1. The human condition is very unique compared to other living things on this planet. Along with brains, launguage, and civilization, also comes the down side to our condition. Because we are humans, we have free will and we can choose to do anything we want. Because of our free will, we often choose to do what is easy and what is beneficial to us. In the movie "The Truth about Lies," the experts say that everyone lies to sustain their image or protect themselves from scrutiny by their peers. George Carlin says that humans deceive their thoughts by using euphemisms as a sort of verbal lie. The human condition has been corrupted by original sin. Due to that sin we became mortal and let evil into the world. Pascal says that the human condition is to be happy. However, man has made it hard for himself to be happy because we think about the future and concentrate on diversions. Buddha also says that life is suffering, or dukkha. He believes that since the Fall of Man something has slipped out of its joint and is causing pain. I feel that these ideas presented during this section illustrate that the human condition is to find the easy way out of things, to be self-centered, and has been brought upon by ourselves due to original sin.
2a. I feel that one of the most important ideas of this section is that we all have our own map and we need to change it and constantly improve it. M. Scott Peck said that we aren't born with a map and that making our map isn't easy. Peck says that because the world around us is changing, we need to revise our maps. He says that doing this requires effort and often times we choose to ignore the changes because we are lazy. I agree with Peck in that changing our maps is neccesary and requires work. I think that I sometimes shy away from changing my map because I don't want to put in the effort. However, in the long run it is easier to change my map than to prove that my false idea is correct. I will always remember Peck's idea of the map whenever I face a challenge or my map needs revision.
2b. Rabbi Kushner's views in "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" really affects my life right now. My grandma has been in the hospital for a month and isn't doing that good. I actually visited her probably for the last time over the weekend. I think that through this time of pain for me, I will be comforted by remembering Rabbi Kushner's words. I know that I am going to be sad when she dies, but I also need to be grateful that she was such a good person and that she lived as long as she did because some people don't have grandparents. I will be thinking about Kushner's words during the next week and probably for the rest of my life since everyone dies.
2c. I think that another key point in this section is all of the information about lying from "The Truth About Lies." I think that as my life progresses and my decisions affect me more and more that I will be tempted to lie in order to protect myself and others around me. In this movie Moyers says that this is part of the human condition and that everyone of us has lied before. However I think that the important lesson to take away from this is that once you start its hard to stop. If I can remember this message whenever I speak I will live a truer and more successful life.
Why is it part of the human condition to be lazy, self-centered, and untruthful?
I think that the real reason is that it isn't part of our human condition but that it comes from original sin. We can't do anything about what we are born with however we can try to live an examined life and change these flaws.