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SHINING_CHAGRIN

                                                June 14, 2011

                                                   ALL_THINGS_SHINING

Dreyfus and Kelly quote Homer
in the Fitzgerald translation
(p.81, "Homer's Polytheism"):

  Odysseus stopped his son: "Be silent: curb your thoughts;
  do not ask questions.  This is the work of the Olympians."

And they interpret it:

  "... when we are, for instance, working together with
  others as one, then our activity seems to be drawn out
  of us by an external force.  These are shining moments
  in life, wondrous moments that require our gratitude.
  In these episodes of excellence, no matter the domain,
  Odysseus's voice should ring through our heads: 'Be
  silent; curb your thoughts; do not ask questions. This
  is the work of the Olympians.' "



Dreyfus & Kelly talk about a scene
from "Pulp Fiction", where Vincent &
Jules escape death solely by an
improbable fluke, and Jules sees this       I suspect Dreyfus & Kelly have
as divine intervention, but Vincent         missed the point of "Pulp
shrugs it off as luck.                      Fiction" (though that may be
                                            besides the point): the
   Dreyfus & Kelly take Jules side:         intention was to portrary all
                                            the characters as full of some
     "Our claim is that                     sort of pretention, and Jules
     gratitude is the more                  is a character full of
     fitting response."                     religious pretentions.
     --p.72, "Homer's Polytheism"
                                                              BRAIN_PULP
       I can not at all agree: The proper response
       to a situation like that is not gratitude,
       but *chagrin*.  If you claim to be a
       professional and squeak by on a fluke,
       you've got to admit to yourself that you're
       not as good as you thought: you've either            Ah, it's that
       got to get better or get out.                        great demon,
                                                            "individual
           "Thank you lord" may get you past the            responsibility",
           guilts, but it's also a formula for              again.
           complacency.  God is on our side, how
           can we lose?                                        SELF









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