Michael Polanyi on the Derivation of Meaning

Posted on 2025/09/29 by Jack

A review of Michael Polanyi’s perspectives on Meaning.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection
Reader’s Note:  My additions are in brackets.
Length: 1,300 words
Reading Time: 7 minutes

¡Sc!eNcE! has Replaced Mythos

Michael Polanyi’s book, Meaning, coauthored with Harry Prosch and published very shortly before his death in February 1976, represents the culmination of his philosophical work, building on his earlier critiques of scientific objectivity to explore the foundations of Meaning in human experience.

In this work, Polanyi observed that in previous centuries, Western society derived truth and Meaning from religion and traditional Mythos.  The modern age has dismissed all this as hearsay and superstition and has summarily discarded this approach, as well as most of the ancient wisdom it contained, including religion.  In its stead, modern Western society assumes that ¡Sc!eNcE! IS truth, and therefore derives Meaning from ¡Sc!eNcE!  [The result, as we are now seeing, is Nihilism, the rejection of moral norms, and social decay.]

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Posted in Agency, Appreciating the Fine Arts, Collective Strength, Communications, Counterfeit/False Paradigms, Cultural Anthropology, Discerning Lies and Deception, Discernment, Wisdom, Freedom, Personal Liberty, Fundamental Frame, Holding Frame, Literature, Mysticism, Paradigms of Religion, Persuasion, Philosophy, Positivism / Scientism, Psychology, Reviews, Science, Society | 5 Comments

What is the Value of Meaning?

Posted on 2025/09/28 by Jack

Meaning is that which strikes the awareness with emotional poignancy.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection; Problems with The Red Pill;
Length: 700 words
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Meaning is Pathos with Purpose

If you’ve read my previous posts about Meaning (listed below under Related), then perhaps by now, you’ve realized that Meaning (as it is currently understood) is an inspirational byproduct of having a Purpose, and also that it is largely emotional (Pathos) in nature.

Meaning informs and forms the Emotional element of the Cognitive-Emotional-Behavioral (CEB) Cycle, while Purpose shapes the Thoughts and Behaviors aspect.

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Posted in Agency, Attitude, Calculated Risk Taking, Choosing a Partner or Spouse, Decision Making, Discerning Lies and Deception, Discernment, Wisdom, Ethical Systems, Fundamental Frame, Gynocentrism, Holding Frame, Inner Game, Intersexual Dynamics, Introspection, Moral Agency, Mysticism, Persuasion, Psychology, Purpose, Relationships, Self-Control | 5 Comments

On the Selection of Mythos

Posted on 2025/09/27 by Jack

The Mythos that validates preconceived notions of truth and inspires purpose is the one believed, for good or ill.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection; Problems with The Red Pill; Validation;
Length: 1,400 words
Reading Time: 7 minutes

Confusion about the Value of Mythos

In Zeitgeist Report 2023 — Part 1 (2023/7/12), I covered a video from The Thinking Ape in which he said,

“…there’s no way getting around the fact that mating and dating is like a job application.  It’s very mechanical, romance is secondary, you need to meet the requirements above all the men…  And the resistance people show, the sense of ickiness when confronted with that reality, just goes to show, in my humble opinion, that we as a species need to live with certain fairy tales and myths.  Saying the truth outright can be destructive oftentimes.  Sometimes you need metaphors.  You need some kind of interpretive lens through which you can see things, rather than saying, “Well, here’s the deal.  You need to be tall.  You need to make money.  You need to look good.  You need to do this.  You need to do that.”  All mechanical.”

I believe Thinking Ape is correct that the average Joe is likely to be repelled by the chewy details and will not “get it” without first having a comprehensive, interpretive narrative to give him the gist of the grist.

Devon70 objected, saying,

“I disagree with Thinking Ape that people need these fairy tales and myths about the opposite sex, and in fact, holding onto to these fairy tales is the problem.

The only healthy marriages I know are immigrants from traditional cultures that have realistic beliefs. The husband does not see his wife as a Disney princess, and the wife does not expect the husband to be a great-looking rich guy. They are married to raise the next generation, and that’s it.

Part of growing up is accepting reality and discarding fairy tales, and lots of people in the West don’t want to do that.”

I believe Devon’s observation is also correct, in that mythos is not reality, and that people get swept up in false notions derived from certain mythos, such as Disney World, Erotic Fantasia, P0rn, Life Scripts, and so on.

But how can they both be correct?

Here, I’ll sort this out using the lens of Mythos and belief.

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Man’s Purpose in the Lord’s Prayer

Posted on 2025/09/26 by Jack

The purpose of our life is outlined in the Lord’s Prayer.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection; Glory;
Author’s Note: The following commentary was submitted by an anonymous reader. Edited by Jack.
Length: 350 words
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The purpose of our life is outlined in the Lord’s Prayer.

9b Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from evil.


Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4 (ESV)

Let’s examine this, line by line.

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Posted in Agency, Authentic Authority, Authority, Collective Strength, Decision Making, Discernment, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Freedom, Personal Liberty, Fundamental Frame, Glory, Holding Frame, Identity, Introspection, Masculine Disciplines, Models of Success, Moral Agency, Mysticism, Personal Domain, Power, Prayer, Purpose, Self-Concept, Sphere of Influence, Teaching, The Power of God | 1 Comment

Fritz Perls — Awareness

Posted on 2025/09/24 by Jack

Bringing the awareness into the present moment.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection
Length: 2,600 words
Reading Time: 15 minutes + 25 minute video.

Intro

Here is a video of Fritz Perls giving an informal lecture about Gestalt therapy to a group of students (ca. 1969).  During the lecture, he practices Gestalt therapy impromptu and in situ with four of his students.

The transcript of their talk is given below.

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Posted in Agency, Authentic Authority, Authenticity, Authority, Autopilot, Communication Styles, Communications, Conflict Management, Discernment, Wisdom, Drama, Fundamental Frame, Holding Frame, Indicators of Contempt, Indicators of Interest, Inner Game, Introspection, Maturity, Personal Growth and Development, Models of Success, Mysticism, Philosophy, Power, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Concept | 2 Comments

Fritz Perls — Here and Now

Posted on 2025/09/22 by Jack

A psychotherapeutic tool for effective introspection.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection
Length: 2,600 words
Reading Time: 14 minutes + 24 minute video.

Intro

Here is a video of Fritz Perls giving an informal lecture about Gestalt therapy to a group of students (ca. 1969).  During the lecture, he practices Gestalt therapy on one of his students.

The transcript of their talk is given below.

Continue reading →
Posted in Agency, Altruism, Archetypes, Attitude, Authentic Authority, Authenticity, Calculated Risk Taking, Collective Strength, Comedy, Communication Styles, Communications, Conflict Management, Counterfeit/False Paradigms, Decision Making, Discerning Lies and Deception, Discernment, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Freedom, Personal Liberty, Fundamental Frame, Game, Holding Frame, Identity, Inner Game, Introspection, Legalism, Maturity, Personal Growth and Development, Models of Success, Moral Agency, Mysticism, Personal Presentation, Philosophy, Power, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Concept, Trust | 3 Comments

On Choosing a Confessor

Posted on 2025/09/19 by Jack

Considering the implications of a confession.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection; Validation; Virtue;
Note: Written in response to Tubal Cain’s email.
Length: 1,350 words
Reading Time: 7 minutes

The Nature of Confession

Confession is a central part of a Christian’s life.

As it is written,

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

James 5:16 (ESV)

Confessing, discussing, and working out the issues, as well as prayer and being held accountable, are how one recovers from the issue.  And recovering from some issues takes time.

But confession doesn’t always convey the power of God or bring healing.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

What is Gestalt Therapy?

Posted on 2025/09/17 by Jack

Examining a psychoanalytical tool for effective introspection.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection
Length: 2,000 words
Reading Time: 11 minutes

Intro

Over the past several decades, the field of psychology has yielded a small number of highly effective therapy techniques.  The most widely known and used is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), followed by multiple Mindfulness-based techniques.  There is another, lesser-known, but also very effective technique called Gestalt Therapy.

The term “Gestalt” comes from the German word meaning “whole” or “pattern,” reflecting the therapy’s focus on perceiving individuals as complete entities rather than fragmented parts or traumatized blank slates.

Friedrich Salomon Perls, AKA Fritz Perls (1893-1970), is known as the founder of Gestalt Therapy, which he co-developed with his wife, Laura Perls, and an associate, Paul Goodman, to be used as a general therapeutic tool in the 1940s.

Fritz Perls

Perls broke away from the psychoanalytical model in which a client’s past is analyzed (as developed by Sigmund Freud), which was dominant at that time, and instead looked at what is happening in the present as the key to change and personal growth.  The implicit reasoning is that we cannot change the past, and we cannot very well control the future.  All we really have is ourselves in the present moment — Here and Now.  Within this paradigm, the past (memories) and the future (expectations, hopes) are regarded as abstract ideas that distract us from this present reality.

Gestalt therapy is typically used to address issues like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and personal growth, though it can be applied broadly to enhance self-awareness and emotional resilience.

A few years ago, I read the entirety of Perls’ book, The Gestalt Approach and Eye Witness to Therapy (1973) [Amazon].  I found it to be a riveting book that cannot be compared to any other text on psychology.

Here, we’ll take a look at Gestalt Therapy, describe how it works, and examine the reasons why it is so effective.

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Posted in Agency, Conserving Power, Decision Making, Discerning Lies and Deception, Discernment, Wisdom, Fundamental Frame, Holding Frame, Identity, Inner Game, Introspection, Maturity, Personal Growth and Development, Moral Agency, Mysticism, Personal Domain, Philosophy, Power, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Concept | 3 Comments

Gestalt

Posted on 2025/09/15 by Jack

The quality of which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Readership: All
Theme: Awareness and Introspection
Length: 1,000 words
Reading Time: 5 minutes

Gestalt

There’s an important idea that is not often recognized or discussed, and which many are probably not even aware of, and that is the concept of “the whole package deal”.

I make reference to this idea using the word “Gestalt” which is a German word adopted in many works of philosophy and psychology.  Gestalt holds multiple meanings reminiscent of the English word Frame. These multiple meanings include Character, a Classical Form, a Condition, a Figurehead, Shape, and Personality.

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Posted in Appreciating the Fine Arts, Archetypes, Communication Styles, Communications, Counterfeit/False Paradigms, Discerning Lies and Deception, Discernment, Wisdom, Fundamental Frame, Holding Frame, Introspection, Literature, Mysticism, Persuasion, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Desire for True Worship

Posted on 2025/09/14 by Jack

Men in the West don’t have a safe, peaceful style of worship that fulfills their masculine essence.

Readership: All; Men;
Theme: Validation; Awareness and Introspection;
Note: Based on an email discussion with Tubal Cain on 2025/6/10.
Length: 1,100 words
Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Proactive Disposition of Peacemakers

The last two posts have drawn an association between the peaceful nature of men and men’s ferocious vengeance when they are deprived of a tranquil, fulfilling existence and a life of familial sanctimony.

While some men are ready to burn it all down, or take up arms (figuratively speaking, perhaps literal in some instances), by the mercies of God, men are more likely to choose less destructive, less violent means to ameliorate their unjust sufferings. Thus, men’s peaceful nature is more likely to steer them towards leaving it all behind, moving across the country, switching churches, or going to live overseas. I’ll venture to say that the stronger, wiser, and more masculine men are more likely to choose such means. It is the bravely courageous, yet foolishly die-hard IDIOTs* who choose the dank glories of blood violence and utter destruction before considering less catastrophic options.

* IDIOT: An Individual Devoid of Intelligent Organized Thought.

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Posted in Agency, Attitude, Authentic Authority, Authority, Calculated Risk Taking, Choosing a Church, Choosing a Partner or Spouse, Collective Strength, Conflict Management, Conserving Power, Cultural Anthropology, Decision Making, Desire, Determination, Discipline, Enduring Suffering, Freedom, Personal Liberty, God's Concept of Justice, Handling Rejection, Headship and Patriarchy, Headship Authority, Holding Frame, Identity, Inner Game, Introspection, Leadership, Legacy, Male Power, Masculine Disciplines, Moral Agency, Paradigms of Religion, Perseverance, Personal Domain, Power, Psychology, Purpose, Relationships, The Power of God | 7 Comments