Re: 69 isn't too old to stop, Jon

On Thu, 2 Dec 2021 09:04:47 -0800 (PST), Rupert <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 11:45:54 AM UTC+1, Derek wrote:
>> 1. 69 isn't too old to stop doing things that *revolt* you. 
>> 2. 69 isn't too old to stop *feeling* revolted at what you do. 
>> 3. 69 isn't too old to stop having to *ready* yourself before #1 and #2. 
>> 
>> "Every now and then, when I think about what's involved 
>> in eating meat, the thought *revolts* me. The *feeling* never 
>> lasts, and at my next meal I'm always *ready* to tuck into 
>> a chunk of meat." 
>> Jonathan Ball 01 May 2007 http://bit.ly/2dgi2ds 
>> 
>> I've been reading Dostoevsky for a couple of years now, and I believe he 
>> would say to you, 
>> 
>> "A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies becomes unable to 
>> recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing 
>> respect for himself and for others. When he has no respect for anyone, he 
>> can no longer love, and, in order to divert himself, having no love in him, 
>> he yields to his impulses, indulges in the lowest forms of pleasure, and 
>> behaves in the end like an animal. And it all comes from lying - lying to 
>> others and to yourself." 
>> 
>> Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov pg. 44 
>> 
>> Happy birthday, old man.
>
>It's nice to see you're well enough to make a birthday post for Jon, Derek. 

Thank you. I made a very similar one to this last year on the same date.

>Haven't seen him around here for a while.

An absence of evidence... He's here.

>I've been meaning to give "The Brothers Karamazov" a try.

Like a lot of Dostoevsky's works it's very heavy on religion, morality, and
our questions regarding free will. If you can put up with Father Zosima's
preaching, which takes up a large part in the first part of the book, you'll
also need to accustom yourself with the various names given to the main
characters. Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov is the father of three sons,
although there are strong hints that he fathered four. Dmitri Fyodorovich,
his eldest by his first wife, is also known as Mitya, Mitka, Mitenka and
Mitri. Ivan Fyodorovich, his second eldest by his second wife is also 
known as Vanya, Vanka and Vanechka. Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov 
is known by seven: Alyosha, Alyoshka, Alyoshenka, Alyoshechka, 
Alexeichik, Lyosha and Lyoshenka. It takes a bit of getting used to. The
novel contains within it Dostoevsky's well-known title "The Grand
Inquisitor" which, on its own, I find very interesting and leads to many
questions.

>I'm also working on a moral philosophy paper related to the topics that have sometimes been discussed here in this newsgroup, among other things.

I read far far more than I used to write these days. I hope you get to
finish it and are satisfied with it.