeming archetypal
> ego-less
> individual.
>
>

A friend asked me yesterday to name 10 intellectual geniuses throughout
history, off the top of my head.  After spouting a list off to her, she says
to me, "What about Jesus?"

It took me quite aback.  I never thought of him that way before.  Jesus as
he's taught comes off all "I always do the will of my Father" and thus sort
of thought-less and stupid.  But obviously a man who changes history
qualifies as a genius.




> The problem with 'having not the courage of your convictions', however, is
> just that.  There are times when it is appropriate - no _demanded_ of you
> to
> do so.  To waffle about your own metaphysics only makes others think it
> incompletely thought out.  Now this is certainly forgivable.  Most of us
> operate under, at best, an incompletely thought-out or, at worst, received
> philosophy that's never been rigorously tested.  No one really expects the
> random person accosted in the street by the roving TV camera crew to
> produce
> a coherent and fully-formed metaphysics with the signing of the release
> form.  But if you're going to do as Pirsig did and first define the terms
> under which you are willing to argue, define the problem, then propose the
> solution to the problem you yourself have defined, you really need to be
> willing to stand behind it and speak in clear terms about it.
>
>
Didya check out that link to Pirsig's book review and commentary on Texas
Girls and their insistence upon the courage of one's conviction?

Pretty timely coincidence I'd say.

"In fact, if there's one thing the traditional Texas Protestant knows how to
do better than anything else, it's how to make up his *own* ornery mind
about what is right and what is wrong, and *keeps* it made up, come hell or
high water, or anything else you might want to run in front of him. Texas
girls see this in their fathers and grow up unconsciously expecting to find
it in every man."





> Pretty damning condemnation of Pirsig, huh?  Well, though I just said it, I
> don't even believe it myself.  He's a very smart man and I don't for a
> minute believe he's overlooked this.  And I don't think I give him this out
> based on the dazzle of celebrity in my eyes either.
>
>

Good for you Mary.  I'm sure Bob would approve.  And obviously, understand
completely.

John