Small Bites: 300 - 355

300. What is awareness? An animal may not be self-aware (of itself), but it is certainly aware. It's a survival reflex.

301. There is a major difference between 'needing to know' in order to further and develop a career and 'wanting to know' for personal development. The 'need' will possibly terminate with the end of a career. The want continues throughout the entire life. The 'want' results in becoming the individual rather than the individual developing selflessly.

302. Sexual affaires must surely be perceived as a minor (short-term) gain followed by an actual long-term major loss. The imagined euphoria of lust (the dis-ease or the fulfillment of sexual desire) is not the same as stability with cautious ease. Perhaps those that are 'away players' become addicted to the adrenaline rush caused by their enforced secrecy. The illicit liaison. Or, perhaps, it is simply a matter of change, but returning to the 'stable' family unit. Doubtless, causes can originate in some being together in an unhappy relationship and there are other reasons for 'straying'. Many do find future contentment elsewhere though 'working at saving a marriage' does appear contrived. If the reason for staying together is truly reconcilable (love) and not because of any marital status achieved (wealth, position) then there should be little to do to 'save' the relationship. If it is more difficult then trust will have gone and no-end of 'working at it' is likely to achieve a result. The unhappy relationship simply becomes more strained and fragile.

303. Colour vision/resolution.

304. Holding hands suggests ownership.

305. People cannot be 'changed' by others. They can only change themselves by personal choices.

306. How does 'making' money advance the sum of human knowledge?

307. Being unable to discuss issues enables an ultimately better comprehension by preventing potential distortion by others. A full understanding is forced since queries must be answered by self. Reference to (consistent) texts keeps thoughts 'on track'. This is not celebrating the end of a successful career, but the ultimate end of a failed one, sunk by regrouping and attack.

308. The 'goal' itself is undefinable, but resides in the general heading of where thoughts guide and the direction may suddenly change under the influence of a new thought. The destination is not random, just unknowable. Consistent logic remains the guide.

309. Creativity does not operate within boundaries. A 'creative' advance can be made by exploiting knowledge and skills learned. This uses second-hand knowledge. True creativity uses new ideas and concepts and original thought. True innovation.

310. Given any scenario (emotional or physical) the mental state is natural, but do people respond and behave naturally or from what has been learned through fiction and drama?

311. Continue fatalism: balance of good with bad, the up with the down. Hedonist attitude denies balance and ends with selfishness and no appreciation of value. The wealthy cannot understand poverty any more than the truly poor could not understand wealth. A rich man does not need money if he has values.

312. Matter and antimatter cancel each other out so before this moment nothing is theoretically required. The issue is: nothing can be the result of something, but can something come from nothing in the first place. Purely philosophical argument.

313. If there is a purpose to existence, it must involve learning and developing knowledge. Kepler, Da Vinci, Newton, Galileo, Einstein... The list has only a few real intellects that transformed human development. There are many more, but still relatively few in number. To have a pseudo-hedonistic existence is to waste life. Money is a man-made concept and the acquisition of more and more that is continuously worth less and less is absurd. An entire life supported by nothing more than a concept. To live out existence learning nothing is a dreadful abuse of potential. Waiting for years to die and doing nothing worthwhile. Purgatory.

314. Maturity and wisdom grow like a tree by branching out. However, if stuck within one concept it is more linear. This is sometimes referred to as 'focus'. However, this 'focus' is highly limiting and very inflexible.

315. The overwhelming desire to find open space for the sufferer of claustrophobia can result in the attempts to open the doors on a plane. Sedation would benefit more than 'securing' as that would make matters much worse.

316. What is awareness? An animal may not be aware of itself, but...

317. There is a major difference between 'needing to know' in order to further and develop a career and 'wanting to know' for personal development. The 'need' to know will possibly terminate with the end of a career. The want continues throughout the entire life. The 'want' becomes the individual rather than the individual developing selflessly.

318. Affaires must surely be perceived as a minor (short-term) gain followed by a long-term actual major loss. The imagined euphoria of lust (the dis-ease or the fulfillment of sexual desire) is not the same as stability and cautious ease. Perhaps those that are 'away players' become addicted to the adrenaline rush caused by their enforced secrecy. Doubtless, some are together in an unhappy relationship and there are other reasons for 'straying' and many do find future contentment elsewhere. The 'working at saving a marriage' does appear contrived. If the reason for staying together is truly reconcilable (love) and not because of any marital status achieved (wealth, position, child responsibility) then there should be little to do. If it is more difficult then trust will have gone and no-end of 'working at it' is likely to achieve a result.

319. I do think I don't need... this is positive by thinking about something needed

I don't think I do need... this defines a failure to think.

320. Whatever someone may become tomorrow, they are already someone today.

321. Sometimes destiny paths intersect briefly. Or over longer periods. But there is always a learning. Like picking up a book and flicking through the pages. A random snippet can be read that may be extremely profound and meaningful. Total chance? When the student is ready to learn the 'teacher' will appear. This can happen in many ways and being instructed can even pass unnoticed, especially if a brief meeting.

322. "I can now understand completely what I've been told, but I am not simple enough to believe any of it".

323. When the student is ready to learn, the 'teacher' will appear. The teacher may not realise what they are or what they will do, but the learning imparted is still critical for personal development.

324. That an end-point cannot be explained is not in itself enough to reject a theory. Similar to a calculation where the start and end are accepted, but where there is no intermediate workings-out. The start is known, but the method to achieve the end is unknown. This does not overturn the validity of the calculation.

325. Survival of the most ruthless.

326. Ancient beliefs can arise out of wonder. Later knowledge should explain and remove 'belief'. It doesn't always and delusion can deny the new knowledge.

327. Confusion between 'love' and 'sex'. Love involves a more emotional state than purely physical sex. Mental orgasm against physical orgasm and the potential initiation (conception) of a life-form isn't a requirement for either.

328. Lack of personal knowledge is not sufficient reason to disqualify an opinion, but obviously, an intimate awareness does better support an opinion. Even then personal knowledge does not mean that a clear and undistorted picture is described. Accuracy and delusion both play their part. Two individuals will each probably have their own descriptions as personal experience will doubtless be different. Perhaps not much, but enough to create a difference.

329. When the brain no longer needs the body it will wither and die. It's end. If intelligence does not support the body and it goes into disrepair the pairing will not survive. Feeds a need or needs to feed?

330. The lifelong activity of just 'making money' is a supreme paradox. The production of money is so unproductive. What a waste. Just to 'making money' and nothing else. Quite sad really.

331. The human mind can concentrate on only one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is impossible, but an 'alien' (extra-terrestrial) brain could possibly deal with several tasks independently and simultaneously. The structure may be considerably different.

332. Mentally de-stressing may neutralise a psychological condition. Reliance on alcohol to distract from problems that cause stress can never solve those problems.

333. Nobody can possibly know what we are capable of until placed under certain circumstances. The reaction can be spontaneous and highly explosive. Evidence used in court cases: how secure is the unique item (exhibit)? If stolen from the court, how can a case proceed?

334. Imagine the first occasion of human-to-human communication whether by sound or some symbol/picture. It would possibly appear as magic that understanding (a new concept) happened. And neither would there be any language to internally express the event. Without language, the ability to communicate is seriously compromised.

335. Holding hands suggests ownership.

336. People cannot be 'changed' by others. They can only change themselves by personal choices. Influence happens, but it remains a personal choice to accept another point of view.

337. How does 'making' money advance the sum of human knowledge?

338. Not discussing issues enables ultimately better comprehension by preventing potential distortion by others. A full understanding is forced since queries must be answered by self. Reference to (consistent) texts keeps thoughts 'on track'.

339. Advancement (evolution) is adapting to a changing environment. The sentient (aware) human can negotiate its own destiny whereas an animal of lesser 'intelligence' will simply adapt. Intelligence must be qualified: an instinctive reaction is an intelligence. A more considered (human) approach will result in a calculated effect and can lead to a more proactive character. Is sentience a prerequisite for a proactive nature or does non-sentience lead to reactive behaviour only?

340. A specific 'goal' may itself be undefinable, but it resides in the general heading of where thoughts guide. The direction may suddenly change under the influence of a new thought, but the destination is not random, just unknowable. Consistent logic remains the guide.

341. Creativity does not operate within boundaries. A 'creative' advance can be made by exploiting knowledge and skills learned. This uses second-hand knowledge. True creativity uses new ideas and concepts and original thought.

342. Given any scenario (emotional or physical) the mental state is natural, but do people respond and behave naturally or from what has been learned through fiction and drama? Original or non-original thought?

343. Fatalism can be a balance of good with bad, the up with the down. A hedonistic attitude denies balance and ends with selfishness and no appreciation of value. The wealthy cannot understand poverty any more than the truly poor could not understand wealth. A 'rich' man does not need money if he has values.

344. Matter and antimatter cancel each other out so before this moment nothing is theoretically required. The issue is: nothing can be the result of something, but can something come from nothing in the first place. Or can it?

345. If there is a purpose to existence, it must involve learning and developing knowledge. Kepler, Da Vinci, Newton, Galileo, Einstein... The list has only a few real intellects that transformed human development. There are many more, but still relatively few in number. To have a pseudo-hedonistic existence is to waste life. Money is a man-made concept and the acquisition of more and more is to be simply worth less and less. An entire life supported by nothing more than a concept. To live out existence learning nothing is a dreadful abuse of potential. Waiting for years to die, yet doing nothing worthwhile. Purgatory.

346. Imagine the first occasion of human-to-human communication whether by sound or some symbol/picture. It would possibly appear as magic that understanding (a new concept) happened. And neither would there be any language to internally express the event. Without language, the ability to communicate is seriously compromised.

347. If an artefact is designed by humans, it can be fixed by humans. Perhaps the expertise of an individual is not enough, but a team of expert humans can fix anything physically designed and manufactured by humans. But the human is a beginner in terms of complexity potential when compared to human physiology. The slightly damaged brain cannot be repaired, only managed. The complete (brain) unit in most cases functions perfectly. Perhaps with training, some better than others.

348. Seagulls form partnerships for life. There may be certain times of the year that span only a few days for other species to mate. Partners are mostly unknown and disappear after the coupling. Creating life and the onward survival of the genes. The prowess of a potential mate may be a determining feature of a good selection.

349. The human can misinterpret and confuse the emotions of fear and excitement and they can only be perceived. The emotion of love is an interpretation that could easily be confused with an unconscious feeling that suggests a good partner for procreation. Sex is (generally) always involved and can even be exploited as the glue for a relationship. A connectivity based on reward. The exploitation of the male desire for sex (orgasm?). The female can possibly be motivated by both: sexual need and security for potential offspring and is probably the driver in any case. This is human 'psychological' chemistry at work. But the human is a calculating animal. The natural selection of a good partner can be subverted by the consideration of other benefits. This can all be subconscious (genetically instinctive) or deliberate (calculating). The composite results in what is known as 'love'. With humans it comprises a very complex interplay of considerations and the individual may be completely unaware of the subconscious (not actively noticed) acrobatics for arriving at a conclusion.

350. Problems in relationships often occur after successful procreation (children). This could be more likely for women. The mate has been selected for procreation and the human financial (perceived security) aftermath can then take place. The complicated nature of human relationships can surface without children and defines a more calculated and cynical goal. The aim was not driven by the desire for children (gene survival), but simply greed. Mistakes are made and recognised. Violence and control can follow.

351. Creatures are proposed to have populated planet Earth for hundreds of millions of years. All sorts of catastrophes have almost certainly occurred. Species have survived, become extinct or, so it is thought, evolved into a form more able to survive (adapted). Evolution may or may not be a reality, but for now it explains an outcome. Such creatures, and there is an enormous diversity of surviving species, do exist Creatures are proposed to have populated planet Earth for hundreds of millions of years. All sorts of catastrophes have almost certainly occurred. Species have survived, become extinct or, so it thought, evolved into a form more able to survive. Evolution may or may not be a reality, but for now it explains an outcome. Such creatures do exist. There is an enormous diversity of surviving species that have no apparent purpose other than to procreate and survive.

352. After hundreds of millions of years, the human with its thinking and reasoning abilities is successfully managing to destroy itself and its home (Earth). And in a relatively short time.

353. The most successful creature is possibly the cockroach or the scorpion. Or just a crustacean. Certainly, the human does not feature in the success stakes. The human creature can only realistically be categorised as a parasite. Everything the human does involves removing and destruction. Mostly of itself. Putting nothing back into the Earth for its continued survival. No apparent purpose other than to procreate to survive.

354. It is a remarkable fact that growth is carefully controlled. Naturally. A human or any other type of creature grows in all places at a proportionately equal rate. The baby grows into an infant, child and finally into a fully-grown adult. The relative proportions of height and girth are fairly constant. As height increases then the distance around any physical part of the body also gets larger. An arm or leg increases in length and also its diameter. A human heart grows larger as the entire body grows. Lungs, bones, skin, brain... Height is a 2D issue, but an increase in diameter (girth) entails a 3D element. But still the proportional rate of growth remains unchanged. This makes the constancy of proportionality even more remarkable. What is it that controls growth? Why does a cancer happen or a 'tumour' grow? Cancer is uncontrolled growth where the increase in the cell-count outstrips the death-rate of cells. A tumour is 'simply' out-of-control growth. The damage caused by a cancer can be devastating and eventually fatal. All cells require body resources to 'live'. This consumes vital resources that healthy and necessary growth requires.

355. It's what is done in life that counts. Everybody dies. Death is the inevitable end to that life and only the legacy can live on.