Comments on: Inpirational Quote #5 by Ernest Hemingway

By: Nyarlathotep

Nyarlathotep — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:54:44 +0000

Problem is, that any look into the past, especially concerning feelings about a certain situation, is always a transfigured one. Between a situation and its recurrence will usually be enough time for yourself to justify your behavior, thus making you feel good about what you have done. Current brain research supports this theory.
What I am trying to say is: you never make a decision in the future. You always make it now. And you can only tell how you feel about it in the aftermath. Otherwise always making the right choices would be a trivial task. Looking at life I tend to say: it isn’t.

By: John Wesley

John Wesley — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:28:50 +0000

Knowing what is right or wrong afterwards might not help your current situation, but it will help you make better decisions in the future.

By: Nyarlathotep

Nyarlathotep — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:03:46 +0000

I haven’t read all the comments thoroughly, so forgive me if this has been mentioned already.

What does it help me to know what I did was wrong or right *after* I have done it? Usually thinking beforehand can safe me and my surroundings from a lot of bullshit I would do. At least from a moral point of view.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 04:03:13 +0000

Hemingway took his life as the result of ECT treatments that caused severe depression and memory loss. In fact, he was buried in a Roman Catholic service because they didn’t believe he was mentally accountable for it.

By: penny

penny — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 03:41:37 +0000

Hemingway had deep gender identity problems because he spent his childhood summers with a crazy aunt who dressed and treated him as a girl.

Wisdom only goes so far–deep psychological trauma and confusion are
very hard to fix—even with modern tools of therapy.

If you like Alan Watts ( I find him too shallow and derivative) you will like Suzuki more!!
Try Suzuki’s classic “Zen Flesh, Zen Bones”. It is a life changing book.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:51:44 +0000

“There is a big difference between possessing wisdom and your ability to apply it to your own life.”

I want to believe that but I feel that is misguided in some way. What is wisdom if it isn’t self-directing? If you are wise but can’t apply it to your life then how wise are you really?

But then I think back to someone like Alan Watts who was (to me) very wise and yet almost drank himself to death toward the end of his life.

By: Don

Don — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 13:40:18 +0000

Mike, I disagree about the quote working in only a “predetermined morality.” If the morality is predetermined, then there’s obviously already a guideline for what’s moral and what’s immoral.

I’m starting to wonder if Hemingway shot himself because he tried to define morality…

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 04:25:00 +0000

I think Hemingway’s quote works only within the confines of a predetermined morality. There are many things that a person can do that may make him or her feel good afterward but that also hurts someone else in the doing.

Terrorism, murder, and physical abuse are just some of the activities that may or may not make someone feel bad after he or she engages in it. Yet, there may be many hurt victims left in the act’s wake.

So, regardless of whether you feel good after it, is it still moral if it hurts someone else?

By: Steve Olson

Steve Olson — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 03:21:43 +0000

Don,
I understand everything you are saying, and you may well be right, but knowing a thing is true and right, and acting conguently with your understanding can be difficult. Confucius said – and I am paraphrasing – “There is no point to written law, clever men will distort and corrupt it for thier own gain.” Very wise… and true… but try to apply it. You’d change the world if you could.

By: Don

Don — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:56:28 +0000

In my opinion, the very definition of wisdom refers to applicable knowledge. Knowledge itself is nothing but the stuff of Jeopardy unless it can be applied to your life for some positive purpose…and this application is what comes to my mind when I think of wisdom.

I do agree that I missed the word “after”…but I still don’t really agree with the quote. I suppose I just don’t believe that our conscience is a completely accurate moral compass (even if it does pretty well much of the time).