Use The Internet To Educate Yourself 9-18-2010

 [I have procrastinated with this particular entry, it would be written a bit differently nowadays. I do not like its tone. However, when I started posting my journals, I promised that I would not censor them. I have been able to keep that promise, except for any I think my monitoring software will block. This is how I was thinking, these are how I expressed myself, during this time. sch 7/11/2023.]

I wrote that a moral/ethical education is possible for everyone. All one need to do is read.

My crimes were committed because I knew they were immoral. My purpose was to besmirch myself so entirely that self-destruction was my only alternative. I did this. Yes, I repeat myself; it seems necessary.

Go back through my notes, and you will find a list of books I thought worth reading. That I ignored them is not their fault. Yes, they fall into the Great Books tradition of Dead White Men - disparage my choices, if you have read them. They are online, they are free. You have no excuse to not read them. [If you have any feelings on the choices I made for source, feel free to list them in the comments. If you have other suggestions, list them, too.sch 7/11/2023.]

Which brings me to the real topic here: laziness. I let stubbornness and a bad temper and laziness keep from seeing any other solution to my other than suicide.

Procrastination was a well-known acquaintance to me. Always putting off action because of what seemed more pressing matters, or too difficult to be dealt with. We live frenetically cluttered lives nowadays.

I also call intellectual self-satisfaction a form of laziness. Those on the left will not listen to Rush Limbaugh, and those on the right will not listen to MSNBC.  Under this form of laziness, superstition masquerades as rationality.

Having broadband access means what I suggest will take little time. [Okay, I am going to do an edit here. Does anyone now not know how to use tabs in a browser?] You can say you do not need to learn anything. Have you now achieved godhood? Please, explain how. Nothing human is perfect, and nothing human can be outside of criticism. To continue revelling in ignorance is not boldness, but cowardice.

Learn philosophy from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, or from Wikipedia. It is a start. Do not skim. Dare to push your boundaries. The only thing you need to fear is learning how much further you need to go to being a better human.

You may also learn how little you need a guru. You may find all you need is others to talk with and to reason together. I know how many of you prefer being told rather than thinking for yourself. For those who need someone to tell them what to do, I doubt I am any help to you.

sch