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                             %FEELINGS AS ULTIMATES 781022

     Often we  feel  so  strongly about  what  is  normal,
natural,   proper,   most real,  etc.---that  we  take our
feelings  to  be  a  completely  reliable  indication   of
ultimate  reality;   if you will,  of  God's  view.    Our
feelings can be so definite that we can not intellectually
conceive  of  any other way of feeling about  the  matter.
Rational, logical, intellectual analysis does not offer us
any  alternative approach---so we take our feelings to  be
final arbiters in the matter.


     Our  domination by our feelings as ultimate  arbiters
of reality is the more complete if we, by collusive  games
of  mutual  self  deception,   play out our  lives  as  if
feelings   were   not   important---thinking   that    the
convictions which flow from our feelings are the result of
rational, logical, and intellectual  processes.    We  may
rationalize our feelings so thoroughly as to be unaware of
the origin of our convictions---and be unaware of the role
which our emotions play  in  guiding our convictions.   In
such  circumstances  we are  thoroughly  enslaved  by  our
feelings,   emotions,  affections,  etc.---because we deny
their reality even as they dominate our lives.  By denying
their reality we make it difficult, if not impossible, for
us to consider and   wisely  choose  between  alternatives
relating   to feelings, emotions, affections, etc.  We are
then dominated by such realities as chance brought to  us,
and are  unable to discriminate between them and make wise
choices  relating  to them.  By denying their reality  and
importance, we become victims  of their dominion,  and act
out a drama of cause-and-effect according to deterministic
patterns.

     Wise  use  of our  rational,  logical,  intellectual,
analytic, objective, and similar faculties depends upon us
accepting our feelings,  emotions, affections, and similar
aspects of ourselves---and integrating them into a life of
integrity.     Efforts   to  achieve   perfection  through
specialization, are efforts which generate perversions and
enslavement  to  the rebellions of  the  denied realities.
Human perfection  does  not come  through  specialization.
Human perfection has more to do with wholeness,  than with
lack of defect under any criteria of judgment.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
  www.essayz.com       Search for Integrity and Honesty        
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