Dual Minded Individuals Examined
December 6, 2016
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
Saint James writes clearly that a dual minded man is unstable in all his ways. We recall that Martin Luther promoted the Bible, yet he did not approve of the epistle of Saint James and relegated it to the end of the New Testament, where it remains today in Lutheran Bibles. We are uncertain as to the reason why the Holy Spirit convinced Luther to alter the text of the epistle to the Romans and to disparage the entire book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
“Dual mindedness” can allude to the commonly understood behavior of saying one thing, yet doing the opposite of what was stated. This behavior may be considered hypocritical. From long and painful experience, we know that people treat other people differently for a variety of reasons; the most common explanations and reasons seem to be social status, wealth or physical appearance.
While we are aware that these attributes are due entirely to chance (for only a wretched idiot would not want influence, riches and looks) and behave accordingly, we nonetheless, at times, fall victim to our prejudices as beauty, strength and the eternal are more appealing than ugliness, weakness and the changeable. We are aware, all too aware, of our predisposition to certain astrological influences, and we are intentionally less reserved or informal when we engage Cancer Geminis.
The serious charge of hypocrisy should be vigorously examined, to determine if there is any practical, or philosophical reason for distinguishing among certain individuals.
No one would suggest that hypocrisy is the reason for an adult’s different treatment between an adult and a child, for we know that the reason is almost entirely due to the limited experiences and mental development of the child. Yet, the premise that all adults have the same, or similar, mental competency or development is against our experience. Therefore, the safest and most advisable course is to treat all adults as teenagers, until they demonstrate competency in reasoning and understanding. Our suggestion is not without merit, as the frontal cortex is not fully developed until the age of twenty five.
While our suggestion is workable, the application of this idea results in a curtailment of suitable topics, limited to such subjects as weather and sports; and a necessary limited vocabulary, such as used by the typical attendee of a public high school.
As a type of amusement, one could limit responses to words that are of Germanic origin, since most people we encounter are confused by words derived from the Latin and the Greek languages- demi, hemi and semi; flammable and inflammable.
The topic of the weather could include the worldwide weather, and not be limited to one's city. If the weather is pleasant, do not hesitate to discuss last week's weather, or the upcoming weather. Do not limit potential weather discussions to the upcoming week, but speculate on the possibility of extreme weather for the fast approaching seasons. Further speculation concerning next year’s weather as a topic should not be dismissed a priori.
As far as the topic of sports, there should be little concern for knowing few facts concerning either individual or team performance, for as soon as one engages a sports fan, he will do the majority of the talking. It would be helpful to limit one's expressed value judgments to either good or bad, as most people find comfort both in these words and the accompanying worldview based on these vague concepts.
If one is fortunate to find like minded individuals for conversation, then there is no need for these suggested self imposed restrictions. However, do not doubt that one will encounter the charge of hypocrisy from unlike minded individuals, since the Great Occultist will show preferential treatment to those certain individuals who are curious and like to think.
From experience, we know that most people are both self absorbed and can do only thing well. (We wonder if the only thing can do well is to talk about themselves.) Inevitably, one will encounter repeated stories and anecdotes. Do not despair, Gentle Reader, for during these times one can, with little effort, disassociate from the monologue and ponder arcane mysteries, for example, the nature of the universe. If, on the rare occasion, one is justifiably accused of not listening, Yours Truly has no doubt that the Gentle Researcher can quickly recover his composure. We caution the Careless Reader that likability, creativity, and the possession of virtue are not synonymous with the art of conveying information.
The most uncomfortable aspect of our suggestion is the result: a demeaning attitude towards the adult population. Fortunately, we are not without hope, as most adults can neither recognize irony nor appreciate it. This inability to comprehend irony is due to the fact, based on our experience, that irony is subtle, and is mostly unnoticed. We repeat the adage that practice makes proficient, and since the intended audience will have limited experiences, and almost no expectations of encountering anything other than the mundane, we suggest liberal usage of irony, if only for our personal amusement.
Yours Truly has the utmost confidence that the Gentle Researcher will attain proficiency in the application of dual mindedness with the eventual goal of winning friends and influencing people.
“Dual mindedness” can allude to the commonly understood behavior of saying one thing, yet doing the opposite of what was stated. This behavior may be considered hypocritical. From long and painful experience, we know that people treat other people differently for a variety of reasons; the most common explanations and reasons seem to be social status, wealth or physical appearance.
While we are aware that these attributes are due entirely to chance (for only a wretched idiot would not want influence, riches and looks) and behave accordingly, we nonetheless, at times, fall victim to our prejudices as beauty, strength and the eternal are more appealing than ugliness, weakness and the changeable. We are aware, all too aware, of our predisposition to certain astrological influences, and we are intentionally less reserved or informal when we engage Cancer Geminis.
The serious charge of hypocrisy should be vigorously examined, to determine if there is any practical, or philosophical reason for distinguishing among certain individuals.
No one would suggest that hypocrisy is the reason for an adult’s different treatment between an adult and a child, for we know that the reason is almost entirely due to the limited experiences and mental development of the child. Yet, the premise that all adults have the same, or similar, mental competency or development is against our experience. Therefore, the safest and most advisable course is to treat all adults as teenagers, until they demonstrate competency in reasoning and understanding. Our suggestion is not without merit, as the frontal cortex is not fully developed until the age of twenty five.
While our suggestion is workable, the application of this idea results in a curtailment of suitable topics, limited to such subjects as weather and sports; and a necessary limited vocabulary, such as used by the typical attendee of a public high school.
As a type of amusement, one could limit responses to words that are of Germanic origin, since most people we encounter are confused by words derived from the Latin and the Greek languages- demi, hemi and semi; flammable and inflammable.
The topic of the weather could include the worldwide weather, and not be limited to one's city. If the weather is pleasant, do not hesitate to discuss last week's weather, or the upcoming weather. Do not limit potential weather discussions to the upcoming week, but speculate on the possibility of extreme weather for the fast approaching seasons. Further speculation concerning next year’s weather as a topic should not be dismissed a priori.
As far as the topic of sports, there should be little concern for knowing few facts concerning either individual or team performance, for as soon as one engages a sports fan, he will do the majority of the talking. It would be helpful to limit one's expressed value judgments to either good or bad, as most people find comfort both in these words and the accompanying worldview based on these vague concepts.
If one is fortunate to find like minded individuals for conversation, then there is no need for these suggested self imposed restrictions. However, do not doubt that one will encounter the charge of hypocrisy from unlike minded individuals, since the Great Occultist will show preferential treatment to those certain individuals who are curious and like to think.
From experience, we know that most people are both self absorbed and can do only thing well. (We wonder if the only thing can do well is to talk about themselves.) Inevitably, one will encounter repeated stories and anecdotes. Do not despair, Gentle Reader, for during these times one can, with little effort, disassociate from the monologue and ponder arcane mysteries, for example, the nature of the universe. If, on the rare occasion, one is justifiably accused of not listening, Yours Truly has no doubt that the Gentle Researcher can quickly recover his composure. We caution the Careless Reader that likability, creativity, and the possession of virtue are not synonymous with the art of conveying information.
The most uncomfortable aspect of our suggestion is the result: a demeaning attitude towards the adult population. Fortunately, we are not without hope, as most adults can neither recognize irony nor appreciate it. This inability to comprehend irony is due to the fact, based on our experience, that irony is subtle, and is mostly unnoticed. We repeat the adage that practice makes proficient, and since the intended audience will have limited experiences, and almost no expectations of encountering anything other than the mundane, we suggest liberal usage of irony, if only for our personal amusement.
Yours Truly has the utmost confidence that the Gentle Researcher will attain proficiency in the application of dual mindedness with the eventual goal of winning friends and influencing people.