by Chris Billowsin Mental Mischief0 commentstags: Comprehensive Analysis, Defining Life, Human Condition
Through my collective experiences from learning about religious values to developing program guidelines, I see the existence of a continuum of guidance. It is as follows: Instinct – the basic guidance system that functions at our biological & survival levels. The rules of the jungle. Intuitive Guidance – how we interact with others through feelings. The rules of emotional and social intelligence. Ethical Guidelines – a critical analysis about how we treat others and what we value. Also known as a Statement of Values which is just a more refined and wordsmithed summary and is typically public shared. The rules of values. Morals & Social Mores – an established set of rules about moral conduct with a clearly defined set of consequences. Tends to be based around religious scripture. The rules of philosophy and religion. Common Law – an evolving set of laws that is enforced by judges who create precedent by their interpration of society’s values. Also known as Case Law. The rules of society. Legislative Law – political forces and individuals who consciously create and enforce law based on a combination of societal and political values. The rules of nation states. Regulatory Law – institutions that further enforce […]
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: Defining Life, Quotations
One of the things I remember from my deceased father was his advice to not worry if people do not like you. He emphasized that if somebody should not like you, that was their problem. There was little you could do to make somebody like you if they did not want to. I took this advice to heart. During my school years and even to today, I really don’t concern myself whether people like me or not. I know that it is impossible to control somebody else’s thoughts, so I don’t bother worrying about them. I don’t worry about my reputation and don’t worry about my social standing. It is very liberating. But that does not mean I don’t care about other people. In my job as a Social Worker and in my spiritual life, I believe very strongly that it is important to care about others. The question is what is it we are to care for in others. I would say that we need to care about how they feel, not what they think. I value feeling over thinking, because feeling is much more primal and is better remembered. I have experienced this in both business and in […]
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: Defining Life, Human Condition, Meaning of Life, Quotations
I am convinced that personal responsibility is the single most important decision facing humanity. I see evidence of this in humanity’s relationship with the great spiritual masters such as Buddha and Jesus. Assuming that we accept the premise that these masters were also great teachers, we must ask if it is the teacher’s fault if the student does not practice what is taught. Buddha taught for about fifty years and was highly revered as a teacher. Yet despite all his efforts there has been, and will continue to be, people who cannot or will not take his teachings to heart. This proves to me that students have the birthright of personal responsibility. Taking personal responsibility is the basis of every sound business, every helpful psychological system, and the every mystical tradition that the world has ever seen. It is simply the crux of everything.
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: Change of Mind, Defining Life
“Hi my name is Chris and I am a recovering ideologue.” No, I am not intending on starting a self-help group like Alcoholics Anonymous for people who are turned off to political and religious ideology, but this blog post is a bit of a confession. Like many, attending University for me was a time of exposure to many new ideas and systems of thought. I came across a multitude of theories in psychology, sociology, history, science, and various other courses. I started looking for a system of thinking that was consistent and had an inherent integrity. I was influenced by socialism during my Social Work and Labor Studies courses. I was influenced by spiritualism during my Religion courses. While individual ideas came, evolved, and went I was convinced that that ideology in some form was the tool and method in which to solve the world’s problems. It was that conviction that inspired me to help form the Green Party. That is where I participated in and promoted the view that it was just a simple matter of convincing everyone to think Green, or ideally adopt a Green ideology, and then we could solve the environmental and social issues plaguing Canada. […]
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