“To join ourselves not just to the air surrounding us, through breath, but to the reason that embraces all things, through thought. Reason is just as omnipresent, just as widely diffused in those who accept it as air in those who breathe. – Marcus Aurelius
Man’s thinking capacity is designed to allow him to accommodate himself to omnipresent reason, not as many assume to facilitate man’s subjugation of the material world to his will. A reasoning man gains insight into the world around him each time he articulates his thoughts to the eternal principles of truth which provide the pattern for the birth of all of creation.
Original thought is novel not because it trumps truth, but because it offers a fresh perspective on truth. Conventional wisdom may or may not be aligned with truth; therefore to join himself with reason man must must challenge convention to determine its congruity with truth. This process is the only means by which true progress is made; any other so-called progress is deceptive and only valuable to the degree that men see the error of their ways.
Reasoning in this manner requires not only a mind centered on truth, but also a tranquil heart. The two, aligned in this way, allow for the clear transmission of the light of understanding. An agitated heart is unreliable and erratic. When it lines up with a focused mind it permits brilliance, otherwise it frustrates the flow of reason.
A tranquil heart is always the basis for forward movement, true progress. Working on that sometimes seems like a life’s work when in fact it is only the beginning requirement. I think as a people we’ve barlely scratched the surface of the creation possible in this world.