The Supremacy of Humility

Here are a few thoughts on one of the most underrated of character qualities. I want to go on record that I do not consider myself an expert, but I have had very good teachers, the first and perhaps most excellent and influential was my father.

I once heard a sermon titled “The Way Up is Down”. This is probably the best snapshot of humility. A favorite metaphor of mine can be found in the book of Isaiah: “Every valley shall be exalted”. Humility can be stated simply as the process of putting yourself into a lower bracket of esteem and in exchange you get something of value that will enrich your life (and many times the lives of others), while at the same time you will attain to a higher bracket of esteem--truly a win/win. In physics, this would be described as placing yoursef at a lower potential energy level so that eventually you will wind up at a higher potential energy level.

I believe an adjunct of humility is honesty. One who is honest about his lack of having the handy solution to an immediate question or problem, for instance, will be immediately exposed to general attention centering on his state of being in need of instruction or wisdom. He may even be forced into the position of actually asking for information or other assistance. At this juncture, I would hasten to call attention to a phenomenon I have observed constantly in my life. Quite simply put, it is this: If you ask questions, sooner or later you will get answers. When you get answers, you are informed. If you are informed, you will very likely be respected. Hopefully, Rodney Dangerfield discovered this while he was still alive. At any rate, being respected and informed would have to be considered a lofty position. Lofty = high up. Are we connecting?

The reason I am so high on humility (now there’s a paradox) is because I’ve seen it cause a lot of good things to happen. Businesses get built up, broken relationships get restored, dreams are realised, and much more.

As I have said, I have had (and still have) many teachers in regard to this subject. My dad was perhaps the greatest, and I can summarize by saying I carry with me the vivid childhood memory of my dad being pulled over by an irate driver who chastised him for passing on a double yellow line. My father, who was a medical doctor by profession and a man of considerable stature in the community, quietly received the angry man’s scolding and at last replied, “Yes. Thank you.” I don’t know anything about this fellow, but I have reflected years later on this incident and realized how easy it would have been for my Dad to have discounted the complainant’s social status or other alleged liability, but he didn’t. He humbled himself in front of his family and accepted the correction. I might add, we never had an accident in the car while my father was driving.

Finally, I would say that humility does not mean letting people arbitrarily walk over you, but rather it is to cultivate a teachable spirit. I liken humility to the process of gearing up for a game, conflict or other endeavor--it’s like getting an extra sole put on your shoe in preparation for a long journey.

Living With Paradoxes

This is the second post in my brief series of introductory essays which "lay the groundwork" for the milieu of my blog, and I hope thereby to avoid misunderstandings about my take on various topics. If you know where I'm coming from, you'll probably feel less threatened if I say something that "rattles your chain".

Here we have a title which I hope is not confused with the phrase "pair of ducks". I want to clarify that I have no intention of establishing a residence in the close proximity of such fowls. Even considering them as metaphors, they are to be avoided, as I want my communication to be clear, and ducks, metaphorically speaking, tend to, ahem...., "muddy the water".

OK. Paradoxes. A paradox is defined as ”a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth”. Examples include concepts like “Yin and Yang”, “the individual nature of man and the social nature of man”, “Experiencing freedom of expression inside a restrictive poetic framework”, and on and on. You can probably think of a dozen or so in your own experience.

As a rule, I’m OK with paradoxes. I don’t seem to have a problem with seemingly contradictory data, which is good, because as a scientist, I feel it is ethically important to remain open-minded until sufficient evidence has been gathered and tested so as to reach a reasonable conclusion.

For example, I’m OK with the notion that men and women are different and can’t seem to understand each other. Some folks apparently believe we should try to reach a middle ground, somewhere between Mars and Venus, and promote a more male woman and a more female man. I say, “Why bother?” It’s working the way it is.

Paradoxes are in my mind, mysteries. So I’m saying I’m OK with mysteries in general. Some mysteries I hope to solve; others I have resigned to accept as whose resolutions will be revealed at a later time--if ever.

We’re going to kick it off with one of my favorite paradoxes, which I call...

The Supremacy of Humility

Stay tuned....

A Priori

This might be the appropriate place to talk about this topic: at the beginning.

Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines "a priori" as: "being without examination or analysis; PRESUMPTIVE".

I think it's safe to say that everybody operates on this basis. We all use a priori assumptions. For example, ask Johnny, "How much is one plus one?" For discussion relative to our contemporary society, we'll assume Johnny is at least in the 8th grade. "Two," Johnny replies. You can further query, "Johnny, could it be 'three' or 'nine'? Why 'two’?" Johnny may hesitate, probably out of incredulity, but he will probably say, "Because it just IS." We are taught that one object added to another object equals two objects. I have never heard a debate about the legitimacy of such an arrangement. Apparently, we're comfortable with the idea that this rule, in fact, a large body of rules, are a legitimate fact of life, and all successive rules and proofs can be traced back to that original assumption which presumes that "one plus one equals two".

I find, in like manner, people become comfortable with other a priori assumptions. Like..."God exists"; or "I exist"; or "There is no God"; or "evolution gave rise to all modern life". As much as we would like to "prove" the existence or absence of God, for example, it it my contention that back at the root of our belief system is a presumption...a rather large presumption, which like the bent twig, ultimately directs the growth of the whole tree. It it therefore incumbent on us to do our best to examine the evidence that has emanated from the subsequent events that have transpired after whatever a priori assumptions have been made.

Now that I have hooked you into my most delicious and stimulating philosophical discussion on a priori assumptions [pauses to lean forward and swat a slumbering student on the first row], I will now tell you what my "operating system", my a priori assumption, is:

"In the beginning....God"

That means, I presume, before evaluating any evidence, and yet without precluding the subsequent evaluation of all the evidence, that somewhere back there, there was a Supreme and Intelligent Being who made some "stuff", and through various and sundry agencies, what we see and experience at this time is a result of Something very intelligent and powerful indeed. I call this power and Intelligence, "God". I've learned to respect this "God" because, once having assumed His existence, I have come to be very solidly convinced that the array of objects in the cosmos, as well as all the fields of knowledge and disciplines of mathematics, science and the arts, bear the imprint of such a Being in that they resonate in the human participant the ring of order, or of cause and effect, or aesthetic beauty, or of right or wrongness. All of these are characteristics of such a God that seem to resound through many cultures and seemingly unrelated peoples of the history of our planet.

I hasten to remark that I totally respect the viewpoint of those who believe there is no God, no all-powerful and Intelligent Being. In the same fashion as in a “there-is-a-God” a priori stance, by assuming there is no God, the groundwork is laid for explaining a large number of phenomena so as to not disturb the nugget, the “no-God” a priori assumption. I'm only saying that for me to say "There is no God," it would be incumbent on me to demonstrate that I know of a certainty that all the evidence which points in the opposite direction has been proven false, which is to say I would have to claim that I know everything about everything, which by inference would mean that I in fact know EVERYTHING, which by my definition, would in the end make me to be God...so really, in a practical way, I cannot help but believe in God , or at least, some god.

I would ask that if you do not share my a priori assumption, that you stick around and read my postings which will follow. I hope to tell some very interesting and true stories about people who have influenced my life--and the lives of many others-- and who have nudged me further "toward the light". The title of this blog is "Positive Thoughts." Granted, one does not have to believe in God to have positive thoughts; yet, it is my contention that it certainly is not a hindrance to have such a belief.

I am a composer of music, but at the heart, I am a scientist, in the pure sense. I am not so affected by mere opinion or conjecture as by the examination of evidence and the testing of evidence. In the posts that follow, you will read of my journey which has led me to test my own a priori assumption, to examine evidence both pro and con, and how some of my beliefs have been modified as a result of evaluating those tests. Although I hold a bachelor's degree in Zoology, I do not consider myself an expert in even that field, and am constantly examining new evidence and occasionally entertain new testing of that evidence. Who knows? Maybe by the end of this blog maybe you will learn something new as well. "Even better."

Hi. My name is Roger Hunt and this is my soap box. Here you will see a bit of what is going on in my mind. Some will be entertaining; some will be controversial; some will be obviously very opinionated. But, in all, I propose that pretty much everything will point upward, in a positive direction. Very early in the game you will see that I tend to believe that every problem is inextricably tied to its solution. It is in finding that solution that we embark on very interesting journeys.

So let the games begin. Shortly, I will post my first essay. You can comment if you like, or read and move on. I welcome input, and the absence of a reply from me does not necessarily indicate my agreement or disagreement.

Have a great day!