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Aspirations

Blastcat

Active Member
I strongly suspect....it's not a matter of relation to another.

If able to say no to yourself....you are in control.

If able to say yes to yourself .... you are in control. Why think saying yes is out of some control?
we can embrace life enjoy it and BE IN TOTAL CONTROL.

If I would be the least of servants....I still need that level of control....at all times.

If you ASPIRE to be the least of servants.. what a LOW aspiration.
That's the problem with slave mentality. But you CAN choose to aspire to be more than an abject slave.
Slaves don't CHOOSE much of anything.
You need to be a MASTER of yourself to CHOOSE something.

How to be trusted with the greater things, if I cannot be trusted with lesser things.

I would NEVER trust someone who never does anything. I want to trust an EXPERT who does a lot.

So, the greater the level of self denial....the greater the acquisition of ability.

THE LESS WE DO>>>>>>> the MORE our ABILITY GOES UP?
How ridiculous.
No, it's the exact opposite. The MORE we do... the MORE our ability goes up.
 

Blastcat

Active Member
The greater your ability to self deny....the more likely you can be trusted with greater things.

What a silly notion. Do you have any reason to think so?

use creation to feed yourself?.....and the Carpenter said .....nay.

Oh, so we should starve. Great plan.

Seems then self denial might be a discipline even into death.

What on EARTH does that mean?

and there in a paradox.....denying death.

Please show me a paradox, I don't see one.
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian
What a silly notion. Do you have any reason to think so?



Oh, so we should starve. Great plan.



What on EARTH does that mean?



Please show me a paradox, I don't see one.

This thread has some lean to the next life.
obviously....you don't.
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian
You need some quiet time....

and explaining every term presented to you speaks little of your rebuttal
 

Wu Wei

ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
You're asking WHO?

I then send you to the Almighty.

I'm not asking anybody nor did I even imply I was, I was only talking about the self, no need for external things to answer to, fear, or worry about...simply the individual..... so why do you ask who?
 

Deathbydefault

Apistevist Asexual Atheist
What level of denial is your greatest aspiration?

I'm inferring that the meaning of this is to state what we want that we deny ourselves currently.

I would say "freedom".

If you mean "to deny yourself is to become greater, so how great do you want to be".

I would say "I'm already the king of the hill on this one".
 
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Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
I believe we are defined by our ability to say ...no....to ourselves.
Self denial impedes the pending effort.
without self denial, the unbridled heart is fickle.

I say, the spirit forms with each occasion....you decide what to partake of....what to leave alone.

What level of denial is your greatest aspiration?

Why would you say no? What purpose or goal? And, who is it you're saying no to? (I'm channeling GnG) :D

The answer for me is to prove that I can. That I have control and it's not just a matter of predetermined response.

I guess my greatest aspiration would be the denial of material temptation.
 

Blastcat

Active Member
Why would you say no? What purpose or goal? And, who is it you're saying no to? (I'm channeling GnG) :D

The answer for me is to prove that I can. That I have control and it's not just a matter of predetermined response.

I guess my greatest aspiration would be the denial of material temptation.


WOW. that's your GREATEST aspiration? ...

I bet you're VERY skinny.
 

Blastcat

Active Member
Not really...

Lets say at this point, it is an unrealized goal. ;)


Can you explain why you material temptations are wrong and NOT to be aspired to ?

Take food for example. .. or any pleasurable temptation.. what's WRONG with that.. why should we DENY material temptations at all costs?

... Your wink seems to indicate that you AREN'T too serious about this aspiration?
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Can you explain why you material temptations are wrong and NOT to be aspired to ?

Take food for example. .. or any pleasurable temptation.. what's WRONG with that.. why should we DENY material temptations at all costs?

... Your wink seems to indicate that you AREN'T too serious about this aspiration?

It's not wrong per say...

I don't like being controlled by things. Like when I was young and started to smoke like everyone else around me. I started to want, needed to have a cigarette. It pissed me off thinking an object could have that kind of control over me. So I stopped.

The wink is more that I don't see it as right or wrong, more a personal flaw. I dislike not being in control of my own will. Other folks it doesn't bother them, so hey, not their thing.
 

Blastcat

Active Member
It's not wrong per say...

I don't like being controlled by things. Like when I was young and started to smoke like everyone else around me. I started to want, needed to have a cigarette. It pissed me off thinking an object could have that kind of control over me. So I stopped.

The wink is more that I don't see it as right or wrong, more a personal flaw. I dislike not being in control of my own will. Other folks it doesn't bother them, so hey, not their thing.

But you said material temptations. I guess you meant BAD ones? Because we know that addictions aren't all that good.

But what about the nice things? .. are you adverse to those in any way?

I bought a new smart TV the other day.. should I have avoided that temptation?

Thief seems to imply that DENYING ourselves is something to aspire to.
I have NO idea why..
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
But you said material temptations. I guess you meant BAD ones? Because we know that addictions aren't all that good.

But what about the nice things? .. are you adverse to those in any way?

I bought a new smart TV the other day.. should I have avoided that temptation?

Thief seems to imply that DENYING ourselves is something to aspire to.
I have NO idea why..

No, you should do what you want to do.

It's what I personally aspire to. Thief has his beliefs, I understand his position but it's not my thing. He does so for different reasons. My reason is simply like I said, I don't like my desires being controlled by objects. I would buy a TV if I needed one. But I wouldn't like having this desire to go out and buy the next latest and greatest model when I had one that worked fine for my needs.

I think sometimes people are susceptible to advertising by playing on a person's desires so they'll go out and buy material things they don't really need.

The other thing too is gets destroyed at some point. I don't want to be so attached to a object like a TV that if I for some reason can't get one, it's going to affect my happiness/outlook on life.

It's not necessarily reasonable, it's just a character flaw I have. I don't like being control by objects or other people for that matter. Other people want that kind of stuff. No reason to encourage them to aspire to what I aspire to.
 

Blastcat

Active Member
No, you should do what you want to do.

It's what I personally aspire to. Thief has his beliefs, I understand his position but it's not my thing. He does so for different reasons.

He never OFFERED any reasons..

My reason is simply like I said, I don't like my desires being controlled by objects. I would buy a TV if I needed one. But I wouldn't like having this desire to go out and buy the next latest and greatest model when I had one that worked fine for my needs.

I've been accused of being pedantic once.. so pardon me.. this IS a small point.... BUT

WHY NOT get the latest bestest niftiest TV possible if you could?

I
think sometimes people are susceptible to advertising by playing on a person's desires so they'll go out and buy material things they don't really need.

And this is wrong because...?

Maybe they don't NEED it.. but maybe they LIKE it a heck of a lot.
What's wrong with that again?

The other thing too is gets destroyed at some point. I don't want to be so attached to a object like a TV that if I for some reason can't get one, it's going to affect my happiness/outlook on life.

Why would it?
I didn't have a new TV for dozens of years.. The very last TV I had purchased was in 1990.
I wasn't unhappy then. I wasn't particularly unhappy when I went out and BOUGHT the best TV i could afford but didn't really need.
A TV is going to ruin your outlook on LIFE?

Gee. Why would it?

It's not necessarily reasonable, it's just a character flaw I have. I don't like being control by objects or other people for that matter.

You imagine that I'm being CONTROLLED by my new shinny smart TV?

( maybe it IS smarter than I am.. maybe it IS controlling me and not the other way around. GEE... )

Other people want that kind of stuff. No reason to encourage them to aspire to what I aspire to.

Stuff is stuff.. stuff can make me happy. Stuff can make me sad..

Life isn't ONLY about stuff.
But it's a part of life.

A roof over my head is stuff.. food is stuff.. water is stuff.. stuff can be very good. My new TV is nifty.
SOME stuff isn't all that good.. I tend to avoid that stuff.

BUT the good stuff?
I tend to WANT IT.

I don't see any problem with that.
People like Thief do.

They think that DENYING themselves pleasures in life .. is a good thing.
Their reasoning?

I don't SEE any.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
He never OFFERED any reasons..



I've been accused of being pedantic once.. so pardon me.. this IS a small point.... BUT

WHY NOT get the latest bestest niftiest TV possible if you could?

You're looking for rationale. Morals are about feelings, feelings aren't necessarily rational.

And this is wrong because...?
Maybe they don't NEED it.. but maybe they LIKE it a heck of a lot.
What's wrong with that again?

I don't like the feeling of being controlled

Why would it?
I didn't have a new TV for dozens of years.. The very last TV I had purchased was in 1990.
I wasn't unhappy then. I wasn't particularly unhappy when I went out and BOUGHT the best TV i could afford but didn't really need.
A TV is going to ruin your outlook on LIFE?
Gee. Why would it?

Good for you. I've had a lot of TVs die on me. TV was your example. Object wear out, accidents happen. Yeah if you just bought the latest and greatest TV and you lose it in a fire you don't think you might be unhappy about it. If not then you're unattached like me and we are on the same page.


You imagine that I'm being CONTROLLED by my new shinny smart TV?
( maybe it IS smarter than I am.. maybe it IS controlling me and not the other way around. GEE... )

Only if you had to have it

Stuff is stuff.. stuff can make me happy. Stuff can make me sad..

Well there you go. I don't like having my happiness being attached to stuff. You're fine with it

Life isn't ONLY about stuff.
But it's a part of life.

A roof over my head is stuff.. food is stuff.. water is stuff.. stuff can be very good. My new TV is nifty.
SOME stuff isn't all that good.. I tend to avoid that stuff.

I haven't always had a roof over my head, I don't want to depend on having one for my happiness.

BUT the good stuff?
I tend to WANT IT.

I don't see any problem with that.
People like Thief do.

They think that DENYING themselves pleasures in life .. is a good thing.
Their reasoning?

I don't SEE any.

They are a pleasure when they are there. What happens when they are not there. Is your pleasure gone?

Maybe you've always have these things, I haven't. I don't think life guarantees that the material things we want will always be available.

I don't need a lot of these things for pleasure. So it's not about denying any pleasures in life. It's about being able to find pleasure in life regardless of your circumstances.
 
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