Last week I commented that we (as an individual or as a group) have a natural tendency toward balance. I also defined balance in this sense, as 'The degree to which all the attributes are in harmony, with none either too prominent or deficient.' I would like to explore these concepts further.

Be it physical, emotional, intellectual, or spirtual balance, I believe the conative or volitional instinct toward that balance is (as implied) a natural tendency inherent in us all. There are some who choose to ignore, hide, or even embalm and bury various aspects of this natural importunity, but I also believe one does so (very much) at their own peril. To close the gap on Truth, Wisdom, and Happiness, one must seek balance, while acknowledging that Perfect Balance is unattainable, due to the sometimes chaotic, ever-present complexities of this Lifetime.

I want to think about the mechanics of balance for a moment. Mathematically it could be represented as negative one plus one equals zero; (-1+1=0). Logically it requires opposing forces or opposites. Empirically it often involves excess or scarcity. The 'too much' or 'too little' can apply to specificities such as too much food or drink, or too little exercise, or it can apply (from a larger perspective) to one's balance of character such as too much physical or mental enjoyment characterized by vacuity, or too little intellectual or spiritual growth which in turn perpetuates the vacuity. It can also impact Happiness (one's search for Truth and wisdom) in the sense that if one avoids or ignores the unavoidable and necessary pain and adversity found in one's daily existence, then one will never close the gap on balance; i.e. Happiness.

In this empirical existence perhaps this is the reason we are saddled with our humanity; so that there are opposing forces or opposites creating the challenge to find balance, advance learning and growth, and ultimately close the gap on Happiness; (individually and/or synergistically).

If I were to nominate a spectral candidate to lead a parade of opposities, I believe it would be Good and Evil because of the energy necessary to ride herd on these opposing forces. Free Will allows one to decide which aspect dominates in which circumstance, and (I believe) one should strive for Goodness, but (again) being saddled with our humanity, we are weak and in some circumstances we are Evil; (to ourselves and/or to others). With the strength of Goodness, Evil can be imprisoned within, but its energy is still present, acting on us in other ways. Imagine a heavy spring placed upright on a table, with its top circumference about the size of the palm of your hand. Now imagine pushing down on this spring to hold it at its maximum tension. To suppress Evil is much like suppressing this spring; the tension and potential energy of this mechanism pushing back against your palm, occasionally forces one to let up (at least) a little, thus releasing (at least) a little Evil. The balance resides in the unreleased potential (crouched and ready to spring), thus allowing for the illusionary reality of Goodness and Strength having overcome Evil and Weakness. We have not eliminated, destroyed, or otherwise won a war against Evil; we are simply holding it at bay.

Another empirical spectrum of opposites would include the known and the unknown which in turn encompasses Empirical Truth and Transcendental Truth; I believe Logical Truths would fall along the spectrum between these other two.

A potentially all-encompassing empirical spectrum would consist of the Dark and the Light. Evil and Good are subsets of Dark and Light, but this is different in that though Evil may be Dark and Goodness may be Light, there are times that Dark and/or Light simply happen (as in the case of illness and health), while Good and Evil imply intention and/or controllable strength or weakness; ('controllable' to be defined according to individual standards and expectations).

Another potentially all-encompassing empirical spectrum might be order and disorder. I say 'might' because I believe order and disorder to be (respectively) synonymous with Light and Dark. Some may disagree.

Energetic Uncertainty and Slothful Ignorance are also empirical opposites, again as a subset of Light and Dark.

I am certain I have excluded other opposing forces critical to Happiness, but for now (and in the context of this week's thoughts) this feels like a viable beginning.

In a previous post (Centered Happiness) I contemplated 'Finding Answers' and 'Perfect Balance' and in looking back would like to rethink some of those thoughts. The following passage from that post is central to this week's new thoughts:

"It now makes more sense to think in terms of Perfect Balance. But as previously stated, to know Perfect Balance one must first know the opposite extremes which are unattainable ideals that continue to be pushed further out of reach due to entropy. (Now I feel as close as I've been to understanding why the answer(s) are so elusive.) Imagine a potentially infinite number of teeter-totters evenly spaced and all sharing a single fulcrum placed in the exact center of a circle. Imagine all of this mounted on a circling merry-go-round. Each teeter-totter represents a component or sub-component of Truth, Wisdom, and Happiness. With our mind's-eye we are scrambling over multiple teeter-totters at once, attempting to understand the gravity as it impacts each opposite end (extreme) of each and every teeter-totter in order to find its Perfect Balance and calm or still its disturbing, vertiginous motion. Yet as we scramble, we find we can never reach either end of any of them. So when we've reached as far towards the circumference as we're able, and scramble back towards the center, we then seem to get closer to the balance we seek. Occasionally we get lucky and accidentally land on the exact center (which we are blind to) and for a fleeting moment we know Perfect Balance - for that one component. With a little more effort and luck we may occasionally experience it for more than one component at a time. These teasers may explain why we continue to seek the answer(s) and the entire construct may explain why the answer(s) are so elusive. The constant whirling motion of the merry-go-round by itself will not allow Perfect stillness, and with entropy constantly lengthening the multiple teetering/tottering diameters (thus enlarging the merry-go-round) it appears to be an exercise in futility.

So does this mental construct go beyond an explanation and assist in understanding and bring me closer to answers? I believe it does in that it encourages me to continue scrambling; reaching for extremes and seeking a center. And when I experience that fleeting moment of calm, it drives me to fervently continue my search."

First, I would like to clarify one point made in the passage above. When I said, "Occasionally we get lucky and accidentally land on the exact center (which we are blind to) and for a fleeting moment we know Perfect Balance - for that one component," I should have extended the explanation that (since there is only one fulcrum) the reason one would only know Perfect Balance for that one component is due to limited vision. We may subconsciously feel the Transcendental Truth of that Perfection across all spectrums, but consciously (saddled with our humanity as we are) we are only able to associate it with one or a small handful of the infinite multitude of teeter-totter components within the construct.

Additionally, this week I have realized that Perfection is not the extremes. The extremes represent maximum chaotic disorder or Dark (on one end) and maximum ordered complexity or Light (on the other end), and are the ultimate (unattainable) paths to Perfection. I believe the mistake was in equating maximal with Perfection, but this week I am of a mind that Perfection is the fulcrum.

I would also like to note (which I do not believe I did in the previous post) that the teeter-totters are of varying lengths and weights, as gravity impacts each one (and varying sections of each one) differently.

As implied above, the Empirical Truth of this world is that we will never be able to settle on the fulcrum and experience Perfection; i.e. an ultimate Truth or Happiness. But yet we still search. And I believe we search because on a Grand scale, Perfection (or Transcendental Truth) is an ultimate Peace or Stillness or Balance found at the aforementioned fulcrum which is the antithesis of active empirical existence as we currently know it, and we are instinctively attracted to opposites in order to find balance; and this set of opposites appears to be the 'end-all'.

So in a sense, our search for Wisdom, Truth, and Happiness is one of morbid curiosity. In a sense, Perfect Balance equates to zero; so in a sense, that search for Perfect Balance - Perfect Stillness - Perfect Peace - is a search for Nothing. And in a sense, in this world Nothing is impossible, and beyond this world Nothing is waiting to be discovered.

To be continued ...