Motivation Monday: Humility and Humanity

Humility, what is it? Humility is the act of being humble. The dictionary states it is a modest or low view of one’s own importance. I recently heard a talk on the importance of humility. On it’s meaning and how to embrace humility.

Humility is grounded in humanity. Not so much lowering ones self below others but remembering ones self as part of humanity.

The origin of the word could come from the word “umbles or numbles ” which were the lower cuts of meat, intestines or loins of deer and dog. Used in 15th century English originally. When hungry we remember we are human.

Humility is strength and purpose, it is not a meanness, not superiority. It is the value at the core of several faiths. Islam itself means surrender, humility to god. Jesus humbled himself before his disciples by washing their feet. A Sanskrit virtue “neti” is “I am not.” It is a virtue of humility, essential to find your humanity.

Formal Tone: Brain Quest Assignment

 

 

Instructions : Now rewrite the paragraph maintaining formal tone in all places that you marked as having informal language. 

Teachers Note: Bold is where student rewrote the informal parts of the essay in formal tone. Regular is the original Brain Quest book essay. 

 

Many people believe that Socrates was the greatest philosopher who ever lived. In fact, some consider him the father of all philosophy. Philosophy is a word that originates from two Greek words, philo meaning love and Sophia meaning wisdom. Philosophy is the study of human thought and love of seeking wisdom. Socrates lived in Greece, in the fifth century BCE. There were others who studied philosophy before him, but Socrates brought philosophy to the lay-man. Prior to Socrates, philosophy was taught only in formal schools for the intellectuals and wealthy of Greece. But Socrates had a different way of teaching. He didn’t tell his students what to think. Instead he asked them questions about what they thought, and helped them arrive at the answers themselves. Socrates was also interested in the practical implications of philosophy: how it applied to regular people and in day-to-day life. That interest in the consequences of philosophy may have been Socrates downfall. Socrates was executed for corrupting the youth by teaching political philosophy and for denying the gods. His sentence was to drink a hemlock potion in a state sanctioned suicide. Even though Socrates never produced any writings his student, Plato, wrote several works about his life. Thanks to Plato and Aristotle our generation can learn about Socrates’ life and philosophy.

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Respect: A Biblical Essay Written 2003

By Damien Knight

 

“Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye.” Matthew 7:5

Respect is understanding other people have rights. It is following the golden rule and protecting those rights.

 

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6: 31

This means to treat others how you wish to be treated. If you behave in a bossy manner do not be surprised that others assume you want to always be told what to do. Placing out disrespect into the universe may earn you the same. If you are respectful you show, no earn others respect.

“Do not judge and you will not be judged…  … forgive and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

 

Gossip and idle talk, “She is such and such a person,” these statements are judgement. They pay no heed to respect nor will the earn you respect. Reserve judgements and give forgiveness, this is the path of respect and happiness.

“You say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye.” Luke 6:42

 

For me to point out wrongs in others and ignore my own is disrespectful. It is hypocrisy and it does not lead to growth and light. It does not lead to earning respect. You have to respect others to be respected.

Monday Motivation: We All Are on The Path Part 1

By Damien Knight

In life we all are taking “The Path.” It might not be the same path, but we are on the path of life. When we walk this path together, we must remember to embrace those we love and not force our way down the path. Forcing instead of walking the path leaves us hampered spiritually. We become bitter, controlling we lose our flow.

Love: A Biblical Essay written 2003

By Damien Knight

 Love is Kind and forgiving, for it is said: “Love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12. Goodness is part of love. To eat plain with love surrounding you is better than to have steak in a room filled with bitterness. Love is understanding, “He who covers and offense promotes love.” Proverbs 17:9. Many seek out love, yes even I, “What a man desires is unending love.” Proverbs 19:22. And many claim their love never fails. Yes, men might fail but love is unfailing. I choose to fill my heart with love.

Surrounded by Madness: The Symbolic Cultural Cannibalism

By Damien Knight

Is it honourable to follow tradition or is tradition a restriction of self? I am going to go over how the good life might not be honouring tradition. It is possible it is not the good life but a cannibalism of our self as depicted in the allegorical tale “Diary of a Madman.”

The Analects, a text that outlines Confucius thought, tells us to follow Li. It describes Li as being responsibility, tradition, and ritual. It is what one does to find their purpose in society. When Confucius is asked what Ren is, he mentions Li being the path to Ren. “Conquer yourself and return to Li: that is Ren,” (Analects, 12.1). For Confucius, the good moral person or Junzi followed Li. Li is learned and taught. In Diary of a Madman it hints at this in the paranoid hero’s mention of hatred of him in the eyes of the children. He states they must have learned their hate from their parents. Hate is the tradition, the ritual taught according to the madman.

Freedom over Fate: How the Underground Man is Not Free

By Damien Knight

I shall start with a quote from The Underground man himself. “Ha! Ha! Ha! But after all, if you like, in reality, there is such thing as choice.” (Dostoevsky, p.24), In the readings a major theme was free will and morals. Is the good life a free life or are we controlled by fate? To what limits are these freedoms?

In Fear and Trembling freedom is limited by morals or by faith. For Abraham he is both free and bound. He must, due to duty, serve God even if God orders his son’s death. Still this faith left him free. Free of ethics we become bound by faith. “A tragic hero can become a human being by his own strength, but not the knight of faith. When a person sets out on the tragic hero’s admittedly hard path, there are many who can lend him advice; but he who walks the narrow path of faith no one can advise, no one understands.” (K. p.95) This states how even Abraham who seeks freedom from ethics through the duty of faith is not free from being alone. Freedom is fickle.

Monday Motivation: Make Time for Love

By Damien Knight
Love has a funny way of making us behave in ways we don’t normally do. We text all night, we write poetry, serenade, or in general smother our lovers with gifts. All wonderful things. In todays fast pace world of facebook and texting sometimes we forget those we love. Ghosting, which is cowardly and heartbreaking, occurs. It’s not always because you no longer love the person. Some people are procrastinators. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow.” Or maybe you had a tragic event in your life. “I have to deal with this.” A few seconds out of your day, make time hold on to those you love. Say hello to old friends. Keep in touch with your lover/lovers. Never be to busy for love.

Stay Motivated!

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Monday Motivation: Time Management

By Damien Knight

What time did you get up this morning? 11 maybe noon? It’s summer after all right why get up at 5:30? You can just stay up until midnight anyway, or maybe you think you can just get up earlier tomorrow. There are 86400 seconds in a day, are you maximizing that? Ben Franklin Said early to bed early to rise.

This week I begin working on time management and will update on how it is going. Stay Motivated!

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Wednesday Wisdom: Embrace Identity

 

Today’s wisdom is going to be short and sweet, do not let others determine who you are. Today you design who you are. Embrace it.