A touching song

An uplifting song with a heartwarming video courtesy of the great Van Morrison.

                                       

Engaging Voices

While having a coffee in a small cafe in Cambridge, I came across a lovely thought provoking journal. I noticed from its webpage the following which I thought was worth showing in full and definitely food for thought. 

Why Wisdom?

"Fashionable intellectuals today treat all ideas as fads. Alas, it’s a zeitgeist that’s conducive not to responsible thinkers but rather provocateurs, who do little of substance to foster the kind of humanity they claim to profess. Sensationalising not explaining, bamboozling not enlightening, berating not inspiring: society’s moralising has been entrusted to the likes of radical postmodernists, religious fundamentalists and political extremists, all of whom fit and shape the virulent modern media, even as they critique it.
Yet beneath this entanglement of weeds, wisdom endures: civilisation’s forgotten monument. Inscribed on it are history’s most profound existential lessons – thoughtful, conscientious and deep, yet down-to-earth, concrete and practical. There are homely meditations on how to live a meaningful, happy and good life. There are simple teachings on how to get the best out of oneself and others; to create more of the things that make life worthwhile – such as beauty, love, labour, compassion, peace and learning. And there are insights into human nature and how it can be channelled into achieving all this.
Through contributions from academics and other professionals – responsible intellectuals alike – the Journal of Modern Wisdom seeks to cut through the faddish brambles; to recover, reassert and redevelop wiser ways of living. Because ideas matter. And wisdom is the most valuable thing people can reflect on – and in doing so, with hope, achieve"

http://www.modernwisdom.co.uk/

Late Night Radio

Late night radio is so refreshing to listen too; intelligent conversation, well chosen songs and an all round warming experience. I heard this song on BBC Radio 6 on Guy Garvey's programme so I thought I would share it. Bruce Cockburn is a new discovery for me so I hope you enjoy the music as much as I did. More can be found out about this Canadian singer on his website: 

 http://brucecockburn.com/about

Wise Words from Richard Burton

Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins are possibly the two greatest British actors of the twentieth century. Here's the former reciting some wise words. 

 

                                       


To find out more on both actors try:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000164/

Words and Their Staging

According to Ludwig Wittgenstein thinking is "a widely ramified concept. A concept that comprises many manifestations of life. The phenomena of thinking are widely scattered." 

For example: 

"speak thoughtfully

speak without thought

think before speaking

speak before thinking

think while speaking

speak to yourself in imagination

think of someone

think of a solution to a puzzle

let a thought cross your mind."

etc etc

He points out that the word thought appears to correspond to a simple activity. However when it is used in different situations the word becomes "ragged." The reader has "a false picture." In other words it deceives us into believing because it is only one word "we think it represents one sort of activity." (ditto)

It is easy to forget that "a word's meaning depends upon its staging, the scene or circumstances in which it is used." Perhaps language is often taken for granted and one of the reasons why I read such books is to try and raise my awareness of just how potent words can be. 

"Once a word leaves your mouth, you cannot chase it back even with the swiftest horse."

(Confucious)

"The pen is mightier than the sword"

(Charles Dickens) 

 thought

Wittgenstein quotes from 'Introducing Wittgenstein' Icon Books (2010)