Jediism and family reaction

maynoth wrote:

Proteus wrote:

maynoth wrote: Beliefs are cool, but at the end of the day what you believe has little bearing on what you are able to do.

As much as I am non-religious, that above has to be one of the most incorrect statements I've seen on this site in an long time. Everything you do and say is driven by what you currently believe. As Br. John read from another quote on the HuffPost Live Interview, how can you separate your beliefs or faith from your daily life and all that which you are and do?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is Roman Catholic, but if he were Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu, or Muslim, or Taoist, or Atheist, or Agnostic, do you think he would have had some sort of advantage or disadvantage in regards to his strength and physique?

Do you think him getting into Nietzsche or Plato, or Aristotle would have any bearing on the size of his biceps?

Training, diet, dedication, perhaps some steroids are what got him to where he is/was, not his religious or philosophical beliefs.

The masters I am talking about are the same, anyone of any religion of philosophical persuasion can accomplish the same results with diligent training with the correct methods and meditation.

You are talking about formal religion. I am talking about "belief". You can have a religion regardless of whether you actually believe it or not, just like you can have a belief and not follow any religion.

What you are capable of is utilized and powered by your beliefs (your confidence for example). It has nothing to do with what god you follow. lol

I've continued this off-topic in a new thread:

http://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/General-Discussions/99607-What-Does-Your-Belief-Influence

I can believe I can fly, I can be even confident in that belief, doesn't make it so.

Confidence doesn't give you muscular strength, your training does.

Proteus wrote: You are talking about formal religion. I am talking about "belief". You can have a religion regardless of whether you actually believe it or not, just like you can have a belief and not follow any religion.

What you are capable of is utilized and powered by your beliefs (your confidence for example). It has nothing to do with what god you follow. lol

maynoth wrote: Arnold Schwarzenegger is Roman Catholic

I think the assertion your leaning on is that religion is all encompassing of one's attitudes. A set of beliefs associated with someones activity defines their path, that is what is being talked about and in that regard Arnold's 'religion' was Iron and his church the gym. His 'other' religion might have been important to aspects of his life, but unless a person makes religion central to their life then its not going to shape their path very much.

maynoth wrote: I can believe I can fly, I can be even confident in that belief, doesn't make it so.

I dont understand the relevance of that statement. No-one is saying belief is proof, rather its connection to action. You can fly, you'll just fail miserably at it.

maynoth wrote: Confidence doesn't give you muscular strength, your training does.

Confidence is an important part of all decision making, without it most nothing can be achieved and absolutely nothing can be achieved with professionalism.

What I am getting at is that having an effective method, and putting in the required effort are how you develop abilities.

I've got tons of friends, that are into magick who think this next spell is going to let them influence reality to the degree they need to win the lottery, or hollow out a mountain full of dwarf *** slaves and an army of undead skeletons and demons to bring about the apocalypse.

Reality doesn't work like that.

People who have amazing abilities worked for it, they also had systems that allowed to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps, they didn't wake up one morning believing it and poof they were rich, or geniuses, or brilliant musicians, or polygots, or polymaths, etc.


Everything has a price, everything. There is no free lunch.

Arnold didn't get muscles by thinking about getting muscles really hard.

The practices of the masters I study, work irregardless of what you believe religiously, spirituality or philosophically.

The only thing you have to provide is the hard work, and diligent training and meditation.

That's what I am getting.

Yes it takes effort to develop great skills....but would you put in the tremendous amount of effort needed if you didn't believe the end results were possible?

No one puts in effort if they don't believe that they will get what they want out of it....

Belief IS the motivational force that leads to effort

RyuJin wrote: Yes it takes effort to develop great skills....but would you put in the tremendous amount of effort needed if you didn't believe the end results were possible?

I don't believe my end goal will be met before I die, but it won't stop me from trying anyway.

maynoth wrote: I don't believe my end goal will be met before I die, but it won't stop me from trying anyway.

If you dont believe it will happen, why do you keep trying?

You don't believe you'll achieve the goal? Why set it as a goal then? Aiming for something you don't believe is possible seems a pursuit of futility...

If we spend our effort chasing something we don't believe then we set ourselves up for a lifetime of disappointment since we never reach our goal...

Brenna wrote:

maynoth wrote: I don't believe my end goal will be met before I die, but it won't stop me from trying anyway.

If you dont believe it will happen, why do you keep trying?

RyuJin wrote: You don't believe you'll achieve the goal? Why set it as a goal then? Aiming for something you don't believe is possible seems a pursuit of futility...

If we spend our effort chasing something we don't believe then we set ourselves up for a lifetime of disappointment since we never reach our goal...

Because I have to, if you knew realistically you'd probably die on a deserted ocean island, would it stop you from trying to survive and be rescued?

I probably will not succeed, in all of history only two other humans have completed my goal, and there are 10 people alive on earth that have made any meaningful progress towards it.

They have a lot more free time to dedicate to it than I ever will, and the odds I could ever get close to them is probably non existent.

Even if I won the lottery tomorrow, and had explicit instructions on what I needed past the introductory stages (which I don't) Most likely even then I wouldn't have enough time remaining if I spent 12 hours a day every day for the rest of my life.

Still I refuse to give up, and will do my best.