Mark wrote:
> It is, however, rather nice to have a principle around which to organize
> one's life--a luxury denied to most, I gather.
>
Be assured, Mark, in my case there has been neither luxury nor organisation
and I'm not too sure nowadays what the principle was either.
I know there was one.
db
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 1:05 AM
Subject: Re: unfashionable thought
> It is, however, rather nice to have a principle around which to organize
> one's life--a luxury denied to most, I gather.
>
> Mark
>
> At 11:15 PM 1/17/2001 -0000, david.bircumshaw wrote:
> >> All I know is that
> >> every major decision I've made in my life has been dictated by the
> >> necessity of facilitating the writing of poetry, because when I've made
> >> decisions that don't, I feel absolutely miserable. It's never felt
like
> >> much of a choice to me. Ionesco talks about a "mental necessity". The
> >> why has always escaped me.
> >>
> >> I've sometimes thought of it as a kind of addiction.
> >
> >This is an unfortunate happy truth that accords with my experience, and
> >'addiction' has the right associations of inner necessity and craving
allied
> >to an external source, to what is without the self. It is a compulsion,
but
> >not I think a drive pump-primed by heredity.
> >
> >If I try to give up writing I give up being me.
> >
> >The less attractive side to addiction can be pondered endlessly.
> >
> >david b
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 10:54 PM
> >Subject: Re: unfashionable thought
> >
> >
> >> Chris wrote:
> >>
> >> >I've troubled over this. And the "almost" of my post reflects my
> >continuing
> >> >exploration of what that might mean. I believe that you're almost
> >certainly
> >> >right. But the implications are considerable. How should we then live?
> >And
> >> >that continues to be my torment. Does one choose or accept a vocation.
In
> >my
> >> >naughty mechanistic terms I'd say it was genetic and I can't do
anything
> >> >about the matter, other than comply if I am to have a chance of an
> >> >"authentic" life.
> >>
> >> The idea of vocation is hard to talk about without sounding all
mystical
> >> and portentous, and that's not in the least accurate. (Although, to be
> >> honest, I found quite a lot that was illuminating in reading St John of
> >> the Cross, especially when he talks about language.) All I know is
that
> >> every major decision I've made in my life has been dictated by the
> >> necessity of facilitating the writing of poetry, because when I've made
> >> decisions that don't, I feel absolutely miserable. It's never felt
like
> >> much of a choice to me. Ionesco talks about a "mental necessity". The
> >> why has always escaped me.
> >>
> >> I've sometimes thought of it as a kind of addiction.
> >>
> >> How can you be wickedly mechanistic and yet talk about an "authentic"
> >> life?
> >> >
> >> >What times is it over there, by the way. You must be up very early!
> >>
> >> I _was_ up early - a small boy over-excited by the tooth fairy dragged
me
> >> untimely from my sleep. I think there's about 12 hours difference.
> >>
> >> Best
> >>
> >> Alison
> >
> >
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