Our philosophy discussion last night was conducted via zoom. Admittedly not as satisfying, but a conference call among six to eight people, their presence indicated by a postage-stamp scale image is better than nothing. Evening comes earlier now, with the chill, precluding our custom of sitting in a big circle of chairs on the…
Another mild fall day. The pleasant weather betrays the darkness that roils our society. Conditions present a surface quiescence, especially in towns such as mine, majority white, affluent, well ordered by the system. My neighbors appear to be comfortable enough in their homes, most of us are able to work from home, and our…
We are constantly making judgments, what we like and what we dislike. These moments are hardly thought about. Years have passed, we’ve journeyed far down our road of evaluative exploration. As a reflex we simply respond to a visual impression, a scent, a taste, or to an idea either in sophisticated, nuanced, oblique approval…
Sunday morning, and a chill breeze removes some leaves from our maple tree. Red and orange colors begin to illuminate the tree. Little seems changed in the last twenty four hours according to the NYT Weekend Briefing received this morning. The president continues to be hospitalized with covid-19. Reports of his condition are uncertain. …
My Ancestors – immigrated from Britain to escape religious persecution, intending to found a city set-on-a-hill, or paradise, which is another way of putting it. In the haste to flee persecution, we overlooked our streak of self-righteousness which we inadvertently transported to the “new” world. Early in our settlement in Massachusetts we had a…
I woke and read that the President and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. She says that she feels fine. Of course the NY Times Morning report mentioned well wishes received from many world leaders. I am not so sympathetic. Given the presidents attitude of disdain for social distancing, for wearing a mask,…
THE DRY SALVAGES* (No. 3 of ‘Four Quartets’) by T.S. Eliot I I do not know much about gods; but I think that the river Is a strong brown god—sullen, untamed and intractable, Patient to some degree, at first recognised as a frontier; Useful, untrustworthy, as a conveyor of commerce; Then only a problem…
I did not watch the debate for egotistical reasons. What could the President possibly have said, that he does not say on a daily basis on twitter? What could he possibly show, that he has not demonstrated already? Besides, I’ve already voted. Of importance to me is my rest. Why jeopardize a good night’s…
In an ever-changing, incomprehensible world the masses had reached the point where they would,at the same time,believe everything and nothing,think that everything was possible and that nothing was true. ….Mass propaganda discovered that its audiencewas ready at all times to believe the worst,no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceivedbecause…
7. Moral code for psychologists —- Never observe for the sake of observing!That gives a false perspective, a squint and something forced and exaggerated. A born psychologist guards instinctively against seeing in order to see;the same is true of the born painter. He never works “from nature”;he leaves it to his instinct, to his…
