From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   There are many among the baby boomers who accuse Gen-Xers and many in my   
   generation of being negative.   
      
   I have a good idea as to why that is.   
      
   The problems of the world aren’t being addressed. This means that there is   
   no justification for a positive outlook. As the problems of the world do get   
   addressed, I can guarantee that these people will become more positive.   
      
   Some people see attention paid to such things as forcing one’s will on the   
   world or a power trip. This is ridiculous. The state of the world is   
   everyone’s business. If you don’t care about such things you are not being   
   enlightened; you are being a    
   jerk. As for power tripping, no. I have no power ambitions. I don’t care who   
   is in power for as long as what needs to be done gets done.   
      
   So some think that the world is maya or of the Satan. If that is the case,   
   Satan must be quite a smart guy. Both nature and civilization are impressive   
   accomplishments. There is a lot that is good about both. Both worlds need to   
   be in the best shape that    
   they can be. Dismissing such things as the world being maya or being of the   
   Satan is not being enlightened and it’s not being righteous. It is being an   
   unappreciative pig.   
      
   And values – such as responsibility and ethics – must be directed to doing   
   the right thing by both nature and civilization, so that both worlds be in the   
   best shape that they can be.   
      
   A positive thinker would deny that we have problems, and a negative thinker   
   would say that the problems are too much for us to solve. Both are wrong. We   
   have problems; they are however solvable problems. For their solution they   
   require intelligence and    
   hard work. This is not und in either positive thinking or negative thinking.   
   It is found in real thinking.   
      
   Enlightenment is not the same thing as carelessness and short-sightedness.   
   What we do to nature matters. What we do to the world matters. Me working on   
   myself in order to become a better person or in order to become more   
   enlightened will not solve these    
   problems. I do both of the above; it doesn’t keep me from paying attention   
   to the world’s problems.   
      
   Of course in most cases there is a need for both inner-directed action and   
   externally-directed action. I have done both, and I recommend to others the   
   same path. As Augustine said, “Pray as if everything depended on God; work   
   as if everything depended    
   on you.” Do the work that you need to do on yourself and do the work that   
   you need to do for the world. And never be of the opinion that one is   
   exclusive of the other.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)