Our reactions to the crimes committed by others is influenced by our (non) understanding of the brain. While we might have some levels of leniency built in for those who are certifiably ill, we are nowhere close to resolving the conflict in the case of those who are (probably) suffering from equally complex mental instability, but only at a point in time.
My models of interaction with the world at large has helped me convert many uncertainties into risks. But they are far from robust. I realise that I cannot completely control what is thrown at me, I have to build better framing for how to react to it. Maybe that’s the way to make the uncertain, simple.
Towards the end of The Way of Zen, Alan Watts has a line that creates a binary between natural and good. I must admit that I felt some validation there! Over many years and experiences, the resident (and dominant) cynic in me has come to believe that “naturally good” in terms of a person’s character and behaviour can […]
*Conditions Apply The first documented appearance of the subject on the blog is in 2011, and I seem to have posted on the subject every alternate year, the last being in 2015. But it’s sheer coincidence and not really pattern following that led me to think, and write, about free will now. Across my life, […]
It seems I never tire of writing about choices! Mad Men, and its reviews, is the reason for the latest bout of thinking on the subject. Very specifically, S7E6 and the review at AV Club. As the show nears its end, it is easy to see how each character’s choices have led them to a […]