User:DuctusExemplo

"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate."

Inspiration
DuctusExemplo is the slogan of Officer Candidate School for the United States Marine Corps. Located in Quantico, VA. it is the right of passage for all officers seeking a commission in the Marine Corps. Translated from Latin to English "ductus exemplo" means "leadership through example".

Interests
User: DuctusExemplo is interested in the interplay of social structure and human agency, predominately in explaining and predicting the variance in agency within a social environment. In addition DuctusExemplo seeks knowledge from philosophy, mostly interested in ethics and moral discussion, and the interplay of history with both social themes and the philosophies that paralleled [or didn't] them.

Thoughts
Only on a basis of understanding can we hope to influence.

Justification of Emotions
There is absolutely nothing wrong with anger, aggression, or any emotional or behavior tendency...so long as we can look at it directly, objectively, and understand it and its roots, as well as control it. In many cases emotions such as fear, anger, aggression and the likes, that often get bad names, are human beings' only and best, most powerful weapons. Men can't fly, we don't have talons, blazing speed, or great strength. We are however armed with emotions and emotional responses. These emotions can generate life saving as well as life taking action. Without emotions we would be terribly unarmed in the natural war that has raged since the beginning of time. It is these emotions that are often feared and suppressed that provide us with out greatest strength. Understanding and controlling them is paramount as it would be to train a soldier with guns and knives. It is our individual emotions that serve as our first weapon.

Soldier quotes
"A soldier understands that there are times when all others have failed, and that then he must 'pay the butchers bill' and fight, suffer, and die to undo the errors of the politics and to fulfill the 'will of the people'."
 * Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Ret. On Killing

"However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind."
 * Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Ret.

"Killing is like sex. The people who REALLY do it...don't talk about it."
 * Grossman

"Loving a good woman and killing a bad man make up fulfillment in life."
 * Grossman

On going all the way
"If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even try or start.  This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, and maybe even your mind.  It could mean not eating for three or four days.  It could mean freezing on a park bench.  It could mean jail.  It could mean derision.  It could mean mockery or isolation.  Isolation is the gift.  All the others are tests of you endurance, of how much you really want it.  And you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds.  And it will be better than anything else you can imagine.  If you're going to try go all the way.  There is no other feeling like that.  You will be alone with he gods, and the nights will flame with fire.  You will ride life Straight to perfect laughter.  It is the only good fight there is."
 * Charles Bukowski

According to this view one must accept the vice in "going all the way". But admittedly there is/are something/s that are worth this vice. And deciding when to apply this vice is then the virtue. The question is how do you interpret when it is time to apply the vice, going against the stoic philosophy and bending time and space to suit your own will?

A larger question, then, is when to apply any vice, as there can be imagined a time when it is necessary to complete a mission. As in killing, when is it time to go against god's will, against human nature, and be demonize yourself to your enemy?

"It is not necessary to change the nature of things to come to victory... Thus, his [the sage commander] first question is, not what to do but how to be. Simply being oneself brings about a power often lost in the rush to be something else."
 * Sun Tzu

Being One's-self
"Because the Sage Commander has settled into being who he is, he is no longer constantly comparing himself to others. He is not embarrassed and doesn't need to pretend to be more than he is.  There is no gap between his words and his actions.  Thus he acts from his own ground of strength.  Since his mind is not distracted, he can catch the opportunities that arise from each circumstance."

"The Sage Commander is genuine because he appreciates himself as he is. This gives rise to gentleness, where by he can allow things to be as they are rather than forcing them to be a certain way.  This kindness is not based on the logic of ethics, nor do they (his actions) necessarily conform to conventional standard of behavior."

"Knowing how to be means that the Sage Commander doesn't hover about the ground or perch his seat, but sits like a mountain of the nature of the earth. Being who he is, he is a compass point by which others can obtain their bearings, so that they too can relax into who they are.  This resolves the ground of any situation, sorting out confusion before it arises.  Simply by being who he is, holding his seat, he has already accomplished much of his goal...his activity radiates quality and completeness, his actions display a deep conviction."
 * Sun Tzu. The Art of War

Judging a Moral act
I think it is first wise to say that not all action are moral. An act that is moral must in some way influence another person. That is not to say that the majority of actions do not reach a level of importance to other people. Rather, we should be quick to apply knowledge from modern Chaos Theory and remember that the true impact of our knowledge can never be known at the time of the action. Admittedly even the smallest, insignificant actions, depending on degree, duration, frequency, or just luck, can have huge impacts on large populations of people. Therefore, it is rational to operate as if every action were a moral act. However, we must constantly be aware of this vice for it will cloud our vision as to the true circumstances and lead us to think in a state of panic instead of calm logos. Like a poker player, playing the odds, it is wisest to use reason, grounded in time and space (or reality and current circumstance) to make the best decision possible at the time.

Then, so far as this thought goes, there is one moral rule that if applied always will lead to the moral action the most amount of times.

It is: Always do as you would reasonably desire another person to do if the circumstances were the same.

Now upon consideration it is apparent that there is a great deal of ambiguity in this statement that must, if it is to be useful, be drawn out. First, the word 'always' is deliberate (as I strive to make all my words). An ethical statement means nothing if it cannot be made an absolute, a universal duty, in a Kantian way, guide for action. Second, the word 'reasonably' stands to mean that ethical decisions must be made with knowledge. Plato argued that goodness is only attainable with knowledge. This is meant to mean the same. What is good is grounded in reason, and therefore so is the expectation married with this act. If 'the circumstance were the same' is the final point that needs drawing out. This is to mean in situations where the individual merits of the situation are equal. While in reality no two situations will ever match up exactly, it is a theoretical/hypothetical parallel that only needs to exist inside the mind of the person. By asking oneself what he would wish another to do if he himself were a third party observer, or the other party to his moral conundrum, he can asses the same situation from this "other-ed" position.

Discipline
Discipline is commonly associated with applying an external regiment in order to improve behavior. Often it is a foreign element that never completely takes root. However, he develops a natural sense of discipline that is based on appreciating the world and going along with its natural patterns. When you appreciate your body, you eat things that are good for you, rather than forcing yourself onto a diet. Because he appreciates what is happening, he leans into the task with interests and energy rather than feeling he is being dragged to a chore. This is natural discipline is what brings him back to the task and reminds him of the larger perspective.
 * Sun Tzu.

Happiness
Happiness is activity in accordance with excellence. Excellence is bound up with nature, which is doing the right thing, for the right reason, at the right time. An activity is chosen, therefore, must be thoughtful. Someone that does the excellent thing in accordance with nature but is ignorant of these things and of the reason and consequences, and all or one of the elements of the activity, then, cannot be happy because he does not know what he is doing and why he is doing it.

The Heart
The heart is that perfect part of our being which accepts us and our actions, never judges us as right or wrong, always ready to assist us in achieving whatever we choose to do when we believe we can do it. It reflects the forms of thought its given. It is ambivalent, neutral, neither right nor wrong. It can be used to build or destroy, lead some one to the deepest love or the shallowest desires. It can consume and abandon, fulfill and empty. It is the only pure part of a person, and reflects the decisions and actions it is asked to take part in.

Many philosophers equivocate the heart, the soul, the spirit, and like representations. Some regard it as a part of the soul, mainly the passionate part, or thumos. But the Heart and the Soul are not the same thing, and are not to be used interchangeably, neither is it the same as one of the three parts of the soul that have emerged out of classical philosophy. A Heart is something that can be seen, and felt. Not in any tangible way, but in a very real way nonetheless. "Your Heart is seen through your eyes..." as a friend of mine said. It is often confused with the spirited part of the soul because its product is a very powerful spirited type of energy, a fire or burning desire and drive. When a person has Heart they will be motivated in a very spirited way that will look to many like thumos. But this is due the the effect Heart has on an individual. When someone is moving and acting towards and according to their own unique natural and natural ends it is self evident they will appeared very spirited. But Heart is more than just fiery motivation.

By nature it is meant the type of innate essence of a person. By natural is it meant when a thing is in accordance with the environment at a given time as well as in harmony with its own nature. This idea includes the classical philosophical concept of human nature and soul from Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle to name a few, Stoics (specifically the definition of nature and natural); as well as the Eastern Philosophical idea of actions in accordance with external conditions that Sun Tzu references in The Art of War. A more complete discussion will follow.

Every human being is born with a soul. Every person has three forms within them the represent who they are, the actions they take, and ultimately their natural disposition. A Heart, or The Heart, is only seen when the parts of the soul are in harmony, each performing its proper function according to nature in the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons. It does not mean that one part is properly ruling over the others. Rather that the three are working together to produce the best (good, accordance with nature) outcome. This might mean that at some point one part is dominating the others, and another at another time in order to produce the natural end. The Heart then is the entity that emerges whence each part is being utilized to its fullest in its place within the soul.

When a soul achieves the proper ratio of utilizing the advantages from each part it becomes a Heart. At this time the end being pursued will have the highest likely hood of being realize. However, the Heart cannot be fooled, and will only emerge when the end being pursued is a natural end. In this way, Heart becomes a state of the soul, a condition. Heart is a condition of the soul when the utility of the soul is being maximized and is existing in its most natural state. Heart is a condition that one can move in and out of. The organism whose soul is acting as a Heart, however, will always experience the best possible outcome. When we say, "someone has Heart" we mean that his soul is functioning in such a way as to inevitably produce the best outcome according to nature. The person has a "divine spark", that is powerfully motivating action and is tangible, like the wind is to a ship, to both the person and the outside observer. You can only obtain Heart, and utilize the full capacity of the soul, if your chosen ends and your natural ends are in harmony. In this way Heart can breath life into your chosen activities. Your actions will be like water released from a damn, naturally flowing towards their natural place.

One time we experience Heart is when we perceive something to have come between us, our soul, and our natural and chosen ends. However, here, Heart only comes about when something truly comes between our soul and its natural ends. An interference between where we are and where nature intends us to be. The soul knows this difference, and if we are to be cable of Heart we must understand to some degree ourselves, our soul. While a part of our soul (ourselves) our spirit, "stones", or thumos may be evoked at either, Heart is only truly and completely involved and evoked when the latter circumstances are met. The Heart cannot be fooled, the Heart knows what is true and what is not. And it will fight on your side only when you are fighting on the side of what is right, best, and in accordance with nature.

This is not to say that you will never be successful with out Heart. But that success will be the fulfilling of a desire not in accordance with nature. The happiness brought by this will be empty and temporary. Eventually the soul, and yourself, will realize this. If a person knows themselves enough they will recognize this mis-step. The Heart does not play a part in every success. But will aid only in those pursuits that are in accordance with nature so long as the person knows themselves (their soul) enough for their Heart to emerge. Therefore, happiness occurs when Heart is invoked in the fulfilling of a natural end. When a person is living with their Heart, true happiness is possible.

Quotes
"Self interest tends towards peace, and if it could replace thumos in our souls it would accomplish universal peace. Meanwhile, however, people want to stand for something, which means opposing those who stand for something else..." "The reason you assert in your defense protects you and people like you that are included in the argument you advance."—Harvey Mansfield in "How to Understand Politics"

"...To lie and to have lied to the soul about the things that are, and to be ignorant, and to have to hold a lie there is what everyone would leas of all accept; indeed they especially hate it there... For a lie in words is a sort of imitation of this affection in the soul, an image of it that comes into being after it, and not an altogether pure lie."—Plato "The Republic"; line 382b

"Each individual can practice one pursuit well, he cannot practice many well, and if he tried to do this and dabble in many things, he would surely fail to achieve distinction in all of them."—"The Republic"; line 394e

Bible
Romans 12

12: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 6: 19-34

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Psalms 27: 13-14

I remain confident of this: I'll see the goodness of the Lord in tand of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strond take heart and wait for Lord.

Isiah 40: 27-31

27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, el, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarby my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of tarth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Philippians 4:12-13

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Proverbs 3 (3:5)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understng; 6 in all your ways submit to him, he will make your paths straight

Songs
=Journal=

11/18/11
There is absolutely nothing wrong with anger, aggression, or any emotion or behavioral tendency...so long as we can look at it directly, objectively, understand it and its roots, and control it. In many cases emotions such as fear, anger, aggression, and the likes, that often get bad names, are humans' best and most powerful weapons. Men can't fly, we don't have talons or blazing speed or great strength. We are however armed with emotions, emotions that can generate life saving as well as life taking action. We have been endowed with reason so that we can understand and thumos so that we could rule over this world. Without these things, without Heart, thumos, or emotions, we would be alike a solider, standing naked in the middle of a fire fight. It is these emotions that are often feared and suppressed that provide us with our greatest strength. Understanding and controlling them is paramount as it would be to train a soldier. It is a matter of life and death.

Date Unknown
"If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even try or start.  This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, and maybe even your mind.  It could mean not eating for three or four days.  It could mean freezing on a park bench.  It could mean jail.  It could mean derision.  It could mean mockery or isolation.  Isolation is the gift.  All the others are tests of you endurance, of how much you really want it.  And you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds.  And it will be better than anything else you can imagine.  If you're going to try go all the way.  There is no other feeling like that.  You will be alone with he gods, and the nights will flame with fire.  You will ride life Straight to perfect laughter.  It is the only good fight there is."
 * Charles Bukowski

How do you decide when to go all the way?

Date Unknown
"It is not necessary to change the nature of thins to come to victory...There his first question is, not what to do but how to be. Simply being oneself brings about a power often lost in the rush to be something else"
 * Sun Tzu

Date Unknown
"Because the Sage Commander has settled into being who he is, he is no longer constantly comparing himself to others. He is not embarrassed and doesn't need to pretend to be more than he is.  There is no gap between his words and his actions.  Thus, he acts from his own ground of strength.  Since his mind is not distracted