This thought is horribly under-developed, but important. one day, I hope to re-work it. It is an important point, because there is a very strong societal trend, at least in the United States, to label and disable, (perhaps we should coin a new term "dis-label) individuals by either their mental states, issues, or addictions. I'm a firm believer that we are who we are, and as such, our karma in life is to find balance in that thing. From the time we are born, we have our lifetimes (or at least we should have our lifetimes) to come to terms with ourselves. (this is the horror of an insufficient upbringing, because then, instead of coming to terms with who we are, we are forced to come to terms with what happened, or did not happen to us... I've been able to figure out, that it doesn't make any difference if your mother is a crack head, or a princess. The point is, once children make it here, we owe it to them to give them everything possible to further their lives. Part of this responsibility is to only have children, that we are able to take care of, and that we are able to take full responsibility for. So it makes no difference if you have one child, or 8. Take care of them, love them, and give them everything you can possibly give. enough said) Perhaps, at a time in the past, where we had our lifetime to come to terms with ourselves, each and every lovely flower of humanity, whether privileged and luxuriant in their existence, or short and brutish, had the opportunity to find something, or nothing... so be it. In this current modern day society, we are labeled, from the earliest years, based upon the most marginal and subtle issues and then, put on a separated track. In fact, at any point in life, when we encounter a label, it seems that we are put on a different track, and, coincidentally, there are industries ready and waiting to make profit from your condition. Be your condition a mental illness (pharmaceutical) a genetic pre-disposition (medical and diagnostic, and devices) or social (programs, counseling, specialized therapy) or even drug treatment, incarceration, or help organizations, including non-profits, ombudsmen, eap's, consumers, etc.
This post is about the sanctity in individuality, and the importance of diversity in maintaining a balance in our options. The trick, I believe, is that for society to not label, but to assist and to push individuals towards their passions, rather than turning individuals into a label, a disability, a condition, a product, or profession. enough said. One day, I hope to develop this thought more fully.
it seems that one of the greatest innovations in the history of man, was writing. But before there was writing, there was semi-abstract thought to the degree that a language was necessitated to represent these ideas. If there was only "what was" then there would be no need for language. language only becomes necessary, with the advent of "real" abstraction. I only call it "real" because what is abstracted, is a "real" thought that may become real one day.
the first languages are generally accepted to have begun in response to the need to facilitate trade, and to measure and account for items. Along with writing, there also became the need for numbers. there were many 19th century philosophers that speculated that had the ancient Greeks had a zero or a complex representation for partial numbers, then they would have made it to the moon a few hundreds of years prior to the United States of America. But that is another tale.
The point I would like to make with regards to abstraction, language development and the attendant expansion of imagination entailed in/facilitated by language, is the role of ancient religions, conceptions of spirit and god(s), and the role of hallucinogens and other drugs in furthering the vision quests and possibilities of man.
It is not by ideas alone that man progresses, it is also by imagination.
Today, there is a movement afoot across the land to "integrate" mental health and substance abuse services. The role of drugs, mental illness and spiritual conceptions in the ascent of man, can not be underestimated. This type of "experience" and subsequent "genius" and brilliance in the creation of ideas and possibilities, as well as the ability to record and build upon such experiences, afforded by language, is a not very well understood, nor respected precursor to modern societies and the organizing principles of such societies.
the subjective experience of hallucinogenic abstraction, by ancient sages on the cusp of language abstraction is what made the ancient Greek sages, and the pontificating upon the nature of philosophy and man, was the main factor in early history of the technological age.
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