Very good essay - easily worth an A+, at least ... 😉
Seriously though, a powerful "cry of the heart" in many ways, echoing the opening graphic. Couple of comments following your "trail":
"I do believe that humans are connected in ways we don’t yet understand."
Amen to that. "more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy". Or in our science for that matter. Not a big fan of organized religion myself, but kind of think "atheism" - in general - is trying to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.
"Humans aren’t wired for comfort."
Certainly some truth to that. One of my favourite books, "Civilized Man's Eight Deadly Sins" by zoologist Konrad Lorenz argues that one of those "sins" is the "entropy of feelings":
"The educator Kurt Hahn had great therapeutic success by getting blase bored young men to work by the sea as lifeboatmen. In such test situations which challeng the depth of the personality many of them were cured of their sense of futility." [pg 31]
"Trusting in some 'divine plan' always seemed ludicrous."
Indeed. God helps those who help themselves. And the author of another favourite book - "A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra); highly recommended - by Barbara Oakley starts off with "The Law of Serendipity: Lady Luck favours the one who tries".
"I know I can come off as evangelical."
🙂 Someone once quipped that our monomanias can often drive us like clockwork - not always a bad thing. Somewhat akin to Margaret Mead's, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Very good essay - easily worth an A+, at least ... 😉
Seriously though, a powerful "cry of the heart" in many ways, echoing the opening graphic. Couple of comments following your "trail":
"I do believe that humans are connected in ways we don’t yet understand."
Amen to that. "more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy". Or in our science for that matter. Not a big fan of organized religion myself, but kind of think "atheism" - in general - is trying to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.
"Humans aren’t wired for comfort."
Certainly some truth to that. One of my favourite books, "Civilized Man's Eight Deadly Sins" by zoologist Konrad Lorenz argues that one of those "sins" is the "entropy of feelings":
"The educator Kurt Hahn had great therapeutic success by getting blase bored young men to work by the sea as lifeboatmen. In such test situations which challeng the depth of the personality many of them were cured of their sense of futility." [pg 31]
"Trusting in some 'divine plan' always seemed ludicrous."
Indeed. God helps those who help themselves. And the author of another favourite book - "A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra); highly recommended - by Barbara Oakley starts off with "The Law of Serendipity: Lady Luck favours the one who tries".
"I know I can come off as evangelical."
🙂 Someone once quipped that our monomanias can often drive us like clockwork - not always a bad thing. Somewhat akin to Margaret Mead's, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
"Amen".
Indeed.