cheers, Collective!

The first point you bring up is an interesting debate; what IS the difference between compassion and pity? I assume that you believe that compassion sounds better than pity, but what sounds so positive about the idea of compassion when the idea of pity seems to keep in the opposite direction? They both have the notion of helping other beings in times of trouble; perhaps compassion has a more inclusive feeling of good will while those who exude pity feel separated from those they succor. If this is the main difference between compassion and pity, then my opinion is that compassion is much closer to the idea of love than pity; and if this is the case, then I believe that there is no reason to fear compassion, to fear love and openness from other people as long as you can recognize that they’re genuinely willing to let their guards down in order to express their love.

As for the second response, may I ask you WHY you decide to stay in misery when you know that you have an opportunity to embrace happiness? Does this go back to the first response, where you fear love because you believe it’s pity? Then why fear pity? What’s so bad about loving someone who’s willing to help you in your time of need, no matter the intentions behind their emotions? Are you afraid of loving someone who doesn’t mirror your feelings to them? What are the consequences of such a love? I’m not sure if I quite understand the relevancy of the part where you say that most people at this point got what they want in one way or another. What is “this point”? And did they really get what they want? Do they really “know” what it is that they want? Perhaps we can extend these desires into something fairly universal: if you say that most people know what they want, can I assume that what most people want is happiness? Frankly, I cannot imagine any desire more universal than this. I believe that an object of desire is an object that somebody believes will make them happier if they obtained it rather than if they did without, so any kind of desire leads to happiness. Then if this is true, what I’m hearing from you is that you believe that most people are happy, which I think contradicts the very last thing you said, that true love is very rare.

Unfortunately, my rationale on the connection between happiness and true love will have to wait, as I’m very tired and have a long two weeks ahead of me, so I bid thee adieu and good night!

Yes, I am genuinely scared that there is someone who looks after someone for no particular reason other than compassion. We’ve discussed a slight variation on this argument in the past (pity). If it is going to be based upon that, it at least has to go both ways to work. But the difference between compassion and pity is tight.
(Certainly one sounds better than the other).

Do some people make excuses and stay in misery when happiness an embrace away? Sure, I do it, but I don’t like doing it, and it drives me insane. Most people (at this point) know what they want and have gotten it, one way or another.

But yes, the third one, is obviously quite pertinent. The first two thoughts–they are subject to a deplorable personal situation. The final thought though, is universal and true, more true for me than anything else I’ve learned on the subject of “love”– a very commercially co-opted concept, beyond the point of recognition. That is not to say I do not believe in true love—but it’s very rare!

Of course, if the government had any kind of foresight to see that the end of abundant oil was right around the corner, we could have made things easier and began the overhaul into sustainable energy many years ago. Unfortunately, Big Business wouldn’t have made so much profit off of renewable energy, so we’re pretty much SOL for a good while, and probably once the shit really hits the fan, it may be nearly impossible to reclaim our past glory that oil had given us.

I’ve lived with the scary thoughts before this article, so I guess I looked at it with hope that we will get by. Somehow.

I wrote a letter to Lou Barlow once when I decided to buy Emoh directly from him. I mentioned Black Candy to him, and he wrote me a letter back with a signed copy of Emoh wishing me the best of luck. I was quite giddy.