From: gbtaylor@acsu.buffalo.edu (Gail B. Taylor)
Newsgroups: alt.gothic
Subject: Re: The world is a good or bad place ?
Keywords: morality life chaos love = no tv
Date: 9 Apr 92 13:59:17 GMT
Organization: UB

Just a quick question for reply from anyone interested: 
If we are to ask, if the world is good or bad, is it not true that 
(as all things lie within our own perception), that to a large degree, one 
has the ability to make things more interesting and fun, or good, AND/OR 
make it more miserable, and unbearable, and nasty?

Please note, the term 'make it...(such and such)' should always be 
translated, "make it SEEM, to the INDIVIDUAL who is thinking about it, 
(such and such)...

Ie:  I agree there is a lot of shit out and about.  But is that to say the
world is a bad place?  I don't know; I have often read that even people in 
miserable conditions and third world countries find greater joy than our
comfy-rich-mindless neighbors.  (if you question this, please read, "City of
Joy")  In fact, there is evidence to show that, quite often, 'less well off'
communities enjoy life MORE, because they TAKE THE TIME TO *FIND* THE GOOD...

Maybe it is that misery/pain/etc. is valuable for comparison, to show us
WHAT joy/happines/good stuff is.  If that is the case, and pain has purpose,
does that mean that the world is a BAD place? It seems to me, that if every-
thing IS as it SHOULD be (or better, IS as it BEST COULD be), then everything
is GOOD....even the pain that exists, to some extent.

Further, let's say (for sake of argument...isn't that such a quaint cliche
phrase  :)  ) that 'yes there is a lot of pain-and-misery-and-boredom-and
-badstuff-and-hunger-and-etc.etc.etc...  Quite often I find myself SO 
frustrated with my surroundings, and others around me, that *I* question 
whether or not it is worthwhile to continue existance (be it my own, or
existance of humans in general).  What I have found, for *me*, is that 
WHEN I choose to LOOK FOR the beauty-and-fun-and-wonder-and-interest-and-
sillyness-and-good in things, I find that existance is quite worthwhile, and
even enjoyable.  For example, ever notice how funny it is that people never
look up?  Try it!  Spend a day going to all the places you usually go, and
make a concerted effort to look up, everywhere...it is very entertaining! 
Not only that, but watching the OTHER people around you, looking up to see
what you are looking at, is a real kick...try it with friends in a movie
theater...it works like a wave...first the people next to you, then the ones
next to them,.....

To make a very long and silly story short, I am here.  I chose to be here
because as bad as it gets, there is always better to be made.  I guess that
assumes that one CONTROLS ONE'S OWN LIFE, and that I/you/we have to DO
with it what we want.  I don't believe happiness with life comes like the
wind...I think you have to open the window and feel it.  Look for it, touch
it like children touch life.  

Do I deny that there are things, beyond our control, which make life 
frustrating/difficult/nasty?  Nope.  But I do think that there can be a 
better percentage of good/happy/etc, if one decides to make it such, GIVEN 
the nasties.

End of soapbox.  :)  Hope it wasn't *too* painful.  :)

g