[percy-l] inquiry P 119 LITR

Lauren Stacy Berdy lauren.stacy.berdy at gmail.com
Tue Jul 15 11:36:09 EDT 2014


I will just point out that ego is just a function of the mind. the 
important thing is the self.....which is the totality of the function of 
mind....

.I write this thought with you and your /friends/ in mind.

the ego established the person within the environment it is limited.the 
self is limited and limiting..... The "I" leaves a sort of question mark 
about where you are coming from.
in true communication it would come from pure essence. we are just 
human.and so, we miss the mark.......in a sense all egoistic 
communication is less than real., less than true

*there has to be an awareness of communion*...........we are all in this 
thing together..........  that is the work! Everything is not here for 
the ego to eat. I sit here at the center of the universe of MY 
PERCEPTIONS says the ego.
religion tries to counterbalance that( ?).......we have to realize that 
we are living as particulars...........and sadly, not as wholes..........



On 7/15/2014 11:09 AM, janetcantor37--- via Percy-L wrote:
> I quite understand your confusion in all this. It is not cut and 
> dried. Perhaps that is why so many like SloMo because he seems to have 
> all the answers. But Percy understands that it is not easy. He went 
> through many bouts of alcoholism and lapsing from his Catholicism and 
> he finally realized, of course he was also older and mellowed, 
> perhaps, that he had to go cold sober and go back To his Bunt and 
> reach for G-d again.
> The thing is so often what I consider good is what my friends do not. 
> Look how I was attacked merely for my comment on America being a 
> shining country to the world.
> But I try to stress to people that if we say, for example, Nazis are 
> bad, without understanding that in the proper circumstances or with 
> proper training or motivation, we could each easily do very bad 
> things, and it is only that realization that can help us not to do 
> them, I am met with blank stares. That is why I don't like Athol 
> Fugard. He makes his audience proud of itself for its good morals. I 
> prefer the play Good by C.P. Taylor, I think, which makes us identify 
> with the Nazis - now THAT was scary. And I think a bit what Percy was 
> getting at.
> I am rambling too. I don't know anything about semiotics and I think 
> that is what you are referring to when  you talk about Percy wanting 
> to know how we think or how our intentions change. I know I watched my 
> liberal friends change from reasonable people I disagreed with and who 
> disagreed with me but we could have discussions, to angry intolerable, 
> intolerant disagreeable people after the 2000 election. We cannot 
> quietly say one word to each other. I am stunned at the change in 
> them. And I would love to know how it happened so easily. People who 
> loved Israel now find fault with things they would have been furious 
> with others who found these faults before. (baD syntax  but...) I have 
> seen people change from nice to ugly and I hate it. They are 
> influenced by blogs to change in horrid ways. Of course that is what 
> they think of me.
> I believe Percy is trying to get us to understand in the end that with 
> all the conflict and evil, there is a way for each of us. His excesses 
> lead to calm in each novel.
> I can't help you because I don't know philosophy or scholarship. I am 
> just a reader.
> But I love Percy so there must be something he is saying to me.
> I don't mind going on in this vein unless you think it is fruitless.
> Janet
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Lauren Stacy Berdy <lauren.stacy.berdy at gmail.com>
> *To:*
> *Sent:* Tuesday, July 15, 2014 10:43 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [percy-l] inquiry P 119 LITR
>
> Yes, Janet I saw your comments.
> ( once again I am apologizing to the group that I am off the on the 
> side of the road  and not onto the particular thread/ tangent ) 
> however, I mean well..................
>
> " a fault in the soul's terrain"
> this is the phase that I had trouble with..........
> and your explanation or examples didn't get me over to the to the 
> other bank .
> Intellectual and insightful explanations and other examples from Dr. 
> Percy writings just won't do here or father Smith in Thanatos  etc.
>
> He was and we are still trying to figure out how a persons intentions 
> change?
>
> Leroy is his kind of example. Leroy has different meanings for 
> different things that are cast in front of him.
> "But the terror comes from his goodness  and lies underneath."
> and here is the big problem.
> How do you catch yourself thinking about your actions?
> I "mean to do something means I intend to do it...... BUT something 
> happens the self trips over itself it gets caught up in  conditoning. 
> ( runaway loop)
> Leroy has a previous perception about black people.....his choices are 
> determined by the totality of significance  at that moment.
> Percy says that ordinary he is good goodness resides inside of him
> But then what happens in another moment he abstracts and shifts to 
> thought? *How does the bad intention get 
> modified???????????????????????????*
> the point is that one acts thru intention and there is no seperation 
> of the mental and the psychical. He would fix a tire for Tom but not 
> for "bantus" "the other"
>
> you see I believe with all my heart that Percy was trying to get at 
> *how we **make new meaning*s..........the brain holds on to the old 
> meanings,how does the shift happen?
> its not about choice it happens with perception and realization and 
> that changes the reality..........social change requires a different 
> totally accepted meaning. Like autocracy to democracy. Meanings become 
> fixed hence all the /tribes/ in the book. It's meaningless conflict
>
> " some fault in the soul's terrrain?????"  I don't believe so I often 
> wonder if Percy did?
>
> I am sorry that this is messy with thoughts but it is a messy 
> conscientiousness isn't it?
>
>
> Lauren Stacy Berdy
> (614) 314-4162 cell
> (754) 816-7508
> Lauren.Stacy.Berdy at gmail.com  <mailto:Lauren.Stacy.Berdy at gmail.com>
> LaurenBrdy at aol.com  <mailto:LaurenBrdy at aol.com>
>
> LaurenStacyBerdy.com
> On 7/15/2014 8:06 AM, janetcantor37 at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:janetcantor37 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>> Lauren,
>> Did you see my comments on this section? It answers your question 
>> about where the terror came from paragraph.
>> Did that help you?
>> Janet
>>
>> *
>> I apologize for not responding to the specific_excellent inquires_ 
>> that have been placed into out laps .* I am looking forward  to 
>> reading the responses.
>> If I can I will add something into the pot. ( perhaps I am not 
>> playing by the rules? I am sure......... someone will let me know)
>>
>> I am re reading the book electronically.
>>
>> I don't know how to find the specific chapter. Yes, it is a sad 
>> commentary on my technical skills. I have all the other books save 
>> for LITR which I lent out long ago.......
>> All of this is to say that I might be a head of the reading group
>> *again, I am sure someone will let me know.*
>>
>> Recently I came upon a paragraph in LITR  P 119
>>  I  wanted to explore with others?
>>  I am not sure how to understand it?
>> However, I believe that it is important in understanding and not only 
>> Dr. More as well as his creator Dr. Percy .
>>
>>
>> We are in the " the little Napoleon" with Leroy and the Tom.( again 
>> in my version page 119)
>>
>> and I quote
>> "Where did the terror come from? Not from the violence; violence 
>> gives release from terror. Not from Leroy's wrongness, for if he were 
>> altogether wrong , an evil man,the matter would be simple and no 
>> cause for terror. No, it came from Leroy's goodness, that he is a 
>> decent, sweet natured man who would help you if you needed help. go 
>> out of his way and bind up a strangers wounds. No, the terror comes 
>> from the goodness and what lies beneath, some fault in the soul's 
>> terrain so deep that all is well on top, evil grins like good, but 
>> something shears and tears deep down and the very ground stirs 
>> beneath one's feet."
>>
>> I haven't formed a question although a few are quietly bubbling up. 
>> Don Giovanni is about evil and Dr. More knows many of the arias.
>> I believe this is part of the scented trail that Percy is leading us 
>> on away from the  settled campsite of how we see the very ground that 
>> we walk on?
>>
>> Once again thank you for this exploration
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Lauren Stacy Berdy
>>
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