“One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.” - Bertrand Russell
It should be pointed out that Russell was a literal cuck (look it up) and his brand of materialist-atheist liberalism is exactly one of the reasons western culture has so many problems.
However what he says has some truth. Intellectuals who constantly doubt and examine their beliefs critically end up unsure of any ideology and end up lacking drive and purpose. They are typically unauthentic, weak and fearful; without anything to die for why not just live hedonistically and fearfully?
The fanatical communist commissar who is willing to run at German soldiers at Stalingrad does so because he is 100% sure that communism is right and the people he is killing are evil. He can walk through miles and miles of snow with nothing but focus and anticipation of getting to Berlin.
The Waffen-SS officer believes the same. Their certainty gives them self less insane courage and ability to bear pain and suffering for a higher purpose.
Religion served this purpose. The 1980s Afghan Muajideen who is willing to charge against heavily equipped Soviet soldiers does so because he believes Islam is the truth and when he is killed by the Soviet he will go straight to paradise. As one Soviet commander put it ‘How can you defeat a man who looks at the barrel of your gun and sees paradise’.
Eventually, despite killing 1 million Afghans, the Soviets left Afghanistan. The Mujahideen won. People lost faith in their communist system, in part due to the Afghan war, and so it collapsed soon after.
Belief is a powerful thing. It’s the thing that pushes you to do incredible feats, overcome incredible suffering. Marcus Aurelius believed that seeing your self as part of a divine pantheistic plan allowed you to overcome mental obstacles.
The Soviet, the Afghan Mujahideen, the crusader Christian, the Japanese Samurai who commits seppuku, the devout Medieval Monk, the doctor who travels to far flung lands to help the poor all did things out of fantastical and fanatical belief.
I am too filled with doubt about the veracity of any religion or political ideology. Hence, I cannot find the stoic drive to push myself to inhuman limits. I wish I knew for sure if something was true.
It should be pointed out that Russell was a literal cuck (look it up) and his brand of materialist-atheist liberalism is exactly one of the reasons western culture has so many problems.
However what he says has some truth. Intellectuals who constantly doubt and examine their beliefs critically end up unsure of any ideology and end up lacking drive and purpose. They are typically unauthentic, weak and fearful; without anything to die for why not just live hedonistically and fearfully?
The fanatical communist commissar who is willing to run at German soldiers at Stalingrad does so because he is 100% sure that communism is right and the people he is killing are evil. He can walk through miles and miles of snow with nothing but focus and anticipation of getting to Berlin.
The Waffen-SS officer believes the same. Their certainty gives them self less insane courage and ability to bear pain and suffering for a higher purpose.
Religion served this purpose. The 1980s Afghan Muajideen who is willing to charge against heavily equipped Soviet soldiers does so because he believes Islam is the truth and when he is killed by the Soviet he will go straight to paradise. As one Soviet commander put it ‘How can you defeat a man who looks at the barrel of your gun and sees paradise’.
Eventually, despite killing 1 million Afghans, the Soviets left Afghanistan. The Mujahideen won. People lost faith in their communist system, in part due to the Afghan war, and so it collapsed soon after.
Belief is a powerful thing. It’s the thing that pushes you to do incredible feats, overcome incredible suffering. Marcus Aurelius believed that seeing your self as part of a divine pantheistic plan allowed you to overcome mental obstacles.
The Soviet, the Afghan Mujahideen, the crusader Christian, the Japanese Samurai who commits seppuku, the devout Medieval Monk, the doctor who travels to far flung lands to help the poor all did things out of fantastical and fanatical belief.
I am too filled with doubt about the veracity of any religion or political ideology. Hence, I cannot find the stoic drive to push myself to inhuman limits. I wish I knew for sure if something was true.
