It is possible for a man to embrace an idea blindly, on faith from

others or simply by his own whim, without the effort of understanding or

integrating it. In such a case, the idea, no matter what its content,

reflects negatively on the individual.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), July 29, 1999

Answers

Been gazing into that mirror again, have you?

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), July 29, 1999.

Here's a thought-provoking story worth reading...

http://home.nycap.rr.com/useless/pelee/pelee.html

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), July 29, 1999.

A Zen story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived.

-- ZenMaster (Zen64@usa.net), July 29, 1999.

Linkmeister, what a great story, and with every application to Y2K! I would call it a Sufi story...

Cherri, sometimes it is UTTERLY advisable to take things SOLELY on faith, if you know your source thoroughly. Questioning can still arise, but if you understand that the person who gives you the information has a great deal more insight and wisdom than you, than it would be foolish not to proceed on the adviso presented. If have no idea what your question refers to, however.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), July 30, 1999.

Here is a better story:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0019g2

-- answer the question (pollywann@be.com), July 30, 1999.