I Am Invincible

[osan]

I am invincible.

That is to say, I cannot be defeated.

Yes, I can be killed.

Yes, I can be beaten, tortured, caged.

Yes, I can be forced to say things others demand.

Yes, two plus two can be made to equal five.

But I can never be defeated.

Why?

Because I choose to be what I am and make that the weave of my cloth. That cannot be changed by others, defiant of all attempts, as well as my fear.

Therefore, I am invincible.

[TheTexan]

I take it that means you're not paying taxes?

Reported.

[Natural Citizen]

I am invincible.

That is to say, I cannot be defeated.

Yes, I can be killed.

Yes, I can be beaten, tortured, caged.

Yes, I can be forced to say things others demand.

Yes, two plus two can be made to equal five.

But I can never be defeated.

Why?

Because I choose to be what I am and make that the weave of my cloth. That cannot be changed by others, defiant of all attempts, as well as my fear.

Therefore, I am invincible.

And the terms that define losing and winning? Those which define the prize, I mean. Share with us these defining lines that separate man from man, winner from loser, on this great battlefield of rightous and worthy men, osan. My question is not one that is offered in sarcasm or in humor or even in jest. It's a serious question.

[Danke]

[HVACTech]

I am invincible.

That is to say, I cannot be defeated.

Yes, I can be killed.

Yes, I can be beaten, tortured, caged.

Yes, I can be forced to say things others demand.

Yes, two plus two can be made to equal five.

But I can never be defeated.

Why?

Because I choose to be what I am and make that the weave of my cloth. That cannot be changed by others, defiant of all attempts, as well as my fear.

Therefore, I am invincible.

the noble Osan speaketh thusly.
and I. I find myself in agreeance with such words as thou art. shall pontificate.
osan is indeed a special snowflake.
thusly, I will endeavor to consult with @<u><a href="http://www.ronpaulforums.com/member.php?u=6186" target="_blank">Danke</a></u>.

Noble Danke. does thou art have room in your "safe space" for @<u><a href="http://www.ronpaulforums.com/member.php?u=25257" target="_blank">osan</a></u>?

[Danke]

the noble Osan speaketh thusly.
and I. I find myself in agreeance with such words as thou art. shall pontificate.
osan is indeed a special snowflake.
thusly, I will endeavor to consult with @Danke.

Noble Danke. does thou art have room in your "safe space" for @osan?

No, hell no.

[otherone]

I am invincible.

That is to say, I cannot be defeated.

Yes, I can be killed.

Yes, I can be beaten, tortured, caged.

Yes, I can be forced to say things others demand.

Yes, two plus two can be made to equal five.

But I can never be defeated.

Why?

Because I choose to be what I am and make that the weave of my cloth. That cannot be changed by others, defiant of all attempts, as well as my fear.

Therefore, I am invincible.

Thanks for sharing, Winston.

[A Son of Liberty]

I am invincible.

That is to say, I cannot be defeated.

Yes, I can be killed.

Yes, I can be beaten, tortured, caged.

Yes, I can be forced to say things others demand.

Yes, two plus two can be made to equal five.

But I can never be defeated.

Why?

Because I choose to be what I am and make that the weave of my cloth. That cannot be changed by others, defiant of all attempts, as well as my fear.

Therefore, I am invincible.

You are the largest true political unit: you are an individual human being.

[osan]

And the terms that define losing and winning? Those which define the prize, I mean. Share with us these defining lines that separate man from man, winner from loser, on this great battlefield of rightous and worthy men, osan. My question is not one that is offered in sarcasm or in humor or even in jest. It's a serious question.

When a man chooses to define himself in a way, only he can alter that definition. Others may hold whatever opinions they might. They are of no matter to the subject of those opinions if he decides they are not.

Mind is everything and life is all about choice. We often say "I had no choice", but that is a lie. We always have choices, even when the alternatives are unpalatable.

For example, I kill a man in self-defense. A common legal defense includes the proclamation, "I had no choice; he would have killed me." But that is a lie. A man may indeed choose to remain quiescent as another destroys him. That we most often do not, it is not a matter of the absence of choice, but rather of our deliberate choosing to act in preservation of our existences. Why then, do we not "own" this? Most likely fear, ignorance, of some combination. Legal reality, for example, strongly urges the intelligent man to play the victim in such cases because failure to do so may result in a long prison term. The "system" is corrupted such that one must play an expected role in the wake of such events in order to escape unjust punishment for having made the choice not to allow another to bring one's life to its premature end. You play the expected role and stay out of prison.

Imagine killing justifiably and exulting in the act, which BTW I find wholly acceptable, reasonable, and perhaps even laudable after a fashion. The local prosecutor would take this as criminal intent, thereby twisting your valid action into that of a crime, resulting most likely in a long stint up-river.

But let me digress no further.

Having choices, we choose. I say that you are what you say you are, even if nobody else believes you. You make what you are, and after all is it not your opinion of you that should count the most to you? One is certainly free to regard, weigh, and measure the opinions of oneself in relation to those of others any way he wishes, but given that it is within one's prerogative to consider his own firstly under whichever cases he may choose, then he rests within that prerogative to define who and what he is.

I decided long ago that I would be invincible. Why? Not out of fear, I can assure you. Rather, out of stubborn defiance of all who seek to trespass upon myself and all that I validly claim as mine. So wildly vicious is the violence of my opposition to trespass that sooner would I see all my worldly possessions stripped away than submit to the capricious will of tyrants. This bespeaks my personal wiring and I will not alter it for any man, cause, or other reason. Anyone attempting to alter me will find I am an impossible nut to crack.

Further, we are each of us invincible if we so choose not only because it is within every man's power to do so, but because where the only means of causing alteration is the force of men, even when they "win", they lose. How is it so? Precisely because they used the failed methods of force, which in itself demonstrated the failed nature of whatever it is they wish to impose, for either the logic of the position, its truth, or the fact that they went directly to violence in favor of reasoning, all attest to failure.

A man builds himself as he chooses. Why choose weakness, failure, and other deficiencies when one can choose strength and capability. 'Tis all in the mind. 'Tis all matters of choice, recognizing that one also acts in accord with the making. To declare oneself chaste, thereafter partaking in the entanglements of the bordello... Perhaps the gist is made.

Did I answer the question?

[Natural Citizen]

When a man chooses to define himself in a way, only he can alter that definition. Others may hold whatever opinions they might. They are of no matter to the subject of those opinions if he decides they are not.

Mind is everything and life is all about choice. We often say "I had no choice", but that is a lie. We always have choices, even when the alternatives are unpalatable.

For example, I kill a man in self-defense. A common legal defense includes the proclamation, "I had no choice; he would have killed me." But that is a lie. A man may indeed choose to remain quiescent as another destroys him. That we most often do not, it is not a matter of the absence of choice, but rather of our deliberate choosing to act in preservation of our existences. Why then, do we not "own" this? Most likely fear, ignorance, of some combination. Legal reality, for example, strongly urges the intelligent man to play the victim in such cases because failure to do so may result in a long prison term. The "system" is corrupted such that one must play an expected role in the wake of such events in order to escape unjust punishment for having made the choice not to allow another to bring one's life to its premature end. You play the expected role and stay out of prison.

Imagine killing justifiably and exulting in the act, which BTW I find wholly acceptable, reasonable, and perhaps even laudable after a fashion. The local prosecutor would take this as criminal intent, thereby twisting your valid action into that of a crime, resulting most likely in a long stint up-river.

But let me digress no further.

Having choices, we choose. I say that you are what you say you are, even if nobody else believes you. You make what you are, and after all is it not your opinion of you that should count the most to you? One is certainly free to regard, weigh, and measure the opinions of oneself in relation to those of others any way he wishes, but given that it is within one's prerogative to consider his own firstly under whichever cases he may choose, then he rests within that prerogative to define who and what he is.

I decided long ago that I would be invincible. Why? Not out of fear, I can assure you. Rather, out of stubborn defiance of all who seek to trespass upon myself and all that I validly claim as mine. So wildly vicious is the violence of my opposition to trespass that sooner would I see all my worldly possessions stripped away than submit to the capricious will of tyrants. This bespeaks my personal wiring and I will not alter it for any man, cause, or other reason. Anyone attempting to alter me will find I am an impossible nut to crack.

Further, we are each of us invincible if we so choose not only because it is within every man's power to do so, but because where the only means of causing alteration is the force of men, even when they "win", they lose. How is it so? Precisely because they used the failed methods of force, which in itself demonstrated the failed nature of whatever it is they wish to impose, for either the logic of the position, its truth, or the fact that they went directly to violence in favor of reasoning, all attest to failure.

A man builds himself as he chooses. Why choose weakness, failure, and other deficiencies when one can choose strength and capability. 'Tis all in the mind. 'Tis all matters of choice, recognizing that one also acts in accord with the making. To declare oneself chaste, thereafter partaking in the entanglements of the bordello... Perhaps the gist is made.

Did I answer the question?

Mm. Yeah, I see where you're coming from. There's a rather deep bit of complex dialogue that could be had on the topic. Am I who I think I am? or Am I who I think you think I am? kind of deal. Followers and leaders are often divided for good reason. What you speak of demands the Indivisible whole. Hm. It's something to ponder.

[phill4paul]

I can't be forced to say things others demand.

[osan]

Mm. Yeah, I see where you're coming from. There's a rather deep bit of complex dialogue that could be had on the topic.¹ Am I who I think I am? or Am I who I think you think I am? kind of deal. Followers and leaders are often divided for good reason. What you speak of demands the Indivisible whole. Hm. It's something to ponder.²

1 - Then why not have it?


2 - It is, IMO, something to live. But make no mistake, I fail at this regularly and have done so with some spectacle in the past and will likely do so again in days yet to come. I have held myself to a high standard most of my life. I have also at times abandoned that standard in fits of childish self-indulgence as I would whinge in some abominably irritating fashion about what's the point, or some such drivel. But to my credit I have always returned to that which I know to be true and right for me. My brothers of other mothers and myself, having trained long in the ways of bushido may not have adopted the full particulars of the samurai way, for such would prove impractical in this day, but we have taken the spirit upon us, as well as that of other schools and traditions. We were early blessed with eyes good for distinguishing the traits of the superior man, and for that we have all been thankful. We have done what have been able to model ourselves along the lines of our ideals. It is my confession that I have been the least of the group, and yet I too carry certain virtues.

It is because of my fundamentally optimistic view, all my realist talk to the seeming contrary notwithstanding, that I have chosen not to give in to the fatigues of spirit to which the rigors of this life subject any thinking man. A girlfriend's father, former ordained Jesuit scholar, once paid me the highest of compliments when he repined his pity for me. When I asked why, he told me that the man of inferior mind sails through life happily, for he sees not the horrors of the world in the way the thinking man does. I remember how self-conscious I felt before his words, particularly when he told me that I stood to live a very unhappy life. And so it has been. But in some ways it has been worthy, even if I have otherwise failed miserably.

But as I move out of one day and into each successive, I arrive some quantum closer to my own ideals of self-comportment and perception. I define myself and work to bring myself into actualization ever closer to the specification. I may not be qualified to assess my own success, but I can say that I give it my best effort. And finally to a relevant point, I own who I am and there is no power in the world that can strip that away from me, save myself.

So if anyone wishes to have the conversation, I am game. After all, the talk helps understanding, and there is still so much I do not comprehend in even the basics.

[Natural Citizen]

1 - Then why not have it?


2 - It is, IMO, something to live. But make no mistake, I fail at this regularly and have done so with some spectacle in the past and will likely do so again in days yet to come. I have held myself to a high standard most of my life. I have also at times abandoned that standard in fits of childish self-indulgence as I would whinge in some abominably irritating fashion about what's the point, or some such drivel. But to my credit I have always returned to that which I know to be true and right for me. My brothers of other mothers and myself, having trained long in the ways of bushido may not have adopted the full particulars of the samurai way, for such would prove impractical in this day, but we have taken the spirit upon us, as well as that of other schools and traditions. We were early blessed with eyes good for distinguishing the traits of the superior man, and for that we have all been thankful. We have done what have been able to model ourselves along the lines of our ideals. It is my confession that I have been the least of the group, and yet I too carry certain virtues.

It is because of my fundamentally optimistic view, all my realist talk to the seeming contrary notwithstanding, that I have chosen not to give in to the fatigues of spirit to which the rigors of this life subject any thinking man. A girlfriend's father, former ordained Jesuit scholar, once paid me the highest of compliments when he repined his pity for me. When I asked why, he told me that the man of inferior mind sails through life happily, for he sees not the horrors of the world in the way the thinking man does. I remember how self-conscious I felt before his words, particularly when he told me that I stood to live a very unhappy life. And so it has been. But in some ways it has been worthy, even if I have otherwise failed miserably.

But as I move out of one day and into each successive, I arrive some quantum closer to my own ideals of self-comportment and perception. I define myself and work to bring myself into actualization ever closer to the specification. I may not be qualified to assess my own success, but I can say that I give it my best effort. And finally to a relevant point, I own who I am and there is no power in the world that can strip that away from me, save myself.

So if anyone wishes to have the conversation, I am game. After all, the talk helps understanding, and there is still so much I do not comprehend in even the basics.

I'm going to think on it during the day. Because, indeed, this is a very good topic for discussion.

I was thinking of identity (authenticity of the self, really) in terms of those times in life when Grace is found. When one connects with something larger than himself or herself and one becomes what one beholds and is then able to see beyond their concerns and constraints. Concerns and constraints of the weight of the now, for example, could be those times when some inner saddening of the past and the anxiousness for the future constantly drives one crazy inside their mind. But when one sees beyond those anxieties, those anxieties silence themselves and you're purged of the constraints from them never shutting up. To me, that's authentic identity. Of course, that's merely a single example but there are many if we are able to find them and grow from them. These are moments of reconciliation. Moments when you move forward. Transformative moments when you find yourself from outside of yourself.

Culturally, though, I think people are losing knowledge (and even interest) of knowing their true identity. Seems like many people tend to try to be the kind of person that the other person they're talking with thinks they are instead of who they really are as a person. And getting worse since the evolution of social media like facebook and whatnot. People are more interested in trying to satisfy the image of themselves that the other person has of them instead of just being themselves. And in doing so, nether ever really get to know the true mind of the other. It's becoming a repetitive circle.

Anyway. I guess I'm rambling there. Getting into existence precedes essence versus essence versus existence and whatnot.

[Anti Federalist]

Hear me snore...

[Cleaner44]

The only woman who really rocked?

[AZJoe]

[AZJoe]

[AZJoe]

I am invincible.

Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand –

A small body of determined spirits, fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but not my obedience.

If you had no fear, what action would you take?
It only takes one man with courage to make a majority.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. - Murray, William Hutchison , THE SCOTTISH HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION (1951)

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

A Lion does not lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.

[osan]

Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand –

A small body of determined spirits, fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but not my obedience.

If you had no fear, what action would you take?
It only takes one man with courage to make a majority.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. - Murray, William Hutchison , THE SCOTTISH HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION (1951)

Good stuff. Very good.

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

What would you do in the face of certain failure?

A Lion does not lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.

Which is largely why Theye rule and we suck it.