This is beautiful...

From Albert Einstein:

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious—the knowledge of the existence of something unfathomable to us, the manifestation of the most profound reason coupled with the most brilliant beauty. I cannot imagine a god who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, or who has a will of the kind we experience in ourselves. I am satisfied with the mystery of life’s eternity and with the awareness of—and glimpse into—the marvelous construction of the existing world together with the steadfast determination to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the reason that manifests itself in nature. This is the basis of cosmic religiosity, and it appears to me that the most important function of art and science is to awaken this feeling among the receptive and keep it alive.

I sense that it is not the State that has intrinsic value in the machinery of humankind, but rather the creative, feeling individual, the personality alone that creates the noble and sublime.

Man’s ethical behavior should be effectively grounded on compassion, nurture, and social bonds. What is moral is not of the divine, but rather a purely human matter, albeit the most important of all human matters. In the course of history, the ideals pertaining to human beings’ behavior toward each other and pertaining to the preferred organization of their communities have been espoused and taught by enlightened individuals. These ideals and convictions—results of historical experience, empathy, and the need for beauty and harmony—have usually been willingly recognized by human beings, at least in theory.

The highest principles for our aspirations and judgments are given to us westerners in the Jewish-Christian religious tradition. It is a very high goal: free and responsible development of the individual, so that he may place his powers freely and gladly in the service of all mankind.

The pursuit of recognition for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and the quest for personal independence form the traditional themes of the Jewish people, of which I am a member.

But if one holds these high principles clearly before one’s eyes and compares them with the life and spirit of our times, then it is glaringly apparent that mankind finds itself at present in grave danger. I see the nature of the current crises in the juxtaposition of the individual to society. The individual feels more than ever dependent on society, but he feels this dependence not in the positive sense, cradled, connected as part of an organic whole; he sees it as a threat to his natural rights and even his economic existence. His position in society, then, is such that that which drives his ego is encouraged and developed, and that which would drive him toward other men—a weak impulse to begin with—is left to atrophy.

It is my belief that there is only one way to eliminate these evils, namely, the establishment of a planned economy coupled with an education geared toward social goals. Alongside the development of individual abilities, the education of the individual aspires to revive an ideal that is geared toward the service of our fellow man, and that needs to take the place of the glorification of power and outer success.

Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity in 1916, profoundly affecting the study of physics and cosmology for years. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his work on the photo-electric effect. Einstein taught for many years at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton.

http://thisibelieve.org/essay/16465/

Something to think about...

imagine this: you haven't been put onto this earth yet. you have the ability to arrange our policies in anyway you want. but here's the catch: you have no idea if you'll be rich, poor, uneducated, native american, white, black, gay, woman or man. how would you arrange things? what would your political views be?

via Allison Dulin via somewhere else

A 21st Century Political Parable

Inspired by a conversation with Allison, this is my version of a parable to guide the current budget discussion in the US. Be warned-- it's political. :)

There was a man who walked along the road to Washington. This man was neither rich nor poor, but he was certainly not actually poor.

As he strolled casually along, he passed by a woman on the side of the road. This woman called out to him, saying "Sir, could you please take my letter to Washington? I spent so long writing it, but now I find I cannot go because of my duties here." The man walked over and took the letter, reading it over carefully. He responded, "Ma'am, this letter would be far too heavy for me to carry. But I have read it, and I will take your words with me to Washington." The woman seemed displeased with this, but at that moment her many children and husband began to call her. "Thanks, please let me know what they say," she said.

The man walked on for another few miles, enjoying the breeze and the nice weather. His eyes were closed and his face was praising God's glorious day when he suddenly tripped over something large in the road. He tumbled down, swearing as he did. As he collected himself, he realized it was a man in tattered clothing. He found himself furious at this man, and swore at him to watch where he chose to lay down. "The nerve of people these days, lying down in the middle of a road just to trip people and make them late...." He moved quickly away, just in case the man in tattered clothes had some disease. The other man simply watched him as he went by, thinking how that had been the seventh man to walk by without helping him after his fall. The man was very old, and couldn't get up easily. Particularly in the middle of the road with no way to pull himself upright.

However, our man was already far down the road. His clothes were dustier now, so he stopped at an inn. He had a nagging feeling that there was something he was supposed to remember when he got to Washington, but he pushed it out of his mind. Inside the inn, there were two young women sitting at a table together. The man thought they were sitting a little too closely together, their eyes seemed to meet too often. He felt intensely uncomfortable. Thus, after cleaning off his clothes in the bathroom, he walked out and left a note for the innkeeper saying that the two were involved in illegal activity (probably illegal immigrants, too) and should be kicked out immediately.

Walking outside again, he felt somewhat more relieved. What a strenuous day!

He hurried along, reaching Washington. He was terribly tired, thirsty, and really wanted a cigar. The doors of the building swung open, and his boys clapped him on the back. "We never thought you'd make it, why did you even walk?" They gestured to their Hummers in the parking lot. The man felt terribly embarrassed, and made a mental note to drive next time.

"Well, how was your walk?"

The man thought, and said, "Nothing really happened. Didn't see a soul."