The Power of Thoughts
Exper - exper.3drecursions.com/
Design: Apophysis - Rendering: Flam3
As Descartes says, I have to “… accustom myself to the persuasion
that, except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our
power…”; this is the only right way to consider and to face the world
out there.
There’d be no more place for violence and overwhelming and every
person should be considered independently by race, religion or
geographical place; this should be the basical common sense.
It’s really sad considering how human race, although empowered by
knowledge, is still stuck to the stone-edge feelings and it still
persistently refuses a more moderen way of thinking.
"My third maxim was to endeavor always to conquer myself rather than
fortune, and change my desires rather than the order of the world, and
in general, accustom myself to the persuasion that, except our own
thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power; so that when we
have done our best in things external to us, all wherein we fail of
success is to be held, as regards us, absolutely impossible: and this
single principle seemed to me sufficient to prevent me from desiring
for the future anything which I could not obtain, and thus render me
contented; for since our will naturally seeks those objects alone
which the understanding represents as in some way possible of
attainment, it is plain, that if we consider all external goods as
equally beyond our power, we shall no more regret the absence of such
goods as seem due to our birth, when deprived of them without any
fault of ours, than our not possessing the kingdoms of China or
Mexico, and thus making, so to speak, a virtue of necessity, we shall
no more desire health in disease, or freedom in imprisonment, than we
now do bodies incorruptible as diamonds, or the wings of birds to fly
with. But I confess there is need of prolonged discipline and
frequently repeated meditation to accustom the mind to view all
objects in this light; and I believe that in this chiefly consisted
the secret of the power of such philosophers as in former times were
enabled to rise superior to the influence of fortune, and, amid
suffering and poverty, enjoy a happiness which their gods might have
envied. For, occupied incessantly with the consideration of the limits
prescribed to their power by nature, they became so entirely convinced
that nothing was at their disposal except their own thoughts, that
this conviction was of itself sufficient to prevent their entertaining
any desire of other objects; and over their thoughts they acquired a
sway so absolute, that they had some ground on this account for
esteeming themselves more rich and more powerful, more free and more
happy, than other men who, whatever be the favors heaped on them by
nature and fortune, if destitute of this philosophy, can never command
the realization of all their desires."
Rene Descartes, Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One’s Reason and of
Seeking Truth in the Sciences, PREFATORY NOTE BY THE AUTHOR (PART III)
Comments and faves
BehindTheScenes2006 added this photo to her favorites. (67 months ago)
BehindTheScenes2006 (67 months ago | reply)
Awesome!
exper (67 months ago | reply)
thanks a lot!
robertschodterer, lucidcats, jona_li1, Fam-41, and 5 other people added this photo to their favorites.