wearyowl29 said:
It’s time to clear the ground, dig deep, and start planting.
Clean your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let's get to work.
As people who spend a lot of time here, how often do we actually reflect on ourselves? What kind of mental "tools" do we use when we do? Do we just take our humanity for granted?
What does being human actually mean to us—what defines us, and what doesn't?
And how much does tradition shape the way we think?
Who are we, really? Are we truly free, or have we just tethered ourselves to things just to feel like we have some agency?🙂
Well... those of us hanging around here rarely, if ever, actually stop to think about ourselves. In fact, the regulars—the ones here every single day for hours on end—hardly reflect at all. They don't because they simply don't have the time. They pour too much energy into "this place" and everyone else's business to bother with their own internal lives. In a way, they're running away from themselves; it’s incredibly difficult to just sit quietly with your own thoughts. Not everyone can handle it. Most people aren't brave enough to face their own flaws.
Of course we take our humanity for granted. At least, we should. We are human, after all. We aren't animals. 🙂 As for what being human means? Everyone has their own version. It really ought to be simple: we were designed by God to be distinct from animals through consciousness. A universal awareness.
Regarding tradition... I could go on forever. Honestly, it's a shame how people tend to exclude or cast aside individuals like me. I'm not sure which word fits best... let's just say they're afraid of people like me.
Personally, tradition still plays a small role in my life, but very little. And frankly, I intimidate those who are still heavily bound by traditional ways.
As for the question of "who we are"? That "we" is meaningless, sorry.
We are humans, temporary residents of this great country, and we are as free as we decide to be within our own minds.