Jack Cummins

I am not wishing to stress anyone's rights over and above others. I am just one person feeling depressed and demoralised when I see that people's righ...

You speak of liberty being under threat, and I do believe that is true and that in its many guises totalitarian regimes are being ushered in gradually...

I began this thread from the starting point of how compassion has taken a backseat in Western materialistic society, and in Western philosophy. I do b...

What do you think about the idea of the lost continent of Atlantis? I know that Plato mentioned Atlantis. The whole idea of lost civilisations is inte...

Funnily enough, I have just been having a discussion of this theme with Athena and Ken, in the impersonalised thread. We have been talking about the w...

I would say that the closest I have ever found to a creative arts based community was at university, especially Goldsmiths College, in New Cross. I kn...

I am not sure that I can answer this very well, but I am going to have a go, because no one else has and it might at least get the ball rolling. The i...

It was quite interesting to read some of the thoughts of the Dalai Lama on the subject because I haven't read any of his writings, and I don't know wh...

Perhaps any genuine understanding of others needs to overcome this projection of self onto others. I have experienced so much of this projection from ...

I really don't think that we would manage this time of social distancing at all if it was not for telephones and online interaction. My mother relies ...

I agree that sometimes people confuse emotionality with compassion because compassion is more than emotions. However, I am not sure at all about the w...

Even though we are talking in jest, you have made a valid point in raising the idea of determinism in connection with compassion. That is to what exte...

One book I am reading, relevant to the idea of imagination and Plato's idea of forms is, 'The Physics of Transfigured Light: The Imaginal Realm and th...

Yes, compassion is recyclable if you wash it thoroughly and remember to put it in an orange back and tie it up properly. Perhaps the part that will be...

From discussion that I have had with some people I know, especially those I used to work with, it seems that many see unique expressions and being val...

I remember someone saying to me, 'You are like some kind of artsy fartsy magic mushroom eater.' Have you read 'The Outsider,' by Colin Wilson? It is o...

I think that knowing the ideas of the original teachings goes beyond translations of texts. It is also about looking at what became included in accept...

This is a very good question. How do we know about the underlying forms themselves. Apart from a priori knowledge, perhaps intuition is another means ...

It is hard to know what Jesus would have thought about animals and compassion. I cannot see why animals should be excluded from the picture. I didn't ...

I would agree that,for some, compassion is 'self appeasement' and that is why the topic needs philosophical discussion. I think that indifferent is a ...

The questions which you raise are useful for thinking about effective compassion, or we could say going beyond it as a feeling to the nitty gritty of ...

It seems that you are saying that morality is purely subjective. I think that your emphasis on the way in which being able to live with consequences i...

It is hard to distinguish between lies and misconceptions. I was taught how Mary gave birth to Jesus, as in the virgin birth, and I somehow thought th...

I actually think that compassion is not something which we can achieve easily because it is often hard enough to help ourselves, let alone others. I s...

You are more in touch with the traditional side of religious music. My own experience is of far more alternative music, including psychedelia and prog...

I just noticed your last idea of an image of an eight armed, blue skinned guy as an image of God. It would be worth painting it and exhibiting it to f...

The whole relationship between art and religious experience is extremely interesting. The making of images of God was actually forbidden in the Old Te...

I would say that the most ridiculous lie children are taught is the idea of Father Christmas. You might think that I am being ridiculous but I do beli...

I think that you make some very good points. It is highly likely that compassion is not enough to solve the world's problems and I see it more as a st...

I would agree that compassion may happen quietly rather than be broadcast around. I am not really criticising philosophy or any philosophers but just ...

You have now moved on to asking many questions. I have never heard of anyone saying the Biblical last supper was a spell and that would be an odd idea...

I think that insights can be memories, because most of my whole experience of memories feels like a whole series of insights, bound up with sensory ex...

I think that it is a mistake to divide care for self and for others into two separate categories, because they are interrelated. The ideas of the soci...

I would agree that clarity and determination of action, where necessary, are central in the outcome for compassion. This is based on reason. However, ...

I do believe that there is a clear link between wisdom and compassion. I also think agree that wisdom is about 'seeing clearly.' So, we could say that...

I will look out for Popper. I will just be so glad if libraries(and bookshops)open again because that is how I usually find books. I do download books...

I agree with you that it is important to 'work alongside the person and see that he is not that different from you'. I think that this is a far more u...

I have only read a tiny amount of Popper, so I will try exploring him a bit further. Thanks for pointing me in his direction, because there are so man...

I am not sure about what you are asking, but I have been through a stage of reading esoteric literature while deconstructing the mainstream Christian ...

I do think that compassion needs to lead to deeds of kindness. Even though I may have emphasised how it is about witnessing the pain of others, I woul...

What is probably the most important factor is whether people question authority. I am thinking here about Milgram's famous psychology experiments on c...

I watched the trailer and I do think that Weil's idea of being the witness of someone's pain is of supreme importance. This can also be seen as connec...

Sometimes it does feel difficult to give another the full attention of listening, without attention when really it is probably easier than trying to c...

I have just played the video, thanks. Strangely, only a couple of weeks ago I wrote a thread about how people are determined to be right and your vide...

I would say that compassion needs to go beyond the idea of karma for it to be genuine. If someone is only responding and seeking to help another with ...

I see your point about the 6 bind men, but, of course, you could say that this applies to many threads. Do all the other threads go beyond abstract id...

Absolutely, intellectualising can become a barrier and it can be a problem even in self talk. I don't think that cats lie awake in the middle of the n...

I don't think that it is about privilege but about respecting individuality and difference. But I can see that this does involve debate. However, I wi...

I can't say that I know that much about animal communities because I don't come into much contact with animals but the aspect of communication which i...

I can see that your point about how compassion can be seen as a rather fuzzy, abstract concept. Of course, other ones such as justice, equality and ev...