An Eschatological Laundry List:
A Partial Register of the 927 (or was it 928) Eternal Truths
- 1. This is it!
- 2. There are no hidden meanings
- 3. You can't get there from here, and besides, there's no place else to go
- 4. We are all already dying and we'll be dead for a long time.
- 5. Nothing lasts!
- 6. There is no way of getting all you want.
- 7. You can't have anything unless you let go of it.
- 8. You only get to keep what you give away.
- 9. There is no particular reason why you lost out on some things.
- 10. The world is not necessarily just. Being good often does not pay off
and there is no compensation for misfortune.
- 11. You have the responsibility to do your best nonetheless.
- 12. It is a random universe to which we bring meaning.
- 13. You don't really control anything.
- 14. You can't make someone love you.
- 15. No one is any stronger or weaker than anyone else.
- 16. Everyone is, in their own way, vunerable.
- 17. There are no great men or women.
- 18. If you have a hero, look again; you have diminished yourself in some
way.
- 19. Everyone lies, cheats, pretends (yes, you too, and most certainly I
myself).
- 20. All evil is potential vitality in need of transformation.
- 21. All of you is worth something, if you will only own it.
- 22. Progress is an illusion.
- 23. Evil can be displaced but never eradicated, as all solutions breed
new problems.
- 24. Yet, it is necessary to keep on struggling toward solutions.
- 25. Childhood is a nightmare.
- 26. But it is so very hard to be an on-your-own-take-care-of-yourself-
cause-there-is-no-one-else-to-do-it-for-you grown up.
- 27. Each of us is ultimately alone.
- 28. The most important things, each man must do for himself.
- 29. Love is not enough, but it sure helps.
- 30. We have only ourselves, and one another. That may not be much,
but that is all there is.
- 31. How strange, that so often it all seems worth it.
- 32. We must live within the ambiguity of partial freedom, partial
power, and partial knowledge.
- 33. All important decisions must be made on the basis of insufficient
data.
- 34. Yet we are responsible for everything we do.
- 35. No excuses will be accepted.
- 36. You can run, but you can't hide.
- 37. It is most important to run out of scapegoats.
- 38. We must learn the power of living with our helplessness.
- 39. The only victory lies in surrender with ourselves.
- 40. All of the significant battles are waged within the self.
- 41. You are free to do whatever you like. You need only face the
consequences.
- 42. What do you know...for sure...anyway?
- 43. Learn to forgive yourself, again and again and again and again...