Dennis Moore4 said:Spirit governs matter; matter doesn't govern matter.
Matter isn't evil by its own nature—it's about how it’s being handled.
And there are plenty of different ways to handle things...
That's where both good and evil are born within the spiritual realm.
I can't quite reach those beautiful, poetic heights you all seem to be exchanging; maybe I haven't lived enough, read enough, or learned enough... and naturally, I haven't attained that kind of spiritual breadth yet...
But free will is precisely what sets us apart from other creatures (at least most of them, within the scope of the natural events we've observed so far). Everything we experience—our upbringing, the suggestions from people around us, the conclusions we draw by observing our surroundings, our education, recommendations, prohibitions or dogmas, emotional coloring, memories of past events, and even those things we haven't yet consciously recognized as clear thoughts or feelings that we carry inside...
All of this leads us to a single "realization," which can be foggy at times or sharply defined. It's the baseline we use when we need to decide something, act, write, or take a "stand" and behave according to the situation...
Is that "stand" merely the result of environmental influences and our genetically determined capacities—our talents or perhaps even hard-won enlightenments? We are always being guided toward what we know. Some people simply surrender and do exactly what they were taught by others, without using any part of themselves. They don't stop to think if it's good, reasonable, or useful... (you could list causes and effects indefinitely). Often, we think we know exactly what to do, so we just do it. Is that choice driven by vanity, desire, intention, knowledge, or experience? Again, it comes down to the individual and how others perceive them. Some just lack the courage (due to who knows what kind of setbacks, ignorance, or simply never being taught how to decide and act independently, following their own conscience and judgment)...
Sometimes decisions are just incredibly heavy. When you're choosing between two evils, you just hope you pick the one that does the least damage...
Unfortunately, that's often our reality. Now, the question becomes one of freedom.
The personal freedom of decision-making that rests on autonomy, individuality, and the personal courage to not clash with our surroundings, even when we believe we are right.
They say mature adults should be capable of making their own decisions.
But who among us is truly grown up? Who has risen above this tiny little universe, whose internal mechanisms have fully matured to the point where they can decide entirely on their own, without outside influence? Who doesn't still carry within them the memory of a little boy who realizes he understands nothing at all, and that there is still so much more to learn while everyone else seems to already know it? Does that little boy, peering out from his deeply hidden hiding spot, have the right to stay small, or is he obligated to grow up?
I suppose everyone eventually gets the chance for that little boy to become a real man. Well, he doesn't necessarily need to be six-foot-four and two hundred pounds like our star players on the NBA roster😍
and he shouldn't have the right to keep hiding behind the curtain anymore.
Free will and the freedom to act are offered to all of us (please, let's not get bogged down in philosophical Gordian knots or Rashomon-style riddles! Let's talk about the everyday events around us that we actually have the power to influence). We might not be able to affect decisions regarding wars, inflation, or national politics due to ignorance or a lack of agency, but we can certainly influence those around us. We can teach children to move through life with an open spirit, to learn, to think, and not to follow the bad habits of the herd. We can encourage those standing on the edge of a difficult decision. We can offer a smile and support, because doing so won't emotionally or spiritually drain us like squeezing a lemon. Talk to your neighbor, the clerk at the grocery store, or someone on the subway. Be kind to the impatient person waiting in line at the bank. It'll make waiting easier for both you and them. Think globally, act locally.
we always have our freedom in that...
