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Another
theory of recent interest is Humanism -- a continuing and pervasive
theory and a present issue regarding how too many presently view their
life. The position of the Humanist is that a person has the capacity
for self-awareness; that he does have control over his behavior. The
Humanist allows that a person has freedom of choice,
self-determination and is responsible for his self-direction.
Immediately, we see a huge difference from the Behaviorist's point of
view who believes that life (behavior) is very deterministic. Further,
the Humanist's position -- free will -- bases on the belief that these
free will attributes can/do/should mature or "actuate" in an
upward or "growing up" direction (metaphorically
speaking) -- that this progression of personal growth, upon reaching
an optimum level, results in maturity and a positive
self-awareness. This, according to the Humanist, results in a complete
and fulfilled life. The Humanist stresses that anxiety is a motivating
force for change, not as a deterrent to comfort -- different, somewhat
from the psychoanalytic point of view. The Humanist views anxiety as a
motivation or pressure for change, hoping the change is toward a
more mature behavior. According the the Humanist, a person's success
in living depends on his growing (differentiating) from a dependent,
physically oriented (as in id oriented?) entity to a whole,
complete, functioning and self-actuating/actuated human being. A
person's goal, as the Humanist views it, is to appreciate life (and be),
to assess correctly his purpose in life, and fully accept his place in
society. In this regard, the Humanist contends that dying should not
concern a person, since death only is an end to a complete life. Easy
to say! Still scarcely a comfort to anyone who may have missed out in
growing toward being a self-actuating/actuated individual! Looking
around, one sees quite a few instances of this latter circumstance.
This finiteness attitude of the Humanist turns me off. It's not
a very comforting theory -- knowing that all that life amounts to is
being born, living (hoping that you become
self-actuating/actuated), then dying. That's it, the end. No more.
Pretty dismal -- six feet of dirt above and the rest of the earth
below. What a way to go! Humanism has no basis from which it operates
that allows for the presence in each of us of an immutable,
imperishable, infrangible, timeless, immortal spirit or soul. The
finiteness with which the Humanist treats humankind disallows any
reflection on spiritual energy -- any "outside" support
system. I disavow myself from this position and, so, I disavow myself
from the Humanist theory. There certainly is no room in my belief that
disallows the human spirit or soul -- and from what I have gleaned
from my review of the statistics, the theory doesn't fit nearly
ninety percent of humankind's belief -- its belief that there is a
Creator. That His energy is our energy; and therefore we have a
Creator-energy soul or spirit.
How
many disagree? Use the links I've sprinkled around to contact me
telling me if you don't! I would prefer hearing from those who
agree, though!
Perhaps
there are some who like to think of life as a circus -- riding all
the Ferris wheels, the carrousels of life, enjoying them -- knowing
there's nothing more. However, when the tickets are gone, or they
have no more money to buy more, they have to get off. What
then? They'll never ride again, never know that there are Ferris
wheels and carrousels that are theirs for the wanting, but only in
the afterlife, when their spirit soars beyond its earthly body's
abode. I prefer to believe that there is eternal joy and happiness
-- Ferris wheels and carrousels, and infinitely much more. And,
somehow I believe that most of my fellow persons believe as I.
Dull Drab Life!
