October 16, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-objective-truth has not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by listening when people share experiences and observations. The comment box below invites readers to write.

Note 1:  I often dash words in phrases in order to express and preserve an idea. For example, frank-objectivity represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth despite possible error. In other words, a person expresses his “belief,” knowing he or she could be in error. People may collaboratively approach the-objective-truth.
 Note 2: It is important to note "civic" refers to citizens who collaborate for the people more than for the city.

A personal paraphrase of the preamble by & for Phil Beaver:  We the willing people of nine of the thirteen United States commit to and trust in the purpose and goals stated herein --- integrity, justice, collaboration, defense, prosperity, liberty, and perpetuity --- and to cultivate limited services by the USA, beginning on June 21, 1788.

Composing their own paraphrase, citizens may consider the actual preamble and perceive whether they are willing or dissident toward its agreement.   

Today’s thought, G.E. Dean (Proverbs 3:7-8 CJB)

“Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom; but fear Adonai, and turn from evil. This will bring health to your body and give strength to your bones.”

Dean says “Fear of the Lord is good for your health. Think it over.”

Let your list of necessary duties you don’t want to perform decide your daily work. Idleness leads to bad behavior and then ruin. Mysticism seems a cousin of idleness, but exercise, even as simple as deep breathing, is good for well-being.

Columns. (The fiction/non-fiction comments gallery for readers)

  

Higher authority (Cal Thomas) (http://calthomas.com/columns/harvey-weinstein)

I like consider CJB, which in this reference reads, “Without a prophetic vision, the people throw off all restraint; but he who keeps Torah is happy.”

A better future is possible when a person turns from mysticism to fidelity to the-objective-truth. See Merriam-Webster online, mysticism: “the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (such as intuition or insight).”

  

Responsible speech (Clarence Page) chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/page/ct-perspec-page-free-speech-trump-sessions-campus-speech-1011-20171010-story.html

I propose that civic citizens amend the First Amendment to protect free and responsible expression. For example, it is not free to shout “Fire” in a crowded assembly place, and a person who does so may suffer the law. The media is subject to responsibility and the First Amendment should say so.

 

Other forums 

quora.com/Given-that-western-societies-tend-to-believe-in-the-notions-of-freedom-rights-and-individualism-can-an-individual-with-values-or-beliefs-contrary-to-the-rest-of-society-really-remain-independent-from-the-rest-of-that-society?

I think you ponder the meaning of being born human. Each human being may adopt the liberty to responsibly discover his or her person despite society’s tyranny. In other words, the human being who does not overcome society’s tyranny cannot exercise fidelity to his or her person.

The human species is armed with the power of grammar, by which ideas may be expressed and recalled. Each newborn has the psychological power to examine the-objective-truth in three categories: discovery, understanding, and unknown. For example, we may ask: Is there extraterrestrial life? and expect the responses: probably, maybe not, and we don’t know.

The choices the individual makes determine his or her life-path as each challenge comes: each event forces a choice. The person who encounters humankind’s journal of discovery—-some 7 trillion man-years of experiences and observations—-has a better chance of discovering his or her catalogue of preferences, and thus his or her person. But the individual has only his or her lifespan in which to mature to self-discovery.

Progress is a function of genes and memes, childhood coaching, natural ability, personal intentions, and external constraints. As understanding accumulates, wisdom develops and accelerates until life is terminated by events.

The human body builds its brain according to the laws of physics and its progeny, biology. The wisdom-building parts of the typical brain are not constructed before a quarter of a century. See Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine. Given a decade or so for experiences and observations to build wisdom, the under thirty-five-year old, potentially wise human being is fortunate. In his seventies, Socrates’ only affirmation of personal wisdom was, in my paraphrase, “I admit to myself I do not know what I do not know.”

If we view the above considerations from the view of the ovum or the spermatozoon, the personal considerations might collapse to childhood intentions and external constraints. The child who takes charge of his or her transformation from feral infant to informed young adult with intentions to responsibly serve humankind has the liberty to discover his or her person. An illustration of the power of personally developing this intention is expressed in William Faulkner’s short story, “Barn Burning.” See Barn Burning by William Faulkner.

There remains the question of events, especially termination of the individual’s path—-death. Perhaps a fundamental wisdom is intention for mutual, comprehensive safety and security among civic citizens. By “civic citizens” I mean those who both understand the necessity of and collaborate for comprehensive safety and security. Dissident citizens require constraint, statutory law, and law enforcement. I know of no nation that intends to assure the individual freedom from tyranny: nations resist intentions for the liberty to pursue self-discovery. The authentic person exercises his or her opportunity to responsibly pursue personal preferences rather than yields to society’s ideas for him or her.

There remains responsibility. The-objective-truth exists, and humankind ineluctably discovers and works to benefit from what-is. Human psychological powers are advantageously employed in comprehensive fidelity. That is, both respectively and collectively, fidelity to the-objective-truth, to self, to immediate family, to extended family and friends, to the people, to the nation, to the world, and to the universe. The theist might add that “comprehensive” refers to God. I admit I don’t know.
I have attempted to address a question: Can an individual with values or beliefs . . . remain independent? I hope my response expresses, “Yes, but humans are constrained by the-objective-truth.”

When the question is focused on “western societies,” I think most European countries suffer forms of communitarianism, and American republicanism suffers civil theism. Relief from tyranny is offered by the contract by civic citizens stated by the preamble to the constitution for the USA. Once the civic people discover collaboration for mutual, comprehensive safety and security using the-objective-truth to discover civic morality, the path to personal independence will open. In other words, the path to a people’s unity begins with collaboration for civic justice.

Phil Beaver does not “know” the-indisputable-facts. He trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth of which most is undiscovered and some is understood. He is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, education non-profit corporation. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.