Ethics

When given situations such as these, the answers are more often felt, rather than thought out.

In movies and on TV shows, the villain will often be a character who knows they are bad and revels in it. They love being thought of as evil and will sometimes do horrible things just to live up to the persona.

From my experience, real life doesn't work that way. I've yet to meet, or even hear of, someone that really belives this. I've known people from all walks of life, many have jobs or pass times that others would frown upon. Some have done things that many people would think wrong, but they didn't think of themselves as bad and as far as they were concirned, had good reasons for doing their will.

In the book Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee, the author talks about a personal experience to show character motivations. It also illustrates my point perfectly.

        I once joined a gym in Manhattan not knowing it was a mafia hangout and met an amusing, likeable guy whose nickname was Mr. Coney Island, a title he’d won as a bodybuilder in his teens. Now, however, he was a ”button man.“ ”To button up“ means to shut up. A button man ”puts the button on“ or shuts people up. . . forever. One day in the steam room he sat down and said, ”Hey, Bob, tell me something. Are you one of the ‘good’ people?“ In other words, did I belong to the mob?
        Mafia logic runs like this: ”People want prostitution, narcotics, and illicit gambling. When they’re in trouble, they want to bribe police and judges. They want to taste the fruits of crime, but they’re lying hypocrites and won’t admit it. We deal in realities. We are the ‘good’ people.’ Mr Coney Island was a conscienceless assassin, but inside he was convinced he was good.

So while many judge that sort of person as evil, they themselves do not. They also judge the people around them by their own values. This paints a very different picture of the world.

With no consensus on what is good and evil it isn’t possible to eradicate the latter to leave the world full of the former. I've yet to hear a convincing argument for a balance between the two either. Though many have tried.

What is needed are new classifications. I submit Selfish and Selfless. Selfish and Selfless acts can be balanced and an argument can be made for balancing them. If someone was completely Selfless, they'd never eat, while someone completely Selfish would be vial untrustworthy wretch.

A wide spectrum exists between these two extremes. While each person may choose their location on spectrum by adjusting their actions. It becomes more difficult to cause those around grief and pain, then justify it in some righteous name of good. Rather a person must acknowledge the selfishness of their deeds and either adjust their self image or make emends.

Careful consideration and honest reflection is needed when assessing ones own actions in this way. Without knowing a person’s inner most thoughts, the actions of others can be impossible to judge. However attempting both will at the very least cause greater reflection on both the internal and external.

Levels and Layers

I was once told that many people who practice it, think that astral projection is a superior method of movement. It's not, I was told, it's just more subtle.

We see hierarchy where there is none. I've seen this in many walks of life.

Jack may only know enough about computers to start a program, use it, print, then close it down. Jill may be able write the program that Jack used. If you only want directions to the nearest cinema, Jack and Jill are in the same place.

With a shift of weight, it's possible to have a lesser opponent, move their guard, clearing the way for a killing blow. However, should a drunk in a bar, mistake a low cut top for an invitation. A kick in the groin may be all that's required.

Achieving ones will can be looked at in a similar fashion. There are those that have a Machiavellian approach to fulfilling their will. Others have a far more direct approach. Others still, use goetic, enochian and other forms of magick to achieve their will.

Method is important. It's value is in it's chance of success. Those preoccupied with a snobbery regarding different methods of achieving one's will have lost their way. It's easy to get caught up in these distractions and it can be satisfying to silence critics. There is nothing wrong with performing work with a sense of style, just as long as the result is never jeopardised for it.

...but not forgotten

It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog, but I haven't forgotten about it. I've been drafting articles on a few different subjects. However, due to world events each one of my posts has descended into a political rant and I don't want this blog to be about politics. As with their religion, peoples' political beliefs can't be changed though argument. All sides in a political debate make their case, then it's up to each person to choose who they believe. This blog is to share my thought on Thelema, with those that are interested, not to join or comment on that debate.