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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

I love this piece and the metaphor you offer. I don’t believe humans have changed much. We repeat history. The West is allowing an ideology from a thousand years ago to colonize, express violence against other groups, etc. They are the biggest threat to “adulthood.” We are allowing AI to advance before we even understand its magnitude. There’s also G-d who ultimately controls everything. To me this can all be a culmination leading up to moshiach. But the “growing pains” are very real right now.

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Author John G. Dyer's avatar

There's a lot of wisdom in this essay. Yes, let us face the challenges of life like responsible adults and recognize that virtue is more than just an abstract, malleable concept that can mean anything we want it to.

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Steph's avatar

Beautiful and the read-ability helps us share it! Thanks so much. I especially relate to the birth contraction reference.

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Gilda Joffe's avatar

I love your optimism, but I don't share it, because I consider humanity to be living in a primitive brain state which hasn't improved much since the Neanderthals. Sure we have a brain, and can use it to create technological marvels, as well as artistic masterpieces. However, we haven't moved much in the heart/wisdom realm. Hate, ignorance, intolerance, and all the other primitive biological responses still predominate along with firstline Amygdala response, And as long as that is at the forefront of all decision making for action, I don't see much hope. Frankly I'm disgusted with human beings in general. Sorry......

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Alison's avatar

There is hope in Christ. Only He has the power to change the human heart, which has been corrupted by sin. And the basic sin is saying to our Creator, "I and not going to obey You. I am going to please myself." From that attitude comes all the misery in this fallen world. But there is a way back to God, through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other hope.

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Dave S's avatar

Good essay. Look forward to a followup with more action steps internal and external.

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Mike Casey's avatar

Now which dictator in history said that?

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Wahl's avatar

This is a beautiful text. It is typically a jewish view of the fate of us Jews in the middle of the fate of humanity. But there is never a time for giving up. Tykkoun olam is an endless process and requires our constant will . And « it is not necessary to be successful to persevere, and it is not necessary to hope in order to act ». The sheer existence of Israel is an incredible illustration of this creed .

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Jane Stuart's avatar

Beautiful Israeli flag.

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Miriamnae's avatar

The clarity of maturity! You nailed it.

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Diana Kelly's avatar

The clarity of maturity, I wholely agree. I disagree that we are anywhere near maturity. Look at how we act, not what we say we understand.Just because I say I am a mature individual does not make me one. How I act is the litmus test. On the whole, peopele behave as immature, selfish, self-centered,self-righteous, self-absorbed, self-impressed, self-assured, self-, self-, self-, all the while professing to be adults, and more to the point we behave as whats mine (myself)is mine and what's yours [that I ([(self)in an immature way, envy and want [without the work} therefore it should belongs to me (self,, no questions asked. I don't see adults at all, I see a bunch of adolescents dressed up in Mom" & Dad's adult clothes, pretending to be adults, wanting the protections of childhood and none of the work,responsibilitilties and accountability of adulthood. The outcomes you want, not matter how hard you work are not guaranteed, some of it is just dumb luck, right place right time. Can't demand trigger warnings and safe spaces when you feel you have been "microagressed" and at the same time call for the violent eradication of another. Act like a child, be treated like a child. No allowance, go to your room, sit on your bed, think about how you might do things better.If you cannot behave appropriately in public, you will remain home during "play" time and be taught good manners, which you must then demonstrate a grasp of before you are allowed to try them out in public. Children needs rules and boundaries in order to become mature adults. Rules and boundaries come with accountability and consequences. You might have a "reason" you behaved inappropriately (bad day at school), but you NEVER have an excuse. And we as the "adult" raising these kids need to take a good look at ourselves. We may have a reason their lives are hard (loss of job, ect.) but we have NO EXCUSE for what we have wrought JMO.

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