The Only Opponent Is Within - What It Means.. |
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The Only Opponent Is Within - What It Means.. |
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Dec 5 2010, 12:32 PM |
Nicely put Ben .
When I did my first PhD years ago on desire some of it concerned motivation, not least because Desire is often seen as synonymous with motivation. From what I recall quite a lot Western notions of motivation are also centered on motivation as intrinsic drive. Some externalise it either at an individual or group level. A few move away from the inherent phenomenological and humanist slant of both of these. One of the ones I always quite liked, which is different to yours, comes from Julia Kristeva's and Judith Butler's separate works on psychoanalytics and Hegel's Phenomenologie .What's proposed here is that Desire (and motivation) forms as 'desire for recognition by the valued other'. In essence we do something because we want others whom we value to notice. As an example, if you love someone you want them to look at and love you. It's the desire for recognition - for them to love you back - that drives you here. If they don't, the desire as unrequited love may instead turn in on itself and drive you to despair. Interestingly Desire/motivation here is not humanist as we are neither in control of it nor the start nor the locus. It becomes something that is able to overwhelm and move us outside ourselves. It's also a very modern take on desire/motivation that has it's roots in the early Western Christian theologies of St Augustine, St Teresa d'Avila and a few others. -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
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Dec 5 2010, 01:22 PM |
Wow Ben, I've always appreciated how your guitar training tips are also (and probably even more importantly) great advices for life in general... made me think about this. Cool.
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Dec 5 2010, 03:02 PM |
really good post. A great "secret" is to remain unreactive to life's situations and observe them from outside. It sounds easy to say but I rarely do this well. But when you do it it's really effective.
In the end we all want a bit of recognition and acceptance really. But to me that can come from within, in fact, it has to. I recommend the book "A new earth" by Eckhart Tolle. Don't have prejudice towards "new era" stuff. It's just a label someone put over wise literature. It made me see things in a whole different way. -------------------- Visit my:
INSTRUCTOR PROFILE "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here |
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Dec 5 2010, 04:08 PM |
Great post.
Anyway, and not talking about guitar, there are certainly opponents "outside", and not just within. Everything that we might feel like unfair towards ourselves or the ones we love. It's hard to "observe from the outside" the happenings that take a direct impact over our wishes, decisions, plans and lifestyle, may they come from common people, laws or stupid governments. I wish I could feel that way. But I don't. -------------------- Guitars:
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Dec 5 2010, 06:18 PM |
Free association:
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Dec 5 2010, 06:42 PM |
What's proposed here is that Desire (and motivation) forms as 'desire for recognition by the valued other'. In essence we do something because we want others whom we value to notice. As an example, if you love someone you want them to look at and love you. It's the desire for recognition - for them to love you back - that drives you here. If they don't, the desire as unrequited love may instead turn in on itself and drive you to despair. Interesting points Tony.. yes it's true that so much of our behaviour revolves around the need for approval. It takes us years to even realise it, let alone do something about it. Wow Ben, I've always appreciated how your guitar training tips are also (and probably even more importantly) great advices for life in general... made me think about this. Cool. I'm really pleased that you feel inspired by anything that I might have said... maybe I should get a monk's robe !!! Very cool post. How many of us haven't been (or are being) discouraged in our struggle to do what we believe in. Don 't try to change the world, it requires way to much time and effort - change yourself instead (just that is surely hard enough!) Definitely Kris... we worry too much about what other people are saying and doing, when in actual fact.. we need to spend more time looking in the mirror and working on ourselves. really good post. A great "secret" is to remain unreactive to life's situations and observe them from outside. It sounds easy to say but I rarely do this well. But when you do it it's really effective. In the end we all want a bit of recognition and acceptance really. But to me that can come from within, in fact, it has to. I recommend the book "A new earth" by Eckhart Tolle. Don't have prejudice towards "new era" stuff. It's just a label someone put over wise literature. It made me see things in a whole different way. True.. I guess that supports my points earlier about being able to control our emotions and reactions to life (to a certain point) so that it doesn't control us ! But yes, it IS very hard to do.. and no one of us are perfect.. and nobody will get it right all the time. But nothing that is worth doing is easy.. just like playing guitar.. it's not something we can do in 5 mins.. but the work is worth it ! I'll look for the book. Some of you may remember me mentioning a book called 'Zen Guitar' by Philip Toshio Sudo. It is the most important piece of musical literature I've ever read.. I wish I could make everybody in the world read it.. but alas, I can't. All I can do is improve myself and follow the right path.. like Kris says, we can't change the world, only ourselves. Great post. Anyway, and not talking about guitar, there are certainly opponents "outside", and not just within. Everything that we might feel like unfair towards ourselves or the ones we love. It's hard to "observe from the outside" the happenings that take a direct impact over our wishes, decisions, plans and lifestyle, may they come from common people, laws or stupid governments. I wish I could feel that way. But I don't. Fran, I totally hear you on this. Don't think for a minute that just because I made this post that I don't struggle with this just the same as you I swear it's so hard not to take things so personally when it feels like life is kicking you in the balls !! But, that's the whole lesson of it all. To see if we are strong enough to turn it around and not be a victim of our circumstances. This video explains it quite well, about seeing ourselves as a cause, not an effect: Will's Wisdom Somebody directed me to this video once and I think it's brilliant. When I have a crap day I watch it again and remember I'm in control of how I deal with it all ! |
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Dec 7 2010, 12:49 PM |
Guys, I totally agree with Ben in lesser words just be who you are and do what you do as good as possible! You can't go wrong with that
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Dec 7 2010, 10:04 PM |
I would also want to add that: Once you declare there's an opponent, then there's a struggle. If there's no opponent, there's no fight...I guess we all like to fight to the point where we realize that fighting is pointless, so we are only left with surrender,
It's a very Zen like way of seeing things, -------------------- Visit my:
INSTRUCTOR PROFILE "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here |
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Dec 8 2010, 08:32 PM |
Thanks for all your input guys.. and good words from both Cosmin and Daniel there.
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Dec 11 2010, 11:34 PM |
Very profound posts, I like them a lot, and I agree, the only opponent is within. It's amazing what people can do if only they are open to themselves and they put their efforts into something!
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