Soul

[da]

What's the word "soul" mean to you? What associations does it bring up? Is the word fraught with baggage... smelling partly of brimstone? Does it have deep connection for you? Is it ineffable and abstract? Is it like a Platonic ideal of a thing, not to be pinned down? Is it boring? Is it a handy fiction?

I'd love to have a conversation about that, to the extent we can in an online journal. Anonymous comments are fine. My hope is to have common referents to continue in another post.

I invite you to make your first comment here, that is to say without reading the previous comments before-hand. Of course feel free to read other comments too, and discuss with others, but after your first comment. :) Thanks!

[Edit to add:

I can say: the breadth of peoples' responses is pretty darn cool.

So, I suggested a dialogue. What now?

It would be one thing if we were in the same room, and could look at each other and be clear that we're going to treat this with the respect it deserved. In that situation, I would say we could just ask each other open, honest questions; questions that don't try to convince the other of our own understanding; but help the other person to articulate their truth for us. And take it from there.

We could try something like that. I'd participate. Why don't we try that?

It might go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: you're welcome to not reply to someone's question, or to reply telling them you won't reply (and that's final; challenges are not OK).

]

Comments

[dpolicar]

Coming back and reading other comments, I'm intrigued by the prospect of a conversation among these viewpoints, but not at all sure how to initiate one... the starting points are so disparate.

[ng-nighthawk.livejournal.com]

I'm coming back here periodically to see if there are any additions, but I have to say it seems like a very touchy thing to reply to or question anyone. I suppose a supportive, "That's well put" or "That's an interesting idea" would be totally fine, but even drawing someone out on a point you were curious about seems like such a personal invasion, especially when the person knows you think differently--it could easily come off as an attack of some kind.

So, er, yeah, how to start this into a discussion is really interesting but unclear to me, too. Good thing that's da_lj's self-appointed job. Good luck to him!

[dpolicar]

Yeah, exactly.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

I am, myself, fairly daunted.

I can say: the breadth of peoples' responses is pretty darn cool.

What now?

It would be one thing if we were in the same room, and could look at each other and be clear that we're going to treat this with the respect it deserved. In that situation, I would say we could just ask each other open, honest questions; questions that don't try to convince the other of our own understanding; but help the other person to articulate their truth for us. And take it from there.

We could try something like that. I'd participate.

Hey, this feels like a plan.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all of that.

For the moment: I'm replying to everybody with the following: I added a bit to the post, with thoughts about how this might be a conversation with open, honest questions; and also that nobody feels attacked for their beliefs. So please check the post before commenting; I might need to add to it again as we go on. And you're welcome to comment with open, honest questions.