2024 February – Series 2 Issue 2 – ‘Exhortations’

“Above all these virtues, is the godly Love as mutuality through improvement.” – Apostle Paulus

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” – Christ 

People today are fooled into accepting a certain way of life, culturally, in which the only limits of morality are nearly identical with legality. This simply cannot be true, however, since ‘legality’ within the construction of governmental systems are often wrong and manipulative. This is how pornography is portrayed within legacy centralised media, harmless and normal. Hedonism is common and the default for most, so the story goes. As long as a transaction occurs with everything considered fair in the end, there can be no wrong. However, pornography and masturbatory lust are dangerous and damaging to the core of the soul and to the standing of women in society, as it corrupts the foundation of virtues: reason. The addictive habits of pornography and attendant masturbation train the mind toward unhealthy patterns of sexual thoughts, which is to say based outside of reality. These patterns include asocial transactional notions of society, obsessions with entitlement, distrust, low self-esteem, impatience, “high time preferences,” and “magic thinking.” It is essentially true that the good we can do in the World is limited by the evil we subject ourselves to.

CHEAP TRANSACTIONS

What is found in the “modern” Western nation is a basic transactionalism of human life: an expectation that so long as a need is met according to some arbitrary measure, it may be met by any source and be considered valid. However this pattern only works within certain settings and given a set of “anonymisable” factors. Transactionalism in all areas of human life is the intention, and the purpose of this is easier management of people. This is why the oldest cultures within the World financial empire are the most at risk of decimation, as there is only value in promoting opposites of the primary imperial cultures, in order to steer them. Forced transactionalism is understood best as simple slavery, whereas manipulated and propagandised transactionalism is perceived as progressive and good. Sexuality and sexual intercourse are for entertainment in transactionalism, without care for the human costs. One partner now or another later makes no difference and one child now is no different from a child later and directly contradictory to the material balance envisaged in a supposed liberation of the “fairer sex,” in which sexual intercourse is entertainment as a right besides any actual natural consequences. The greatest detriment of standards is accomplished through selectively promoting some preferences and demonising others. Pornography consumption within a society makes this process occur more rapidly, as it trivialises human bonding itself, treating it as simple exchanges of services and needs. But what is the purpose in sexuality actually?

MATERIAL MOTIVATIONS

Motivations are the least valuable when sated through mere material outcomes. Giving up on motivations and passions is not reasonable either, it ends in begging only. To accomplish anything of lasting good in the World, we must desire the resultant good above anything else. The mindset necessary to attain the correct notions and make the right decisions is perfectly ruined by materialism, always. Lust harms the spirit.

The degree of danger has most to do with how sexuality and, therefore, life become perceived. This perception is greatly altered by self-abuse. Self-abuse sets a precedent of expected excitements in ‘neuro-chemical’ reward outlets: moving pleasures. Much like raising the volume on music progressively and infinitely, eventually the ability to enjoy it at all in any way similar to before is lost. This is not because of the sexual thinking in itself, but the patterns of life experience set in motion. Is this life or panic from basic preoccupation with death? The spirit drowns.

The material aspect of sexuality is meant to coalesce with the spiritual. The greater pleasure in life overall is lost to those incapable of realising this. The rise in pornography, atheism, depression, and suicide rates are all connected to this. What is worse, those willing to take their own life due to this indescribable are likely very naturally capable in spirit. Pornography has the power to kill off the very best in society and make them worthless. It is the supernatural conception of spirit that has done the most damage, as the first denial of the actual spirit in humanity. It is easy to reject something if it is a lie created to misdirect. Regressively, we have stepped backwards, lain down, and been subsequently tied to lies about the nature of ourselves in materialism. Pornography and masturbatory behaviours have been most devastating in this process.

MASTURBATORY CATEGORY

It is self-abuse to take part in any activity of human life not ultimately beneficial, most especially alone and hidden away in secret. This can constitute a lie and presents personal disfigurement, where self-buy-in to the lie disconnects the self from reality. How can any experience be fruitful for the purposes of understanding and the grand discourse toward truth if it is founded upon lies? Any activity that is not cloaked in a proper genuineness, and self-awareness, distracts from the genuine experience and the potential for favourable comprehensions. How can the expedience that comes from experience be good for you if part of you is not genuinely in it?

DELUSIONAL

A masturbatory society will teach that the identity of a person depends most upon their internal beliefs about the self, and that this atom of individuality can only be corrupted by society. The only path to true individuality, according to this idea of the World, is pure masturbatory activity. This is plainly delusional, however, when written out in a clear way here. This is because it is indeed insane, and structurally cancerous. What a person believes about the self is mostly meaningless in terms of others, outside of how well it can help them associate with their communities. Other people are under absolutely no obligation to support anybody in their internal view of self. Such a psychotic burden placed upon citizens is a civilisation-ending proposition, if allowed to persist.

LIARS

The most persistent of lies are those that promote environments which make the lies more believable. The idea that the individual is outside of the scope of their society is most certainly one of those lies. Belief in the lie encourages such actions that generate environments amenable primarily to the lie, making it that much more believable. This is to say the belief is fragmentary by its very existence. This is a lionised isolation in which a person is seized by the notion that their actions are fundamentally individual, primarily impacting only the self, and need only be “true” to the self given current emotional states. It is pernicious because it is masturbatory. It can be labelled the “masturbatory lie” because it is so fundamental to masturbatory actions. The only truth here is that everything you do in this life ultimately affects others, your relationships, the people in your relationships, communities, society, and civilisation.

MANIPULATIVE

Once the masturbatory lie is sacrosanct, not even the individual can override it. The lie imbues the bearer with a sense that their behaviours are consequences of this nature or individuality. Instead of lessons, the person will learn excuses. People who believe they cannot control themselves can be expected to give up on self-control entirely. It is a lie to say that preferences stem purely and solely from immutable characteristics set at birth. Instead, our preferences are realised by a process of self-image and social redemption. The masturbatory lie leads to emotional thinking, and preferences are associated more directly with simple pleasure or pain. In this abject state, the person will conceive of freedom as promises of unlimited pleasure or end to all pain: impossibilities ultimately focused upon gaming things with money manipulations or violence. The manipulated become the manipulators here.

“PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY CANNOT CONTROL THEMSELVES CAN BE EXPECTED TO GIVE UP ON SELF-CONTROL ENTIRELY.”

IMPRINTED

A person may not reside upon these things consciously or actively, but the images and associated patterns remain on the brain. The apparent ‘viability’ of such illogical actions increases with each performance and positive reinforcement. With each subsequent unreasonable action, the rebuke of reason itself is validated, becoming a testament to negative beliefs about the self. While these beliefs may not be immediately conscious at all times, they still inform ideation and generation. Beliefs about the self make up this background tapestry to all thoughts. This makes a person more willing to believe other lies that support himself or others in such socially cancerous notions about individuality.

DESIST IN STAGES

The ideal solution is to stop masturbation completely at once and immediately. However, pornography consumption and masturbation generate physiological and psychological addictions, which can be complicated by other addictive tendencies with which a person may struggle. In extreme cases, where other solutions have failed, it may be valuable to attempt a tapering off and reconditioning of behavioural patterns. The most important first step is to cease pornography consumption. If this in itself proves difficult, then it can be accomplished with smaller steps. These steps should be obvious, and involve staging into milder content and less impressive media. Another staging can involve separation of the arousal and completion, with consumption of the tamer imagery being reserved for arousal only.

CEASE

Eventually, the masturbation can occur using mental imagery only. Masturbation alone without pornographic consumption is not nearly as terrible for a person, however there are no genuine benefits to it other than potentially enabling somebody to give up pornography. Masturbation in itself does nothing for the primary purposes of sexual intercourse: procreation and maintenance of a relationship at the core of a healthy family unit that supports childhood development. Once the masturbatory activity is accomplished through mental imagery, then ceasing the activity altogether should become much easier, especially with stoical and virtues progression in other areas of life.

Own the nobility at heart, while not forgetting the weakness that pulled you down. That is your new strength, to comprehend the weakness and its origins. This goes for so many selfish activities that have no legitimate benefit for your family, community, nation, or humanity. Disown them however you can, and make them not part of you. Let go of the moving desires. What excites activities to improve life are not those things that cloud the vision of improvement. Love for the self is best expressed through improvement and empowering others to improve. In every activity, it should be considered, how much good is coming from this, and for how many? Distractions abound in order to draw people into consumerism, mostly. However, regardless of intent, much of it can have greater consequences than what first appears.

PROGRESS IN SUMMARY

A person must want to progress, but this can only come from a recognition of what legitimate progress is, as well as what it means to fail. When failure occurs, it is most important to reside upon how it happened and enact steps to avoid it in the future. This is a godly discourse, and an aspect of divinity granted humanity. Successes must be recognised but this cannot happen if the mind is wrapped up in the desires which are to be overcome. It is true that the successes in overcoming bear little resemblance to the sin. Less materialism leads to greater attachments personally which mean deeper capacities for love both for the individual and society.

Why did the smart phone need therapy?
Lots of hang-ups left it disconnected. 

Why did the smart phone get arrested?
It faced battery charges.

Why did the smart phone cross the road?
To avoid obsolescence. *’Right to repair’ is the only joke here.

Without your smart phone, where would you be? Does the thought terrify you? Are you afraid of yourself? Are smart phones actually smart? Do smart phones make us smarter? Or does the presence of smart phones make us less so? Do these devices make us more capable or unnecessarily occupy the massive segment of humanity thus enamoured in trivialities?

Smart phones are ubiquitous, but does the ubiquity benefit people generally and individually or are these machines a source of unnecessary distractions and frustration, disconnecting people from lived reality? Most people are unaware they have any options in terms of phones, and that they must have a smart phone in order to stay with the times and basically be employable. This is simply not true for the majority of people, however, and many ‘regular’ or ‘non-smart’ phone options remain available at the present moment. If a job requires a smart phone at work, then it should be provided.

MODERATION VERSUS DISTRACTION

My phenomenology, Resurrexit Spiritus, suggests meaning in life can best be discovered by seeking after moderation, so as to maximise elevational motivation through the psychomenal activity of erosic judgements (Roe 2023). Psychomenal activity is essential to advancement according to Structural Virtues Theory. Erosic judgements are limited by constant distractions as represented in smart phones, television, and various forms of consumer media. Giving up on smart phones, then, is part of a larger overarching plan of limiting distractions from moderation. If moderation is the goal, a constant distraction should be presumed as an extreme for most people.

PRODUCTIVITY

Computers, in the form of workstations, laptops, and tablets, are already multipurpose enough to negate the value of a powerful tiny cancer generator in the pocket. The actual function of such a conglomeration and centralisation of purposes in a singular device with high processing power ultimately serves intelligence organisations, controlling governments, and snooping corporations more than anybody else. A computer or tablet will provide substantially improved productivity in comparison, whereas most modern ‘regular phones’ can provide a mobile access point (WiFi) for the more productive devices. However even computers and tablets can be used in distracting ways. Time is more valuable than a smart phone, and disowning smart phones is a way of taking back your time and energies.

ADDICTION

Smart phones are especially designed to be addictive, using algorithms shaped by scientific comprehensions of human behavioural patterns. As you sit there with the smart phone and look at the feed of new posts, imagine diodes connected to you. How would Zuckerberg’s or Elon’s engineering teams interpret the data they might receive from those diodes? It is much easier to get lost in the all too familiar practice of constantly drifting between apps, seeking after the next thrill: that dopamine drip fix ever important to addiction engineers.

Without focus, not much productivity can occur. Without erosic judgement, meaningful connections will not form and internal development will not progress. Social media platforms and many games are designed to alter perceptions and complicate assessing our best interests and those of others accurately. If you did so accurately, you would not spend so much time on the platforms. Very little in electronic media will align with reality and reasonable purposes for the individual within actual community.

HUMAN CONDITION

Being constantly bombarded by notifications or haunted by the lack of them are states of being debilitating to the human condition. What is the point of the digital life if the actual life it is supposed to reflect pales in comparison? Social media and games present an opportunity to practise our self-control in finding moderation. Surely these things have their purposes but it is important for every person to honestly ask themselves how much is actually necessary to their personal fulfilment in life. The purpose of technology should be to improve the human lived experience. If a technology limits experience, then it is not worthy. The most important element in all of this is the human being, and not just the individual as a factor. Culture and experience permeate upbringing, the coalescence of personality, and all roles taken up or refused within society by the individual. Use of smart phones cut off moments from their place and potential social exchanges in reality. This alienation from self and society causes loss of definition in communion of peer and inter-generational culture. There is less cultural transference, and, therefore less commonality..

BOUNDARIES AND REMEDIATION

Setting boundaries is an essential part of being a healthy and complete human being. It is too often the case that people know how to set and follow boundaries in relationships, though fail when it comes to distractive media. This in itself limits the degree of success potential with any relationship. The biggest problems with computer technology come from the replacement of in-person social interactions with irrelevant or fictional proxies. It is important to recognise all the ways that technology impairs human life in order to remediate the causes. Smart phones occupy a particularly useless category of technology since these devices do almost nothing better than computers. The few things smart phones can do better than computers are as easily accomplished, and with fewer distractions, with ‘regular phones.’

CONNECTIONS

Cutting out the smart phone lifestyle helps a person connect more fully with their environment and community directly. The social media can wait until you are near your tablet or computer, perhaps it can wait for a specific time of the day or simply less often. Dumb phones are perfectly capable of connecting you to emergency services, family, or friends, if you need them. It is reasonable to limit electronic and screen interactions. Not only are smart phones wasteful of time but also especially expensive relative to their power and size. Reserving electronics usage to computer technologies with track records for creative and effective output assures greater productivity.

SUMMARY

It is very easy for human beings to become distracted. This has become increasingly the case with the ubiquity of addictive and distractive technologies. These technologies are not going to change unless there is impressive demand demonstrated to manufacturers and software developers. Nobody trusts products that teach people to be less productive or which are designed to distract and cause addiction. It is quite plain to see that the current scenario cannot continue, and one will be part of changing things if capable of putting the phone down, or even losing it entirely.

REFERENCES

Roe, M. A. (2023). Resurrexit Spiritus: Spiritual Phenomenology, Evolution of Spirit, First Other Theory of Fatherhood Attachment, and Structural Virtues System. 24K Journal of Virtues Science, s1i0.