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You Must Cultivate Your Own Garden - Voltaire

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
It makes sense, until it doesn't...

The conflict between Tibet and China comes to mind. Or even the current situation between HK and mainland China.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
I profoundly disagree with Voltaire's pessimism and urge to hide from the world. It this era, it just does not work.

We've seen over and over again that tending one's own garden is basically impossible for most of humanity. For example Mao's China and expanding to various dictatorships explicitly including the USSR and satellites. And of course, if you're a member of the wrong religion, you are very lucky if you're left alone.

In the USA, from libertarians though liberals, people feel that government is doing things they don't like that interferes with their freedom from gun ownership to abortion rights. Without getting into a left/right debate about what rights are important, I think the vast majority of us see our rights being threatened.

And I don't agree with the ignore the world approach. Now more than ever we need to be engaged with the world. Voltaire is right in that politics can drive people crazy, but even those who want to avoid politics can feel that our basic freedoms are being threatened and feel the need to engage.

Beyond politics, to me the times call for people to be involved with helping other people in all the ways that make sense to them.
 

MNoBody

Well-Known Member
Why Voltaire Said: You Must Cultivate Your Own Garden


So, what do you think?
brilliant, but in this time it comes off like marie antoinette
let them cultivate their own garden.......people have been dispossessed and such ready access is mostly, well denied, thus, one concludes that one must contend with the tyrants and evils that are plaguing collective butt from sheer necessity
 

BSM1

What? Me worry?
I profoundly disagree with Voltaire's pessimism and urge to hide from the world. It this era, it just does not work.

We've seen over and over again that tending one's own garden is basically impossible for most of humanity. For example Mao's China and expanding to various dictatorships explicitly including the USSR and satellites. And of course, if you're a member of the wrong religion, you are very lucky if you're left alone.

In the USA, from libertarians though liberals, people feel that government is doing things they don't like that interferes with their freedom from gun ownership to abortion rights. Without getting into a left/right debate about what rights are important, I think the vast majority of us see our rights being threatened.

And I don't agree with the ignore the world approach. Now more than ever we need to be engaged with the world. Voltaire is right in that politics can drive people crazy, but even those who want to avoid politics can feel that our basic freedoms are being threatened and feel the need to engage.

Beyond politics, to me the times call for people to be involved with helping other people in all the ways that make sense to them.


And what, realistically, can you personally do about any of the world's ills? I think the Voltman was simply telling us that there is only so much you can control , so control what you can.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Humans are a collective, cooperative species. The more we pretend we are not, the more selfish and damaging we become to each other.

Isolation and self-centeredness are not a solution. They are a problem that we need to get beyond.
 

BSM1

What? Me worry?
Humans are a collective, cooperative species. The more we pretend we are not, the more selfish and damaging we become to each other.

Isolation and self-centeredness are not a solution. They are a problem that we need to get beyond.


So you sayin' if everyone minded their own business the world would be worse off?
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I profoundly disagree with Voltaire's pessimism and urge to hide from the world. It this era, it just does not work.
I take away a different message....
Don't let the drama of politics ruin ones equanimity.
We see here on RF how angry obsessive political discourse
becomes hostile & unproductive. If one is grounded more in
enjoyable life activities, then facing the problems of the larger
world won't weigh one down.

Practical application....
I'd long ago decided to not care much who wins elections.
I'll make my choices. But when things don't go my way, I'll still be
tending my garden, my landscaping, & other projects. Those are
the important things in my life. I'll hold no animosity for Trumpets
& Bidenites, who made their choices for their own reasons.
 
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Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
I take away a different message....
Don't let the drama of politics ruin ones equanimity.

We sure wouldn't want a Trump enabled pandemic, apocalyptic destruction linked to climate change, or the repeated murder of people of color by police vigilantes to ruffle one's white, middle class equanimity.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
We sure wouldn't want a Trump enabled pandemic, apocalyptic destruction linked to climate change, or the repeated murder of people of color by police vigilantes to ruffle one's white, middle class equanimity.
You're welcome to live in anguish over societal ills.
This helps no one, but harms your own health.
Pursue change without suffering from the pursuit itself.
 
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Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
So you deem the sole responses available to be anguish and equilibrium. That's pretty disturbing.
Anguish is what I observe generally in your posts.
You seem to have much anger, but little fun here.
The theme of the thread is overcoming that.

I'd rather not have gone there, but
you did initiate this line of discussion.
 
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