Withdrawal?

If a person labors to make a difference in the lives of others and does see dents being made, does he keep laboring on this quest? If the dents appear minor and inconsequential, does he ask for help in his labors or withdraw from the effort entirely?

That is the question today. Do we struggle on or not?

Arguments can be made in both directions. To give up will provide more time, energy and resources for other quests. But wait! Giving up rewards the negative and others may see this as license to continue their negative journey that harms others.

Which is correct? Which do we pursue?

Well, the answer for one person is one thing while the answer for the other is both. Regardless of what I decide the others will continue their roles in whatever travesty they call a principled journey.

Such is the pain of principled quests. Either side is both wrong and right simultaneously.

Philosophy was crafted to ponder such enigmas! For many of us this is the reason why philosophy was abandoned as an academic pursuit! Those that continued on became politicians, evidently, and now we know where that has led us.

So what other course of intellectual development is open to those truly seeking the truth?

These pop to mind:

Mathematics: it is the language of logic

Accounting: it is applied math, the simple sort

Actuary: applied high level math; who will live and who will die, basically; and what are

            the chances that something specific will happen, or not?

Engineering: also applied math plus various empirical sciences to solve problems in the

real world

Teaching, pedagogy: learning how the mind learns, then teaching others using the

            science

Physics: if it isn’t about the mind, it is about physics; study this to know the world

Psychology: trying to determine how someone thinks and acts; not empirical; sloppy;

beware!

Medicine: it is empirical science applied to individuals who are all different; similar to

psychology; see above

Music (composing or performing of): applied math in sound; tweaks psychological

strings in human mind so is of non-empirical world as to outcome

Information Technology: applied math and language skills; excellent empirical science; content, 

            however is suspect!

What to avoid as a discipline of thinking and doing:

Cooking: applied chemistry that intersects with the endless permutations of personal

            taste

Manufacturing: harnessing of physics, math and psychology to make things; the hard

sciences rule; the soft sciences counteract the former

Business/Management: not empirical while loaded with numbers which makes you

Think it is empirical, but it is not; it’s the psychology and behavioral sciences aspect of business and management which screws this all up as a discipline of thinking!

Entertainment: application of all behavioral sciences without any empiricism; see

            business/management; can leave you detached from reality

Transportation Sciences: relies wholly on behavioral sciences as to outcomes; totally

            non empirical

Well I guess that leaves gazing at ones navel as the only option remaining. Politicians have been doing this for eons and look where this has gotten us? Pity; the navel is truly a philosophical thing of beauty to behold! So many shapes and colors. Rats!

Well, I’m not ready to withdraw just yet. Call me an optimist, but there must be a way if there is the will. And I do have that still.

December 16, 2016