Even in paradise, there are ugly spots, this is one of them …
In blogging terms, the juxtapose always is an experiment. But sure as eggs is eggs – doing something contrasting and different IS interesting and DOES catch attention.
It also helps alleviate STEREOTYPING and BOREDOM …
CONTRAST makes us appreciate and be able to COMPREHEND beauty, so contrast is probably just as important as the beauty itself ! Beauty, beauty, beauty is BORING, a “one trick pony” …
DIFFERENT means people find it much more challenging to pigeonhole, which means they actually have to pay attention to you … scary thought – not being able to purely respond to one on an autopilot basis ! still, at least they get to exercise their brains, never a bad thing …
My inspiration – A movie I watched about Dylan Thomas. The man made sense to me, more than words …
Wisdom ? … Who knows – anything is possible with Charisma 🙂
Chances of this photo going viral – slim to nill ! Do I care ? … Do I F*CK !
Cheers
Don
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Comments
Comments are often welcomed, provided you can string a legible, relevant and polite sentence together. In other cases probably best shared with your therapist, or kept to yourself.
Don Charisma 
And all I have sought to argue is that the only thing that makes anything, that on the exterior has the characteristic of beauty, “boring” is human exploitation. That in trying to sell what is beautiful and not just sell it so that to gift others with a sight that bring joy but when it reaches the height of mass marketing and selling it to excess; i.e. greed, that is what makes, what was beautiful, boring. I apologize if the defense of my belief, accused you of anything, but I know I only sought to defend my beliefs, in the hope that beauty itself would not be disparaged. The ironic thing is I know my first paragraph is in the effort to affirm your truth alights from the recognition of an innate beauty and that my second paragraph is my defense of my truths which actually substantiates your truths as worth believing in. The reason why I have subscribed to your blog, because your aphorism ARE worth believing in because they appear to be insightful and more so because they express a care. I also wish to express a care, that true beauty, in any form i.e. the dumpsters, would be appreciated as something humanity cannot create, that though man created the dumpsters, what was captured on film was something unique and deeper than man can create; thus beautiful. And I agree, I do not believe anyone needs to explain themselves to another, [though a rather long explanation is given] nor do I believe I was placed on this planet to judge others as if, I also, have not Fallen from grace. But I will defend the true value of beauty, faith and love to the best of my ability and not to condemn others as if it is my right to do so, but defend beauty as important as, not just something pleasurable, but affirming life is worth living. And that that ‘care’ extends to the idea that if I stay silent about, when I see, the harm greed can do, I myself, would risk enabling the harm.
Peace to you. WL
Your apology is accepted, but honestly there are no apologies necessary, generally I only expect those when people have made something petty and personal (which you haven’t) …
This wouldn’t be the first and won’t be the last extended conversation I’ll have had with 10000s of comments answered on this blog.
You’re perfectly capable of labouring a point yourself, so I think we’re square on the long explanations … as communicators our job is to express what we want to say in the most understandable form to the other, sometimes this involves labouring a point.
I watched a move “The Interview” last night. What suddenly caught my attention in a spiritual sense was the use of the word beauty. So it may be that Americans have a different meaning to others regarding beauty …
I’m also aware that culturally there’s been a shift for Americans in pop-culture from communism “being the enemy” to corporate greed. It came up in conversation with someone else recently.
Personally I don’t believe something is true because others say it is, I test on my own experience and make my own decision. I also posted about this recently, in regard to people paying more heed to reputation than what the person was actually saying.
I still don’t agree with you “the the only thing” that makes beauty boring is human exploitation. I think repetition can make beauty boring, and that’s what I said in the original post. There’s a need for humans to experience dark and light, good and bad, cold and hot … a positive thing I might add, not a negative thing …
I don’t think mass marketing and selling to excess, are bad things either. The world and countries are MASSIVE, and some things do need to be done on a mass scale, including marketing and selling. I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s a rather naive belief that everything should be done on a small scale, some things just can’t be done that way. If they were we probably wouldn’t have things like airports, airplanes, bridges, pyramids etc etc etc etc etc … it’s a long old list of large scale endeavors.
I’m not a great fan of corporate greed and wastage myself, but the only viable alternative offered that the masses accepted was communism. AND the problem with communism is that it’s WORSE than capitalism, in that a very minute proportion of the population are FANTASTICALLY wealthy and everyone else is virtually starving. Russia dumped it eventually in favour of capitalism, and not sure if the Chinese have or not, I don’t know, but they are moving very much in a capitalist direction.
BOTTOM LINE – what irked me was that you were steering off in a “greed” direction, which detracted from the point. I’m quite happy to discuss at length the topic, as I’ve illustrated with many words. BUT would prefer to do so in an opinion post, rather than on one of my photos.
SO – if you want to suggest a title for an opinion post, I’ll gladly post it, and you can say what you want ON A RELEVANT THREAD alongside with others opinions, not just mine ! …
FINALLY – I think others are thinking about this topic, so a little selfish of us to keep all to ourselves … so please do suggest a title for an opinion post, it’s a genuine offer 😀
Please do not miss-read my attempt to derive peace; I do not apologize for the defense of beauty, or recognition of the harm greed is doing, nor for the tenor in my delivery; I only regret that you found offence.
As to the genuine offer that you close with, that while I do sense genuine-ness on your part, it is through the foundations in the Four Noble Path [not just a bike stabilizer] and The Way, that I can see that when negative characterization of an opponent is used to argue, the issue [which gives credence to the time spent to ferret out truth, or else why debate [?]] has been negated. From that point, once derogatory characterizations are posed, the risk becomes about sacrificing conviction with colorful words meant to hide self-assurances. This route is exhausting and comes without a return equal to the effort but only keeps the cycle of conflict active, waylaid by the character assessment, time is spend in vain. And while I do not believe peace can only be preserved by two parties fashioned in conformity, I do believe that if two parties can disagree and yet still demonstrate mutual respect that is a beneficial grace for all to receive. I hope, at the very least, this can be agreed upon, for only in this, can there be a return worthy of the time spent in a healthy debate, and give time [which is short for us all] substance and relevance. But I do thank you for your time, and hope it is spent in peace. Ohm Shanti, peace, Namasta.
I’m familiar with the edicts of several religions including Buddhism … Got luck with your spiritual path.
of that I have no doubt, and good luck to you too.
Neither do I, good luck to you too 🙂
I do understand what you mean when you say ‘beauty is boring,’ but I feel it is important to state that beauty itself is not the thing that is boring. We need beauty because it is the virtue [attested even in the day of Socrates in Plato’s Symposium] with which we can recognized truth from illusions. The real crime here is that which makes anything, that could be initially stated as beautiful, boring is only human beings. The example I can think of to illustrate this is Niagara Falls. This natural wonder, full of unique beauty, is awesome in its majesty and is completely apprehending in power…once you get past the grotesque commercialism that assails a visitor immediately after cross the Rainbow Bridge. Niagara Falls is no longer a wonder. Though it still continues to draw tourism, however the mystery and magic is littered with fast food wrappers, plastic rosin snow globes, and has succumb to such commercialism that it is thunder is in competition with the helicopters, its mist is shadowed over by over cramped ferries and its depth and magnitude has been tamed by a packaging named ‘greed.’ The greed of humanity is what makes anything beautiful, become boring. What is beautiful of itself is not what makes anything boring.
MY point is/was that repetition of something, beauty for example, (but could be pizza or perfume or chocolate, the thing is unimportant) without VARIETY and CONTEXT gets old fast, that is boring. Human beings need variety, in our experiences, in our food, in our work, in our play, or otherwise we can become bored. Some eating patterns which lack variety can actually make us physically sick and eventually die, for instance scurvy and anemia. VARIETY is the spice of life they say.
MY point wasn’t to seek to DEFINE what beauty is or isn’t, in the deeper meaning of the “the truth” whatever that may be for you, or I, or for the 40000 or so people who read my blog.
Moreover I write creatively for fun and enjoyment … The points you raise are interesting, even if I don’t entirely agree …
PS Enlightenment isn’t always beautiful, greed isn’t always a bad thing … as for the garbage people leave at beauty spots, that I’d certainly have to agree on – both as a diver and a photographer.
I do enjoy beauty and spend a lot of time chasing it in my photography. Human greed I don’t think is the issue, it’s the obsession with technical beauty, to the point that images lose their authenticity through Photoshopping till there’s little left of the real photo. I use the same techniques myself, but try to limit what their use to either correcting the camera’s mistakes or in making “art”.
I might accept that “the human condition” is to blame, and this encompasses far more than just greed.
Beauty as “a thing” is based around things like symmetry and aesthetic perfection, beauty as a thought is a subjective interpretation which could have a broader meaning to some people than just external objects.
In the enlightenment sense, truth for me is enough, I don’t personally need to add “beauty” in the mix. I’d venture as far as to say that I think some truth is not beautiful at all, it can be brutal and harsh 🙂
Thank you for your response, But if any truth reveals something unpleasant. if it is brutal or harsh and does not ‘set one free,’ then it is the product of exploitation [greed or ‘obsession’] of ‘A’ truth trying to enslave by leading one away from ‘The’ truth with an interior agenda. Greed is what is harsh and brutal.
My conclusion is – there is no “the truth” absolute. “the truth” is a subjective interpretation of reality by an individual or a group. “the truth” varies from person to person from group to group from country to country from culture to culture from religion to religion and so on. Each version could arguably be “the truth” …
Greed is a subjective measure of an aspect of selfishness, there are also other things aside from greed which are selfish, sin and virtue tells us this … and in Buddhism, right action (and wrong action) tells us this.
Another conclusion I reached is that absolute selflessness isn’t enlightened, clever or indeed the end goal of our existence. We need a balance of doing things for ourselves and doing things for others. The enlightened person probably wouldn’t judge another’s actions as greedy, and in so doing one is saying perhaps more about oneself than the other.
So again whilst I partially agree with some of what you say, I also partially don’t.
In any case the quest for truth is more about freeing one from the constraints of judgements and preconceived notions like “greed”. Through the judgement of greed, I’d say it’s virtually impossible to see “the truth” … so the word, the judgement and the labeling may be just as bad or worse than the act itself. Or not, I don’t claim to be an expert or know “the truth”, I simply indicate what my experience has been …
But there is a contradiction in your very first sentence; any conclusion, worthy of being called a “conclusion” is based on a truth or the conclusion has not validity. If this conclusion is only to be construed a conclusion, if only in an absolute state, then where do you draw this very conclusion that states there is no truth that is absolute. This absolute that there is no absolute has to include your own conclusion as only being subjective. This has to include your daily aphorisms that are beholden to the belief that ‘with charisma we can achieve anything.’ If this is not a truth worth believing in, unless it is objective, then it would seem to be no wonder why a truth would be considered only for its harshness.
I am aware that humanity is limited in their capacity for truth and while people may be beholden to cultural truths [even to the point of yielding to cruelty saying it is ‘tradition’ before common sense and human compassion, i.e. FGM] but principles like Four Noble Truths are applicable to every human being. Whether a person choses to acknowledge this or not, this is a truth worth believing in. And it is meant to set one free of the enslavements of mind, body and soul. It can also free a person of the clever ways others will strike another with words; that if a person is able to identify when another is taking more than their share, hurting others along the way [essentially ruining what is good for others] and continues to consume to only leaving waste, as being greedy, then the person who made the identification is judged as judgmental. The PC correct has only enabled the problem, as if, if I see a weed in my garden I should ignore as a weed and the damage it could do. And, while I know it is not the ideal to pull out the weed, for what you say is balance and I agree, but in ignoring it I should also not try to plant more good seed and let the weed overtake the vine that can yield good fruit. It seems very difficult to be able to find where humanity can unify when, if a person states a condition that is right before their eyes then they themselves are “labeled” as “Labeling.” It is like saying a doctor is being judgmental for diagnosing cancer after seeing the signs and symptoms of a corruptive and debilitating disease in a patience. If I should call greed for what it is after seeing the harm it conveys, then somehow I would be cast as the antagonist, somehow I am the guilty party, but let us ignore the damage that exploitation of our children and the earth has done. Because there has yet to be an argument that reveals greed as something beneficial.
“Ah! Those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness to light, and light into darkness, who change bitter to sweet, and sweet into bitter…Therefore, as the tongue of fire licks up stubble, as dry grass shrivels in the flame, their root shall rot and their blossom scatter like dust; For they have rejected the instructions of the Lord of hosts, and scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 5:20,24. To believe this is a truth worth believing in we all have that choice, but the consequences of our actions based on the truth we hold will return to us in this life and in the next. If any truth is only considered for its harshness then perhaps that ‘return’ is evident because I do believe that with Charisma we can achieve most anything.
WOW … a whole blog post just for me, I’m honoured 🙂
There’s no contradiction – “my conclusion” is just that, belonging to me, my conclusion in my own experience. I do not answer to you nor do I need to explain myself or my decisions, or indeed my own personal conclusions. If you think (and you imply) my decisions, my thoughts, my experiences or my beliefs aren’t “worthy”, then I’d assume pride and vanity on your part. Pride I don’t enjoy, and therefore stop doing it.
“anything is possible with charisma” has multiple meanings (intentionally so), of which you’ve chosen one, which is the most obvious and most literal. Which is largely how I feel about quotes from religious texts, they’re often ambiguous, and often interpreted (or misinterpreted) to suit the sayer’s current agenda. “The truth” (if any) in such quotes is in an internal personal understanding, through one’s own experience, which is only pointed to or indicated at by the text. A literal subjective interpretation, largely isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
Religious texts and things like the “four fold path” are the bike stabilisers of the enlightenment path, in order to enable people to take their first baby steps within a rigid structure to hold onto. Later on their path I think the person may question the need for and stop using these aids, in favour of relying on their own experience. Their own experience may be EXACTLY THE SAME as the religious edicts, but it’s flexible to suit change, which we all know happens each moment of each and every day. Know thyself, it’s said.
I don’t believe “greed” or “the human condition” is a thing to be solved. Human beings are as they are. Acceptance and non-judgement are much more powerful weapons in a harmonious world, than their converse. Of course there are limits, societies impose these through laws and peer pressure etc. AND individuals often exercise self-discipline, self-restraint and respect towards others.
I don’t recall ever saying that truth isn’t worth believing. What I did say indirectly is that your truth may differ from mine, and there is no problem with that. You may believe that my truth isn’t worth believing, which I couldn’t care less if you do or do not. Also, to deny someone their thoughts, feelings and beliefs in favour of your own could be abusive. Tyrannical people are rarely loved or indeed happy themselves internally.
Beauty in a physical sense might be a subjective experience of a pretty flower, sunset or woman. Beauty in an emotional sense may be a subjective experience of observing a random act of kindness, witnessing a birth or helping an old lady across the road. Beauty in a spiritual sense is perhaps a subjective feeling or thought someone has about something they personally resonate with. But that doesn’t mean beauty = truth.
The dictionary has this to say about beauty :
1. a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. 2. a beautiful or pleasing thing or person.
So, a subjective interpretation. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. A PLEASURE to the senses, ultimately to the mind. It says nothing on truth.
Truth is mostly about freedom, beauty is largely irrelevant in a conversation about truth, or indeed freedom.
However if you believe that freedom/truth is beautiful, then I do accept that you believe beauty = truth. I do not however share your belief, mostly because I think beauty doesn’t mean what you say it does.
So, this has largely been a discussion about language semantics, which isn’t a topic I find all that interesting, and it’s not all that relevant to the original post, who’s purpose was to try to offer the possibility of people appreciating both BEAUTY and ULGY … which is something maybe I need to get over myself, a little, another reason I posted it … and has it’s roots in the idea of being able to experience the full spectrum of life, not just GOOD, BEAUTIFUL, YUMMY and LIKE. Which is why I brought “boring” into it.
I love ugly urban stuff.
Makes a change for me from chasing perfection 🙂
I think you see these contrasts often in cities – they certainly make things interesting, don’t they?
Certainly do … with the caveat, I’ve seen some pretty ugly sites in the countryside too !
“Ugly” (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder. 😉 Some of the most visually interesting (at least to ME) photos I have taken over the last few months were taken in “downtown” alleyways in the city in which I now live. Some of the alley walls have muralistic paintings on them….amidst the presence of dumpsters, empty cardboard boxes, and large trash cans in a couple different colors.
The juxtaposition of traditional subjects of beauty, with traditionally “ugly” objects, is a favorite compositional technique of mine: because, on a whole other level, I think it accurately reflects Life. Additionally, the beauty of anything can be perceived “in the right light.” 😉
Very much Lech … I find my best photos have multiple dimensions, contrast and juxtpose being just one … another I like is action and motion … another I like is emotion and feeling … a picture says a thousand words they say …
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