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Hope: Blessing or Curse?

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:06 am
by Philosophy Now
John Creigan considers whether hope helps us thrive or holds us back.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/167/Hope_Blessing_or_Curse

Re: Hope: Blessing or Curse?

Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2025 7:49 am
by attofishpi
I haven't read the article yet, but certainly Morgan Freeman's character in Shawshank Redemption made quite a point on this topic of Hope..

Re: Hope: Blessing or Curse?

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2025 2:50 am
by attofishpi
Philosophy Now wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:06 am John Creigan considers whether hope helps us thrive or holds us back.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/167/Ho ... g_or_Curse
This is an excellent article by John, and on a topic very close to my heart since the year 2000 and meeting a girl in a predominantly fishing town (Port Lincoln - South Australia)

I have know GOD to exist since 1997 and lived in Adelaide since 1987 (from UK). I needed a sea change, indeed I needed to get away from friends that were always were carrying the Tree of Know_Ledge on them, and I'd stupidly smoke some of that. I'd have two weeks of peace, and then "You've crossed the line." would be stated from the aether. Then I'd have a 3 month stint in HELL - courtesy of this 'loving' GOD. I need to point out that many years earlier I had 'eaten' of the Tree of Life - abortion.

The Tree of Knowledge (good & evil)
https://www.androcies.com/Images/Art/Tr ... wledge.jpg

I was placed as a branch manager of a newly open Business Computer company (based in Adelaide). In the shared office area I met the sweetest classiest girl I had laid eyes on (* certainly for me it was love at first sight)

When I would go into the bathroom and saw my reflection, I had never seen my TRUE reflection (GOD operates at the Planck level) - I was looking as sweet as her, in male form of course!

The fax machine was near her spot (reception for a real estate firm) and she'd occasionally drop a fax for me. One day i was chatting for ages to her bosses wife at my desk when she (Christie <--- of all names Christ_ie) handed me a fax with a beautiful smile. I said "Service, and with a smile!"

..anyway, getting soppy.

I often considered asking her to join me for lunch but she had a boyfriend and stupidly I thought I would be crossing a line.

When it was Easter, she came into my office with a tray of about 6 small Easter eggs and asked me if I'd like one, to which I replied "Yes please!"

She stated, you can have the gold one.

One day at close of business she walked past my office without even glancing in to say goodbye, and she was walking with pace. I thought, that was odd. Then I saw this goliath of a man walk past, and I turned to my work colleague that lived in Port Lincoln whether that was her boyfriend, he said yes, I said "My God, is he big enough!"

..anyway, the directors were morons and I soon realised they were sucking the business dry and still attempting to get me to find more businesses to sell computer packages to. I told them basically to fuck off - we were on credit hold with pretty much all of our suppliers. So yes, they sacked me and I returned to Adelaide.

Thing is, since I knew GOD to exist, I kind of 'toyed' with her (thinking GOD system would back me up), sent her some flowers a year later with something like "Perhaps we are even soul mates"
In my new office job, I'd hear "Christie" called out, and then a girl that reminded me a little of her just happened to walk past my desk.

I had sent some other crypric crap to her, perhaps with some chocolates (I honestly never thought I'd be one of "those" saps)

After 2005 a sage had introduced himself to me from the aether and told me "DONT TOY WITH HER" - well, I thought it was a bit late for that.

In 2006 around 3am a voice stated "She needs you" - so what does this SAP do - I drive 6 hours (I broke the speed limit the entire way pretty much) to get to Port Lincoln. Her real estate agent boss told me she works as an agent now but for a different agency and gave me the address. I went there around 11am, nervous as hell to ask her out for lunch finally. When I got there, she wasn't in the office and the lady there said she was on a job and she'd call her for me to ask her to have lunch with moi, Brian. She had replied she doesn't know me! So I left and drove back to Adelaide.
The next day I phoned her office and she answered. I asked her whether she remembered me - she said yes, but couldn't have lunch with me because she had a boyfriend!! I asked her how long they had been together - 1 year (*the same amount of time she had been with goliath when I had asked her)
I asked her whether, if she doesn't get hitched to him whether she's have dinner with me and left her with the phone number that my sage/GOD system had given me xxx-007-666-x

(*her work number ended in x666) <-- unless you understand the GOD system and the control it has over ALL REAL_IT_Y ...then that just seems like random crap I suppose.

I never heard back from her. In 2010 - the sage/GOD (*I don't know which is talking to me) told me that in my former life we were married to each other.

In all these year, I waited for her, turned other opportunities with girls down - idiot. HOPE!! -- always thinking GOD/sage would reunite us.

But in those years, i foolishly kept returning to the tree of KnowLedge - see the image link above. AND I kept being placed in HELL - I'd even be tormented about her "They're in love - ha ha" <--- stuff like that - I burn for love. The EVIL side of GOD is something to behold, but remember, I had taken human life - abortion.

Even recently, even though I know she now has two little girls- amazing what a little research on the internet will reveal (*one of her girls is called ROSE <-- many years ago i had sent a single gold/yellow rose with a simple message "I'll never hurt you forever.")...even recently, whilst walking through the shops GOD/sage call out "He cheated" "Call Brian, he's perfect" "Have lunch" etc.. to which now I pretty much tell GOD/sage to f'off.

Perhaps if I had had more FAITH, I would never have returned many times to eat from the Tree of KNOWLEDGE - that line that the sage/GOD had set - perhaps THEN, they would have convinced her many years ago of that which they convinced me of.

So don't talk to me about FAITH/HOPE/DOUBT and it's pitfools !!!

This is the only poem I have ever written regarding her:-


Adelaide University Writing Club, writing prompt:

You walk into a bookshop and when you take a book from a shelf a ghost appears..


Laura, Two divided by Three

Past quaint shops,
I wandered home,
late at night,
at chess dethroned.
Something caught my eye,
there was...light.
A candle flickered,
beside a knight.
So I pushed the door,
and entered inside.
An old man asleep,
awoke in fright.
Fear leapt into his eyes,
it seemed,
glazed over,
the eyes now beamed.
"Pick a book!",
shrieked the man,
"..but make it quick,
this eternal plan!"
I looked around,
well I guess, they're
books!
The dust so thick,
disguised their look.
"Pick a book,
pick it now!",
shrieked the man,
beneath a frown.
"I'm heading home,
all in time."
"Then head there quick,
or else,
you'll die.
Pick a book, you must now!"
I looked around.
"From which side should I pick?"
A Grandfather clock,
began to tick.
My heartbeat seemed,
in sync with it.
The old man said,
"Be clock-wise and think,
are we down-under,
after all,
or is it those 'up-top',
that have been fooled?"
I began to quiz,
to fathom it out,
is to think of the East.
"Clock-wise, we are up top,"
is what I said.
To which he replied,
"Then go there instead."
The East side of the shop,
is where I looked,
and from a shelf,
I picked a book.
C.J. Dennis,
was in my hand,
The Chase of Ages,
and here I stand.
I opened a page.
The clock stopped,
and the man shrieked,
"Get out of here,
the time is weak!"
I turned to my right,
but quickly I left,
for stood there behind me,
was beyond my breath.
I crossed the street,
and across the grass,
C.J. Dennis,
came to life,
from brass.
"I can slow that ghost,
my friend,
but Baphomet,
will come to life,
in the end.
You must strike him,
and stand your ground,
upon the threshold,
of your own house.
Take this sword,
Excalibur, it is,
now my word,
its calibre denied!"
"Then I shall kill him,
and restore the Templar,
pride!"
As I took the sword,
I remembered my past life,
that evil Pope,
and all his lies.
"Don't forget the,
Song of Rain,
that the A.I.
and entropy,
art to blame!
Now run,
my friend and,
don't hesitate,
or else we are doomed,
our final fate.
This ghost of Baphomet,
it will follow you home,
and upon the threshold,
of your throne,
turn and strike that lethal blow."
"OK. Clarrie", is all I said,
to this gentle man of word,
now dead?
I swung my sword,
kill him now,
is what I thought.
But indeed,
I could not!
For Baphomet was air,
just the essence,
of a visual plot!
Come on darling,
answer the phone,
open the door,
the threshold,
the throne.
I ran,
I ran,
upon my soles,
chased by the one,
king of arseholes.
The answer came,
the sweet voice,
leapt out,
leaving no doubt,
The plan was set,
for she had dreamt,
it all about.
I felt to shout,
"Baphomet,
there is no doubt!
there is no doubt!
from which of that,
you are out!"

Excalibur!

It will slice that fence,
for its metal,
is not so dense.
I took a shortcut,
my breath so thin,
I sliced a cut,
through the,
corrugated skin.
I pushed, and,
split that fence,
right through.
It was tight of fit,
as I stumbled,
upon dew.
Now I could hear,
Baphomet's breath,
it was turning to beast,
of animal flesh.
I got back to my feet,
how shall,
or shalt not,
we,
slay this infernal,
beast?
I ran again,
I ran,
I ran,
My heart,
held out,
for this final,
plan.
Of which I knew,
of nothing more,
than to get,
to that bloody door!
I jumped the gate,
oh I hate that gate,
for from,
the tree of knowledge,
I had ate.
As I got to the porch,
and there she stood,
the most beautiful lady,
ever overlooked.
"Hand me the sword,"
is what she said,
her two soles,
upon the threshold,
spread.
This final plan,
it must be hers,
for C.J. Dennis,
knew of this curse.
I held the blade,
and upon her grasp,
she thrust Excalibur,
deep into my heart.
I fell to my knees,
and then to the floor.
I saw her tears,
whilst stood at the door.
I cried out...Christie!
Why?
Oh, why?
For long and deep,
I did strive.
There was not a word,
spoken from her.
But I knew,
deep inside,
for what she saw,
and short of sight.
I rolled my head,
as I died,
to see Baphomet,
grinning,
his usual delight.
I turned to my side,
as I awoke,
in bed and all alone,
and there I chocked.
It was just another,
dream and again,
I'm all alone.
Still alive,
but just,
an ordinary bloke.

Re: Hope: Blessing or Curse?

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2025 10:19 pm
by Wild Reiver
Philosophy Now wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:06 am John Creigan considers whether hope helps us thrive or holds us back.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/167/Ho ... g_or_Curse
John Creigan usefully tells us that "hope" is etymologically connected to "hop", and I think he does a fair amount of hopping about. I think it would have been useful to state explicitly that the word "hope" (like most words) is context-dependent in its meaning, its use. He does, however, supply several examples of different context-meanings.

His main purpose seems to be to warn against "hope" as evasion of responsibility. We may, for instance, hope someone else will address an issue without our becoming involved. Or we may (not his words) daydream; we may be prone to (again, not his words) mere wishful thinking. That seems to me to be common sense, and most would agree with it.

I felt that more precision is needed. For instance, when he writes, "When faced with adversity, we can either take action to make change a reality sic, or merely hope for a change". Apart from the confusing syntax, is it not the case that when deciding upon action in the face of adversity, we hope hat the action or series of actions will have a desirable outcome? Hope in these situations must be accompanied by doubt. We are often faced with having to take action against the odds of failing. Different decision makers have different degrees of experience and competence: in taking action there may well be degrees of unrealistic hope or hope against the odds.

The article is brief and covers much ground, and invites us to think about hope. There is much sadness in the world arising from blind hope, and much exploitation of the vulnerable whose only hope seems to them to be in hope.