Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

“All things must change to something new, to something strange.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Human incarnation is usually a fluctuation between metamorphosis and stagnation. As the Dylan lyric puts it: “he not busy being born is busy dying.” Norie Huddle, in her book Butterfly, describes in poetic language the metamorphosis of caterpillar into butterfly: “The…

What treasure can life offer greater than beautiful friendship? If you have such treasure don’t neglect it or take it for granted, but appreciate the blessing, and give it the time and life energy to keep it alive. In the final scene of the heart-centered movie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, an…

Cooperation and interdependence are emphasized here. American culture tends to emphasize rugged individualism in a way that is often absurd. For example, the “Army of One” ad campaign for the U.S. Army or the Marlboro man riding alone through the prairie with only his horse and his trusty cigarettes for companionship. But we are social…

Doing human incarnation right requires an ability to play many roles and accept multiple identities. The life of a woman may require her to play child, adolescent, adult, elder, daughter, sister, lover, mother, grandmother, student, professional, home maker, etc. Even in the course of a single day you may be required to play several roles…

So often it can feel like human incarnation has us in its giant, crushing grip. If we give in to feelings of being overwhelmed by circumstance, we can easily collapse under the pressure. Hemingway defines heroism as: “grace under pressure.” To achieve that grace we must begin with a thorough acceptance of what the present…

This is a propitious time to face down your fears. Don’t run from them, run them down. Use the energy of fear as energy to do your best. Feel the fear and keep taking constructive action anyway. You can take it. As FDR said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”

This is a propitious time to face down your fears. Don’t run from them, run them down. Use the energy of fear as energy to do your best. Feel the fear and keep taking constructive action anyway. You can take it. As FDR said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”

All human lives are complex tapestries of lighter and darker threads. Perception involves choice, and sometimes we focus on the dark elements, sometimes on the light. This is a propitious time to focus on the light elements, the aspects of your life you appreciate and can choose to feel grateful for. Many things have been…

Everything that exists or has ever existed leaves an imprint on eternity. For better or for worse, we are all shedding legacy constantly, like an over-furry dog under a very hot sun. Every thought you ever had changed the way the universe unfolded if only because that thought must now be included in the history…