The Dudeism Forum

Deconstructing Lebowski => Lebowskian Philosophy => Topic started by: DigitalBuddha on January 08, 2012, 12:07:43 AM

Title: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: DigitalBuddha on January 08, 2012, 12:07:43 AM
So I was thinking about how people react to various short statements. What opinion, man, do you have about a comment like this one?.......

"We must all abide."

What thoughts does it bring up. Looking for notes, here.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: Hominid on January 08, 2012, 08:54:29 AM
It's a commandment. Me no likes the sound of being TOLD what to do. Now, if the statement was "It would be a good thing for this world if everyone leaned what abiding is, and how to do it.", then it would have a more general appeal, and would encourage learning FOR YOURSELF what abiding is, instead of simply having it forced upon you without a full personal understanding of what it entails.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: Tripnastic on January 08, 2012, 12:09:36 PM
I agree with Hominid. I agreed last night too, but was too far gone on oat sodas to articulate it.

It's the word "must" that bothered me. 

I believe you were using it in a way that says "it's the only way we're going to make it", but it could definitely get misconstrued as a commandment.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: Rev. Ed C on January 08, 2012, 06:55:13 PM
Agree with Hominid and Trip there, DB.

Dudes abide.  They don't have to, but it's just in their nature.

No one has to do anything, but some things are advisable, like breathing, and not poking bears with soreheads (I hear that someties, just sometimes, THEY eat YOU).
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: DigitalBuddha on January 11, 2012, 05:52:32 PM
I was thinking more down the line of "we must live" as a way of saying "we must abide.' Or, "it behooves us to live." Not a requirement or rule, but a passion.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: hannahdude on January 11, 2012, 06:29:11 PM
still has the sound of a threat somehow.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: Caesar dude on January 11, 2012, 07:07:27 PM
Any time the word "must" is applied it implies rules....and dudes know that all rules are made by uptight nihilsts...of course we rail against against such things.

"must" our first four letter word perhaps!?

Peace
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: hannahdude on January 11, 2012, 10:30:12 PM
'must' def a top contender for the official first four-letter-word of de dudes.
anyone ever see the show 'taxi'? where louie ( danny de vito), goes off on the word 'shouldn't'??
fabulous stuff.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: DigitalBuddha on January 11, 2012, 10:41:16 PM
Then how do we react to the dude as he states "the dude abides." Why and what motivates him to abide? And of course that brings up the continuing question of what does it mean for each person to abide?
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: Sailing Dude on January 12, 2012, 02:52:36 AM
More like guide lines   AARRGGGG
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: meekon5 on January 12, 2012, 07:56:05 AM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on January 11, 2012, 10:41:16 PM
Then how do we react to the dude as he states "the dude abides." Why and what motivates him to abide? And of course that brings up the continuing question of what does it mean for each person to abide?

Surely this is simple if you treat it as simple, complicated if you complicate it.

Is it not good enough to say the Dude (or I as a Dude) abide because he does (because I do).

There is not motive, there is no reason, I abide because that is the way of things.

The more you analyse the abiding the less it is abiding.

Like analysing meditation, doing so just makes it a practice of analysing how you meditate, instead of just meditating.

Now I don't claim to have reached the pinnacle of all Dudeism and just abide in a perfect state of Dudetopia (or Dudevana if you would).

I have doubts, I have conflicts, I have arguments.

We are back to my original premis.

One does not become a Dude by practice, by rules, by trying to be, one realises one is a Dude.

(To be perfectly honest the only reason the dude does anything, in any way, is because that was how the script was written, but that's an aside).
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: milnie on January 12, 2012, 08:05:43 AM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on January 11, 2012, 10:41:16 PM
Then how do we react to the dude as he states "the dude abides." Why and what motivates him to abide? And of course that brings up the continuing question of what does it mean for each person to abide?

perhaps he is not motivated to anything, he simply does abide because he is too lazy to do anything else.
but saying that, he is motivated, he is competative (bowling). lets face it, he is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, etc.
or as M5 observes, he's a character in a film!
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: DigitalBuddha on January 12, 2012, 08:13:09 AM
Quote from: milnie on January 12, 2012, 08:05:43 AM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on January 11, 2012, 10:41:16 PM
Then how do we react to the dude as he states "the dude abides." Why and what motivates him to abide? And of course that brings up the continuing question of what does it mean for each person to abide?

perhaps he is not motivated to anything, he simply does abide because he is too lazy to do anything else.
but saying that, he is motivated, he is competative (bowling). lets face it, he is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, etc.
or as M5 observes, he's a character in a film!

Definitely a character in a film; but are not some of the greatest thoughts of humanity encapsulated in mythical characters? Witness C.S. Lewis and his characters, or J.R.R.Token's characters, or mythical characters of Greece and Rome. Are they "myth," or simply extensions of genuine human thought? As is the dude.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: milnie on January 12, 2012, 08:36:51 AM
absolutely DB, the morality of generations can be defined by the writings produced or adhered to, regardless of the subjects realness.

to be honest, when i hear the dude say he abides it fills me with a great deal of envy. I was there about 10 years ago, life was balanced and moved along with virtually no effort. now with kids, position of management at work, potential move to new country, its all off kilter. its partly the reason i joined the forum, so i can relate to other dudes and use some of their dudelyness to help bring mine back :)
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: DigitalBuddha on January 12, 2012, 09:16:11 AM
Quote from: milnie on January 12, 2012, 08:36:51 AM
absolutely DB, the morality of generations can be defined by the writings produced or adhered to, regardless of the subjects realness.

to be honest, when i hear the dude say he abides it fills me with a great deal of envy. I was there about 10 years ago, life was balanced and moved along with virtually no effort. now with kids, position of management at work, potential move to new country, its all off kilter. its partly the reason i joined the forum, so i can relate to other dudes and use some of their dudelyness to help bring mine back :)


Ahhh, now that brings up a good point to ponder, milnie dude; namely...abiding in all seasons of life, no matter what comes your way or what path you choose to walk. Definitely food for thought there. 
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: meekon5 on January 12, 2012, 11:04:49 AM
Quote from: milnie on January 12, 2012, 08:36:51 AM
to be honest, when i hear the dude say he abides it fills me with a great deal of envy. I was there about 10 years ago, life was balanced and moved along with virtually no effort. now with kids, position of management at work, potential move to new country, its all off kilter. its partly the reason i joined the forum, so i can relate to other dudes and use some of their dudelyness to help bring mine back :)


Look out he's a Dudeist Vampire!

;D
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: WabiSabi on January 12, 2012, 01:47:00 PM
DB ... wow I may be too limber here, but I just don't go to the place where it reads like a rule, command or injunction to me ... I just go all Taoist on it, like Dylan's "everybody must get stoned."

One explanation of that lyric is that Dylan claimed it was about the nature of trial and error in relationships ... another is that no matter what you do you'll get stoned (as in stoning someone as a punishment) ... seems the least likely explanation for the lyric is that it was a about "getting stoned" as in doing drugs ... but I digress ...

It seems to be that everybody indeed "MUST" abide whether we like it or not, at least in some sense ... like we abide on the planet man!

BUT ... what I choose to read into it is that it's about making a choice ... i.e.: since we're going to abide anyway, why not choose what we're going to be abiding ... and how.

So sorry to be the lone voice in the wilderness, but I think it's kinda cool ... not some stinkin' rule.


Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: DigitalBuddha on January 12, 2012, 03:39:29 PM
Quote from: WabiSabi on January 12, 2012, 01:47:00 PM
DB ... wow I may be too limber here, but I just don't go to the place where it reads like a rule, command or injunction to me ... I just go all Taoist on it, like Dylan's "everybody must get stoned."

One explanation of that lyric is that Dylan claimed it was about the nature of trial and error in relationships ... another is that no matter what you do you'll get stoned (as in stoning someone as a punishment) ... seems the least likely explanation for the lyric is that it was a about "getting stoned" as in doing drugs ... but I digress ...

It seems to be that everybody indeed "MUST" abide whether we like it or not, at least in some sense ... like we abide on the planet man!

BUT ... what I choose to read into it is that it's about making a choice ... i.e.: since we're going to abide anyway, why not choose what we're going to be abiding ... and how.

So sorry to be the lone voice in the wilderness, but I think it's kinda cool ... not some stinkin' rule.




Was thinking of it as more of a passion, not a rule.  A lifestyle, not a requirement.  :)
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: WabiSabi on January 12, 2012, 03:48:33 PM
Agreed ... "a lifestyle" choice ... to be passionate about.

It's the Zen equivalent of being mindful for me ... heck, abiding is being mindful, present ... being a dude ... the opposite of uptight.

I know not everyone agrees, but "ABIDE" is the central theme as far as I'm concerned man ... it's what drew me to the rug ... when you're "abiding" your "duding" ...

HEY, am I wrong?!?
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: cckeiser on January 12, 2012, 06:11:01 PM
Quote from: WabiSabi on January 12, 2012, 03:48:33 PM
Agreed ... "a lifestyle" choice ... to be passionate about.

It's the Zen equivalent of being mindful for me ... heck, abiding is being mindful, present ... being a dude ... the opposite of uptight.

I know not everyone agrees, but "ABIDE" is the central theme as far as I'm concerned man ... it's what drew me to the rug ... when you're "abiding" your "duding" ...

HEY, am I wrong?!?

Namaste dude...or as the Na'vi say...I see you dude. 8)

Welcome to our nice quiet beach community. 8)
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: BikerDude on January 13, 2012, 09:06:26 AM
Well there is a quote in the Bible from the Book of John.
Quote
He distinguishes his followers from hypocrites by this mark, that they who falsely boasted of faith give way as soon as they have entered into the course, or at least in the middle of it; but believers persevere constantly to the end. If, therefore, we wish that Christ should reckon us to be his disciples, we must endeavor to persevere.

Substitute abide for persevere and Dude for Christ I guess.
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: milnie on January 13, 2012, 12:29:32 PM
Quote from: meekon5 on January 12, 2012, 11:04:49 AM


Look out he's a Dudeist Vampire!

;D
[/quote]



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Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: milnie on January 13, 2012, 12:30:48 PM
count with me: one Caucasian ha ha ha ha, two Caucasians ha ha ha ha ...
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: brother_erwin on January 13, 2012, 12:41:50 PM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on January 08, 2012, 12:07:43 AM
So I was thinking about how people react to various short statements. What opinion, man, do you have about a comment like this one?.......

"We must all abide."

What thoughts does it bring up. Looking for notes, here.

Okay, how about that then: There is nothing we must. Not even abide. But if it should be your wish not to abide, even that wish must die.

Just an idea, folks, I am not sure about it either.

BE
Title: Re: Seeking your opinion, man.
Post by: brother_erwin on January 13, 2012, 12:44:56 PM
Quote from: DigitalBuddha on January 11, 2012, 10:41:16 PM
Then how do we react to the dude as he states "the dude abides." Why and what motivates him to abide? And of course that brings up the continuing question of what does it mean for each person to abide?

He states it rather matter-of-factly, doesn't he. It's just the way it is for the time being. So no need for motivation.