Selfism is a term that refers to any philosophy, theory, doctrine, or tendency that upholds explicitly selfish principles as being desirable
Category: Poetry
Welcome to George’s blog. I play keyboards in the Alice Syndrome, and I’m also very interested in psychology, spirituality and self-transcendence. Groovhead tends to write all our lyrics, which always touch on subjects that hit deep into my interests.
Don’t be afraid to be selfish, to be selfish, as you need To fill your heart with love of your own being For only when you love yourself sincerely You can find joy in every moment of living Some people may condemn you for being self-centred But they are mistaken, and they don’t understand How love operates in this world That it requires self-love as the foundation So just be selfish, focus on yourself Until that love spills out of your soul Then you will naturally feel the urge To spread this love, and make others whole
Selfism is a term that refers to any philosophy, theory, doctrine, or tendency that upholds explicitly selfish principles as being desirable. It is usually used pejoratively and has been associated with various thinkers and movements, such as Ayn Rand, Objectivism, Satanism, and the New Age spirituality. However, some proponents of selfism argue that it is not a form of egotism or hedonism, but rather a way of cultivating self-love that leads to a love of all others. They claim that by concentrating on loving oneself, one can achieve a higher level of awareness, happiness, and harmony with the universe. They also assert that it is not possible to love others if one does not know love within oneself. One of the main arguments of selfism is that self-love is the foundation of all other forms of love. According to this view, one cannot give what one does not have. Therefore, if one does not love oneself, one cannot truly love others. Self-love is seen as a prerequisite for developing empathy, compassion, and altruism. Self-love is also considered to be a source of self-esteem, confidence, and authenticity. By loving oneself, one can accept oneself as one is, without needing external validation or approval. Self-love also enables one to overcome fear, insecurity, and negativity, and to pursue one’s true potential and purpose in life. However, self-love can be distorted by a false sense of ego, which, as Baumeister said, is “a psychological construct that represents one’s self-image, self-esteem, and self-concept“. Ego-based love is a conditional and superficial form of love that depends on external validation and comparison with others. Ego-based love can lead to insecurity, jealousy, envy, and resentment, as well as a lack of genuine connection and compassion. Therefore, it is crucial to distinguish between self-love and ego-based love, and to cultivate the former while avoiding the latter. As Fromm said, “Self-love is an affirmation of one’s own life, happiness, growth, freedom; it is the sine qua non of loving others”. Selfism is a controversial philosophy that advocates for self-love as the ultimate value and goal in life. It claims that by concentrating on loving oneself, one can also love others and the universe more deeply and authentically. It also argues that self-love is essential for personal growth, happiness, and spiritual enlightenment.
Welcome to George’s blog. I play keyboards in the Alice Syndrome, and I’m also very interested in psychology, spirituality and self-transcendence. Groovhead tends to write all our lyrics, which always touch on subjects that hit deep into my interests. The myth of origin When at last you have climbed the pinnacle And attained those giddy heights You will come to the void and nothing To your mythical beginning All came from nothing, says the myth And this is a new decision gate You can accept it and return to the world With this truth that you have heard But see what happens when you take time to think Another way appears, more fundamental than void It points to even more infinite origins The happy Society of the unified Who tell that the void is their initial dream state Whenever they go looking to create Themselves anew, to grow, expand Creating illusionary kingdoms and lands So nothing is still part of the illusion Something many have accepted as the end Yet for others there is this dimension Beyond nothing, which is actually, the only truth
The concept of the void, or the primordial nothingness that precedes creation, is a common motif in many mythologies around the world. Let’s compare and contrast how different cultures have imagined and represented the void in their cosmogenic narratives, and what implications it has for their world-view and cosmology. We can focus on seven examples: the ancient Egyptian myth of Atum and the Ogdoad, the Babylonian Enuma Elish, the Norse Gylfaginning, the Shinto creation myth, the void as seen by Buddhism, The void as seen by Christianity, and the Taoist Dao De Jing and contrast these with the Big-Bang theory. Ancient Egypt The ancient Egyptian myth of Atum and the Ogdoad describes the void as a dark and chaotic watery abyss called Nun, from which emerged a mound of earth where Atum, the self-created god, manifested himself. Atum then created the Ogdoad, a group of eight deities that represented the primal forces of nature: four male-female pairs of water, air, darkness, and infinity. The Ogdoad helped Atum to create the rest of the cosmos by separating the sky from the earth, and giving birth to the sun god Ra. The void in this myth is seen as both a source of potentiality and a threat of dissolution, as it contains both the seeds of life and the possibility of returning to chaos. Babylon The Babylonian Enuma Elish tells the story of how Marduk, the god of storm and order, defeated Tiamat, the goddess of salt water and chaos, and created the world from her corpse. Tiamat was part of a primordial pair with Apsu, the god of fresh water and wisdom, who together represented the void before creation. Apsu was killed by his offspring, the younger gods, who disturbed his sleep with their noise. Tiamat then decided to wage war against them, creating an army of monsters and choosing Kingu, her second husband, as her champion. Marduk volunteered to fight Tiamat on the condition that he would become the supreme ruler of the gods. He then split Tiamat in half, using one part to form the sky and the other to form the earth. He also captured Kingu and used his blood to create humans as servants for the gods. The void in this myth is portrayed as a hostile and chaotic force that must be subdued and controlled by a superior power. The Northern Traditions The Norse Gylfaginning recounts how Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve killed Ymir, the first giant, and created the world from his body parts. Ymir was born from the void called Ginnungagap, which was bordered by two realms: Niflheim, the land of ice and mist, and Muspelheim, the land of fire and light. From these realms came frost and fire giants, who mingled with Ymir’s sweat and produced more giants. Odin and his brothers were descendants of Burr, the first god, who was licked out of a salty ice block by a cow named Audhumla. They decided to kill Ymir and use his flesh to make the earth, his blood to make the sea, his bones to make the mountains, his teeth to make the rocks, his skull to make the sky, and his brains to make the clouds. They also took sparks from Muspelheim and made them into stars. The void in this myth is depicted as a neutral and empty space that allows for the emergence of opposites and contrasts. Shinto The concept of the void in the Shinto creation myth refers to the state of chaos and formlessness that existed before the heavens and the earth came into being. According to the Kojiki, the oldest surviving document written by the Japanese, there were two kinds of gods that emerged from this void: the Special Heavenly Gods, who were invisible and hidden, and the Seven Generations of Heavenly Gods, who were visible and active. The first two generations of the latter group were also genderless and had no mates, so they could not create anything. The third generation consisted of two gods, Izanagi and Izanami, who were given a jewelled spear by the other gods and asked to create a new land. They used the spear to stir the ocean, and when they lifted it up, drops of salt water fell from the tip and formed an island. This was the first of the eight islands that would become Japan. Izanagi and Izanami then descended to the island and performed a marriage ritual, which involved circling around a pillar in opposite directions. However, they made a mistake when Izanami spoke first when they met, which resulted in their first child being deformed. They repeated the ritual correctly, and then gave birth to many other gods and goddesses, including those of the sea, mountains, trees, and fire. The creation of fire caused Izanami’s death, as she was burned by its flames. Izanagi followed her to the underworld, but failed to bring her back. He then purified himself by washing in a river, and from his body parts sprang more gods and goddesses, including Amaterasu, the sun goddess, Tsukuyomi, the moon god, and Susanoo, the storm god. These three became the most important deities in Shinto mythology, and were regarded as the ancestors of the imperial family of Japan. Buddhism The concept of the void (śūnyatā) in is a philosophical idea that refers to the emptiness of all phenomena. It means that nothing has inherent existence, value, or identity, but rather depends on other conditions and causes. The void is not a negative or nihilistic notion, but rather a way of seeing reality as it is, without attachment, delusion, or discrimination. The void is also a state of mind that is free from ignorance, craving, and suffering. By realizing the voidness of oneself and all things, one can attain liberation and enlightenment. The concept of the void is found in various Buddhist traditions, such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. It is also expressed in different ways, such as the doctrine of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), the two truths (samvṛti-satya and paramārtha-satya), the three marks of existence (anitya, duḥkha, anātman), and the four noble truths (duḥkha, samudaya, nirodha, mārga). The void is also related to other concepts, such as Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha), non-duality (advaya), and compassion (karuṇā). The concept of the void is not easy to understand or explain, as it goes beyond conventional language and logic. It can only be realized through direct experience and insight (prajñā). Christianity The concept of the void in Christianity is not clearly defined in the Bible, but it can be understood in different ways depending on the context and interpretation. Some possible meanings are: Some Christians believe that the void can be overcome by faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to conquer death and sin. They believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, who can fill the emptiness of the human heart with his love and presence. They also hope for the resurrection of the dead and the new creation, where there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). The Dao De Jing The Taoist Dao De Jing describes the void as Dao, or the Way, which is the ultimate reality and principle behind all things. Dao is ineffable and transcendent, beyond words and concepts. It is also immanent and generative, giving rise to all phenomena without being exhausted or diminished. Dao is both being and non-being, both fullness and emptiness. It is also both active and passive, both creating and letting be. The Dao De Jing says that “Dao produces one; one produces two; two produces three; three produces all things” (chapter 42). This means that Dao manifests itself as a primal unity (one), which then differentiates into yin and yang (two), which then interact and harmonize with each other (three), which then generate all things in existence. The void in this myth is conceived as a mysterious and profound source of creativity and wisdom. The spiritual concept of creation from the void and the scientific theory of the big-bang are often seen as opposing views on the origin of the universe. However, some thinkers have suggested that they may not be mutually exclusive, but rather complementary ways of understanding the same reality. How do these creation myths relate to the scientific concept of the Big-Bang? The scientific theory of the big-bang is based on the observation that the universe is expanding and cooling from a hot and dense state that existed about 13.8 billion years ago. This state is called the singularity, and it is considered to be the beginning of space and time. The singularity was not a point in space, but a condition of infinite density and temperature that defied the laws of physics. The singularity exploded in a massive expansion that created all matter and energy in the universe. Some scholars have argued that this concept is not incompatible with spiritual understandings of a creation from the void, but rather different perspectives on the same mystery. They point out that both concepts imply that the universe came from a state that transcends our ordinary understanding of reality, and that both concepts involve a creative act that brought forth something from nothing. They also suggest that both concepts reflect the limitations of human language and cognition to grasp the ultimate nature of reality, and that both concepts are open to interpretation and revision based on new insights and discoveries. Therefore, it may be possible to reconcile the spiritual concept of creation from the void with the scientific theory of the big-bang, if we acknowledge that they are not literal descriptions of what happened, but symbolic expressions of our awe and wonder at the mystery of existence. They may be different ways of telling the same story, using different languages and metaphors. They may be complementary rather than contradictory ways of exploring the same question: where did we come from?
Dec
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In this article, let’s compare and contrast how different cultures have imagined and represented the void in their cosmogenic narratives, and what implications it has for their world-view and cosmology.
Be Selfish
Selfism
George’s Blog: The myth of origin
