Keith&Co.
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- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
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- Location
- Far Western Mass
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- Here.
- Basic Beliefs
- I'm here...
I took a class on it one time, a gazillion years ago. Part of the class was an anthopologist's account of shadowing a Shaman in the Southwest.
One man came to him, wanting to find wild burros.
Shaman did his woo, described a particular ravine, and a place in that ravine. "Go there, you will find seven or eight burros." Man paid, went away happy.
Second man came to the shaman. Same question.
Shaman did the woo. Described the same location. "Go there, you will find three or four burros." This man wasn't sure that was worth the effort, but paid and went away.
Anthropologist observed, "I guess it pays to be first."
Shaman shrugged. "Doesn't really make a difference."
"But," she insisted, "the second man will find fewer burros. Doesn't that mean 1st man got there first?"
"No," he replied. "No matter what order they go, 2nd man will find fewer burros. Because he is an unhappy man, and would not believe he could have good luck in this."
"Oh! So, he's going to be pleasantly surprised when he finds 7-8 burros!"
"No, he's only going to find 3-4 because that is the reality he lives in."
This was a difficult concept for the class to accept. Our view of reality is that is an objective truth, independent of our expectations or opinions.
I could never fully grasp the concept until today.
The whistleblower, playing the shaman, told seekers that if they looked at certain things, they might find wrongdoing.
The Democrats, and, like, 75% of the nation, found wrongdoing. The Republicans found no more wrongdoing than they expected to find before any testimony was given.
But good God, we found a lot of jackasses, huh?
One man came to him, wanting to find wild burros.
Shaman did his woo, described a particular ravine, and a place in that ravine. "Go there, you will find seven or eight burros." Man paid, went away happy.
Second man came to the shaman. Same question.
Shaman did the woo. Described the same location. "Go there, you will find three or four burros." This man wasn't sure that was worth the effort, but paid and went away.
Anthropologist observed, "I guess it pays to be first."
Shaman shrugged. "Doesn't really make a difference."
"But," she insisted, "the second man will find fewer burros. Doesn't that mean 1st man got there first?"
"No," he replied. "No matter what order they go, 2nd man will find fewer burros. Because he is an unhappy man, and would not believe he could have good luck in this."
"Oh! So, he's going to be pleasantly surprised when he finds 7-8 burros!"
"No, he's only going to find 3-4 because that is the reality he lives in."
This was a difficult concept for the class to accept. Our view of reality is that is an objective truth, independent of our expectations or opinions.
I could never fully grasp the concept until today.
The whistleblower, playing the shaman, told seekers that if they looked at certain things, they might find wrongdoing.
The Democrats, and, like, 75% of the nation, found wrongdoing. The Republicans found no more wrongdoing than they expected to find before any testimony was given.
But good God, we found a lot of jackasses, huh?

