“At five, I had the intuitive, instinctive faith that my cosmos, my family and the world were good and true and beautiful. That somehow I had always been and always would be. And I knew in a way of a five-year-old that I had worth and dignity and individuality. Later, when I read Nietzsche’s statement that these are not given to us by nature but are tasks that we must somehow solve, I knew him to be wrong. We all had them once.”
~ George Sheehan, Running & Being
Notes:
- Related Posts: George Sheehan bio and quote – Uneasiness. Inquietude. There is work to be done.
- Image Source. Thank you Mme Scherzo
i agree with nietzsche. one reason i turned away from the catholicism, is that i have never believed that children are born with a black mark/a sin on their heart, a millstone that they must work all of their lives to atone for and be rid of or overcome.
rather, i believe they are born pure and innocent and with all of the possibilities in the world ahead of them. their job is to live life as a compassionate, kind and giving person, to hang on to and live out their infinite possibilities. (more in line with a native american and inuit or eastern spiritual approach to life)
I believe what you are saying is what Sheehan is saying. Nietzsche is saying that we are born with these issues to solve and not offered good, truth, beauty, innocence at birth.
yes, it is sheehan, not nietzche i agree with. have to keep my men straight )
Great. I thought Shinto and I were on different planes for a moment. You had me shaken.
i hope that i have helped to restore a tiny bit of balance to your world )
Yes, I’m back in equilibrium. 🙂
I think the coolest thing about philosophy is that you learn more about the philosopher than about a way of viewing the world. This makes me want to read biographies on both Nietzsche and Sheehan.
So true.
When we are young, those under parental protection find “world” within our vision to be good, true and beautiful. Our elders show us a world, that has much to offer and life is a gift. As, we slowly grow up and get exposed to system/people we realize that we must attain and protect the goodness, truth and beauty within us ans around us..sometimes this childhood days are not available to souls under the sun..they have to acquire these right from start..a tough life.
Well put and stated Kalabalu. Not everyone gets the right start unfortunately.
yes..
How could anyone not believe otherwise? To look at any baby and young child…and to see the light in their eyes, that beauty that is so clear when we are young. Yes, I believe that we are all born beautiful and with a sense of worth…and it is, sadly, the world that we are born into and within which we must exist which many times will take that light away. I believe the struggle is to hang onto the beauty and truth we were born with, despite whatever difficulties might occur in our life’s journey.
Yes, well said Carol. Full Stop.
It is Re-membering that original truth and beauty and trust when they have been torn from you in those years before five, and only others who have known the hard work involved in that re-membering can understand… to paraphrase Plotinus, it’s no good trying to tell about the spiritual life to someone who isn’t living it…and the same applies to this truth that both Sheehan and Nietsche are talking about…
Valerie, thank you. I had not heard the Plotinus quote, but it resonates with me on many fronts. Thanks for sharing.