Monday, June 29, 2015

Dispassionate Hatred

Picking up the theme from yesterday's brief post, it is not as if life without the left would somehow be paradise. Rather, the problem is man, and man only. Thus, the left is just like man, only worse. It simply exaggerates what is worst in man -- envy, ingratitude, entitlement, pettiness, perversion, dishonesty, etc. -- and then turns it into virtue before going on to subsidize it.

For the spiritually awake, one of the most subtly dangerous aspects of the left is that it makes it so easy to feel superior. I alluded to this in yesterday's post, and it's a real temptation. When Jesus enjoins us to love the enemy, he is conveying a deeper lesson than just Unreasonable Niceness.

Rather, if not done in the proper spirit, criticism can become a covert vehicle to elevate and exalt the self. Hatred would be just an extreme case: it is as if by hating the object, we unconsciously justify ourselves, such that God's forgiving grace is not needed.

I would even go so far as to say that -- so long as we have deeply internalized the lesson above -- we are free to hate what is properly hateful. But few people can pull this off without the thrill of auto-salvation. It is analogous to, say, a saint being able to sleep in a bed full of naked supermodels and not have a lustful thought, even while appreciating their beauty. The point is, the spontaneous aversion of hatred can be a kind of dispassionate discernment, but it rarely is.

I have only to think back on my own irrational hatreds of the past to see how this works. I suppose I hated Reagan at the time. Certainly I agreed with all the hateful things the left said about him and about conservatives more generally, which automatically placed me on a plane of completely unmerited, even delusional, superiority -- as when, say, a squalid creature such as Al Sharpton rebukes an Antonin Scalia.

So, it's preferable to just hate without being hateful, i.e., to not enjoy that secret thrill of hating. In ten years of blogging, I can't recall ever making an angry comment to a troll. Rather, I find a way to make them appear ridiculous.

What was the real Last Temptation of Christ? Perhaps it was the temptation to hate his executioners, otherwise why ask the Father to forgive them? Likewise, forgive Justice Kennedy, because he is utterly without a clue.

One book that really gets deeply into this whole discernment-of-hatred business is Christ the Eternal Tao. The key principle, if I recall correctly, is that we all have a higher and lower nature, and that it is the task of the higher to detach -- or distance, rather -- itself from the lower, so as to observe it without being caught up in it.

In a certain sense, this goes to the distinction between our animal and properly human natures. For example, why do we wear clothing instead of going about naked, as they do in San Francisco? What's the big deal? What's your hang-up? In the Jewish tradition, the purpose of clothing is to elevate us above the beasts. Which is why San Francisco is so bestial.

Man is composed of body, soul, and spirit; or soma, psyche, and pneuma. It is possible for one's being to be conditioned from the bottom up, when the whole freaking point -- at least in the Judeo-Christian view -- is to be conditioned from the top down so as to humanize the animals we are (not to animalize the human, which is literally the project of the left. Which I can affirm with no hatred whatsoever).

As we have discussed in the past, man has two sets of defense mechanisms, one against the lower, the other against the higher. Few animal types can successfully sink all the way down to animality.

Take the example of an ACLU lawyer, defending the right of a high school student to wear a t-shirt saying SUCK MY DICK. I am waiting for the day one of these pasty-faced legal adventurers has the courage of his convictions and wears such shirt to court. But most liberals do not practice what they preach, or they would be as dysfunctional as the people who actually live liberal ideas, as in the inner cities.

You could say there are three main attractors in the human state: call them unconscious, ego, and supra-conscious. In Vedanta they are called sattva, rajas, and tamas (the gunas), for these are an expression of universal metaphysics. In short, there are luminous and "ascending" types, just as there are tenebrous and descending types. The middle area is not necessarily "bad," as these can be positively expansive types. Furthermore, everyone has a mixture of the three, with one guna typically predominating.

People who are spontaneously attracted to God are likely of an ascending nature. Conversely, most people who are spontaneously attracted to politics are of a rajasic nature -- say, Bill Clinton, who is rajas-tamasic all the way down. There is no higher in him, only its facsimile. Obama is an even more dangerous case, for he was elected on the basis of a kind of meretricious sattva ("the Lightbringer"), which is an inverse analogy of hell. Which I say with no hatred in my heart.

From Christ the Eternal Tao: the wrong kind of condemnation "is a kind of mechanism which the ego uses in order to immediately exalt itself over something or someone..." But "When we are truly humble and in submission to God, it is possible to discern right from wrong without judging or condemning."

In other words, it is possible to be godly without presuming to be God. This egoic judgment is wrong to the extent that it is "made in order to feel more right than the person whom we have judged." It blocks the path to God, as opposed to dilating it via humility.

Metanoia -- the second birth -- is really a reorientation to the Great Attractor. "Along with this comes the yearning... for that which separates us from Him to be removed..." And "We know that our metanoia is genuine -- that is, that a Divine change has really occurred in us -- when we have a revulsion for what before appeared sweet to us."

I don't know about you, but my old self not only nauseates me, but I am always mindful that there but for the grace of God...

Which is what occurs to me when dealing with a troll, as in yesterday's post. "[W]e still carry within ourselves the inclination and habit to return to our former condition." For example, I could have a head injury, or a stroke, and somehow regress to my former self, and I don't think it would be right to hate me for that, but rather, to have compassion.

Looked at this way, it is as the Tao says -- something to the effect of, "What is a bad man but a good man's teacher?" Each one is a kind of object lesson which we should learn in all humility. Trolls are stepping stones to our better selves. When Jesus says "resist not evil," I don't think he means to just "let it go," but rather, to rise above it, i.e., do not engage it on its own level.

Here again, this is one thing that really impresses about Churchill. He did what was necessary to eradicate evil without getting caught up in the pleasure of being superior to fascists. But now we are denied not only the pleasure, but even the superiority over our Islamic enemy. For the left, the only permissible pleasure is the participation in our own well deserved destruction.

38 comments:

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"So, it's preferable to just hate without being hateful, i.e., to not enjoy that secret thrill of hating. In ten years of blogging, I can't recall ever making an angry comment to a troll. Rather, I find a way to make them appear ridiculous."

Well, more ridiculous, actually. They really hate that, but then again they hate pretty much everything, even while they shriek about how hateful we are. With the left, projectors are never out of style.

Gagdad Bob said...

How to make a liberal sound ridiculous: allow him to speak.

Gagdad Bob said...

Like this guy. How could liberalism not work? Must be those hateful conservatives.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"I don't know about you, but my old self not only nauseates me, but I am always mindful that there but for the grace of God."

Aye. While I try my best to dispassionately hate evil, I feel pity for leftists. For what is more pitiful than being nlind to the truth, and not just being blind but having an intense hatred for it?

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Blind that is. Although nlind can be thought of as blind to nous. As in, lefties have nothin' to nous.

Skully said...

Freedoms jest another word for nothin' left to nous...

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

It's all Greek to me, Bob.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

This reminds me of an interview, years ago, when O'Reilly couldn't understand how Chris Kyle could possibly enjoy his job of eradicating evil.
But who wouldn't enjoy eradicating the kind of evil that rejoices in the torture, rape and murder of children and women?
I mean, really, that kind of evil ain't even human. Ain't even animal, either. It's as demonic, satanic and diabolical as a monster can get.
Besides, the real joy Kyle felt, and he expresses this in his book, was defending those who couldn't defend themselves.

He felt guilty whenever he couldn't defend everyone, not just his brothers but Iraqis too.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Math is greek to the Greeks.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"People who are spontaneously attracted to God are likely of an ascending nature. Conversely, most people who are spontaneously attracted to politics are of a rajasic nature -- say, Bill Clinton, who is rajas-tamasic all the way down. There is no higher in him, only its facsimile. Obama is an even more dangerous case, for he was elected on the basis of a kind of meretricious sattva ("the Lightbringer"), which is an inverse analogy of hell. Which I say with no hatred in my heart."

Ah yes, Obama the Blightbringer.
I suppose one could say that lefties are like that song, Blinded By The Blight.

John Lien said...

Yep, I fall into that hate/superiority trap more often than I'd care to admit. But at least I'm aware it is a problem. Especially for people I know I will never meet. They are almost more a concept to me than an actual person.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

David Burge – ‏@iowahawkblog

Beware Greeks bearing grifts.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

John, I know what you mean.
It's difficult, to say the least to humanize the inhumane.

Gagdad Bob said...

No matter how much I dislike someone in the abstract, I pretty much can't help being polite to them in the flesh.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Of course, Iowahawk says it better than I (dammit!):

David Burge ‏@iowahawkblog
Birthplace of democracy wants to vote against math.

Gagdad Bob said...

Greece reminds me of Detroit. Detroit in the 1950s was a great place to live. But today, if you compare Berlin to Detroit, you'd think we lost WW2.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Bob, that's a good point.
It is quite different when you meet someone face to face, and politeness costs nothing.
I always marvel at the way Churchill could politely tell idiots how idiotic they are without being bombastic about it.

julie said...

Re. yesterday's troll, I figure maybe he was ranting about how hateful we are because deep down, he's hoping we'll show our true colors and pray for him.

Me, I'm actually sorry that people are starting to get what they voted for. Like that awesome health care that's so easy to access. It's so awesome, my mom can't even get a primary care doctor in her town to refer her to her pulmonologist so she can figure out why her blood pressure went nuts earlier this year. She had her one free visit, though, so you know. Access. It's great. Looking forward to discovering how that accessible health care will work for my family in the coming year, too. I'm sure it'll be fabulous.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Julie, as Iowahawk pointed out it's so affordable it had to be mandatory.
Now if only we can make it mandatory for SCOTUS, Congress, POTUS and govt. Unions. Then we wouldn't hear about how affordable and great it is.

julie said...

Yep. Also for mainstream media. Then maybe they'd tell the truth about it.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

That's a superb idea, Julie, lol.
BTW, I received a letter recently begging me to enroll. As bad as the VA can be I think I'll decline, because SCOTUSBAMAScare will be much worse and cost more.
To the left that's considered progress.

Basic math and economics still eludes them, much like the Greeks they admire so much.

While we're wishin' I think everyone who supports this mess should be forced to enroll. But the left never puts it's money where it's collective heads are at.

Gagdad Bob said...

My healthcare costs have gone up tremendously in the last year. I would assume it's because of Obamacare, but who has time to do the research? All I know is diabetes was already an expensive disease, and now I have to help pay for people who don't take care of theirs.

julie said...

Yep. My kid's generic anti-seizure medicine has shot way up this year, too - more than double the cost compared to last year. Whenever I go to pick it up, the pharmacists always ask, rather hesitatingly, if I know that's going to be the price. They must have a lot of people either freaking out about prices or just flat-out refusing to fill their meds. Not a good time to be sick.

Kurt said...

I know we're not supposed to hate, but is it just me or does anyone else want to punch Josh Earnest in his mealy-mouthed mug? He epitomizes the smug, arrogant yet incredibly ignorant philosophy of this corrupt regime. Maybe I could punch him for his own good, like to wake him up? I guess that wouldn't be very Christian, though...

Gagdad Bob said...

Same with me! The pharmacy tech kind of apologetically flashes me the receipt with the number on it, and says "you sure you want it?" Well, yeah, since I'll be dead without it.

Held hostage by the state.

julie said...

Yeah. Thanks, Obamacare!

Kurt, I don't have that desire, but probably because I try to avoid watching the news as much as possible, so couldn't pick him out of a lineup. I much prefer the transcripts.

A Cluebat wielded for the recipient's own good is not necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on how dispassionately and accurately you swing.

Gagdad Bob said...

I personally wouldn't want to punch Josh Earnest. Whack his smarmy mug with an axe handle, rather.

Gagdad Bob said...

Completely dispassionately, of course

mushroom said...

For example, why do we wear clothing instead of going about naked, as they do in San Francisco?

Here in the real world, we have something called blackberry briars. I guarantee the "help" that are running the trimmers out in 'Frisco are wearing britches of some sort.

mushroom said...

I think you can thump somebody without hating them. There's a difference between the white trash "step-father" who abuses a child and the way my mother disciplined me. Mom loved me enough to beat a little sense into me. Obviously, Josh Earnest's parents didn't really love him.

But I do.

Skully said...

I would be happy to earnestly smack some sense into Josh, with the shillelagh of good sense.

Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant said...

Love Hurts.

Tony said...

I feel I have something to say here. Three weeks ago, one of my best friends was killed on her bicycle on a remote country road by an old man driving a pickup. She was 63, a major scholar, a devoted friend, and as a self-described "progressive," pretty much on the opposite side of every issue from me. I'm still grieving her death, as is my entire family.

And now yesterday I learned that another colleague of mine, a man not much older than me, a Dominican tertiary, an enormously productive, industrious, well-respected man in an administrative position at my university, and one who sees eye to eye with me on pretty much every political issue, has been diagnosed with leukemia. I'm holding out hope that something can be done to knock his disease into remission, but I don't know much of anything about it yet, and it's obviously going to be a huge blow to lose him.

I've reached the Age of Losing Friends on both sides of the political aisle. I'm going to have to learn to let this settle in and live alongside it for the foreseeable future.

To the point of your post, Bob, I suppose it was easier to live with my first friend's politics -- and hers with mine -- because we trusted that we would take care of each other. We knew we'd do this because we knew that political struggle did not define who we were, at bottom. It would always be, we knew, subordinated to charity. I don't think this was a cop out on either of our part. The reality of our affection and trust for each other made our politics a secondary game. This was, I think, as it should've been.

We are sub specie aeternitatis. What makes me cold with contempt for "gay" activitists is the way they have reduced everyone. I cannot get along with people that small-souled and sour. To cope, I simply avoid them. Like you, I'm polite, but until they start treating me as a person, I will have nothing to do with them.

julie said...

Magister, thanks for sharing that. I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. And will be praying that your colleague's leukemia does go into remission.

John Lien said...

Sorry to hear that, Magister. I said a prayer for you and your friends.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

My condolences, Magister.
Prayers for your friends and you. Please feel free to e-mail me if you ever wanna talk, or if you have any prayer requests.
Ussben@icloud.com

Tony said...

Julie, John, Ben, thanks, I know all our prayers are working to the good. Ben, you've been in my prayers as well.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Thank you, Magister.

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