I am listening to a song by Thea Gilmore, “Rags and Bones” (from the album Avalanche, which I recommend highly). This song has a lyric that refers to something being “far from the shackles of cognitive thought”.

The phrase “the shackles of cognitive thought” has far more to it than first appears.

I have tried to indicate in my writings how we are often imprisoned by our own point of view unless we are willing to make a great effort to step outside that limitation to see a larger world.

After my two week hiatus, this limitation is even more evident when I read the various views expressed on the diverse array of weblogs I read. Yet, this prison of limited viewpoint is NOT “the shackles of cognitive thought”, because these unthinking reactions that are so common are not restricted by any form of cognition but instead have no bounds of reason imposed upon them. Even without the bounds of reason it is a prison none the less.

“The shackles of cognitive thought” are self-imposed by those who choose to think instead of react, restricting themselves to the bounds of reason instead of indulging in flights of fancy that are divorced from reality.

Unfortunately, most in blogworld, and in the world at large as well, choose to react instead of think.

They choose reject the reality imposed by the shackles of cognitive thought for the far more pleasant non-reality of the emotional reaction, which is emphasized by the comments of yea-sayers that fill the role of a Greek chorus, telling the readers how they are supposed to react.

Freed from the shackles of cognitive thought, they are able to engage in all kinds of flights of fancy, imposing edicts and declaring any who oppose them traitors or worse.

Yet freedom has a grave responsibility associated with it, a responsibility ignored by those who indulge in the freedom from the shackles of cognitive thought.

Instead, they choose to skip freely down a path that has consequences they refuse to see, much less illustrate for those who follow them.

It must be nice to be able to completely ignore the responsibility that comes with true adulthood, of being able to see different points of view, of being able to perceive a larger world, of being able to consider that they themselves may not hold the Word of God.

That irresponsibility will cost us all dearly even more than it already has.

Technorati Tags: commentary

Several bloggers are commenting (complaining?!?) about the slow pace of news in the past few days.

These remarks ring hollow to me, especially in light of this (thanks to Ann Althouse for the link):

It’s cruel, too cruel. I’ve appreciated irony all my life. But my sons are both musicians. And I am going deaf.

A “slow news day”, yet tragedies still occur both large and small, widely felt or falling upon an individual.

A “slow news day” with nothing worthy of commentary.

While murder still occurs in Darfur.

While death still holds entire populations in tyranny, it is a “slow news day”.

While we examine our navels, the world moves on, judging us by our acts, especially in times of tyranny when we are warm and comfortable in our homes.

A “slow news day”.

Yes…

Nothing to see here, move along…

It is a “slow news day”…

Technorati Tags: commentary, weblogs

…to those who kindly helped me by guest posting here while I was away. I definitely needed the break, and I appreciate the efforts of those who helped keep Random Fate alive.

In random order, I would like to thank:

David Anderson of In Search of Utopia

Ron Beasly of Middle Earth Journal

Pennywit of Pennywit

Jennifer of Jennifer’s History and Stuff

The Commissar of The Politburo Diktat

Joe Gandelman of The Moderate Voice

Key of Key Issues

Boudicca of Boudicca’s Voice

Eric of Straight White Guy

Please go and check out their own weblogs, because all of them are well worth reading.

Technorati Tags: weblogs