That's my answer. Sort of. We all seek it with some Kierkegaardian "Other". Most humans seek it with another human being, to their detriment.
Here's the rub: What a man or woman really needs, to change his/her nature, from a problematic state (could be called "sin", or "samsara", or "maya", or some such) to a transcendent joyful awareness (could be called "Heaven", or "Nirvana", or "moksha", or some such) is to fall in love with @God.
Except, God doesn't exist. Unless you create God for yourself. Atman is brahman. And all that rot, so to speak. Because Brahman doesn't exist, either. Neither do Heaven, Nirvana, or mosksha. Unless they do. They might. Or they might not. They start to exist when you stop caring whether they exist.
God begins to exist when you stop caring whether God exists.
The physical death of atman is the end. Unless it isn't. Atman can only become brahman when you stop caring whether it does or not.
It comes back to "Love", but not in any common sense of that word. The capital "L" tries to invoke the essence of the nature-changing concept, but it fails.
You have to "Love" everybody and everything, but you can't. That's "original sin". There is a very profound and ultimate paradox to "Love". (And that word fails to communicate it. The Tao that can be spoken is not the Tao.)
The beginning of all "salvation", for lack of a better word for it, comes when one Loves Oneself. Once one Loves Oneself, then and only then, one can begin to see that atman equals brahman.
One has the deepest possible compassion for all living creatures, only once one has the deepest possible compassion for oneself. Which is a total paradox. "Absolute selflessness springs from absolute selfishness" begins to describe it, maybe.
Well, I could go on about this particular concept of "Love", with a capital "L", at length, but I doubt that it would do much good. Spiritual leaders and masters have been teaching and writing about it for millennia, now. If one has Ears, one can Hear. If one has Eyes, one can See.
There's really nothing else that poor little me can say about it that would help.
we have a famous local saying in turkey. "yokluk mertliği bozar." i ll post my translation with original for who have hope for beter translation. "poverty breaks dignity." in here poverty canbe replaced with absence or needliness, i cant be sure. after than that "Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist," -George Carlin and even more after than that i read but i couldnt remember who said that becide being a famous psychiatrist, "to be able to change you have to suffer 10/10, 9/10 is not near enough."
Love can be gained and lost and regained Hatred can be overcome Power comes and goes Greed can be shelved Betrayal, forgiven You can accept Regret and Suffering lessens with time but Death, Death is permanent.
What can change the nature of a man? A woman with a strong will, who knows what she wants, of course...
Provided she has a nice ass, yes. Or is particularly appealing to the male specimen's subjective assessment in any other way, not necessarily physically. Though, it has to be noted, even if physical appeal is not always the most potent form of influence woman has on man, it certainly is the most versatile one.
@God: Ah, you dissapoint me, God. There are ways a woman can wrap a man around her finger with the right look from her eyes, a small gesture, a word, a well-placed pause and breath... Despite me admiring the work you have done in creating both man and woman, physical assets are not the only things attracting people towards each other. ;p
Love can be gained and lost and regained Hatred can be overcome Power comes and goes Greed can be shelved Betrayal, forgiven You can accept Regret and Suffering lessens with time but Death, Death is permanent.
Surely Death is an ending, although for a fungus surely it means time for a snack some good ol' decomposition to take place.
As a teacher, love is by far the greatest changer.
A child without encouragement will not take that first step, will never make a journey to somewhere better.
A child without someone to watch their achievements, mistakes and a listener to hear about the details of their ancient past will sit idle, lonely, and know no better. They will not perform. If they do not perform they will not appreciate the music of life in others.
A child without confidence will stop themselves achieving before anybody else does.
A child without love is a broken thing and deserves pity.
A child without love is someone to fight for. To champion.
...
Replace child with man and I see no reason to change my sentences.
*Clicks BG character creation screen, creates mummified Gnome Paladin, a totally PnP legit class...*
Love can be gained and lost and regained Hatred can be overcome Power comes and goes Greed can be shelved Betrayal, forgiven You can accept Regret and Suffering lessens with time but Death, Death is permanent.
Surely Death is an ending, although for a fungus surely it means time for a snack some good ol' decomposition to take place.
As a teacher, love is by far the greatest changer.
A child without encouragement will not take that first step, will never make a journey to somewhere better.
A child without someone to watch their achievements, mistakes and a listener to hear about the details of their ancient past will sit idle, lonely, and know no better. They will not perform. If they do not perform they will not appreciate the music of life in others.
A child without confidence will stop themselves achieving before anybody else does.
A child without love is a broken thing and deserves pity.
A child without love is someone to fight for. To champion.
...
Replace child with man and I see no reason to change my sentences.
*Clicks BG character creation screen, creates mummified Gnome Paladin, a totally PnP legit class...*
It's interesting to see how peoples jobs and life experiences affect their philosophies. Perhaps each choice can act as a significant life changer if applied in high enough quantities. And I thought I was playing damage dealer. I guess I can play cleric then.
I find it adorable how humankind disregards what lies beyond everything and nothing. It is as if they tried to comprehend a rope by looking exclusively at two of its extremes, whilst ignoring the length of the rope, its state, purpose, whereabouts and lots and lots of essential astrophysics.
Every character who changes over the course of a story proves you wrong. Change can be difficult, but it happens, all right.
When people say, "you can't change human nature," generally they are talking about the human race as a whole, not a specific person. Just because you are a nice person doesn't mean your children are going to be born nice as well. Just about anything CAN change the nature of a man; that's just common sense.
Only two things can change a man's nature, and they have to come together: Time and Experience. You're not the same person you are when you were younger. But sometimes, that change and time merely reinforces one's nature, rather than actually making something new or different. If someone clings to their attitudes and beliefs despite time and experience showing them that they may be wrong, their nature will calcify rather than grow.
Comments
Second of all, if we are going to revisit this, then,
That's my answer. Sort of. We all seek it with some Kierkegaardian "Other". Most humans seek it with another human being, to their detriment.
Here's the rub: What a man or woman really needs, to change his/her nature, from a problematic state (could be called "sin", or "samsara", or "maya", or some such) to a transcendent joyful awareness (could be called "Heaven", or "Nirvana", or "moksha", or some such) is to fall in love with @God.
Except, God doesn't exist. Unless you create God for yourself. Atman is brahman. And all that rot, so to speak. Because Brahman doesn't exist, either. Neither do Heaven, Nirvana, or mosksha. Unless they do. They might. Or they might not. They start to exist when you stop caring whether they exist.
God begins to exist when you stop caring whether God exists.
The physical death of atman is the end. Unless it isn't. Atman can only become brahman when you stop caring whether it does or not.
It comes back to "Love", but not in any common sense of that word. The capital "L" tries to invoke the essence of the nature-changing concept, but it fails.
You have to "Love" everybody and everything, but you can't. That's "original sin". There is a very profound and ultimate paradox to "Love". (And that word fails to communicate it. The Tao that can be spoken is not the Tao.)
The beginning of all "salvation", for lack of a better word for it, comes when one Loves Oneself. Once one Loves Oneself, then and only then, one can begin to see that atman equals brahman.
One has the deepest possible compassion for all living creatures, only once one has the deepest possible compassion for oneself. Which is a total paradox. "Absolute selflessness springs from absolute selfishness" begins to describe it, maybe.
Well, I could go on about this particular concept of "Love", with a capital "L", at length, but I doubt that it would do much good. Spiritual leaders and masters have been teaching and writing about it for millennia, now. If one has Ears, one can Hear. If one has Eyes, one can See.
There's really nothing else that poor little me can say about it that would help.
"poverty breaks dignity." in here poverty canbe replaced with absence or needliness, i cant be sure.
after than that "Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist," -George Carlin
and even more after than that i read but i couldnt remember who said that becide being a famous psychiatrist, "to be able to change you have to suffer 10/10, 9/10 is not near enough."
Hatred can be overcome
Power comes and goes
Greed can be shelved
Betrayal, forgiven
You can accept Regret
and Suffering lessens with time
but Death, Death is permanent.
As a teacher, love is by far the greatest changer.
A child without encouragement will not take that first step, will never make a journey to somewhere better.
A child without someone to watch their achievements, mistakes and a listener to hear about the details of their ancient past will sit idle, lonely, and know no better. They will not perform. If they do not perform they will not appreciate the music of life in others.
A child without confidence will stop themselves achieving before anybody else does.
A child without love is a broken thing and deserves pity.
A child without love is someone to fight for. To champion.
...
Replace child with man and I see no reason to change my sentences.
*Clicks BG character creation screen, creates mummified Gnome Paladin, a totally PnP legit class...*
I think the question in the OP can never get old. Moreover, the quote from the Numenera Kickstarter video I used fits my raising this thread so much.
True the question can't get old.
Well, that's an easy one: women! :P
When people say, "you can't change human nature," generally they are talking about the human race as a whole, not a specific person. Just because you are a nice person doesn't mean your children are going to be born nice as well. Just about anything CAN change the nature of a man; that's just common sense.
Can't change a man