[lit-ideas] Re: Living Philosophically.
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:47:06 -0700
On Aug 10, 2011, at 5:08 PM, carol kirschenbaum wrote:
> You're way ahead of me. I'm still trying to figure out what "spiritual" is
> supposed to mean.
>
> Carol K.
>
> On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 4:17 PM, Mike Geary <jejunejesuit.geary2@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> "Story-telling is the best protection we have against forgetting the
> spiritual interior of our lives." (Barry Lopez)
>
> Philosophically, what do you think of this quote? Meaningful? A pledge of
> allegiance? Pure bullshit? What could possibly give it credence?
> Personally, I agree with the sentiment, though I don't know what "the
> spiritual interior of our lives" means. In an affective kind of way, it has
> meaning to me. But does it hold up to logical analysis? I've never been
> very good at logic, my wants are much stronger than my thoughts.
>
> What think ye?
>
If he means that stories can be encouraging, can help folk to find courage,
also goodness, kindness, usw, I'll agree that's an occasional aim. But, for
example today's tale of a local kid who survived being under seawater for
twenty minutes, to one audience is a sign of God's benevolence, and to another,
evidence of the power of cold water to preserve.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/08/washington_boy_recovering_at_ohsu_after_spending_20_minutes_under_water.html
We repeat the story because we're impressed by anomaly, because we're
interested in patterns, because we're pleased to be distracted from tales of
daily grind, heat, riot and mayhem.
David Ritchie,
unprotected against many kinds of forgetting in
Portland, Oregon
Other related posts:
