of the maxim by François de La Rochefoucauld that
we may find means to cure a fool of his folly, but there are none to set straight a cross grained spirit
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I don’t know…….but like to think there is hope for a grouchy grump. 🙂
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But aparantly it’s still possible to change a Cross grained missionary zealot. Thankfully so
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What is a a cross grained spirit?
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Stubborn, perverse
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Ah, would Phadde or Colourstorm be considered a cross grained spirit? If so, then there is no cure.
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CS can be cured for his problem is folly but it may as well be both; folly and cross-grained
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No cure then. He’s made his choice.
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His case is forever lost, almost.
ION, when apologists claim, as Leroy does on your post, if one aspect of the universe wasn’t as it was, things would be different, what are the grounds?
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Roy’s comment is just weird. Why is he giving me a history of the argument? And what is his point… Is he saying the teleology argument is strong, or weak?
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He wants to convince you he has read widely.
He argues the conclusions depends on where you are approaching the question but his jesus has told him he is right
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Ah
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Phadde’s one of my favorites. Arrogance, a sophomoric use of Latin phrases, and enough idjitry to fill a galaxy. Hard to top that fella.
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I don’t think I have read any of his comments. He must be a special type of idjit
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He pops up on John’s blog to toss insults at him in a school-boyish, taunting sort of way then he fades out for a awhile. You’d like him.
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Jeff, I know I have little patience with idjits.
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Me too.
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I suppose he’s saying “once a nutter, always a nutter” is he? Sounds about right in my experience.
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I was thinking of it differently ; folly is a failure of the intellect and can be corrected, cross-grained is of the will and would mean changing a person completely
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Can will, like volition – are they not the same thing? – not be changed OM?
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Let me use an example; it’s folly to think the sun goes round the earth and this can be easily rectified. Sloth on the other hand is I think properly called a failing of the will.
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So the answer is . . . ?
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Will and volition? I think those are the same things
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Exactly OM, and would you not say that volition can be changed, which was the question I was asking?
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I have been thinking about this question all day. I am a little confused. Volition is a determination of the will; for example one would say she left of her own volition. If this be the meaning, then I don’t know whether it can be changed.
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“Volition is a determination of the will” – then you’re changing stance there OM, having previously agreed the two terms were synonymous.
You’ve invoked a subject behind the object – a mysterious agent who/which initiates the volition. It is very easy to get into an infinite regression with that – do you see?
Now, volition can be conditioned, meaning it may come about via habituation and through prior assumption, yet no autonomous agent stands behind it, no subject acting with or as ‘will’.
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I own it, I have changed stance. I also said I am a wee bit confused between the two words.
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Time, although for some it would take an awful lot of time…
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Sometimes maybe not. Look at Saul/ Paul just changed his clothes but remained almost entirely same
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I’d have to agree with him. Guys like SoM can never be changed, I believe.
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SoM is impossible
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I have to say the man knew the difference between an ignorant fool and a perverse stubborn self-satisfied arrogant idjit.
I always liked La Rochefoucaud incisive observations of humanity. We haven’t changed much since the17th century have we?
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I don’t think we have changed a bit from the beginning. We have made some strides forward, but nature hasn’t seen it wise to improve on human beings
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If anyone finds the way to cure a fool, please send them my way. I wanted to stop by and wish you happy day during this holiday time. 🙂
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Happy holidays good friend.
Should I know one, you will be the first to know
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It’s an interesting thought, but in the end we don’t have to convince absolutely everyone, just a significant minority. So, reasoning with the fools should be enough.
How’s the traffic with the Pope’s visit? Are you managing?
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I left the office early so didn’t have to suffer traffic.
Some roads he is to use have been closed.
We can’t convince everyone
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It’s why I don’t argue with committed Christians. Ply your trade on the doubters, the wanderers and the questioners.
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I try many times not to engage with committed believers unless they come here. I tend to give them a wide berth
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Give ’em a BIG hug from me!
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Luckily for all of us here, I don’t know what pope cuddles is up to.
Rains however interfered with my cycling plans
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I take it as that some people can be shown a different path and will perhaps take it, whilst others – those with ‘cross-grained spirits’ – will never budge – it is impossible for them to see beyond their own convictions.
I have a fondness for Rochefoucauld, and own an old book full of his maxims. My favourite is –
“Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.”
– The Cloudy Girl
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Hi my cloudy friend.
Most of his maxims are timeless.
That is a possible interpretation
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Hello mak, they are indeed, he was a sharp cookie. Thank you *smiles*
– sonmi.u.t.C
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