Thinking
Narrator: Winnie the Pooh crawled out of the gorse bush, brushed the prickles from his nose and began to think again.
Winnie the Pooh: Think, think, think.
Narrator: And the first person he thought of was...
Winnie the Pooh: Winnie the Pooh?
Narrator: No. Christopher Robin.
Winnie the Pooh: Oh.
The world would be a better place if we all took time to think. It is hard to think, it takes work. Thinking gnaws at the brain and it can be quite disquieting because often there is no simple answer. It is so much easier to be told what to think. History is filled with tragic examples of those that declined to use their mental faculties and the ultimate consequences. In truth, surrendering your mind is akin to surrendering your soul. In the case of some historical monsters like Hitler or Stalin declining to think was literally selling your soul to the Devil. Our minds govern all that we are. They regulate our desire, emotion, feeling, love and hate. The American Negro College Fund continues to remind us, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." Despite this wisdom, the vast majority of humanity has chosen to do just that.
I once came across a conservative website called "The American Thinker." It uses the iconic image of the Auguste Rodin statue depicting a man bracing his elbow on his knee in a thoughtful pose as its logo. Wait, come to think of it, during a recent visit I noticed the image had been replaced with a similar pose of Uncle Sam. Perhaps the ghost of Rodin protested a copy right violation or a true "thinker," called the website's owner's attention to the fact that the original statue was meant to depict Dante in front of the Gates of Hell. I must say, it seems quite appropriate for the portal to a right wing conservative website.
I suppose to some extent the lack of mental acuity can be attributed to what psychologist Walter Cannon described in1915 as the fight or flight instinct. Reaction to emotion is a powerful force but it is not an excuse. So many times humans allow emotion to govern response. A comment is said or a gesture is made, and our emotions withdraw hostility and throw it back. This serves only to escalate a conflict. If we paused to think before we react so much pain could be avoided. It is certainly not as viscerally satisfying but the outcome is truly favorable.
George Stephanopoulos recently interviewed Russian President Medvedev. He asked him, "What do you make of Barack Obama the man?"
Medvedev thought for a moment and replied, "He's very comfortable partner, it's very interesting to be with him. The most important thing that distinguishes him from many other people - I won't name anyone by name - he's a thinker, he thinks when he speaks. Which is already pretty good."
In America I respect the right of anyone to believe what they want. To paraphrase a quote I once heard but have forgotten the author, "I will always respect your opinion however stupid it may be." I just make one simple request. Just think. Just try to find a logical path between your belief and reality. This can be so challenging. One great influence on all our lives is religion and its very essence tells us to not think and instead accept as faith. Oh faith is a tricky thing to explain. How do you reconcile faith with thought? I don't think it is unreasonable when a person thinks to reach a point where you no longer understand and you must defer your thoughts to others that do. The important thing is simply to allow the process to happen. Follow the path and see where it leads. We can never embark on a journey without taking a step. Don't accept anything on its face value. Contemplate, educate and think for yourself. Never accept a single source.
The only thing as powerful as thought is listening. This does not mean agreeing but never be afraid to listen. Only through difference or the eyes of another can we see ourselves.
Winnie the Pooh: Think, think, think.
Narrator: And the first person he thought of was...
Winnie the Pooh: Winnie the Pooh?
Narrator: No. Christopher Robin.
Winnie the Pooh: Oh.
I once came across a conservative website called "The American Thinker." It uses the iconic image of the Auguste Rodin statue depicting a man bracing his elbow on his knee in a thoughtful pose as its logo. Wait, come to think of it, during a recent visit I noticed the image had been replaced with a similar pose of Uncle Sam. Perhaps the ghost of Rodin protested a copy right violation or a true "thinker," called the website's owner's attention to the fact that the original statue was meant to depict Dante in front of the Gates of Hell. I must say, it seems quite appropriate for the portal to a right wing conservative website.
I suppose to some extent the lack of mental acuity can be attributed to what psychologist Walter Cannon described in1915 as the fight or flight instinct. Reaction to emotion is a powerful force but it is not an excuse. So many times humans allow emotion to govern response. A comment is said or a gesture is made, and our emotions withdraw hostility and throw it back. This serves only to escalate a conflict. If we paused to think before we react so much pain could be avoided. It is certainly not as viscerally satisfying but the outcome is truly favorable.
George Stephanopoulos recently interviewed Russian President Medvedev. He asked him, "What do you make of Barack Obama the man?"
Medvedev thought for a moment and replied, "He's very comfortable partner, it's very interesting to be with him. The most important thing that distinguishes him from many other people - I won't name anyone by name - he's a thinker, he thinks when he speaks. Which is already pretty good."
In America I respect the right of anyone to believe what they want. To paraphrase a quote I once heard but have forgotten the author, "I will always respect your opinion however stupid it may be." I just make one simple request. Just think. Just try to find a logical path between your belief and reality. This can be so challenging. One great influence on all our lives is religion and its very essence tells us to not think and instead accept as faith. Oh faith is a tricky thing to explain. How do you reconcile faith with thought? I don't think it is unreasonable when a person thinks to reach a point where you no longer understand and you must defer your thoughts to others that do. The important thing is simply to allow the process to happen. Follow the path and see where it leads. We can never embark on a journey without taking a step. Don't accept anything on its face value. Contemplate, educate and think for yourself. Never accept a single source.
The only thing as powerful as thought is listening. This does not mean agreeing but never be afraid to listen. Only through difference or the eyes of another can we see ourselves.
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