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Philosophical tales

Gemstone

Dedicated to E.A.S.

The gem grew in the rock among rich minerals and precious rocks. He grew up freely, freely, confident in his strength and worth. The Great Road ran not far from the rock. Often the precious stone looked at her and admired how many elegant people were scurrying back and forth. It seemed to him that real life was going on there - in constant movement, bustle, worries, fun. And although he did not really understand the chaotic movement of people, the road still beckoned and seduced him. The high mother rock, seeing this, sighed, but was silent, the mighty dark father forest rustled its leaves, but also did not interfere with the handsome son’s search for the meaning of life and his path in it.

And then one day a rumor spread through the forest that people with Big road They walk through meadows and fields, through forests and mountains - looking for nuggets. Our stone sparkled even more, sparkling with every facet, casting a multicolored shade in the sun. So he wanted to appear in all his glory.

The bewitched people could not stop admiring the nugget for a long time. They showed it to their friends and acquaintances, boasted about it at all respectable meetings. But it seemed to them that the stone was too bright, rich, and unusual, and they decided to cut it in their own way, giving it a more strict and familiar shape. The stone resisted as best it could, hardened from the unceremonious touch, but sparkled even brighter in the sun. People couldn't stand it and decided to get rid of it. They went out onto a crowded road and were thrown into the roadside dust.

The nugget lay by the road, breathing poisonous gases, his eyes were obscured by acrid dust, his ears were pierced by sharp sounds. Now he realized that traffic on the road is chaos, bright clothes are painted, old rags, fun and laughter are a cry from the soul or an intoxicated consciousness. Every morning he shook off the dust, but it covered him again and again, and people passing by tried to trample him into the ground.

Nobody knows how much time has passed. One day it started to rain heavily. He washed away a layer of earth from a precious stone, clear rivulets flowed, the nugget rolled along the road along with the waters and fell first into a rattling mountain river, then into a wide, full-flowing river, and from it into a warm, calm sea. The waters were illuminated with a bright light from the shine of the stone. Light waves splashed, softly whispering to everyone passing along the shore, to everyone sailing on the sea: “Look how beautiful the stone is!”

They heard about this all over the world and began to come to the sea, which was illuminated and colored by the Precious Stone. Crowds of people stood mesmerized by the iridescent glow that emanated from the depths of the sea.

Nikolai Ivanovich Kozlov

Philosophical tales

This book was born

under the star of my dear Miracle.

It is dedicated to her with love.

To the second edition

The biggest surprise for me after the book was published were the letters from readers: a huge flow of letters with sincere warmth and gratitude. I couldn’t believe it: gratitude - for all these harsh words, for the prickly, borderline foul, humor and injections on every page!

But, apparently, the reader had enough wisdom to see behind the thorns an invitation to smile together, and behind the backhand wording - trust in him and sincere pain for our common human stupidities.

You saw it. Thank you.

True, I also received reliable information that one of the readers demanded to buy up the entire circulation - precisely in order to destroy it. All.

As a form of showing attention, this is nice too.

However, most often the letters arrived were different.

For example, things like this:

Good afternoon, Nikolai Ivanovich!

Until what? clear, understandable, simple, complex, exciting, witty, fun, talented- And unexpected for me personally. I was looking for something for my soul in the most serious teachings, which have everything: colossal experience - knowledge - wisdom - love- path to the light; but for some reason this path was always strained and at the limit of human capabilities...

You also have a path to the Light and it is also not easy. But your path is through joy!

Towards the Light – through Joy, and not through Suffering, that’s what shocked me!

But my soul feels so good! This book came to me on time, thank you, life!

Natalya G.

And also drawings flew to me. Light ones!

They were sent by a tired housewife and a concerned mother of three wonderful children. And thus the book got an artist:

Irinushka, thank you for the smiles and Sunny!

And also drawings flew to me. So bright!

To the third edition

Like any serious philosophical work, this book was originally intended for a very select circle of readers, namely those intelligent and cheerful in humor and spirit. The fact that hundreds of thousands of copies of the book are quickly sold out is a major compliment to our readership.

This means that living people have not yet died out.

Moreover, there are all the pleasant reasons to recognize oneself as a trendsetter in printing fashion, since now the most different authors release their books with covers “like Kozlov” and even with covers like this

comments. With such indents and font.

The flow of reader letters continues unabated; I apologize in advance for the rare replies. I can answer half the letters wholesale, because every second letter repeats the refrain: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful book, I really liked it, although I don’t agree with many things in it.” I answer: “From the bottom of my heart, please, I also don’t agree with many things in this book, but I still like it.”

Women write a lot. I already understood that if a feminist movement develops in Russia, then its founder will undoubtedly be Kozlov. But what about it? Many calmly dozing women, having read his Books, were so outraged that they began to write large articles and small books refuting him. The destiny of a Woman demanding respect became their destiny. And all thanks to what?

Books by Kozlov.

Well, good. Taking this opportunity, I heartily hug all my readers and writers, regretting that it was only in absentia. I am always ready to reproach harmful men with them, especially since I know that women’s letters are combative, but personal meetings are sincere.

See you!

Preface

It is better to do and repent than

don't do it and repent.

Glorious Boccaccio

What is this book like? Like my previous one, “How to treat yourself and people, or Practical psychology for every day,” apparently, for nothing. That's why she's beautiful. But if that book was written with the reader in mind and was done largely for him, this one was written by me for myself. And practically without internal censorship.

Well, maybe also for friends. And with my wife's gentle censorship.

This is definitely not Science, although the book was based on science and the density of its own and borrowed scientific material used in it significantly exceeds the statistical average. Rather, it is Literature, in its best places becoming Poetry.

Indeed, if poetry, according to Akhmatova, grows from both garbage and weeds, then why shouldn’t it grow from science?

The first, which is also the working title of this book, is “How to Treat Yourself and the World: Practical Philosophy for Every Day.” Accordingly, both the first and second books are very similar: the only formal difference is that in the latter the emphasis is moved from “people” to “the world” and the scale of the view is changed – not “psychology”, but “philosophy”.

Philosophy and psychology are just languages different levels. A psychologist is a wise practitioner who, without flying high, chews on philosophy in relation to everyday reality. And a philosopher is a sage who, regarding a variety of everyday problems, without delving into the specifics, says the same things - those that solve these problems. Philosophy in literal translation- love of wisdom.

Do not confuse it with metaphysics - the doctrine of the structure of the world. I don’t like these teachings: they are easy to believe in, but impossible to verify, and, most importantly, why should I care about all these problems? If the soul hurts, you need something about the soul, and not about matter, space and time.

The philosophy of this book, like the psychology of the previous one, is applied. It is for everyday life, for a living and feeling person from morning to evening of his day and life, in the familiar environment of near and far, for work and holidays, illness and TV.

Philosophy, like the psychology of the first book, is practical.

If you consider these books to be children, then my first child was born an extrovert and a cute-to-everyone, although not without depth and with a twist. The second child is a deep introvert and a sage from birth, but just as mischievous and sociable.

In general, later children, as a rule, in all respects find themselves much further from the statistical mean: more often deviations towards both genius and pathology. Let's consider this child lucky.

The child, however, is very mocking, ironic, and even simply malicious, although in general he is bursting with health and optimism. His rare anger, I think, should be forgiven - it is bitter and is generated, apparently, by sentimentality that has not yet been completely overcome. This charming child perceives his stories exclusively as Fairy Tales and does not understand the question: “Is this True?”

His answer: “I don’t care at all. What I tell are Tales, and all I need from them is for them to work. Ordinary fairy tales They should put the children to sleep, and wake mine up. But are they true? Who cares if everything that should happen happens to the children listening to them?”

I happily and completely sincerely admit: these “Fairy Tales” are my favorite book. No matter how I open it, no matter how I start reading, I admire both the style and the content. This must be written so well!

Oh yes Pushkin! Oh yes...!

You always read with pleasure what was written with great pleasure.

By the way, about Pushkin and me. Many people accuse me of cynicism, but this is a misunderstanding. Any realism in relation to people gives rise to nothing but sadness, and when this already sad realism is presented against a cheerful background, yes, it is called cynicism. But your author, doing this - and the author did it with undisguised pleasure! - only continued the tradition of great Russian literature.

Only those who have not read him for a long time can deny Pushkin’s cynicism. But what else gives “Eugene Onegin” such charm?

Many compare this book with the works of Nietzsche - if this flatters me, then insofar as it is. I read Nietzsche, and some things quite carefully. But my book is more interesting for me to read. Nietzsche, as an improviser, spreads out with brilliance - but spreads out, and I am laconic. He suffered painfully from stomach, eyes, headaches and depression, and his cheerful exuberance against this background was sometimes unstable and sometimes painful. What about my health? full order, and I write more cheerfully. As a pioneer, he was still cautious - but I was already bolder and tougher. But, oddly enough, kinder.

It was difficult for Nietzsche to imagine that his superman would be so mentally rich and strong that he would gladly allow himself care, warmth and tenderness. There are many things that separate us, but there is also something that unites us: sincerity and unconditional concern for humanity.

This section consists of the book by Nikolai Ivanovich Kozlov “Philosophical tales for those pondering life, or a cheerful book about freedom and morality.” A slightly shortened version of this book is posted here.

Behind the appearance, behind the shell of a person’s body, I always see an inner person, and almost always this is a small, pitiful child. Sometimes a child grows old early, with dull, tired eyes and drooping, limp arms. Sometimes - a little animal with bruises, wounds and abrasions, looking around huntedly and fighting to the death with Enemies only visible to him.

Sleeping man
or the illusion of a mad crew

And the dream lasts longer than a century...

Stomping and neighing: as in the intro of the Russian television program, you see a racing cart with a coachman on the beam, harnessed by dashing horses. This is you, if you consider that the horses are your Feelings and Desires, the coachman is your Mind, and the cart is your Body.

And now the most important thing is that there is an owner of this crew, but he is sleeping soundly.

Nightmare after waking up

The owner appears when a person wakes up. "This is Me. Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? Why? Why? Who is around me?" The owner has awakened, he remembers himself, he sees the coachman - his mind, he observes the horses - his desires, he examines the cart - his body. He drove away the uninvited commanders and declared that he would direct the cart himself. But will he succeed? Will he actually be the Master? What can he do with such a coachman, horses and cart? After all, its crew is practically uncontrollable.

All power belongs to... who?

In the space of the spiritual world there are various events: our temporary selves come and go, conflict and make friends, obey and rebel, cry and hope, play and work... But mental life- not just clashes (or harmony) of different selves; As a rule, this is a complexly constructed society, in which there is a state with its censors, police, courts and executioners, and there is also an opposition hostile to the System.

Parting words to the young Sovereign

Since childhood, I have been surrounded by people who are dissatisfied with the way the authorities govern the state in which they, the dissatisfied ones, live. Perhaps the authorities really rule badly, but how can you rule?

The smartest box

What kind of person IS, what he CAN, what he is LIMITED by - our Mind knows all this. He knows what can change in a person and what cannot. And as long as the Mind KNOWS all this, a person will only be what the Mind knows, and can change exactly as much as the MIND KNOWS THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE.

Magic that ended badly

The mind was not always so closed. When he was the Mind of a Child, he was more like an aura, like a breath, like a rainbow film soap bubble, which turns everything reflected on it into reverent and fun game. No one had yet told him that there were no Miracles, and Miracles surrounded him on all sides.

The troubles of those who escaped safely

The only thing that saves a person from realizing that life is meaningless is that he doesn’t think about it. Some people are so lucky that they don’t even understand this problem. But for those who understand and think, life is worse. The feeling of the meaninglessness of existence is sad, it drags and torments. And against this background we live and try to be happy...

About those admitted to Great Service

Those who want to live truly meaningfully take the path of service. They essentially have no other choice. The fact is that the search for the Meaning of Life is not so much an everyday problem as a philological one: according to the rules of the Russian language, “meaning” only has something that serves Something Higher.

Escape to Work or Play

Escape to Work or Entertainment is the first way to get rid of the melancholy of a meaningless existence. The Path of Service is the second path. As a path to finding the meaning of life, it is traditional and deserved, but nevertheless not without its drawbacks: it does not always help out. If suddenly some specific activity does not connect you with your Recognized Value, you are doomed to feel meaningless.

About love, wise men and idiots

But then a sad face stuck out: “Service, Choice... But I have no choice - and I have two more years to do nonsense. Absolutely pointless. I understand everything, by and large I’m always free, but I need Moscow registration, and there’s no getting around it. Here. The melancholy is hopeless. Is this problem solvable?”

How to get out of your mind

Sometimes the problems that people come to me with turn out to be so confused and neglected that I can’t say anything specific. But I always have two universal pieces of advice in my pocket that help almost everyone, always.

Chronicle of a Sinking Submarine

Intro: we are the crew of a submarine, and, unfortunately, we are drowning. We had an accident, we are unclear at what depth, and the boat is slowly sinking. There are enough survival suits for everyone to float to the top, but you can go out through the hatch one at a time with an interval of one minute. There are 30 of us, 15 men and 15 girls. This means that those who leave first will almost certainly be saved, and the last will almost certainly die, since the boat will already sink deep. The chance of escape depends ONLY on the ORDER NUMBER of the exit from the hatch.

I invite you to take a walk through different worlds.

By the way, who recognizes themselves in which?

Jungle

I often meet people who live in the Jungle. They live next to us, seemingly in the same circumstances, but their whole life is a struggle for survival, and every meeting is a battle or preparation for a battle. They live by simple and cruel rules: “Strike first”, “The winner is not judged”, “Survival of the fittest”...

Arena

This world is a competition of rivals.

Its star is victory, and the air is tension, permeating all the desire to overcome another - or oneself.

In this world there are clear and mandatory rules that rank everyone and divide them into the best and the worst, winners and losers. "Strong" is nothing; Only the comparative “stronger than someone” or the superlative “stronger than everyone” is valued.

Business world

They do business in this world. A goal is set, means are selected, results are achieved, and the effectiveness of investments is calculated. And everything that goes beyond these limits is crossed out. Nothing fits into this world that doesn't have " clear edges"and that does not directly serve anything.

There are no relatives and loved ones here - instead of them there are people who perform a certain number of functions that are now necessary.

Kindergarten

In this world, a person considers it natural to be in the position of an irresponsible Child, submitting without question to any forces and elements: simply those that had the opportunity to influence him now. WEATHER... Well, what do you want from me if the weather is like this? MOOD... Don't you understand that I'm not in the mood? CIRCUMSTANCES... I have nothing to do with it - circumstances are to blame for everything. And so on: I want, I don’t want, I was pulled, I wandered, I ran over, I got attached, I lost the habit - for him it is as natural and irresistible as the law of universal gravitation.

Secular salon, or the world of rituals

This is the world of clockwork puppets who, by moving their arms, legs and torso in the appropriate manner, perform old dance minuet. Why? For what? - questions are out of this world. The question “Why? For what purpose?” is not understood here; the principle reigns supreme here: “Because it is so accepted.”

Holy Church

The Holy Church is not about believers. This is about people who have at least something Holy in their souls. Holy Church is special world around your Shrines. Everyone has their Holy places in their soul, and these places are well protected - primarily from free thoughts and a free (for example, reasonable) attitude towards oneself. We can easily see everything if we touch upon the most generally accepted Shrines. For most people, the sacred things in the soul are: God, Love, Sex, Children, place of birth (called Motherland, always with a capital letter), Parents, Honor, Death.

World of Human Encounters

Those who have ever visited the world of Human Meetings remember its warmth, openness and kindness. In this world, the value of a person is known and there is no value higher than him. In him Distant Man becomes Close as soon as you approach him. They love everyone here, without comparing them to anyone, they always love everyone. Loving here is as natural as breathing, and there are no prohibitions on love here, just like on light and air.

Invitation to Travel

It is not so interesting to look for people who live primarily in one World or another; It’s more interesting to observe in what situations in which of the Worlds you yourself find yourself abandoned. The important thing is that each and every one of us at some point fights in the Jungle, ends up in the Arena, performs ritual dances in the Secular Salon, enters the Kindergarten, repents in the Church - and each time lives the cruel or stupid life that he has chosen. You can place yourself in any World - but who will you complain about after that?

Episode about the absurd

I am always touched by the Ritual of Revenge, promoted in all (both Western and local) action films: there is a Scoundrel (in all respects), and the Hero (always a good-looking guy) has sworn revenge on him. You can never do this just like that, quietly - or with the help of the police, for example. That would be smart, but the Ritual requires a different scenario.

Indecent episode

Recently I observed one very indecent episode: passers-by were walking, a street orchestra was playing quietly, and suddenly one young man turned to his companion, grabbed her by the waist, and spun her around to the tune of a waltz.

Strange episode

Despite all the ridicule, the strict Ritual of Dating continues to live as if nothing had happened. Yes, at a dance it’s possible, but if you walk a hundred meters away, on the street it’s no longer possible. Why is it unclear, but it’s still impossible. You can’t introduce yourself to a woman first, even when she needs it most - it’s not customary, so at least get out of your way, but make sure he does it. You can’t meet people directly and openly on the street; you both have to pretend that something completely different is happening.

Episode about freedom

Outside the city, on the territory of a rest home, I walked from the dining room to my building. Sunny, high blue sky- and a pretty girl meets me. I looked at her, spread my arms and walked towards her. She looked at me, spread her arms towards me - and we walked, admiring each other.

Bon appetit!

It seems that nothing is so imbued with Rituals as cooking and, of course, the process of eating itself. Everything here is familiar - but not nearly as harmless as we would like. Children especially suffer.

About Katya, Nastya and order in the clearing

We once went out on a hike with Sinton and settled down in a clearing - about a hundred people. Everyone is happy and having fun, but Nastya, she is eight years old, begins to whine and boringly demand some nonsense from Katya’s mother. Kate - strong man and she’s smart, trying to somehow come to an agreement - no, Nastya whines and pesters. I understand that every person has the right to be in a bad mood, but here there was an obvious game going on, in which the mother lost, and the daughter sat on her neck.

Where does the morning begin - and education

Just as it can be difficult to put children to bed, it can be so difficult to get them up in the morning. But in our family this problem has been successfully resolved, because the Ritual of Morning Rising, created by us and adjusted to our values, has been repeated every morning for many years now...

Vankina Caprice

Vanka is two and a half years old, we are in the village, and he somehow became capricious. Mom is with him this way and that, but nothing amuses him and he doesn’t like everything. Walks, whines and persistently expresses dissatisfaction with everything. Okay, I take him in my arms, gently press him to me and explain that I will have to treat him. Let's go into the yard and pour it into a white bathtub. cold water from the well (Vanya is in my arms) and I invite Vanya to plunge into this medicinal water: “All the whims pass at once!”

Toys for adults

Kindergarten does not end with six years of childhood - it lives in the soul of everyone, and the process of growing up consists only in the fact that the set of Soul fillers changes: Toys and Games that fill the spiritual emptiness.

Toy mechanics

There is no need to think that only idle people need another person as a Toy. Just in Kindergarten Games are adopted, not rational procedures. However, a question for you: will a person who HAS SOMETHING TO DO go to Kindergarten? - No, he has something to do. And when a person has NOTHING TO DO, he thinks about what to do with himself. And the Kindergarten is always at his service.

Stroking Market

Strokes are the universal currency in human relationships. This is something that everyone needs, it is simply necessary biologically. But in our culture, direct and open stroking (especially stroking oneself) is looked at more than suspiciously, therefore, having created a deficit for themselves, people walk around half-starved and the majority are content with their symbolic substitutes.

Kitchen psychotherapy

Empty time can be occupied with business, or with entertainment. A normal person, that is, a lazy person burdened with neuroses, unmistakably chooses the latter, solving his mental problems while having fun.

Life decorating deception

The World of Kindergarten is simply irreplaceable when you need to deceive someone - for example, yourself or the public. In Kindergarten, lying is not punishable, it receives the title of Game, creative imagination and has all the rights of citizenship.

I need to work, but I don’t want to

It's nice to have fun, but I don't want to work. In this situation, the entertainment seeker again resorts to deception, presenting his Entertainment as serious Business.

Main Diagnosis

He cannot allow himself to face life - because then he will see that his life is empty. And he hides, runs from this meeting into business or entertainment, into anything. And, if the entertainment bubbles are well inflated, his life is in full swing and he is happy. If he copes with things, he is satisfied. It’s worse when there is no entertainment, and things aren’t going well and therefore you don’t like them.

Let's be like Gods

Unfortunately, few people take care of their world, and abandoned worlds are usually kept in poverty and desolation. Most people have them inner world small and grey, angular and dangerous. He is like a fog in which fragments of the world and man float. There is not enough sun, space, warmth, time...

Tale of a Friend

Only A true friend will understand you

In my opinion, this is a very beautiful and worthy phrase. It can be pronounced weightily, sensitively and with the meaning: “Only a True Friend will understand you...” However, if you think about it, then the same phrase turns out to be the focus of lies and stupidity. Let's think about it?

So, “only a true friend will understand you.” He will understand... Why do you need someone to understand you? More precisely, why do you need this SO - DEADLY? What need, what pain do you have behind this?

Who are Friends

Children don't have True Friends. They are still healthy. They have JUST FRIENDS: those children with whom it is pleasant and interesting for them to play. The adult equivalent of this is friendship. Buddy, like a Soul Warmer, gives you Warmth, and as a Golden Mirror feeds you Admiration. It’s even better if he’s one of your Toys, and then you don’t need to look for entertainment in other places - you’re interested in him. In the healthy version, friends are PLEASANT, in the sick version they turn out to be NECESSARY.

What is there to be proud of?

It looks like I don't need a True Friend - because I don't have those "Same" Difficult Minutes" This is not a feature of my life - my life is ordinary, it is a feature of my soul. I made her like this. And now we are proud of different things. You are proud to have True Friends. And I am proud that I no longer need it.

Harmful lectures about science.
Lecture one: historical excursion

Birth of Science

Science has created a legend about itself that it is smart and kind child New time. There was the dark Middle Ages, and then the light of Science came. Young but honest, she entered into a difficult struggle with magicians, sorcerers and religion, came up with an experiment and began to obtain accurate knowledge in order to replace fairy tales and beliefs with giving people a correct picture of the world. Her main and very noble goal is to study nature and understand it strict laws, put it (nature) at the service of humanity.

When childhood passes

For a child, the world is always alive. Alive and scary, if the Great Powers do not love him and curse him. Or kind and bright, if mother’s eyes are like that.

And any child knows with all his soul what Magic is. Magic is something that does not happen, but it is the impossible that exists. It is clear that this cannot be, but this is what it is.

What scientists have done

Scientists have worked hard to disenchant the world and make it inanimate. More precisely, so that you and I see the world THIS way. It wasn't easy, because scientific picture world is organic only to people of a schizoid type and with great difficulty is introduced into the souls of all others.

How Science won

Scientists came up with a fairy tale about a solid and dead world. Actually, it was known before, but it climbed into the place of official religion only in the 17th century, when Science became the Queen.

Science became the Queen when Capital became its husband and king, or more precisely, the capitalist spirit of rationalism and free personal enterprise. Science's sister, Magic, also fought for this eligible bachelor, but lost in the competition. Those brave in spirit and rich in money increasingly chose Science, and Sorcerers increasingly retrained as Scientists. Why?

Fausts and girls

Francis Bacon, who laid all the main cobblestones in the foundation of Science, was good practitioner and preached that receiving only knowledge from science is the same as marrying your beloved and not having children from her. The true task of science, in his opinion, is to extend the POWER of man to the whole world. He rejects magic only because it is powerless, but his goal is exactly the same as that of a sorcerer - POWER. And greater convenience of life.

Lecture two: social foundations Science

What does Science work for?

There is a misconception that the development of science is determined by the talent of the scientists who work in it. Of course this is not true. That is, they can push science forward, but they are not the ones who ensure the flourishing of science. The flourishing of science is ensured by its rich funding.

Lecture three: inner life Science

Who goes to Science

Science is a branch of industrial production, but a branch with peculiarities. Specifically: the most scientists read scientific books in the scientific hall Lenin Library, and I wandered there and looked: what kind of people are they?

There are many smart people among them, only a few beautiful and strong people. Mostly weak and wretched. Science is a magnificent quiet reserve, where it is so convenient to escape from people and life: sit with a book and feel needed and smart. They went into Science in order to live less with people, and will do a Science that will less people concerns, the better.

Thesis

The main product of serious scientific work is, of course, writing a dissertation. There are different, often mutually exclusive, views on the essence and functions of dissertation research. Let us mention the main ones.

Instructions for the reader of scientific articles

Science is done by people, that is, at times they mess around, wishful thinking, deceive and are deceived. And only the naive, who does not know the ins and outs that are obvious to the initiated, accepts at face value what he reads in a serious Scientific Research.

What the facts prove

They may lie to us that Science differs from Magic in critical common sense, in that scientific knowledge are based on facts, and Magic is based on faith. It is not true. Everyone, including crazy people, is based on facts. The question is always what facts are based on who and how they are interpreted.

The Tale of the Beauty Hypothesis and Good fellows, which seem to have almost nothing to do with it...

Housewives and first-year students are confident that science is done decently: facts are collected, hypotheses are born on their basis, hypotheses are tested by experiment, and as a result we obtain correct and reliable knowledge that expands and deepens our understanding of the world.

Magic Facts

Magic is also based on facts, just different ones. Her facts are from a different vision of the world, from a vision of the world - alive.

What causes muscles to grow and an athletic figure to form? Science says it comes from nutrition and exercise, and provides the facts to prove it. The facts are absolutely correct, but they prove only that such an understanding can exist, and not that another understanding cannot exist.

Lecture Four: The Face of Modern Science

Contribution of Science to Culture

Without any doubt, science contributes huge contribution into human culture and, specifically, into the soul of every person.

Specifically, science teaches you insatiability. Now, under her anesthesia, no matter how much you achieve, no matter how much you master, it will never be enough for you. You will constantly run beyond the horizon, you will already see how much beautiful - amazingly beautiful! - it’s about to open, but the horizon will run further and further away from you each time.

Modern progressive Science

Of course, the achievements of modern progressive Science are great and undeniable. One can argue what constitutes its avant-garde and core - the natural or human sciences, but they all move the Progress of human society quite consistently and amicably.

Like a flower talking to flowers

I don’t know where the petty stupidity of superstition ends, and where the great wisdom of seeing the living world begins. Both Science and Religion are fighting superstition together, but they are already fighting sluggishly - it seems that they have already realized how ineradicable it is.

A superstitious person always finds out from signs how the world treats him, and at the slightest thing he grabs onto rituals to protect himself from the dirty tricks.

Why are originals valued?

With modern technology, it is not difficult to make an excellent copy of almost any painting. But then, please explain to me why all True Connoisseurs of Art need the originals? They want to see the Original. They want to have the Original - a painting touched by the brush of the Great Master.

Chinese ballet and aesthetic pleasure

One day my friend N.N. called. and invited me to the Chinese ballet - he had two tickets, it was hard to get, the whole of Moscow was talking about the ballet. I resisted the dreaded question, “Why do I need to go there?” only because I decided to once again get the answer to it myself - on the spot.

For what?

Here is a fragment of a conversation with a lady who is ready to despise me for my rational attitude towards art: “And I, for example, really want to watch The Godfather.” - "For what?" - “Well, why?.. For general development!” - “What exactly can it be expressed in?” - “Well... There's a lot of talk about this movie!” - “What do you expect from him? What can he give you? How will he enrich you?”

What is Art

As soon as I stopped hiding my bewilderment about High Art, various people (some with regret, some aggressively) declared that I simply could not understand it. However, the authors of these statements find it difficult to formulate what exactly High Art gives, except for words about “high aesthetic pleasure.”

What Art Teaches

Instead of thinking about the role of Art in human life “in general”, just remember specific, preferably the most popular - box office - films, perhaps from the treasury of world cinema. Now formulate what moral, human content they bring into your life and soul.

What kind of art do I love

Art is necessary for a person just like a hairdresser and a bathhouse. Anyone who does not wash regularly walks around dirty and smells bad, but a person looks strange for whom washing in a bathhouse is not a natural and simply pleasant procedure, but a service to Purity, the high Purpose of his life...

Music in the soul

I only recently realized how great place Art occupies my life. Music... Music permeates my speech, my gait, my thinking... My voice, the music of my voice knows how to demand, throwing me forward and urging me on, and quietly caressing, calming and relieving tension; put up hard walls like a bull - and, murmuring, erode other people's fortifications; realistically lowered to the ground - and raised above the ground, throwing it into flight.

Life as a work of Art

Art heals the soul - that's right, it's a good lotion for a sick soul. Art helps to survive - it’s true, it’s a crutch, but for invertebrates it’s also a magnificent shell. But Art also has a higher task - it can and should become the CORE OF LIFE, making it Beautiful.

Who needs sports and why?

Another children's entertainment For adults it is a sport.

It’s great when adults retain the ability to immerse themselves in the fun element of play, but adult games called SPORTS have long been lost free character entertainment and became monstrously serious.

Spartak is a champion!

Great sport is amazing world, where everything good is brought to the point of absurdity. You have learned to control your body - I congratulate you, but why are you honing your jump jump technique? Which fence are you going to jump butt first? You learned to fly from a springboard - it’s wonderful, an amazing moment of flight, but was it worth spending years to fly those extra seconds?

Erase random features...

One of my favorite exercises is “See a Person in Full Realization.” The idea is simple: you look at a person, first of all at his face, and try to discern the real thing in him - his beauty. Take your time, take a closer look...

What does the exterior look like?

It's summer now, and the physical bodies of my, unfortunately, fellow to the human race are especially clear. Unfortunately, because their bodies are bad. Where - purebred, where - well-groomed? Several bright faces - only on children, and some reflection from them on the faces of their parents. And so - puffed up with fat, swollen and already rotten. God, so many rotten ones! Rumpled. Shrunken.

About women with love and sadness

The body reminds me most of all of a woman. Firstly, it is initially beautiful. Secondly, you believe for a long time that it really loves you and is ready to serve you forever. But if suddenly for some time you do not pay enough attention to it, then it suddenly turns out that behind all this there is a harsh “You give me - I give you”, and the body begins to quietly take revenge. Like a woman.

Opening chord

Two people were sitting at my table: the Owner and the Beautiful Woman - a woman beautiful both in appearance and in soul. The owner felt this with all his flesh, which is why he sweated, blushed and stubbornly asked the question with sad frequency: “Well, what kind of freedom does she have if she lives on my money?” She poured him tea, looked at him with warm pity and tried to explain something to him.

About the sickest

I'm scared to admit it, but my contacts with women are very difficult. And they are difficult because I am infected. I am sick, I am infected, and my illness is only progressing. Now I avoid women.

All I have left is for women

When I was a young man, I didn’t understand women and was afraid of them. Then he stopped being afraid and began to love them. But I always respected women. A woman has always been for me not just a person, but a little better. I cherished the image of Woman as something sacred.

What is a Woman and what is a Man

Please, a provocative workshop: a yard, a sandbox, two kids got into a fight. Guess who their Parents are protecting? The Father, if it is the Father, protects the Right. Mother, if it is Mother, protects Her own. This always happens: A man is interested in Life and the Truth in it. And a Woman cares about Survival: first of all, herself and her loved ones, of course.

About women's wisdom

If you sit at the same table with the Great One, then eat what he eats and laugh when he laughs, because it will please his heart. So says Ptah-hoted.

Pharaoh's close associate spoke this way to stupid men. To smart women there is no need to say this: they have always acted and acted this way.

About women's... flexibility

If a man does not understand a woman, he will be accused of lack of sensitivity. If she did not understand him, he will be asked: “What didn’t you say in human terms?!”

When he speaks from the heart, she will accuse him of being rude. When he demands accuracy of expression from her, she will explain that she is used to being sincere and cannot hide what is boiling in her soul.

The world of men and the world of women

I do not at all consider myself defective if my vision is unable to perceive ultra-violet rays, visible, for example, to our dog friends. This is just my peculiarity. In the same way, a specific feature of a woman is the inability to see a person close to her as a separate being, delimited from her.

Slave and sorceress

The world of a man is solid and dead, filled with cubes - concepts, ordered by principles, limited by laws. Therefore, any man is predictable and limited.

About male insolvency

Men are absolutely wrong when they accuse women of lying: in fact, only men are liars. A man can lie: tell a lie, remembering that everything was wrong. A woman never lies: every time she says that IT WAS SO, she believes in it.

Let me admire you, or
About sincere respect for women

Since I stopped being indignant at women, I have found an opportunity to learn from them. Yes, I learned a lot from women - and now they are indignant at me.

New Atlantis

We are again at the practical psychology club "Sinton", at one of the classes in the "Family Studies" course. Today we have on our program the game “New Atlantis”: a completely ordinary game that helps to master the diversity of forms family life. Everyone is divided into microgroups, given the status of the Government of New Atlantis and given an induction.

Solemn crime

Where does the tradition of putting a ring on the spouse’s finger during a wedding come from? I am familiar with various hypotheses, but most likely it comes from Ancient Rome: there a ring was put on a slave as a sign that he was now deprived of his freedom and became someone’s property.

How the State convinces of the benefits of family life

A family is a small enterprise that works under government orders and supplies the state with labor and soldiers. And in order for people to work at this enterprise, the state creates conditions, that is, ruins the lives of those who do not work there.

The life of a real woman

True, as further investigation shows, this criminal act - creating a family - is committed by the State not alone, but with accomplices. More precisely, with accomplices: women.

Funny family men

Family men somehow proceed from the fact that they are no longer free, but family. When they are pressed, they demand permission to be free. They demand it from their wife, not realizing that they make themselves free - or not free - first of all. They make it special - family-friendly! - state of consciousness.

What about children?

What freedom, dear! What about children? After all, if you have children, you are obliged to take care of them!?

- No, I am not obliged to take care of the child. The child wanted to be born - I gave him life. I gave him the opportunity to breathe and move, crunch apples and see magical dreams, conquer people and spaces - isn’t that enough? I will be happy to help him in all these fun things, but tell me how I am now obliged to fulfill my “father’s duty”?..

What is the use of children

Children are born mainly out of curiosity, and then they struggle out of this joy for many years. However, as the years pass, one has to admit that the educational effect was exceptional: even if the parents were no good as educators, at least the children raised their parents superbly. And they simply helped them keep in shape.

My family, my freedom

I have a wonderful family, but I free man. I can come to those people who are considered my family if I feel better there and with them than in another place and with others.

Hymn to the Family

I am not going to hide the fact that I am a staunch supporter of family life.

I sincerely wish a family to all Clueless.

By arguing and kicking back, you have still managed to carry your Stupidity through life. Carry it proudly like a flag. But now, when your son is impudently playing your game “Why are they...”, and “Anyway, I won’t succeed” is being learned with enthusiasm by your daughter, along with anger and fatigue, SOBREBERING comes to you.

Religion from a moral perspective

Explanations

I hope I'm not a Philosopher. I am against philosophizing that is not implanted in doing - this is the sweetest and most aggressive drug for intelligent, spiritual and other highly cultured people. Doing without the mind, in my opinion, is stupid, but thinking without doing is... this... I can’t even find the words.
Religion is one of the most magnificent things created by mankind. However, its greatness does not lie in the fact that it is something inescapable that lies at the basis of human life.

Religion and psychotherapy

I sincerely respect religion for its high contribution to strengthening the spiritual foundations of society. I unconditionally admit that strengthening religiosity almost always strengthens public morality, morality and, accordingly, the rule of law.

Help us, Lord?

May believers not be offended by me, but most of them have an extremely consumeristic attitude towards God. So far everything is fine - they get along without God and don’t particularly remember Him. But when it happened, they went to pray: they remembered.

How to feel about the Superbook?

I love people, the world and, if He exists, the Creator of this world. And when they talk about God, our heavenly Father, - they say that He is good and great, - my soul sings and rejoices. I want to believe in such a God. But there is a very ancient and respected book in the world, and it is this book that interferes with this faith and joy of mine. This book is Holy Scripture.

Heart of Christianity

The very heart, the foundation on which Christianity stands is the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Remember: in order to save humanity, the Lord God did not spare his only begotten son and sent him to earth, to people, where he went through his terrible path of suffering - the way of the cross. By His sacrifice, Christ atoned for the sins of mankind and opened the way to salvation for people.

Pedagogy Old Testament
(about God's behavior and morality)

Tree of Good and Evil

Everyone remembers one of the central biblical stories: how God forbade Adam to eat fruits from the tree of Good and Evil, but Eve, at the instigation of the Serpent, fed her husband with these fruits, as a result of which God became terribly angry and drove everyone out of Paradise with curses.

If you don't be naive...

Of course, if we are not naive, we will see a lot more in the Text. After all, this legend about the forbidden fruit was told not only by the Jews, but among other peoples it is presented in a more complete, articulate - and therefore more meaningful form. The legend answers the question of how man became mortal, and it is told as follows.

Cain

So, Adam and Eve ended up on earth, after which the Lord had two new pupils: Cain and Abel. These two brothers worked equally honestly and decided (apparently out of respect and gratitude) to give gifts to the Lord. The Lord thanked neither one nor the other (apparently, this is not in his habits at all), but without any explanation he made it clear that he liked the gift from Abel, but not the one from Cain.

Global flood

After some time, God again turned his attention to humanity and saw that there was a lot of evil among people. Specifically, evil is not deciphered in the Text, but let's assume the worst thing - people killed each other a lot.

Babylon

Why did the Lord prevent this grandiose construction? It is difficult to imagine that this tower could threaten the Lord in any way; accordingly, the interests of the Lord were not affected here. For educational purposes? But it’s unlikely that anyone became kinder after this, and it’s unlikely that after such an action the builders began to love their God more. Literally according to the Text, all they wanted was “to make a name for themselves before being scattered over the face of the whole earth.” They just wanted to leave a mark on the earth, and a good one... Then, after all: why, Lord?

Easter

The great day of Jewish Passover celebrates a joyful event - the exodus of Jews from Egypt, where life was very difficult for them. True, some circumstances prevent me personally from joining this great joy.

How the Humanity Manager worked

I don’t think it makes sense to continue further along the chain of events described in the Old Testament. People there behave like people, that is, in different ways, showing both good nature and cruelty, and since comments on their actions in the Text are rare, unclear or absent, the moral and educational effect of such a narrative is very controversial.

Blue loops

This is just another episode, one of many. The Lord, through Moses, communicated his covenants to the people of Israel, the people promised to be obedient and fulfill everything. But then the Lord asked Moses to go to the mountain and for forty days he instructed him on extremely pressing issues.

General Considerations

“I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Love for God or love for People?

"God will call you!"

– You never know who will call me! I'll think about whether I need to go to him.

“Come to God, and new spiritual horizons will open to you!”

“Well, perhaps I will want to give myself such a gift and use God in this way.” Unfortunately, two things stop me: firstly, simply opening up your horizons is selfish, a kind of petty goal. And secondly, how much will it cost?

About the court

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned." (Luke VI, 37). Each of us has heard this phrase many dozens of times. And I didn’t understand. It turns out that this is not about everyday backbiting.

About the oath

“I, a citizen of (the state of such and such), joining the ranks of the Armed Forces (once again the name of the state), take the oath and SOLEMNLY swear...”

Christ and a little pedagogy

I like the goodness of Christianity, but, unfortunately, in its pure form this beautiful system, in my opinion, does not work. I also professed something similar in my views on raising children - no violence, coercion, no punishment - until I had children myself.

But by the way...

Why such gross fraud and distortion? Sacred Text could have happened? Oddly enough, it turns out that for many centuries in a row there were no obstacles to this. It’s only now that the Bible is sold at every crossroads, but until the 18th century the text of the Holy Scriptures was “literature for official use,” a closed text, accessible only to narrow circle clergy.

New Testament with old intonations

Are Christ's morals always moral?

Unfortunately, it is difficult to expect that the Gospel will present Christ to us as a living interlocutor and convey his power as a thinker. Christ himself did not write books, but conveyed his teaching to illiterate people who understood it as best they could. The teaching was transmitted orally from one to another and was written down - restored from the remaining memory - only almost a hundred years after the death of the author.

Is Christ's behavior always moral?

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart...” (Matthew XXI, 29). It seems that Jesus was not always meek. Here are a few episodes from his life.

A small epilogue on the Bible

Probably some wise old man from some Lavra will be able to explain the deep moral meaning all these episodes, but the common man sees and perceives only the text, the direct meaning of which turns out to be very controversial. The Gospel is a moral textbook for millions, and, apparently, there should be no ambiguity in such textbooks.

Alphabetically Newest Oldest

When the Creator created the Universe, he calculated everything: the number of atoms and molecules, the design power of energy flows, the possible increase in population, took into account possible errors and fluctuations... “And the same amount of Energy of Abundance will be allocated to each person,” he decided. - It will be fair! After all, they are all creatures of God, and I will not offend any of them...

Once upon a time there lived a man. A person is like a person, no worse and no better than others. And Fate befell him very decently, generous with gifts. Only he didn’t take these very gifts. Well, I didn’t take it - that’s all! He once heard that man is the master of his own destiny, and he believed in it once and for all. - What are these “gifts of fate”? - he often said. - A person cannot wait for favors...

There was once a Sage, to whom many came for advice. The sage lived as a hermit, was stingy with words, often spoke in riddles, but everyone still received an answer to their question. And then one day a woman appeared to the Sage. She was collected and stern, and her head was lowered down, as if there was something under her feet that she wanted to trample. - I had a child, and he is sick. They say, ...

Once upon a time there lived an Inner Voice. It belonged to a very romantic girl who, inspired by a beautiful legend, dreamed of finding her Soulmate. This was what she needed to be completely happy. She decided long ago that when she meets her Soulmate, she will devote her life to him, and there will be only two of them on the whole Earth, and they simply will not need others - because Halves! ...

A cleansing tale Once upon a time there lived a man who was not given Love as a child. It happens: parents will give the main gift - they will give life, but for the rest they have neither the strength, nor the time, nor the ability. And the man, instead of cultivating his own love, began to get angry and offended at his parents. Well, as you know, they throw water at angry people, but everyone tries to offend the one who is offended. ...

Hello, kids! Don't be scared, I'm not scary. And not evil. And I don’t mind people coming into my garden at all. That’s why I grow flowers, so that someone can admire them. What? Yes, I am the owner of this garden. Gardener. That's what you can call me. How did you get here? Ah-ah-ah, through the fence! Why not through the gate? We thought it was impossible... It is possible, dears! Come whenever you want! I invite you. ...

One day, the Lord, looking away from the important affairs of the Universe, looked down and saw a woman who had just given birth to a child. The woman looked at the baby with tenderness and prayed: “Lord! Give my baby happiness! Make sure that all troubles and misfortunes pass him by! Protect him from a black word, from an evil eye, from an unkind person! May his life be joyful! I didn't have any luck...

The wise woman lived at the very edge of the earth. Getting there is long and difficult, but some people succeed. This woman - tired, exhausted, with broken knees and skinned palms - succeeded. The place was gloomy: dark, twilight, inhospitable. And Wisdom itself was somehow... blurry, or something. An indistinct figure in the swirling fog. “Oh, the path to Wisdom is not easy,” she complained...

This book is for those thinking about life. For those who value Life, its play and sparkle above frozen rules and dogmas, who believe that you can live fun and meaningfully. What is this book about? About morality. About freedom. About liberation from fears and the possibility of happiness, about choosing the position of the Author even where everyone habitually chooses to be a Victim. This book was written by a Practitioner who knows that there is nothing more practical than philosophy - naturally, correct philosophy. The author does not claim to own the Truth - in his opinion, owning the Truth is immoral. He is friends with Truth - and she seems to reciprocate his feelings. The book is written in the form of Fairy Tales, that is, free living stories, where the scenery is Eternal Themes: Man, Goodness, Freedom, Religion, Art, and the reader settles among the characters: Morals, Decency, Like the Eternals, head. the spiritual office of Saint Vera Ivanovna, the Dragon - and observes what these Heroes do with a person and what a person can do with them. This book is for those who allow themselves to see Happiness not as a difficult goal that must be achieved, but as a natural and obligatory condition of life, like washing your face in the morning. This book is for those who choose to love themselves and people, and celebrate their lives.

A tale about the meaning and price of life

The troubles of those who escaped safely

Every time should be busy.

Law of life

The only thing that saves a person from realizing that life is meaningless is that he doesn’t think about it. Some people are so lucky that they don’t even understand this problem. But for those who understand and think, life is worse. The feeling of the meaninglessness of existence is sad, it drags and torments. And against this background we live and try to be happy...

As you know, a problem can be dealt with in two ways: either solve it, or run away from it. So it is here - someone is looking for the meaning of life, and someone is running away from the experience of its meaninglessness, time after time finding a way to distract themselves from the emptiness of their life and create the illusion of its fullness. And there seems to be no pain...

The simplest escape is immersion in Work or Worries. Longing for the meaning of life is longing, a neurosis, the same as longing for a loved one, homeland or chocolates. A the best remedy from boredom - to be busy. It is known: those who are overwhelmed by work, or those who simply need to survive, do not suffer from the problem of the meaning of life; they have neither the time nor the energy for this.

One of my friends is definitely not in the mood for these questions right now - she has a baby in her arms and has not had hot water for four months.

But not everyone is so lucky, and life needs to be filled with something. Someone overloads himself with work at work - a completely acceptable solution, all that remains is the neurosis of the emptiness of the weekend. Outside of work, you can get a dog.

Or children. IN in this case it makes no difference: both create a lot of trouble and take up a lot of time.

The second way of escape is no less popular: escape - immersion in Entertainment. Entertainment is filling your life with experiential events, no matter whether they are light or scary, the main thing is that they are sharper and more intense. TV, alcohol, visiting exhibitions, riding a carousel, love experiences, books, fights, conversations - all this gives fullness to life, or rather, a feeling of fullness. There is no meaning in life, but life is full.

This is how a person lives: where is the dispute? - runs. Whom to scold? - runs. Who should I be offended by? - in a hurry. We quarreled, got offended, had a lot of trouble - and so a rich, eventful day passed.

About those entering the Great Service

Anyone who has a WHY to live can endure any HOW.

Nietzsche

Those who want to live truly meaningfully take the path of service. They essentially have no other choice. The fact is that the search for the Meaning of Life is not so much an everyday problem as a philological one: according to the rules of the Russian language, “meaning” only has something that serves Something Higher.

Let me dwell on this specifically. A person lives through language and through it; there is no way to break through it into the world. And in language, “meaningful” is contrasted with “meaningless” as something “serving something Important-Higher” or “not serving.”

Check: what is the MEANING of the rules? They provide ORDER as something Supreme. And if they DO NOT SERVE ORDER, they are MEANINGLESS. What is the MEANING of Order? He helps live (SERVES) PEOPLE. And if it does not help, does not serve, or serves Stupidity, and not the Highest - PEOPLE, then order is MEANINGLESS.

Therefore, simply according to the rules of the Russian language, someone’s life turns out to be meaningful only when a person devotes himself to service, when his life realizes some Unconditional Values. The values ​​that he places above himself, above his life.

If you have accepted that Something is a Worthy Value and serve It – that’s it, the problem is solved, your life is meaningful. Having accepted and realized Value, I now know where (that is, Why) to live, and I have the strength and energy for this.

Values ​​are batteries, and the problem of meaning is primarily a problem of Energy, it is the search for sources of recharging. But it doesn’t matter what specific Values ​​are, therefore it is stupid and pointless to elevate some Values ​​and belittle others. Any Value is good if it provides energy. And you can find many Values ​​in life - of different energy reserves and different levels.

Everyday Values ​​(feed your husband, go to the store, mend your socks) make you meaningful. daily life and small matters.

Everything will be fine as long as and if these values ​​are recognized by the owner and those around her.

For years, a person’s self-esteem is supported and his personal, cultural Values ​​give him the strength to live: for example, realizing oneself as a Man and a Woman.

For this reason, men improve their figure, earn money and seduce women; For this reason, women emphasize their figure, tame men and give birth to children.

In addition, human life is illuminated by universal (Supreme) Values ​​- such as Creativity, God, People... Or Love, Truth, Money, Power, Beauty, Law, Traditions, Business,

Entertainment, Self, Loved Ones - everyone has their own, because these values ​​are found by everyone in a strictly individual search.

True, as a rule, from a list already approved by culture.

From childhood, it is purposefully instilled that these Values ​​(some of them, in accordance with local traditions) are exceptionally worthy and it is a person’s duty to serve them.

Blessed is he who believes, for service requires faith, and the more fanaticism a person has, the less doubt he has about the meaning of life.

What do I think about it

Escape to Work or Entertainment is the first way to get rid of the melancholy of a meaningless existence. The Path of Service is the second path. As a path to finding the meaning of life, it is traditional and deserved, but nevertheless not without its drawbacks: it does not always help out. If suddenly some specific activity does not connect you with your Recognized Value, you are doomed to feel meaningless.

And, unfortunately, sometimes there are too many such specific activities.

And, most importantly, the soul remains sick. You can connect it to external sources over and over again, fill it with energy from different Values and even experience the meaningfulness of your activity - but this is only pumping up an initially empty soul. A soul that remains empty - without periodic pumping.

Such a soul is very reminiscent of a leaky bicycle inner tube, which, without periodic pumping, constantly deflates and ceases to serve.

Reflections on the Fence and Beloved

No one has yet really answered: “Why do you need to look for meaning in your life?” They usually answer: “I am looking for the meaning of life so that my life can be meaningful!” To understand that this is not the answer, just listen to what was said and compare it with: “I paint in order to be painted.”

Everything is said here except the main thing: why do you need it to be painted? What if life is not a fence, but a loved one? Will you still paint?

A wonderful meaningless life

I am not satisfied with either the first or second path. I walked the path of service for a long time UNTIL I RECOVERED and thought: what sweetness is it that your life turns out to be meaningful? “Meaning,” I repeat, according to the rules of the Russian language, has only that which serves Something Higher. But I don’t like being a Servant.

What is the meaning of my life is the question: “Whom do I serve?” I don’t serve anyone and I don’t have to serve anyone. This is not a question for me. This is a question for a slave or servant, and I am not one. Exclamation: “Ah, his life is meaningless!” - sounds to me the same as: “Oh, poor thing, he lives without a higher organization!”

And I am learning to be happy, living both without Meaning and without Service. And more and more often it seems to me that Life - just Life - is beautiful as it is.

To idle friends

- Lom, do you work somewhere?

- Nope, I'm screwed. I celebrate life.

- Who feeds you?

- And my beloved!

(And the Beloved feeds a small child. And she lives only on her own.)

For everything in life you have to pay. And if you don’t pay, someone else pays for you. And if you are idle, then you burden someone else with work. Usually so.

I allow myself to live without meaning, I allow myself to celebrate my life any way - yes! I am not obliged to seek a Master, and my soul is not tied to the need to take care of anyone and Serve anyone.

It's just a matter of my mental health.

I can mess around, and then I do it with joy. But! But if I can do something Good, I will do it with pleasure, as a free person. And, choosing between a meaningful life and not, between Necessary Work and Idleness, I will always choose the first.

Because this is no longer a question of psychology, but of ethics: that is, what am I going to do with my healthy soul.

...Lomushka, stop messing around! You're nice!

About love, wise men and idiots

But then a sad face stuck out: “Service, Choice... But I have no choice - and I have two more years to do nonsense. Absolutely pointless. I understand everything, by and large I’m always free, but I need Moscow registration, and there’s no getting around it. Here. The melancholy is hopeless. Is this problem solvable?

The problem is solvable, but only on the condition that in your life you need not just a Moscow residence permit, but something more.

You want your life - any life, including those filled with nonsense - to become meaningful. No problem, because since ancient times another path has been well known, a simple and universal path. It allows you to make everything meaningful at all times: washing dishes, standing in line, and riding in a cold train. This is the path of Love. Just love life, which means: pour out your Love on it, and everything in your life will become loved, and everything will gain meaning. If you love everything and always, your life will always and in any situation be meaningful.

Are you shuffling useless pieces of paper in a stupid office and don’t know how to love this stupid activity? - Hmm, interesting. Invite your child here, perhaps he dreams of being allowed to do this. He will arrange each sheet carefully, like a treasure. Maybe you can take an example from your child? And while you meditate in the process of this quiet work, figure out how after work you will please those close people you love. You love them, right? And will you please?

Love makes any activity meaningful, equalizes any deeds and values, puts both a high mission and any nonsense on the same level. Serving humanity turns out to be no more meaningful activity here than, for example, collecting match labels.

Or rather, collecting labels is just as meaningful.

It is through this that Children, Sages and Idiots are equalized. They all like everything, which normal people just can’t understand. Not idiots.

That is, they are not wise men.

It's just a matter of small things - where can you get so much love? For this, it’s scary to say! – your soul must become healthy!

Stay healthy

– I hate thinking about the meaning of life!

- Me too.

There is a great truth in the fact that it is mainly pale intellectuals and other neurotics who suffer from the problem of the meaning of life. True, while they suffer, they are proud of this as a feature of their complex mental organization in general and intense spirituality in particular. But it seems there is nothing special to be proud of here. Because this problem is actually not a problem of spirituality, but of energy. The problem of shortage vitality. Lack - or absence - of the strength to live on.

Being proud of the search for the meaning of life is about the same as being proud of intellectual glasses covering your damaged eyes. Glasses do not speak of strong spirituality, but of weak vision.

When a person's self is safe, when he has good energy and good head- He’s doing well and he doesn’t need meaning in life. A healthy soul is filled to the brim with energy, it itself is a source of energy, and the problem of the meaning of life disappears along with the disappearance of spiritual emptiness. A person is cheerful, a person loves, a person cares about his neighbors and cares about those far away - because he wants it, because he loves them. Everyone is happy, the world is beautiful! The meaning of life, like a psychotherapeutic crutch, is needed by those who have no direction and especially lack energy - who need recharge from the outside.

Accordingly, I wish you mental health and the fastest possible deliverance from the need for the meaning of life.

But, by the way, now is the time to briefly return to the past Fairy Tale.

How to get out of your mind

An abyss has opened and is full of stars.

The stars have no number, the abyss has no bottom.

Mystic Lomonosov

Sometimes the problems that people come to me with turn out to be so confused and neglected that I can’t say anything specific. But I always have two universal pieces of advice in my pocket that help almost everyone, always.

And the only thing that turns out to be important is to “sell” these tips at a higher price, so that a person takes them into his soul carefully and seriously. And he started using them.

Unfortunately, I'm selling it to you cheap.

Tip one:"Fine!" No matter what happens, every five minutes tell yourself with an inner smile: “Okay!” Of course, this is stupid: they shout at you, and you say to yourself: “Okay!” Of course, it is wrong to say to yourself “Okay!” when you shout.

But the funny thing is that it helps, and after a while no one wants to scream anymore. Guess the mechanism yourself.

Tip two:“Stop thinking. Live by the sensations."

What am I talking about?

...When I go out onto the porch in the village in the evening, this dark, ringing and dense evening simply falls on me. Rich smells hit my face and nose, crackling, rustling and whistling sounds fly at me from all sides, and both warmth and coolness flow into my whole body...

Trying to somehow grasp this, every time I feel the incomparability of our powers: while my mind is trying to click something through one of its channels, to put every ringing little thing into its own cell, waves of sounds and waves of smells overwhelm all these channels and cells to line, overflowing me and overwhelming me with its riches from any of the four sides and the sky. I'm drowning in this evening.

...However, in the next second I can start Thinking, and then the evening disappears. I'm left with my problems.

Accordingly, you can guess what you need to do to get rid of your problems: just return to your feelings at any moment.

RETURN FROM YOUR MIND TO THE WORLD.

To get out of the hypnosis of the mind and just see a person’s face, just feel your body, just hear sounds and voices - learn to live “here and now”, in the living world of sensations - the greatest and most difficult task. But if suddenly it is resolved - Lord, how good!

Then the world and man become one. Then everything artificial disappears - prohibitions, boredom, melancholy, weakness, the search for the meaning of life... Then the soul is filled with joy, every little thing becomes poignant and delightful.

A simple shower turns out to be an event - this flow of water that affects every cell of your body. Water falls on you, and you absorb its coolness and freshness.

The main thing is to get out of the Mind. And - no problem!

Servant turned enemy

I'm going crazy - or ascending

TO high degree madness?

Bella Akhmadulina

A person whom the Mind refuses to serve is crazy, but a person under the yoke of the Mind is unhappy.

And it doesn’t matter what Mind is strong or weak, bright or bad. A person under the yoke of any mind thinks and does not live.

When the Mind plays the role of a servant, appearing at the right moment and doing the right things, it cannot but be appreciated.

If the Mind is cheerful and spacious, it can even become a Real World in which you can live, breathe and find treasures.

But the Servant, claiming to be the Master, turns into an enemy. He closes the living world from you, he subjugates you to his conventions and troubles, drives you into his cells and frames.

A person who is correct in everything is completely lifeless. And boring.

And what you call the Sparkle or Zest in a person is the focus of his humor, freshness, enthusiasm and unconventionality, it is always a grain of the Living Self. This never comes from the MIND, this splashes from the living and wrong. And it fascinates - that is, it takes away the mind.

However... However, you and I live in a civilization where even the highest madness cannot continue endlessly. Therefore, sooner or later you have to turn on the Mind.

There is no need to drive away the Servant - you just need him to serve and not misbehave. You called - he came and did everything, after which he left.

For collectors of candy wrappers

What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull.

Smart ancients

Unfortunately, the situation becomes different if the Servant understands at least a little, and the Master is fundamentally stupid. Here I would be careful not to leave the Master without a Servant. You have to grow up to everything, and to the right to live without your mind too. You need to become a MASTER.

A master is a person whose inner man grew up and became an adult.

A master can live without a mind - he always has something to live with. A master can be anyone, and kindness is as optional for him as cruelty is allowed: precisely because he big master, not a petty villain. The Master can replace Business with a game of beads - the Master can do anything. But what does this have to do with you?

Yes, in a high sense, collecting candy wrappers is no less meaningful than serving humanity, but I will not hide my attitude towards the candy wrapper collectors around me: I don’t like their entertainment.

Most of all, it reminds me of a person who lives in a garbage dump among the ruins and, instead of crawling out of the mud, amuses himself by creatively smearing it around him.

When my kids enthusiastically grab new toys, leaving complete destruction in their wake, I explain to them that they have mixed up the order: first they need to clean everything up, and then have fun. I'm afraid that many supposedly Adults still haven't learned this.

You put things in order in your soul, in your life - and after that, get creative. Palaces don't grow out of shit.

Entertainment is either the luxury of the mentally rich, or the stupidity of the mentally poor. Determine the size of your mental capital and draw the right conclusions.

So that these thoughts don’t just flash through the top of my brain, I’m working on this topic for my guys from the Club in the game “ Submarine" Many people find this game cruel. But I don't think she's tougher than Life.

Chronicle of a Sinking Submarine

Intro: we are the crew of a submarine, and, unfortunately, we are sinking. We had an accident, we are unclear at what depth, and the boat is slowly sinking. There are enough survival suits for everyone to float to the top, but you can go out through the hatch one at a time with an interval of one minute. There are 30 of us, 15 men and 15 girls. This means that those who leave first will almost certainly be saved, and the last will almost certainly die, since the boat will already sink deep. The chance of escape depends ONLY on the ORDER NUMBER of the exit from the hatch. It does not depend on the health and physical characteristics of a person, and is weak, but the 10th will be saved sooner than the giant, but the 11th. There is nothing we can do to help each other during the ascent, and no help is needed at the top: there is a rescue boat waiting for those who have surfaced.

Question: There is a gun on the boat. Who would take it and why?

Several people raise their hands: they will take a gun. For what? “Determined girls, it turns out, will take it only in order to hide it and so that no one gets it.” Men are more serious: they will use weapons to control order so that there is no panic.

Over the past ten games, there was only one person who took a pistol in order to determine his order of exit from the boat. The group did not even ask who he would release first and who he would release last: they responded instantly with the harshest aggression.

And without explanation, with an indignant: “How dare he!” - because the group is sure that one person does not have the right to dispose of other people’s human lives, cannot decide for others who should live and who should die. Everything is fine, the game is still ahead.

Okay, the group quickly agrees who they trust with the gun. There will be no panic now.

What will happen?

I announce FREE GAME: room - boat, door - hatch. The leader with a pistol instantly appears at the door and shouts: “Don’t panic!”

After a second of confusion, the Idea sounds: “First of all, save women!”

And everyone likes this idea. Women were ready for it before.

Women together crowded together at the door, but further on there is again an ideological dead end.

True, quite spontaneously, although not without the help of the guys, the prettiest girls turn out to be closer to the exit...

There is some confusion, but a holy place is never empty, and ideologue leaders are again emerging in the group. Michael claims that the youngest should be in front, Max – the oldest, and Plato proposes to arrange everyone by height... A few minutes later, a full democratic bazaar begins.

The gun turns out to be unnecessary here: if the group is in panic, it is only because it has absolutely no idea how to moderate the ardor of its ideological leaders.

I interrupt the Free Game, the group is trying to comprehend what happened. I'm wondering why everyone decided to save women first. Everyone is embarrassed for my strange and indecent question, but they politely explain to me: “Because women are weaker.”

I point to Sergei, who is physically weaker than Marianne, and wonder if he should stand in front of her. Here the group is confused for a long time about what they meant by “weaker”: physically or mentally.

Part of them guesses that with any understanding of “weakness”, one of the guys will be ahead of one of the girls...

By the way, are they also going to save the weakest among women? And then the smart and beautiful Elya, who, unfortunately, is in good health, will end up behind?

It turns out that the group doesn’t want this...

And finally main question: Why is it necessary to save the Weak first? Frail – physically or mentally?

And here it turns out that the group doesn’t really like the WEAK ones, but still sticks to the WEAK ones...

The question of drawing lots was raised, but was immediately removed.

Obviously, drawing lots is not a solution; it is a group-wide evasion of responsibility. This is an option: “Let Another Decide!” – where a brainless coin is chosen as the decisive Other. The lot can give the stupidest, most terrible scenario - but how convenient is it, there’s no one to blame?!

Except for those who decided to cast lots.

And I declare a Free Game again - but this time I exclude from the Game those who showed themselves to be leaders last time. It doesn’t matter HOW exactly each person will show themselves, but what is important is that there will be new leaders. They appear simply because the situation requires a solution.

The group sees: the problem must be solved anyway. And if it's not solved in the best possible way, it will be decided for the worst. And if I don’t start solving it, someone else will still have to solve it.

Everyone must make their own choice. Whose decision will determine someone's life or death will become clear later, but now everyone should have this decision. Everyone must decide HOW they will solve this problem.

The group already understands that this is a game about the Price of Life: “How is the Price of Life measured? Who deserves to live? Why are you worthy to live?” And, as one of the options for solving it, I tell the story “The American Manager Test”.

The leading manager was invited to a meeting of the board of directors and was told that they wanted to appoint him as president of one of the concern’s branches. The future president did not hide his joy: he really fit all the parameters. He was asked how many children he had. It turned out there were five. "And who do you love more everyone? – "The youngest." – “If you had to choose between dying yourself or your youngest son dying instead of you, what decision would you make?” - “Of course, it’s better for me to die!” - exclaimed the loving father.

The next day he was denied his position. “You are ready to leave five children orphans and make your wife a widow, – you told him - and besides, you quit the job that you are entrusted with. In another scenario, four children, a wife and your job would remain with you. You could very well have a child if you wanted. You are not suitable for the position of president.”

A third of the group strongly agrees, a third is thoughtful, and a third is loudly outraged by the cynicism of American entrepreneurs. Some of them, justifying their rejection, refer to their “mentality”, that is, as one can understand, to the inability or unwillingness to think something broader than the already familiar way.

And on this note, the group is asked to carry out the Main Procedure...

Everyone receives marks: 5 marks for Life and 5 marks for Death, they must be distributed. To do this, a human chain is organized in which everyone walks past each other, looks into the eyes and says one of three phrases: “I give you life” (and gives a Gold Mark), “You will have to die” (gives a Black Mark) and “I don’t know.” "(doesn't give anything). Anyone who wants to explain their choice can do so. Two rules must be observed, the first: “I only give out my own tags - they don’t give away gifts” and the second: “Everyone must give out tags.”

As those who have completed more than one Game say, sending someone to Death turns out to be heartbreaking only the first time. And then, with experience, you pay attention to completely different things. And by the way, you start to think.

Of course, I would like to look at the Champions: those who have received a minimum (or maximum) of Gold (or Black) marks. We look at them, are interested in their feelings, as well as their and the group’s considerations: why exactly did they turn out to be Champions - Champions in Life and Death?

I bet you, readers, that you won't guess.

When I first developed and predicted this Game, I expected that the Champions in Death would be the most unpopular members of the group, plus those who “annoyed” the group with something, as well as the weakest and most downtrodden... Nothing like that! Often the Champion in Death turned out to be the same one who was the Champion in Life - from among the brightest, strongest and beautiful people in Group!!

And the explanation lay on the surface. This was directly stated by those who gave these people Death: “You are the best person to meet Death…”

Listen: “You are the best MAN…”

Once again: "YOU ARE THE BEST..."

YOU ARE THE BEST AND THAT'S WHY YOU WILL DIE

They distribute Death to those who can die with dignity. Those who know how to die with dignity are the same ones who know how to live with dignity. And this choice is the choice of killing the most worthy.

Of course, the motives for such a decision were both petty calculations and just mouse fuss. It is dangerous to give death to the weak: in return he will most likely give you the same.

That's why he's weak.

A Strong in the answer to Death will often be given to you by Life.

Because he is Strong.

And then, no one wants to see the face of the Weak when he receives Death: it is distorted and ugly. And the Strong are able to die gracefully. No screaming, no big snot - AESTHETIC. This kind of death is not so hard to watch. She's even attractive in some ways.

And for this beautiful packaging, for aesthetic experiences, our philanthropic aesthetes are ready to pay - to pay with the lives of the best people.

And gradually, time after time, the eyes and souls of people become more and more meaningful. And CRITERIA are gradually developed - that is, UNDERSTANDING.

And it’s no longer so interesting who will have to die. More important are the questions that everyone asks themselves: “Am I worthy of life? What makes my life valuable? What am I living for? Who needs me?

True, childhood illnesses make themselves felt for a long time. In particular, everyone is in a terrible hurry to testify that he will give his life for anyone without a second thought.

God forbid they think that he values ​​his life!

He has not yet learned to look at his life AS ONE OF MANY. It’s difficult: to look at your life not as YOUR OWN, but simply as ONE PERSON’S LIFE.

He is just learning to look at his life as a field that needs to be plowed; as a thing that needs to be done - and you want to do it masterfully; as on Creation, which must be Perfect. Anyone who looks at human life THIS way already has grounds for EVALUATION and CHOICE.

It is impossible to say which of two lives is more valuable if both were made - were lived - by Masters. But if one of the lives was lived somehow and a choice must be made, there will be reasons for it. And if one life was directed TO people, built FOR people, it will be valued higher than the one that was built BY, or even more so AGAINST.

And everything else is from the evil one.

Remember the parable about the workers to whom the owner gave them for use according to their talent.

This was the coin.

The one who buried his talent in the ground was deprived of the owner of this money. And the one who multiplied his talents was rewarded by the owner.

You have been given a talent - life. If you implement it, you manage to live, you deserve a reward. And if you can’t live, if you are lazy or afraid to live, if your talent is your own life! - you are rotting, then if necessary, the choice will not be in your favor.

Who has forgotten - Christ told this parable. She may not be very compassionate, but not all medicine has to be sweet...

When the Game ends, the question always arises: how would I act? – I don’t make a secret of this.

– Who should go first - men or women?

– I will look at what kind of People they are, and not what gender they are.

– Which score will you go with?

- Think, which is among the first. Because I seem to be able to accomplish more in life than others and I still have a lot of things to do.

– What if someone with a gun puts you in your rear?

– Let humanity be upset about this, it will not upset me. I am rather indifferent to my life, and accordingly to the possibility of my death. As well as the death of other people. For me, Life and Death are not the Holy Church, but an ordinary everyday matter. A separate, private human life is not sacred. Many people were always born, and many died. People are mortal, and it hardly matters whether someone dies ten years earlier or later, whether one or a dozen (hundred... more...) people die. This happens: war, plague, thousands of accidents. I don’t seriously believe that I can really change anything in this world with my actions. What can an ant count on even on the scale of its anthill? And I don't have to care about humanity, so my soul is light anyway.

Another thing is that I like people. I like to take care of people and help them live. And to the best of my ability, I do it and will do it.

– Would you take a gun?

– I would take the gun and it wouldn't be too heavy for me. And I would quickly put everyone in line to leave, thinking only about who could give how much to people. Among men, the first would probably be those who know how to create and do better than others. Case. Good deed. But business, not chatter. The first would be the Creators, and the last would be the Talkers, Whiners and Destroyers. And among women, I would, apparently, look for those who would be the best Mothers. Those who will best friends for men who will give birth to healthy children and raise kind and strong people. Those who will build warm human houses in stone houses built by men.

Of course, this is Domostroy. But if you don’t waste time on trifles and don’t creep around with exceptions, then everything here is correct. And the most important thing is that -

the Strong will be ahead: strong, first of all, in soul and spirit. And behind will be the Weak.

And if you have to choose, let the Weak die.

And the Strong must survive so that Life can be stronger, richer and more beautiful.

...In this place all the Christians immediately shoot me. Or crucified.

Naturally, with the best intentions.

They destroy Life. They are doing what they have always done.

Christ is my friend, but...

In nature, the right of the strong reigns, no matter whether the strong is physically, intellectually or charismatically - simply from God.

If you died, it means he was stronger, and your explanations that not everything was fair and just were just too late for your death.

Life is the Strong. Christianity is for the Weak - and therefore against Life. Christianity proclaimed the right of the weak - and betrayed the Strong.

“You are strong - and he is weak. Give in to him!” - And the strong, yielding, found themselves behind.

Christianity proclaimed sacrifice - and betrayed the Strong.

At the front, the best die first, because they are the first to rise to attack. The most mentally strong are always the first to sacrifice themselves. To shoot them, you don’t even need to aim - they set themselves up, and the shooting is simply done by a sniper.

The disabled person is not the one who does not have a leg: the disabled person is the one who whines, looking at his wound (physical or mental), and expects that now he, as a victim, will begin to please him. Being disabled is a psychology, a way of life. This is the absence of the Spirit, not a part of the body.

In the forest, for example, there is no Christianity, and therefore in the forest a disabled person either dies, or, if he has not become stiff due to his disability, he stops whining and begins to survive. And win.

Long live Life!

This is not a call to War - it is a call to Life. Natural life, natural life is not war, not aggression. The predator will not kill you out of hatred, he is simply hungry, but he loves you - to eat. Revenge is not typical for nature, and in a mortal fight the enemy, once defeated, is no longer an enemy at all, but simply food.

Revenge and hatred were invented by people, and compassionate Christianity, in particular, is imbued with aggression - aggression against the heretics within oneself and against the infidels around.

Only man fights - wild man. The world is not at war. The world lives on. And to be faithful to the world, you must love. We must love a world in which the strong will win. And you must love your Death, if you, previously so strong, were overcome by someone Stronger.

You died, therefore, long live Life!

Back to the topic

However, I want to return to the Game, especially since there is no such thing anymore.

People read books and don’t want to look like fools.

As soon as the book comes out, you have to change your methods. But the Game, albeit in a different form, remains, because, like all living things, it is diagnostic and instructive - always. It’s just that instead of some stupid things already described in Fairy Tales, people do others in it.

And I, as always, write them down.

How does it go wrong?

Everyone in the group loves Pasha, but they often laugh at him. He read all my books most carefully and seems to have learned them by heart, because on occasion he quotes them close to the text. He always speaks correctly in essence and almost always turns the audience against himself, because he regularly hangs dogs on himself and does not know how to make a fool of himself.

Do you need to translate?

Pasha, chest forward: “I’ll take the gun and arrange everyone in my own way. Let the weak perish:..."

Those whom he names evoke acute pity, and he evokes sharp protest.

But Anton will say differently: “It’s probably worth taking a gun anyway, so that there won’t be a mess. And then, I cannot and do not want to allow people like..."

Those who were indignant at Pasha (“How cruel he is! How dare he dispose of human lives!”) no longer see that Anton proposed essentially the same thing - he just started from the other end. People need kind language, and Anton gave it to them.

But the people do not notice that the same people will die.

As in the famous joke:

TASS message: “Our wonderful runner took an honorable second place, and his opponent from the USA finished second to last!”

And there were only two runners... Hello!

And my colleague, the glorious Grisha, began the game by offering to distribute two life jackets available to each person. Everyone did this with enthusiasm, and it was natural.

What Grisha and summed up:“We have forty people in the group. Raise your hands those who have now participated in the murder of thirty-eight people!”

After sighing and thinking, everyone raised their hands. And no one else spoke on the topic: “I consider myself not to have the right to give life and death to anyone!”

For those who like to shoot, this Game is an opportunity to shoot someone.

For example, their ideological opponents. Imagine, Sunny and Clever Girl are next to you, but they dare to develop other views, not yours. Naturally, you give him Death... Right?

This happened to us very often.

For some, the Game was just an opportunity to demonstrate their sympathies. “Naturally, I gave Lives to all my friends. I don’t have any enemies here, but I didn’t like a few people today...”

This is so natural and stupid that I’m even somehow at a loss to comment on it.

But I want to believe that someone in this game saw and did something different. He thought: what is my life worth among other lives? Why do people value me? Can I give people more?

Here is Zhenya, a wonderful teacher. But if he had created his own school in reality, and not just in beautiful dreams and stories, his human weight would be different...

May this Game be with you always. Let her help you live in such a way that you and others can say about you:

YOU LIVE – STRONG!

YOU ARE WORTHY OF LIFE!

Desert Island

Everything described below is, unfortunately, strictly true. And, worse, regularly reproduced.

Grisha Svetlana Kramskoy was holding another lesson in his body training, and I came to visit him. This was not the first lesson, so the people were already liberated.

What Grisha learned at this training comes out at everyone’s training. And then - in every life. You can check it yourself. You can watch for yourself.

An introduction to the people from Grisha: “You have found yourself on a Desert Island. You need to somehow arrange your life. You have many things, except one thing - you cannot use meaningful human speech. You can communicate with signs as you wish. Time to play: 45 minutes.”

An introductory note from me: the situation is extremely provocative. An atmosphere of relaxation and the opportunity for everyone to be themselves has already been created earlier; in essence, people were freed from the uniform of civilization. At the same time, in general, there is absolutely nothing to do in the confined space of a small room. If you don’t strain to invent something, then you can only go crazy.

And the fact that the people rushed into this situation as if into their native element, as into something they are always ready to do and with the utmost pleasure.

Grisha did not indicate that, having lost the possibility of human speech, we have lost the possibility of human reason: no, the people came up with this joyful possibility on their own.

And he started doing drugs.

I tried to invite the people to hunt in order to get food - the people thought about it, but quickly realized that another hunt was more interesting. The women began to tease the men, the men began to run after the women. I started carrying chairs and armchairs to build a home for everyone - a monkey was immediately found female, which began to demolish this dwelling with interest.

Seeing her stubbornly meaningless look, I recognized a bunch of my acquaintances in it and realized that any resistance of mine was useless.

And he went into the corner with his gun. With a gun - so as not to rape.

Yes, because it was precisely this skit that was performed by the people with the greatest enthusiasm. The young men enthusiastically depicted how they raped the girls, from which the girls were in undisguised delight.

When everyone was tired of running around, the male and female groups played quiet games within themselves. The men growled “Gee!” and with quite savage gestures they proved that his penis was the most powerful. The girls clustered in the corner and, coquettishly preening themselves, played out gibberish squabbles among themselves.

By the way, it’s fun – you’ll laugh.

And then they pulled each other by the hair.

And I sat on the sidelines, watched these human monkey entertainments and understood that everything that was happening here was life. For the people, this is a vivid reproduction of what is happening in the lives of the people. For me, this is something that constantly happens to me in life.

Everything is like in life: people are having fun, acting out quarrels and rapes, and I am outside their lives and sitting on the sidelines. I look at everything that’s happening from the outside, I even try to interest myself in it - but every time I understand that I don’t need all this at all.

I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD.

About the first students

Yes, it is possible that I am not very good at playing these monkey games. Yes, you can tell me: “You don’t play because you don’t know how!” But I can calmly answer: “I don’t know how, because I didn’t play!”

Remember, from Shvartsev’s “Dragon”:

– It's not my fault, we were all taught that way!

- Yes, but why were you the first student?

...Perhaps some inclinations are still present?