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- facelesscoward, on 08/12/2008, -5/+83 It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either. —- Mark Twain
What’s an inherent trait that we all cherish in our lives? It’s our freedom of expression. Our life trajectory is guided by our innate desire to speak what lies deep in our heart. Our actions are fueled by the righteous causes that inspire us to seek freedom and justice for all that we do.
Have you ever crucified your inner voice that intrigued your mind to write about topics that most of us fear the most? Have you ever felt the skirmish between your passionate mind and the shrill sound of opposition from your heart when you tried to speak about politics with friends with whom you share most other things about life? We all have.
The stigma of an outward freedom of expression for topics that impact our lives comes from our feeble reasoning to remain likable to those who may oppose our views. We constantly engage ourselves in a mental chatter to abstain from topics that we love to speak about at length with our alter ego — politics, religion, our principles and our happiness - yet remain silent once we step out of our house.
We want to wear the tag of acceptance from others that prevents us from expressing our views that may not be aligned with their views.
Ironically, these are the topics that we need to be vociferous about to make our world a better place to live. These are the topics that make up the core of the peace that we seek to benefit all of Mankind.
If there was ever a contest for a role model who spoke on any topic, including those that we’d rather not discuss, Mark Twain would win outright. Mark Twain often spoke without a speck of fear on those topics that you and I would rather shy away from.
We all can learn the art of freedom of expression from this man who has spoken on almost everything and still loved by billions around the world.
So, let’s learn from the master of the art of self-expression so that we can instantly put his wisdom to work in our lives and speak from our hearts with humor and feel proud doing so.
No party holds the privilege of dictating to me how I shall vote. If loyalty to party is a form of patriotism, I am no patriot. If there is any valuable difference between a monarchist and an American, it lies in the theory that the American can decide for himself what is patriotic and what isn’t. I claim that difference. I am the only person in the sixty millions that is privileged to dictate my patriotism. —- Mark Twain
Topic 1. Religion and Politics.
“In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.” —- Mark Twain
We have witnessed our politicians pretending to share the pain of an average citizen and promising to do all in their power only until they take the oath. Their actions speak volumes about their ignorance of what matters most to all of those who elected them to the office. The world has witnessed this phenomenon in which the voice of the common people gets diminished by the act of indifference from our political and religious leaders. The politics of honesty lays its foundation on the core issues that matter most to the welfare of its population. Our vote shall not be a considered a blind act of loyalty. Our vote shall not be sacrificed to defend the party lines; rather it should be used to bring common justice and opportunity for all.
A religion that comes of thought, and study, and deliberate conviction, sticks best. The revitalized convert who is scared in the direction of heaven because he sees hell yawn suddenly behind him, not only regains confidence when his scare is over, but is ashamed of himself for being scared, and often becomes more hopelessly and malignantly wicked than he was before.—- Mark Twain
We blindly follow our beliefs because we fear the consequences as preached by religious leaders . We are brainwashed in a way that limits our ability to think, study and form a deliberate conviction based on our ideals. Some form of religion and religious beliefs are vital for our own personal growth and character building, but we should never allow dumbfounded reasoning or scare tactics to guide our religious beliefs or to form a stereotypical view of others who don’t conform to our own. A religion should show us the pathway to happiness by practicing moral values and compassion for all Mankind.
Topic 2. Our principles.
We all live in the protection of certain cowardices which we call our principles. —- Mark Twain
When our actions are not congruent with our own beliefs, we take refuge under the hood of our principles to justify our act of cowardice. If we avoid expressing our views of fairness and justice for any just cause that we feel deeply about, if we ignore our own inner voice to bring about the change that can transform our world for the better — we are doomed to forever fail to do what’s right . We use this word ‘principle’ at work and at home to avoid engaging ourselves in those actions that jeopardize our imaginary sense of security.
You cannot have a theory without principles. Principles is another name for prejudices. —— Mark Twain
All of us have formed a stonewall of theories to justify our mental views of other people. When we don’t like something and when we struggle to rationalize our dislike, we wrap ourselves in the comfortable, secure blanket called ‘our principles‘. How can we grow ourselves if we are not truthful to our own inner-self? How can we make our world a better place to live if we wrap our views in a colorful yet fake stereotype formed on baseless reasoning? Try to abandon those fake theories that you have formed and embrace awareness by witnessing every thought that guides your every action. You’ll be amazed at the power of clarity that you will feel when you devote your life to bring about a profound change.
Topic 3. Our Happiness.
Happy is he who forgets (ignores?) what cannot be changed. —- Mark Twain
Have you noticed that most of things that we complain about in our lives cannot be changed just by our sheer will? Our incessant stream of worries cannot influence these things. Have you also noticed that we seldom discuss with others what makes us happy? Why? Happiness resides within us but we tend to seek out our happiness in terms of possessions. Why do we worry about the population of the world? Or the next epidemic that may wipe human race?Or the upcoming hurricane season? All of these things are beyond our capacity to change.
The perfection of wisdom, and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities, we will then be a happy and a virtuous people. —- Mark Twain
Don’t most of our financial woes come from our desire to spend beyond our means to repay what we borrow? When we spread our legs beyond the reach of our blanket, we’re prone to harsh treatment from nature. If we learn to possess only what life demands, if we learn to dream only what we can achieve with the capability and resources at our disposal —- we can find true, inner happiness. Our worries and problems that we’d rather not discuss with others come from our insane desire to dream without any regards to either our financial or physical means to achieve these dreams.
Happiness is a Swedish sunset–it is there for all, but most of us look the other way and lose it.
—- Mark Twain
Our freedom of speech is a sacred virtue. Have we abandoned our need to seek justice for the greater causes of Mankind by our deafening silence to discuss topics of politics, religion, our principles and our happiness? - nkap, on 08/12/2008, -5/+63Has anyone read "The Mysterious Stranger" by Twain? It was one of his final works before his death (maybe even penned on his deathbed?). When I first read it, I was blown away on many different levels...It is a biting criticism of established religion while ending on one of the most beautifully spiritual notes a person could possibly pen.
" "It is true, that which I have revealed unto you: there is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream--a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought -- a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities!"
He vanished and left me appalled; for I knew, and realized, that all he had said was true."
It is only 150 pages and free; I would suggestion anyone with some free time to check it out:
http://books.google.com/books?id=pUULAAAAIAAJ&dq=T ... - ScottMcIntyre, on 08/11/2008, -0/+50Mark Twain was the master of speaking his mind. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of every individual in a democratic society.
This article shares some of Twain's thoughts on politics, religion, personal values and happiness and encourages us to be brave enough to tell others what we believe.
This is especially important during the current US election period. - o0joshua0o, on 08/12/2008, -1/+41I think Mark Twain and George Carlin would have gotten along famously.
- ZenMoments, on 08/11/2008, -2/+33A timely topic for sure -- saying what you think. I think you should read this.
- Rainemaker, on 08/12/2008, -0/+27-Insert Mark Twain wittism about CPU usage here-
e.g.
...great servers are weighed and measured by their style and matter and not by the trimmings and shadings of their SQL tables.
- Mark Twain, a Biography - Avaniinava, on 08/12/2008, -0/+24Use freedom of expression to express what you want to express not what others want you to express.
- BetterOffEd, on 08/12/2008, -1/+18Did we break it?
Crap... This sounds interesting... - kavitak, on 08/12/2008, -1/+16Very beautifully described topic.
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -5/+19"It is unreliable narration."
Not in this case, imo. If you read more of Twain's later works ("Letters from the Earth" in particular comes to mind), you will see that he is so deeply disillusioned with religion as a whole and Christianity in particular that, for him, Lucifer ceases to be an antagonistic figure. Twain portrays him not as an evil tempter, but as a lone voice begging for reason against an overwhelming tide of dogmatic ignorance. Lucifer is restored to the function implied by his name: he is the bearer of light/enlightenment, although he has been embittered by a long and fruitless struggle. Lucifer is Twain's truest voice toward the end of the latter's lifetime. - inactive, on 08/12/2008, -2/+16How does Mark Twain feel about shared hosting?
- inactive, on 08/12/2008, -1/+14Mark Twain is one of my favorite writers...and this post expresses some of his thought quite well
- inditech, on 08/12/2008, -1/+14Rumours of this servers death are NOT greatly exaggerated
- LeRenard, on 08/12/2008, -0/+12Impressive, they didn't go over their bandwidth, they won't over their CPU time. Because processing time is so expensive these days.. I haven't seen anyone break a CPU quota since about 1983.
- lanceman02, on 08/12/2008, -1/+13Good stuff about speaking on controversial topics.
- inactive, on 08/12/2008, -1/+13If there is one thing Digg has taught me is to never host a website at Bluehost.com
- MEatRHIT, on 08/12/2008, -0/+11You, my good sir, are my hero for the day. Do with this power as you wish.
- nkap, on 08/12/2008, -0/+10Two pages in -- prior to meeting Satan --
"Mainly we were trained to be good Christians; to revere the Virgin, the Church, and the saints above everything. Beyond these matters we were not required to know much; and, in fact, not allowed to. Knowledge was not good for the common people, and could make them discontent with the lot which God had appointed for them, and God would not endure discontent with His plans."
Personally, I find that a criticism. The story stays on these topics for it entirety. - jellyfishes, on 08/12/2008, -1/+10I believe that people should have the right to freedom of expression but I also believe that people need to learn better judgment about when it is beneficial or appropriate. I am disgusted by people who believe that "freedom" means they can do whatever they want, without consideration for others. Use your freedom when it appropriate, NOT when you feel like being a nuisance for your own amusement.
- Aquabat, on 08/12/2008, -4/+13Hah, already down.
- kingmanic, on 08/12/2008, -1/+10Personally, if I write a post and it gets dugg but no one replies then I've failed to make an interesting comment. I've only wrote something that people agree with and haven't gotten anyone to think. I think the really interesting comments usually have a lot of replies regardless of how many diggs it get. I don't mean trolling or just being a contrarian but really interesting and thought provoking posts tend to get dug down.
- kmb1794, on 08/12/2008, -1/+10mirror?
- gametavern, on 08/12/2008, -1/+9looks like they don't wanna discuss it anymore.
- Dozernotz, on 08/12/2008, -2/+9You win comment of the day for reporting the results of your self-administered rorschach test to Digg. I hope you come to embrace your new identity.
- inactive, on 08/12/2008, -1/+8Mark Twain is sure well known to be a powerful speaker that impacts many. Esp when mentioning things that are controversial even during his days.
- Browzer, on 08/12/2008, -0/+7I can't RTFA because the account is suspended. But an excellent - and short - piece of writing by Mark Twain is "The War Prayer":
http://www.lysator.liu.se/lurk/www.midwinter.com/l ...
Few things written so long ago have proven to be relevant time and time again. - aguynamedben, on 08/12/2008, -0/+6Can't this guy just let Mark Twain's words speak for itself? What's up with the excessive commentary?
- timewarp424, on 08/12/2008, -5/+11I haven't read the book but the last few pages. You do realize that the devil is the speaker in this passage and if you are aware of any mythology of the devil, he is the king of lies. It appears to me (from these few pages) that Mark Twain isn't agreeing with the devil, he's showing this character trying to claim another soul. I really can't speculate any further, because I haven't read the entire book. Your analysis, however, seems a bit off.
- BoneheadFarker, on 08/12/2008, -0/+6Catholics aren't the only ones who allow other people to tell them what they should believe is right and wrong...
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+5"Mysterious Stranger" isn't Twain's bitterest rant by a long shot; try "Letters from the Earth" and THEN try to argue that Twain did not loathe religion.
- noen, on 08/12/2008, -2/+7You forgot about the shape shifing reptilians. They're gonna be pissed.
- NecroSexy, on 08/12/2008, -2/+7One of the topics: bandwidth.
- mlvassallo, on 08/12/2008, -3/+8Yeah, the "Mysterious Stranger" is the Devil. It is unreliable narration. Twain wasn't saying "there is no God", Twain was saying that the Devil has convinced the narrator of that fact and because of it has claimed his soul.
- AllEvil669, on 08/12/2008, -2/+7Wow, You need to either cut your dose or up it. I cannot figure out which.
- nkap, on 08/12/2008, -4/+9My advice to you is simple: read the damn thing, then you will understand.
- poidh, on 08/12/2008, -0/+5" Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of every individual in a democratic society."
You almost got that right. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of every human being. - delerium2k, on 08/12/2008, -1/+5I feel like these days society is moving in two directions on this topic. One side is buying more and more deeply into the mainstream media illusion of our world, and the other side is communicating, sharing, expressing and recognizing the common humanity that unites us rather than the petty differences that keep us fragmented. I hope we begin to express ourselves even more.
- Namaha, on 08/12/2008, -2/+6Bluehost :(
- spidoman, on 08/12/2008, -1/+5The server apparently would not like him to discuss them...
- bhamster, on 08/12/2008, -0/+4This one is my favorite quotes. Most zealots of any one doctorine fail to realize this. They think they must have the answer to everything, as if that is possible. To accept not *knowing* sometimes is very liberating. People like you more too:)
"In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.” —- Mark Twain - Parapadrifter, on 08/12/2008, -2/+6Those who fail to learn from history will repeat it. You idiots are the loonies, lost. It's okay graze for a while longer, I'll be back to shepherd you through the valley of darkness.
None are so blind, than those who refuse to see. - aeoo, on 08/12/2008, -0/+4There is more to it than just uniting and separating. I don't want to accept just any world-view under the rubric of uniting. There is also a matter of reason and analysis. Uniting a bunch of idiots still gives you a terrible world to live in.
If we could unite while at the same time becoming open-minded, inquisitive, and analytical thinkers -- now we'd be talking! That would be a dream I wouldn't mind dreaming.
The last thing I want is to unite with someone who holds convictions that I find baseless just for the sake of unification. Why would I want to find a "happy" middle ground between tolerance and intolerance, between open-mindedness and zealotry? I don't think it's all that happy, that type of ground. Not for me anyway. - inactive, on 08/12/2008, -2/+6Wow, you are way off. Everyone knows the dollar sign comes before the number, not after, like the "4$" you typed. Idiot.
- anand180, on 08/12/2008, -1/+5Good post. Authenticity is of the utmost importance - even when your opinion is not the popular one.
- doiveo, on 08/13/2008, -0/+4They probably are now
- inactive, on 08/12/2008, -0/+3How is this a relavent statement? Twain wasn't a Catholic
- BXRWXR, on 08/12/2008, -2/+5You're a loony.
- xmokshax, on 08/12/2008, -1/+4irrelevant to the topic at hand.
- teethandeyes, on 08/12/2008, -0/+3A future? Twain has been one of my favortie Philosphers for years.
He was just so elegant and witty, that many people didn't realize he was a Philospher. - inactive, on 08/12/2008, -2/+5The topic is great, but the writing on that page is horrendous. There must have been a sale offering two free adverbs with every adjective at Words 'R' Us. Please confine your shopping to the brevity bin next time.
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