Poetry

Day 1828, concerning.

Daily picture, Poetry

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

By John Locke

Book II — Ideas

XXI Power

The idea of the beginning of motion is one that we get only from reflection on what happens in ourselves, where we find by experience that merely by willing something – merely by a thought of the mind – we can move parts of our bodies that have been at rest. So that it seems to me that our sensory perception of the operations of bodies gives us only a very imperfect and obscure idea of active power, since it provides no idea of the power to begin any action, whether physical or mental. If you think you have a clear idea of power from your observations of colliding bodies, I shan’t quarrel with you, because sensation is one of the ways by which the mind gets its ideas. But I thought it worthwhile to consider – just in passing – whether the mind doesn’t receive its idea of active power more clearly from reflection on its own operations than from any external sensation.

 

How often do we take the time

to look

dissect

and digest the world

~

to wonder why water

can form a sphere

when its almost alone

and why you think of that

Day 1825, populist.

Day's pictures, Poetry

Let stare

in this shining light

so that everything

becomes black

outside

~

listen to

their words

you never had

your own

~

both of you

admire

a past

you never looked 

~

and your fears

catch the light

stuck in you

between that past

and your dark

future

There were elections in Holland last week, and though I don’t live there anymore I still follow the news with interest. The parties on the right side of the right have won a few seats in the parliament, and that was disappointing. I did learned recently that in a country like Holland you always have around 20% of the people that vote way to the right or populist. This knowledge makes it a little bit easier to have peace with what’s happening, but it doesn’t make me want to move back. I left Holland for all kinds of reasons but one of them was the hardening of society. Here in Norway things are probably not all that rosy to, but even after 15 years, there is still a buffer between me and whats going on here. I make sure of this by not reading the Norwegian news and the character of the Norwegians helps to, they don’t talk about politics with you if you don’t ask them. In Holland it is all much clearer how someone looks at life, they tell you.

Democracy is important, it brought us all a lot of good. Democracy can also steer a country into ruins if a majority, and that is not always necessary, get a chance. Look at Nazi Germany, Trump’s America or Brazil. In Holland the mainstream parties ignore the brown-shirts but you never know what’s gonna happen in the future. I thought 15 years ago that it all would blow over but the parties of resentment only got stronger. It frustrates me, I just wish we had a democracy where we voted for people because we appreciate their competence as a human being and a leader. I have so much to say about this but don’t know how, for now I try it is some kind of short poem that highlights one aspect of the popular leader.

Day 1824, Daybreak VIII.

Daily picture

Morgenröthe aka Daybreak

Book III

186. BUSINESS MEN. —Your business is your greatest prejudice, it binds you to your locality, your society and your tastes. Diligent in business but lazy in thought, satisfied with your paltriness and with the cloak of duty concealing this contentment: thus you live, and thus you like your children to be.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Day 1819, Daybreak III

Daily picture

Morgenröthe aka Daybreak

Book I

35. FEELINGS AND THEIR DECENT FROM JUDGMENTS.—” Trust in your feelings! “But feelings comprise nothing final, original; feelings are based upon the judgments and valuations which are transmitted to us in the shape of feelings (inclinations, dislikes). The inspiration which springs from a feeling is the grandchild of a judgment—often an erroneous judgment!—and certainly not one’s own judgment ! Trusting in our feelings simply means obeying our grandfather and grandmother more than the gods within ourselves: our reason and experience.

Friedrich Nietzsche