Hi,
Robin Faichney <robin@faichney.demon.co.uk> writes:
<<
Richard endorsed a recent post of mine in which I said, "you" have to
discover it, not invent or adopt it. Or, if you like, allow it to
reveal itself to you. Some religious types would say, be still, and
God's plan for you will become clear. There's a motto, which may
derive from a Bible quote, used by Sussex University among others,
which goes something like "Be still, and know".
>>
Really? Then I guess I have profoundly misunderstood level 3. For years and years, I've noticed that 'advice on how to achieve contentment' comes in two types.
(1) you *MUST* do that which you think you cannot (carpe diem)
"Some people bounce off the bumpers of life, like a pinball with no volition of its own; others are able to assess the factors that are affecting them, learn how to control these factors and thereby take control of their lives. It is an unfortunate fact of life on Earth today that the overwhelming majority of people are like that pinball -- they are born into the world, randomly roll through the chutes of education, bounce off an occupation or two, watch video for a while and then roll down into that final hole. This is our lot unless we can learn to develop some kind of individual autonomy or sense of Will." -- Philip H. Farber
I have always seen level 3 in this sense.
(2) Release control
"As long as people continue to want more and more, their greed will be like a fire which needs constant fueling. Whatever is put in it will be burnt up and still the fire goes on and on. The only way to stop it, is to find contentment. Only contentment will stop the fires of desire and greed from growing."
Is level 3 'both' in some way? Do you release control to find purpose and then establish your life according to what you find?
ERiC
p.s. I have a large collection of quotes for both types of advice: see
http://qlink.queensu.ca/~6ceb3/library/MFQ.txt
and look under 'advice'. (while you're there, there is also a category on level 3)