A couple of linked articles earlier this week attracted my attention. Both by Russell Bishop:
Is there any integrity or honesty out there?
And Could impeccability be the missing key to integrity?
Wikipedia defines integrity, when applied to human character:
In his Encyclopaedia of Psychological Astrology, C.E.O. Carter didn't list integrity or impeccability. His book advises "for honesty see dishonesty". Not an optimistic start! I tried "truthfulness" - yes that's there ! After all one can't exhibit integrity, impeccability or honesty without truthfulness.
Among the comments following one of the linked articles was one that made me ponder. The commenter asked, if one came to a mandatory four way stop in the middle of wheat fields in Kansas and could see for miles in all directions would one nonetheless stop, or just blast through? The commenter asked why would it be right stop. Not to be angelic, he/she thought, but because of good habits. If one ignored the stop sign once, they'd do it again and some day that bad habit's gonna get them killed - the commenter's conclusion.
Interesting thoughts, and the described circumstance has happened to us on more than one occasion, in Kansas and elsewhere. My husband always stops. Always. (Aries Sun, Saturn conjunct Mercury in Pisces), the most law-abiding citizen I've met anywhere. I don't drive, but if I did I probably wouldn't stop in those given circumstances - I'd slow down to a crawl though. But although this is an interesting concept it really isn't a test of integrity - standing alone. It's simply a test of obeying the law. As it happens, my husband does have integrity too, I hasten to add.
What I think the commenter had in mind in the Kansas crossroads example was the idea of "doing the right thing even when nobody's looking" - one proof of having integrity.... and nobody knows this for sure but you!
Here's the thing though - having one's name on a Goody-Two-Shoes list should not automatically imply that "this is a person of integrity". Joseph Wambaugh, American author of several best-sellers, a former police officer has said,"As a cop, I dealt with every kind of bum and criminal. They all have more integrity than some Hollywood people." (I bet he'd willingly add to that "and politicians").
Personally, I doubt that astrology can accurately pinpoint the existence of integrity, or hypocrisy, in someone's character from their natal chart. Integrity is more likely to be something learned from teachers, parents - or experience. The potential for one or other could show astrologically - but I wouldn't rely upon it. Anyone can behave with integrity when it's relatively easy - it's when someone else offers to buy it out that the crunch comes......and
I read the news today - Oh Boy!
Is there any integrity or honesty out there?
And Could impeccability be the missing key to integrity?
Wikipedia defines integrity, when applied to human character:
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy.How is integrity, personality-wise, indicated astrologically?
In his Encyclopaedia of Psychological Astrology, C.E.O. Carter didn't list integrity or impeccability. His book advises "for honesty see dishonesty". Not an optimistic start! I tried "truthfulness" - yes that's there ! After all one can't exhibit integrity, impeccability or honesty without truthfulness.
TRUTHFULNESS
The regard for truth as an instinct and an ideal is Aquarian and to a certain extent Scorpionic and Uranian, in that both Scorpio and Uranus try to get to the bottom of things and have a contempt for shams. In this latter respect one can associate Aries with them. From these characteristics arise the uncompromising candour and freedom from conventional restraint that are found in Uranus and Aquarius. Libra and Sagittarius are normally truthful, except that the latter easily exaggerates, as does Aries. Saturn in a good position always tends to truth and keeps the native down to hard fact......For deliberate unthruthfulness see Deception. (Not today thank you, we'll stay positive and.... enough copy typing for now!)
Among the comments following one of the linked articles was one that made me ponder. The commenter asked, if one came to a mandatory four way stop in the middle of wheat fields in Kansas and could see for miles in all directions would one nonetheless stop, or just blast through? The commenter asked why would it be right stop. Not to be angelic, he/she thought, but because of good habits. If one ignored the stop sign once, they'd do it again and some day that bad habit's gonna get them killed - the commenter's conclusion.
Interesting thoughts, and the described circumstance has happened to us on more than one occasion, in Kansas and elsewhere. My husband always stops. Always. (Aries Sun, Saturn conjunct Mercury in Pisces), the most law-abiding citizen I've met anywhere. I don't drive, but if I did I probably wouldn't stop in those given circumstances - I'd slow down to a crawl though. But although this is an interesting concept it really isn't a test of integrity - standing alone. It's simply a test of obeying the law. As it happens, my husband does have integrity too, I hasten to add.What I think the commenter had in mind in the Kansas crossroads example was the idea of "doing the right thing even when nobody's looking" - one proof of having integrity.... and nobody knows this for sure but you!
Here's the thing though - having one's name on a Goody-Two-Shoes list should not automatically imply that "this is a person of integrity". Joseph Wambaugh, American author of several best-sellers, a former police officer has said,"As a cop, I dealt with every kind of bum and criminal. They all have more integrity than some Hollywood people." (I bet he'd willingly add to that "and politicians").
Personally, I doubt that astrology can accurately pinpoint the existence of integrity, or hypocrisy, in someone's character from their natal chart. Integrity is more likely to be something learned from teachers, parents - or experience. The potential for one or other could show astrologically - but I wouldn't rely upon it. Anyone can behave with integrity when it's relatively easy - it's when someone else offers to buy it out that the crunch comes......and
The possession of unlimited power will make a despot of almost any man. There is a possible Nero in the gentlest human creature that walks.Thomas Bailey AldrichA glaring example from yesterday's news of how integrity is a hard-to-come-by commodity: "Most of the oil "spilled" in the Gulf of Mexico is gone". Please. Do they think we are completely clueless? Best comment I've seen on the matter - a quote from Jaws:
"I'm pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Amity, as you know, means 'friendship.'"--Mayor Larry Vaughn, Jaws.
I read the news today - Oh Boy!
And I cook too!
ReplyDeleteGood examination. Being where we are, we have many negative examples around us every day.
anyjazz ~~ True!....and True!
ReplyDelete:-)
Stopping at crossroads, especially when mandated by law, is a civilized way to drive around, also as an example to others.
ReplyDeleteAt school we had a very severe professor of Latin. He also controlled whether we were hiding away to smoke, and he drove an English car, a Cortina. Well recognizable as it was the only white Cortina in the region.
One day, and that gave us kids very great satisfaction, the Dr. of Latin, at a non-surveiled railroad crossing, instead of stopping, accelerated when he saw a train coming. He "won" at first, said his wife, who was also in the car. But then he was suspended from driving for 6 months!
Which gave him more time to control who was smoking, but that then was a minor problem to us.
I share your view that probably it's more the circumstances than one's natal horoscope, which make for more or less honesty. There is always temptation for one to try some slight. Some resist better, others not. That may be in the map. But then they also say that temptation is always dished out according to one's capacity to resist, otherwise how could that function?
Yes, they do think we're stooopeeed, because a goodly percentage of humans have proven in the past that they'll always fall for a line from the "authoritative source." So, if BP says there's hardly any oil coming out and a few "ex-spurts" go down to the beach and don't see big tar balls washing in, that goodly percentage of humans will say, "Cool, this emergency is over!"
ReplyDeleteIn Okiehoma, this goodly percentage is made up of Evangelics and conservatives.
cool story twilight,
ReplyDeletei enjoy ceo carter too, and am likewise afflicted with too much scorpio and uranus influences.
one person recently scolded me for agreeing that his natal horoscope may represent an 'astro curse' as i freely explained some of his terrible luck was because of hard aspects in his chart.
'jeez, try to mix in a little hope and optimism next time, will ya?, he begged.
in other words, 'truth' is all well and good as long as it is a truth we like, otherwise we should employ a little 'white lying' so as not to ruffle any feathers.
and take it from a kansan like me, if you find yourself at a crossroads in rural kansas, you have bigger problems than deciding whether to stop at the stop sign. it would be more prudent to make a U turn and go back where you came from!
just kidding, of course.
gian paul ~~ Nice story! :-)
ReplyDeleteI like to think that astrology can provide some useful background information, but it's how the "clay" of our personality is shaped by experience and by others that makes a big difference in how we turn out eventually.....and, as you said, how much temptation fate throws into our paths.
TNPOTUS ~~ Sad, but true. I think a kind of laziness is involved too. People don't want to have to worry about stuff, or to have to contemplate actually doing something about it - so they grasp at any excuse they can find to get back to business as usual at the first opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThe USA needs some radicals to stir things up - and fast! They won't come from Oklahoma though - that's for sure.
Shawn ~~~ LOL! That's the best possible advice about Kansas crossroads !!
ReplyDeleteWhite lies can be comforting, both to the liar and the recipient, I agree. It depends on circumstances as to whether a white lie is "right" or "wrong".
I suppose that astrologers walk a fine line with their clients, between absolute truth and bending it - a line I'm not at all keen to walk myself. Because astrology isn't always right....sorry, but it isn't. It can be spookily accurate, but not always. This is the danger.
I'd always encourage people to learn a wee bit about astrology for themselves, then decide whether "it works" and to what degree before consulting an astrologer. :-)
Maybe I'm missing something but the US EPA says that the amount of water in the GOM is 643 quadrillion gallons of water and the amount of oil in the spill is about 50m gallons.
ReplyDeleteThats about 1 part per 100,000,000,000 parts of water.
So why are people who think that most of the oil may have dispersed already by whatever means stoopid? Surely that level of dilution means that it would have disappeared by now. Simple maths isn't it?
While I understand the need to protect the environment sometimes these sorts of things are used to scare us into kneejerk reactions such as the Bird Flu and Swine Flue scares.
The UK government spent £100m on this scare which caused all of 26 deaths in this country. Far less than the number that die every year from the "normal" flu. The only beneficiaries were the big pharmceuticals, not us!
Maybe there is something else behind the scare about the spill. Question is what and why? Who stands to benefit from this happening?
After all more than that amount of oil is discharged into the other Gulf in the Middle East from cleaning out the bilges on the ships and the storage tanks at the ports and no one seems to be shouting out about it being an environmental disaster.
Why is that?
Rossa ~~~ Rossa - I understand why you might get the impression you do, living on t'other side of the pond. I'd have probably felt the same if I were still over there.
ReplyDeleteHere in the USA we are used to spin, spin and more spin. We trust nothing and nobody - and we are wise not to do so - in this case I think we (some of us) are being cautious as much as wise.
I'm no expert but simple math does not solve the problem....though some spinners would have us believe so. We have mid-term elections coming up and both parties are anxious to have public attention turned away from this disaster. Democrats because they want to be able to continue drilling in deep water to placate the oil corporations, Republicans for much the same reasons. Our two parties are really just one, wearing different hats. In some areas there are candidates who do not belong to the big corporate party(s) and they would garner a lot of votes if the public gets scared about deep water drilling, and its risks.
It's a big issue - too big for a twitty comment like mine - but anyway: :-)
This from the Guardian (excerpts):
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/08/06-3
"Recent reports seem to say that about 75% of the oil is taken care of and that is just not true," said John Kessler, of Texas A&M University, who led a National Science Foundation on-site study of the spill. "The fact is that 50% to 75% of the material that came out of the well is still in the water. It's just in a dissolved or dispersed form."
He also said there were potential weaknesses in the analysis because of NOAA's assumptions about the size of the spill.
"When they do all of the inventories trying to estimate all of the oil and where it went there is pretty wide margins of estimates of how much was actually coming out of the well head," he said. "That complicates everything."
However, such nuances were overshadowed by the White House, which staged a high-profile event on Wednesday to announce that the well had stopped flowing, and that the consequences of the spill were not as catastrophic as once feared.
Francesca Griffo, senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the White House had stepped on more nuanced statements from NOAA scientists. "When these reports go through the spin machine they get distorted," she said. "If you look closely at this report, it makes it very clear that this is not over."
Rick Steiner, a former University of Alaska marine biologist, suggested that the White House had been too eager to try to put the oil spill behind it, with Democrats in Congress facing tough election fights in November.
"It seems that there was a rush to declare this done, and there were obvious political objectives there," he said. "Even if there is not a drop of oil out there, and it had truly magically vanished, it would still be an environmental disaster caused by the toxic shock of the release of 5m barrels of oil."
When we consider why our “leaders” do something, the answer is rarely anything else but money. Reading Rossa’s questions “What” and “Why” prompted immediate answers “Money” and “Money”.
ReplyDeleteThere are actually people employed by governmental agencies and business corporations called “Spin Doctors” who will (for a fee) conjure and execute layers of propaganda so delicious that the public will beg for more. The OJ trial was such a circus that people forgot that it was about grisly murders. So it became OJ jokes instead of lament and retribution for lost humans.
The spin is to lead us away from things we are not supposed to see; things that will MAKE money.
Capped the leak just in time? Most of the oil has disappeared?
A little manipulated media prestidigitation and the oil spill is no longer a threat. And just in time for the fall lineup on television. We can all go back to watching our “reality” shows.
Our super-hero corporations have wrested humanity back from the brink before it was too late.
I know, I’ve said it too often before: IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE.
anyjazz ~~~ Money, money money....
ReplyDeleteYep!
Midas, they say, possessed the art of old
Of turning whatsoe'er he touch'd to gold;
This modern statesmen can reverse with ease -
Touch them with gold, they'll turn to what you please.
~John Wolcot
(1738-1819)
It was ever thus!
About your comment on ASTROLOGY, Twilight: It can be such a complex matter, that effectively an astrologer may not see correctly the real issue, or what is the most important, or be aware of his own tilted view. A thin line indeed!
ReplyDeleteAnd then: Luck/Maktub. Ever considered that who consults an astrologer may face at least the following 3 hazards:
- The person may have a "bad day", and consequently receives "wrong advise" (but then, what is good and what is bad?)
- The astrologer, even the most competent, may have a bad day. Same result as above.
- Some subconscious desires/fears may interfere with either the astrologers perceptions, or the way the consulting "victim" may understand what he/she is being told.
Nevertheless, these risks can be mitigated by keen attention. Nothing comes for free.
Had a look around the 'net this morning and this is the sort of stuff we are getting this side of the pond.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1301002/BP-oil-spill-Why-claims-Gulf-Mexico-historys-worst-oil-spill-cynical-spin-campaign-ever.html
And Anyjazz is quite right money is always behind these sorts of things. There has been some suggestions that this is yet another push by the green lobby against big oil even though the alternatives will be a lot more expensive. $45 trillon is a lot of money in anyone's book. That's 3/4 of the world's annual GDP just to go "green".
In a recession I'm not sure where all the Governments think they are going to get this amount of money from apart from those of us at the bottom of the "food chain". Our austerity measures in the UK are already biting with more that £100 month going onto most bills from food to utilities.
My own food bill has gone up by 20% just this year alone from food inflation.
gian paul ~~~ Oh yes, I agree, those are all additional obstacles for astrologers, even for the best astrologers in the world !
ReplyDeleteI do think, though, that astrology itself has to be treated cautiously. We don't know HOW it works, although we know it works a lot of the time. We use methods handed down over many centuries without their having been adequately tested. So we are working in the dark a lot of the time. I'm sure that with astrology "something is happening here - but we don't know what it is"
- and until we do, everything astrology tells us needs to be watched carefully and handled lightly in my opinion - especially in the case of predictions which can cause untold stress or expectations which never materialise.
:-)
Rossa ~~~ Thanks for the link. I note that it's from the Daily Mail (groan) - the only good thing about that rag is its astrologer!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, can we believe what they write any more than we can believe what we in the USA have been told?
Perhaps the absolute truth is somewhere inbetween?
I don't recall seeing any evidence of BP being "demonised" here, as they say. Most people here realised that BP is a multi-national corporation, with the US having as much influence in it as anybody else. Any anti-Brit feeling there was must have been among idiotic bloggers and commenters. It's a pity if the disaster was used over there to create bad feeling between the UK and the US.
Where has the oil gone? - Has it got into the Gulf Stream? - Will it appear along the US East coast next? Has that deadly dispersant BP used got into the food chain yet - will it do so? These are all important questions.
Having said all that...
Any push against Big Oil is alright by me. Any push against any mega corporation is alright by me. They will cause the end of civilisation as we know it if their power and influence is not curtailed. And yes, I know that we, the public, will pay the price in money, but isn't that better than paying it in lives?
Back to the Gulf affair - although we have escaped without a mega disaster this time, what came up a lot during past weeks was evidence of the dangers inherent in deep sea drilling. There are horrendous dangers lying in wait if the sea bed were to be damaged in certain sensitive areas. Human error is always a possibility and the next time we may not be so lucky.
Where would money come from to address climate change and environmental damage and bring in alternative energy sources? - That's easy - stop the damned wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Don't get me started on that topic! Those wars are using more oil than all of us put together.....and destroying innocent lives too.
Yes, that is the fault of the US adminstrations since 2001, but Britain joined in.
Enough! LOL! Getting off my soapbox now. :-)