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Daniel Smith

 

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Someone who will make us do what we can...

Emerson: Our chief want in life is someone who will make us do what we can.
Whether we find that in another person, in our friends or in our relationship with God, each of us thrives when we are placed in an environment that demands of us not just the average, but our very best.

When I was invested as a Cub Scout, I promised "On my Honour, to do my best..." - not to be better than those around me, or better than 'average' or even better than I did yesterday. Rather, as encunciated in the Scout Hymm, the challenge is for you to be the best, the best that you can be.

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Suri's challenge regarding Hume

Prove that inductive reasoning works... that past observations that lead to the development of an heuristic.
This "works" because it results in useful outcomes, ie understanding the world in a manner that is most practical and effective. In this sense, inductive reasoning works.

... change the rules of 'works' to something that 'works' - challenge the alternative definition of 'works' as absolute truth, since absolute truth cannot exist. Instead, human beings generate "game truth"; truth that works within a given set of constraints and limitations. Thus, 'truth' should be defined as the most useful representation of the world around us.

Therefore, inductive reasoning works as it is the means that human beings use to draw sense of the world around us. To criticise induction on the basis that it does not actually demonstrate 'absolute truth' is absurd, since 'absolute truth' itself does not exist.

Thursday, September 11, 2003

Health and happiness

  1. Drink enough water
    Your body needs around 2L of water each day... most people don't get enough. For the sake of your kidney, your skin and the other cells in your body, make sure that you do.
  2. Judge less
    Judging others is expensive and pointless. It is expensive in that it takes your attention away from your tasks, and focuses it upon the deficiencies of others. This will not improve the other person, and your focus upon it will tend to lead to your adoption of some of their negative patterns. Furthermore, by judging others, you condemn yourself, as there will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself; Accept the world as it is, envisage the world better than it is, and strive to make your dreams a reality.
  3. Supplement your food intake
    You can get all the vitamins that you need to function from food naturally, but most people do not. Rather than putting your head in the sand, get your hands on a high quality nutritional supplement and do the right thing by your body. There is more than enough evidence that this will not only reduce your susceptability to illness, but may actually add years to your life expectancy.