Thomas Merton Quote

"I am beginning to realize that "sanity"
is no longer a value or an end in itself.
If modern people were a little less sane,
a little more doubtful, a little more aware
of their absurdities and contradictions,
perhaps there might be the possibility
of their survival."

by:	Thomas Merton (1915-1968)
Source:	his book, Peacemaking Day by Day
Rating:
Categories:	Diversity, Independence, Individualism, Proverbs, Reason, Sanity, Skepticism, Wisdom
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Yup, we are not a very self-aware bunch... and we would benefit from being more so.  -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
There is no better cure for most of out ills and problems than some thorough and careful introspection of ourselves as individuals.  -- John-Douglas, Nassau
This doesn't make sense. Being "little less sane" and "a little more aware" are mutually exclusive. Our problems today are caused by people lacking pragmatic judgement and who are generally a little insane and therefore unable to face reality.  -- Lynn, Bozeman, MT
He's already put "sanity" in quotes. Being aware is completely accepting reality regardless of whether or not you like it. I think the sanity to which he refers is that concrete belief that you know what's best often based on what someone else has written or told you. Awareness is trusting your own experience.  -- Susi, Jeffersonville
This is a childish subjective nonsensical display. Sanity is an objective status as plain as left or right, day or night, black or white. The child lives is a biased, selfish, self-centered, make believe world where they uncritical perceive themselves as the center of the universe. For the mentally healthy sane adult the case is the reversed.  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown
lolol — who is defining sanity and by/on what scale. Sanity is such a subjective subject, as is shown by more often than not, the valetudinarians are running the nut house. ;-) Another example of insanity would be a doubly minded individual thinking a Borg simile would be sane. If sanity were equated to/with absolute truth (a huge "IF") being a little more aware of their absurdities and contradictions, perhaps there might be the possibility of their survival.  -- Mike, Norwalk
Mike Norwalk, Sanity is to simply to live life to the fullest, not the phony misrepresenting effort that sadly you and the rest of the conventional populous arrangement represent. Socialism is the vision of social abilities to create.  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown      1
Sillik, your mental illness' manifest religion is so sufficiently skewed that doubly minded doesn't even come close to describe the stupid / shallow canned statements you make. What do you claim the vision / mentally ill phantasm has that it has an ability to create (create WHAT ? ? ?) Socialism in its long history and differing applications has only created destruction, death, pain, chaos, poverty and programs that do very little more than spread delusion  -- Mike, Norwalk      2
Fred's catch phrase of socialism means nothing.  He's been harping on that since day one as some sort of cornerstone to wisdom — it's not.  It's certainly not a true definition of socialism.  Just another example that those espousing socialism suffer from cognitive dissonance. Fred, socialism doesn't create anything, people do.  Socialism appropriates the creation and says "mine."  The vision of socialists is to engineer society, to rule over "the conventional populace."  Such egomania is the source of political oppression wherever it is found.  Fred, you ARE a socialist.  -- E Archer, NYC      1
Mr Archer, Hello,  you must have an ideological bases for your creating production, if you're going create anything in the interest of human development. People don't create monstrous weaponry, only unprincipled monsters perform this action. Socialism is real now, and makes real humans and authentic human promotional products.  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown
Correction: Mr Archer,  Hello, you must have an ideological bases for your creation productivity, if you're going to create anything in the interest of human development. People don't create monstrous weaponry only unprincipled monsters perform this action. Socialism is real now, and makes real humans and authentic human promotional products. Thank-you  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

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