BUD wrote:Congratulations on one of the most interesting (and deep) threads on the forum for awhile. It speaks to the heart of our existence as sentient beings. We don't always have a choice about our physical circumstances, but we always have a choice about how we think and feel about things. Basically I agree with Jamie and Grinch (heaven forbid). I like what Bill Hicks said. He's borrowing or paraphrasing heavily from Buddhism and other great thinkers such as Einstein and Tesla etc. Some things he didn't explain too well, but its best not to take him too literally Rutiger. Its more about your basic philosophy on life and your guiding principles (which is a very personal thing. I'm not trying to change yours). Many great, enlightened thinkers use simple ideas and metaphors to explain much more complex ideas (but there are always limitations).
Sure, fear is a useful emotion, but letting it be your overriding principle in your life is very limiting! Especially fearing things that may or may not happen. If you took it to it's logical extreme you wouldn't even leave the house because you MAY get hit by a bus, or if you did you would wear full body armor and have an armed guard because someone MAY try and rob you. It is about balance, and sure, take precautions and look after your basic needs such as food, shelter and relationships. But LOVE is a much more uplifting and empowering emotion. I believe much violence in the world is a result of fear and insecurity. Real LOVE on the other hand only results in good things.
These ideas apply to relationships as well. Do you enter ( or worse, not even enter) a relationship fearing you are going to be emotionally hurt or do you just love the person and see what happens? Same situation, just a different way of looking at it. I hope you know what I mean Rutiger.
Nothin but love Brothers (and Sisters). Actually not always, but I am striving!

BUD wrote:Sure thing Champ! You can show me some LOVE! (by buying me a beer and I'll reciprocate with a cider)

BUD wrote:Haha. That's very possible. But FEAR not my young friend, for we may find LOVE there (depending on how much money we have left!)

BUD wrote: Real LOVE on the other hand only results in good things.

Rutiger wrote:

BUD wrote:
i agree with not taking everything Bill Hicks or other philosopher types say too literally. But he did specifically and intentionally say the "no job, no savings of money, no effort, just a choice" stuff. Not sure why he said it if he didn't mean it. His message could have been just as well served without that particular, confusing and questionable phrasing, in my opinion.

I also don't go in for the childish "life fast die young and leave a good looking corpse" bit, but I'm glad some others do. Let them hit the grave at full speed as soon as possible (as long as they don't take some of the rest of us with them as a result). Leaves more resources for the rest of us.

But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love.