the Danger of Hope

Hope is one of those dangerous things pushed by the modern psychologists and self help gurus. It tends to not address what is possible in the here and now to improve the situation or to learn to live better in the current situation. It builds desire for a better future without putting in the work that will be needed to make the future better. It is about the religious concept of a future good life, rather that learning to face the current situations and figuring out solutions, or education, searching for answers.

Life is to be live in the present, where we are, in the situation as it is. We need to find joy in the small successes, in the present, not pin everything on some idealistic future concept. Hope, and optimism may have there place, but I, like the Stoics, do not see there place. We need to have a positive attitude, a positive direction, but also we must think mainly in the present. The future is changed in present time actions, with a bit of help from providence or the more negative equivalent term of fate.

Positive outlook includes self-control to the extent possible at this time. It is not the negative term of self-discipline, for that is getting down on one's self after the fact. Discipline has no foresight, beyond fear. Those who use the two interchangeably need to recognize the difference, just like cement and concrete. Much of the worlds problems are due, in part at least, due to imprecise language.   

I am developing a dislike for religions. They seem to do many of the right things for the wrong reasons. They are good ways of developing community, social, civil society, moral and ethical values, sober second thought for the young, yet until they address their fundamental problem, they will decline in stature. 

Existence, a physical property, should be independent of the observer. The concept of god exist as a concept, as all concepts exist, but it is only a concept. It does not exist as a object exists. On a conceptual lots of thing exist. Mathematics exists only on a conceptual level. It is necessary to not confuse the two, not to allow confusion of the two. Religion does not distinguish between reality of physical existence, the conceptual logical existence of a philosophy, or the non existance of some future dream world.