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En Garde, whole no. 14, July 1945
Page 7
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page 7. about it, it is impossible ever to know whether or not everything happens for the best. It happens that we are seldom privileged to observe more than one alternative of any event or action. Thus we really have no idea from which to form such a belief. Obviously, optimism, like a belief in the existence of God or in life after death or in ouija boards, is a matter of blind faith. Most humans are rather frustrated. They secretly feel insecure, inferior. They have unwittingly taken a few brief glimpses of reality and that has made them so. They find that continuing to face reality with bare eyes, unprotected by such rose-tinted glasses as "Optimism" and "God" and "Life after Death", is more than they care to contemplate. However, there are some who aren't afraid to look right in the face reality. There are some who endeavor to form their judgments and opinions from as careful an analysis as possible of the available data. They prefer to make their observations with their eyes unclouded by rainbow spectacles. And, strangely to faith-ridden optimists of the world, they discover that the observable data indicates that many things do not happen for the best. Facts happen to be what they are --- not what they might appear to obscured vision. Events are the direct result of a preceding sequence of events. Whether or not they are good or bad, they are. By observing them clearly, and evaluating them objectively, we manage to progress. A blind belief in the inevitability of "progress" can have little effect upon its actual realization. One so sold on the value of progress might be better advised to chuck his optimism out the window and better prepare himself to help bring it about. Perhaps many of those you know have viewed reality unabashed, and quite naturally are reluctant to hide their heads in the sands of Optimism. They may not be afraid of optimism --- they simply look askance at devotion to such self-delusions. They rightfully classify it with Friday-the-thirteenth and black-cat-crossing-your-path other such superstitions. The mental fog of intoxication blurs the starkness of reality even as chronic optimism. Yet one scarcely considers that as the proper preparation for clarity of thought or correctness of observation. It is not "deep thinking" that is valuable. It is clear thinking. Neither optimism nor pessimism nor any other emotional approach will permit clear thinking. No, not afraid of Optimism ---- simply disdainful. Does that answer your query, Everett? WALT'S WRAMBLINGS: Von Blipstein certainly has an original way of laundering his neck-corsets. The story of Flame was good. But for the further information of its readers I might mention that Flame has now quelled her tendency to arsonic carelessness and now burns in the right places. T-R-A-T-A-P-Y-O-F-A-P-A: There's gold in them thar mountings --- or is there? A TALE OF THE 'EVANS: This issue practically all reviews. They were OK but didn't call forth any particular comment. Wherefore, I am left with only one comment --- No comment!
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page 7. about it, it is impossible ever to know whether or not everything happens for the best. It happens that we are seldom privileged to observe more than one alternative of any event or action. Thus we really have no idea from which to form such a belief. Obviously, optimism, like a belief in the existence of God or in life after death or in ouija boards, is a matter of blind faith. Most humans are rather frustrated. They secretly feel insecure, inferior. They have unwittingly taken a few brief glimpses of reality and that has made them so. They find that continuing to face reality with bare eyes, unprotected by such rose-tinted glasses as "Optimism" and "God" and "Life after Death", is more than they care to contemplate. However, there are some who aren't afraid to look right in the face reality. There are some who endeavor to form their judgments and opinions from as careful an analysis as possible of the available data. They prefer to make their observations with their eyes unclouded by rainbow spectacles. And, strangely to faith-ridden optimists of the world, they discover that the observable data indicates that many things do not happen for the best. Facts happen to be what they are --- not what they might appear to obscured vision. Events are the direct result of a preceding sequence of events. Whether or not they are good or bad, they are. By observing them clearly, and evaluating them objectively, we manage to progress. A blind belief in the inevitability of "progress" can have little effect upon its actual realization. One so sold on the value of progress might be better advised to chuck his optimism out the window and better prepare himself to help bring it about. Perhaps many of those you know have viewed reality unabashed, and quite naturally are reluctant to hide their heads in the sands of Optimism. They may not be afraid of optimism --- they simply look askance at devotion to such self-delusions. They rightfully classify it with Friday-the-thirteenth and black-cat-crossing-your-path other such superstitions. The mental fog of intoxication blurs the starkness of reality even as chronic optimism. Yet one scarcely considers that as the proper preparation for clarity of thought or correctness of observation. It is not "deep thinking" that is valuable. It is clear thinking. Neither optimism nor pessimism nor any other emotional approach will permit clear thinking. No, not afraid of Optimism ---- simply disdainful. Does that answer your query, Everett? WALT'S WRAMBLINGS: Von Blipstein certainly has an original way of laundering his neck-corsets. The story of Flame was good. But for the further information of its readers I might mention that Flame has now quelled her tendency to arsonic carelessness and now burns in the right places. T-R-A-T-A-P-Y-O-F-A-P-A: There's gold in them thar mountings --- or is there? A TALE OF THE 'EVANS: This issue practically all reviews. They were OK but didn't call forth any particular comment. Wherefore, I am left with only one comment --- No comment!
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