What we direct our thoughts to in the world

Submitted by markaqui on Tue, 06/23/2009 - 10:49am.

I am posting this as a new topic, but I also think it fits in well with what the Aberdeen group had to say about thinking as "universal" rather than personal. I believe this universal quality extends to how we relate to the objects of our thinking -- that real thinking takes us outside the confines of our personality to "meet" the object in the world as it really is. Then I see it in a way that others who really thought about the object would see it.

I found one quote from Chapter 5 had a real impact on me this week and find it particularly helpful because I can relate it to daily experience:

"We can only act with full energy when we know what it is in the world to which we direct our activity".

I want to work on developing the virtue of tidiness in my life, something that needs a lot of work! As I cleaned the kitchen counter a few days ago I began to think about it as if it were already clean, directing my thoughts toward this ideal, imagined situation. I held a clear concept of "clean countertop" in my mind. Of course I was bothered by distracting thoughts having nothing to do with the task, and I noticed that each of these intrusive thoughts came with a mental picture. Whenever I directed my thoughts toward the ideal picture of the counter I found a new sense of energy and enthusiasm for the task. But whenever mental pictures came in uninvited, they pulled my thoughts toward them, almost like they had a life of their own, dissipating my energy and leaving me feeling bored and frustrated. This would remind me to re-direct myself toward the ideal concept of the "clean countertop".

more inside...

After finishing the chapter I am beginning to wonder if this is a correct way of looking at thinking. Steiner seems to indicate that real thinking happens when no mental image comes between myself and the object. This brings us back to the idea of "universal". Is a mental image something too "personal" or "subjective" in comparison to this pure apprehension of the object through thinking? When I directed my activity toward the concept of the clean countertop, which included making images of it, was I using the real faculty of thinking?

Any feedback would be appreciated...

Mark

 

 

 

 

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thanks Mark, factual thinking

Submitted by Tom Last on Wed, 06/24/2009 - 8:41am.

Here is the Lindeman translation:

POF 5-12 Once we know what to make of the world, it will be an easy matter also to orient ourselves accordingly. We can be active with our full strength only when we know the object, belonging to the world, to which we are devoting our activity.

When I am faced with making a decision in life the first step is to try and understand what I am dealing with. Here I apply the kind of thinking commonly known, like factual thinking and critical thinking. I try to be clear about what is speculation and what is fact. Once the facts are uncovered, the decision is usually obvious. These facts can be brought into my broader knowledge of things and looked at ethically through conceptual thinking. Then at some point during this process, if I remain focused and alcohol free, I will be granted a conceptual intuition which will clarify what needs to be done and why. This will also include the enthusiasm and strength to do it, or at least start in. If it is a longer project more intuitions will be needed to sustain the strength.

Sometimes the situation may have nothing to do with events in the world but may be some emotional over reaction triggered by a delusion rather than fact. If this is uncovered then I need to work on my self rather than try and change the world.