Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentment,

Discuss the November 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes.

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Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentment,

Post by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes »

This is a discussion forum topic for the November 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All.


Here is a quote from the book which appears on page 160 (of the hardcover):
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes wrote:There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentment, and unforgiveness.

What do you you think?

Does the above sentence retain its meaning well even when quoted out of context as above? Or does one really need to read the book to fully capture its meaning?


great-power-in-peacefulness.jpg
My entire political philosophy summed up in one tweet.

"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."

I believe spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline) manifests as bravery, confidence, grace, honesty, love, and inner peace.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by hsimone »

This is an interesting question. I feel like it depends on the mindset of the person who is reading the quote. For instance, if a person is already on the path of wanting inner peace, he/she can read this quote and reflect on it and believe/understand its meaning.

On the other hand, if a person is not quite on the path of finding inner peace and is not searching for it, he/she may not fully grasp the quote and may need further reading to comprehend its meaning.

Does that make sense?
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Sushan »

I found this quote on page 174 of Kindle Version. I think reading the quote is enough for anyone to grasp the full meaning of it. But it is better to read the rest of the book (and the part that is above this quote) for the better understanding.

Fighting needs energy, and it is tiresome. But if one can accept what is there, even if it is not very pleasant, there will be no more waste of energy, time, money, etc. Only peacefulness will remain, If one choose to resent and fight, he/she will always left with restlessness until he/she wins. Even if he/she wins, it would have cost energy, money, and most importantly the inner peace of the present, which is a great waste.
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Sushan »

hsimone wrote: November 5th, 2022, 9:43 am This is an interesting question. I feel like it depends on the mindset of the person who is reading the quote. For instance, if a person is already on the path of wanting inner peace, he/she can read this quote and reflect on it and believe/understand its meaning.

On the other hand, if a person is not quite on the path of finding inner peace and is not searching for it, he/she may not fully grasp the quote and may need further reading to comprehend its meaning.

Does that make sense?
I am sorry but I do not see the need for someone to be in the path for finding inner peace to fully grasp the meaning of this quote. Let us just take the key words in this quote, peacefulness and acceptance at one side and resentment and restlessness on the other side. If you ask me which side is the better by just giving me the key words, I would definitely have chosen the former.

Yes, it is true that one has to think a bit deep to see the power of peacefulness and acceptance. But I think it has nothing to do with being on the pathway for inner peace.
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by hsimone »

Sushan wrote: November 20th, 2022, 5:26 am
hsimone wrote: November 5th, 2022, 9:43 am This is an interesting question. I feel like it depends on the mindset of the person who is reading the quote. For instance, if a person is already on the path of wanting inner peace, he/she can read this quote and reflect on it and believe/understand its meaning.

On the other hand, if a person is not quite on the path of finding inner peace and is not searching for it, he/she may not fully grasp the quote and may need further reading to comprehend its meaning.

Does that make sense?
I am sorry but I do not see the need for someone to be in the path for finding inner peace to fully grasp the meaning of this quote. Let us just take the key words in this quote, peacefulness and acceptance at one side and resentment and restlessness on the other side. If you ask me which side is the better by just giving me the key words, I would definitely have chosen the former.

Yes, it is true that one has to think a bit deep to see the power of peacefulness and acceptance. But I think it has nothing to do with being on the pathway for inner peace.
It’s interesting because I feel the opposite. Yes, I think most people would choose the words, peacefulness and acceptance versus resentment and restlessness, but that doesn’t mean that the person fully believes or understands its full meaning.

For example, if there’s a person who is constantly is trying to one-up someone else at work or someone who spreads lies about another, both of those people could easily say, “I choose peacefulness and acceptance” when they are out of the situations stated above (i.e. at home or doing their favorite activity), but put them back at work or with the person they don’t like and they’re back to showing resentment and/or being restless.

That was where my line of thought was going. People can say many things, but until they fully accept its true meaning, then the old patterns won’t change. This is why those who are more self-aware and looking for inner peace would most likely be more successful in not only understanding those words, but living them.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Sushan »

hsimone wrote: November 20th, 2022, 11:00 am
Sushan wrote: November 20th, 2022, 5:26 am
hsimone wrote: November 5th, 2022, 9:43 am This is an interesting question. I feel like it depends on the mindset of the person who is reading the quote. For instance, if a person is already on the path of wanting inner peace, he/she can read this quote and reflect on it and believe/understand its meaning.

On the other hand, if a person is not quite on the path of finding inner peace and is not searching for it, he/she may not fully grasp the quote and may need further reading to comprehend its meaning.

Does that make sense?
I am sorry but I do not see the need for someone to be in the path for finding inner peace to fully grasp the meaning of this quote. Let us just take the key words in this quote, peacefulness and acceptance at one side and resentment and restlessness on the other side. If you ask me which side is the better by just giving me the key words, I would definitely have chosen the former.

Yes, it is true that one has to think a bit deep to see the power of peacefulness and acceptance. But I think it has nothing to do with being on the pathway for inner peace.
It’s interesting because I feel the opposite. Yes, I think most people would choose the words, peacefulness and acceptance versus resentment and restlessness, but that doesn’t mean that the person fully believes or understands its full meaning.

For example, if there’s a person who is constantly is trying to one-up someone else at work or someone who spreads lies about another, both of those people could easily say, “I choose peacefulness and acceptance” when they are out of the situations stated above (i.e. at home or doing their favorite activity), but put them back at work or with the person they don’t like and they’re back to showing resentment and/or being restless.

That was where my line of thought was going. People can say many things, but until they fully accept its true meaning, then the old patterns won’t change. This is why those who are more self-aware and looking for inner peace would most likely be more successful in not only understanding those words, but living them.
You are correct. But in that given example the peacefulness of the mind was based on the location and situations. Unless the person was among those who he disliked, he could be at peace. So if he could practically avoid meeting those who he disliked or resented, he would have achieved peacefulness without spiritually meddling over the subject.
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Clara Alston »

It is interesting how our minds believe feelings such as resentment and unforgiveness are productive and helpful in the situations we face. We believe holding onto these feelings shows strength and will lead to peace. Sadly, our minds lead us to restlessness and pain, the very opposite of our initial goals. I know this quote is still relevant today, but I am often exhausted with trying to live these truths in a world that rejects them.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Theresa Moffitt »

I agree because hanging on to resentment or restlessness doesn’t accomplish anything. Even when faced with something negative, I think acceptance helps to move forward and address it. You can work to counter a negative aspect in your life or draw something positive from it and move on.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Hubre De Klerk »

I think the quote's meaning is pulled through. By accepting what you can't change, does give you peace of mind. By focusing your energy on what you can't change or control, just makes you more stressed and restless. I know it isn't always to let go of what you have no control over, but once you can get to that mindset, I do believe your life will be instantly better.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Hager Salem »

I agree. Thinking of the past and not accepting it consumes your energy and leaves you drained. You can make better use of your energy.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Amy Luman »

If what is meant by waste is time and other intangibles, then I agree. If there is nothing that can be done about a situation, spending a lot of time on it is useless. That is time that you could spend finding a solution to other problems. Maybe even ones that really mean something. It is what it is. (In terms of the past.)
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Salah bourouba »

For me I think the sentence is pretty much self explanatory. You don't need to put it in a larger paragraph or context for it to mean something. Accepting people as humans with their flaw and skin color will result in more peace in the world. Which will show great power in individuals and society. However. If your main objective is to resent everything and everyone that comes in your path. The world will become a whole lot darker and evil
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Lydia Matson »

Hager Salem wrote: January 31st, 2023, 11:04 am I agree. Thinking of the past and not accepting it consumes your energy and leaves you drained. You can make better use of your energy.
I like how you made a distinction between remembering the past and not accepting it. It is definitely important to remember your past and learn from it, but holding resentment is what takes too much energy.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Phoebe Felix »

I'm one of those people that would always want to understand the context in which a quote is made, as it helps me know the original intent. If one hasn't read the book, it will be difficult to understand the premise of the quote. I had to read your thoughts on unconditional forgiveness and how it helps with finding peace for that quote to make sense to me. I believe one needs to read the book to understand the context of that quote.
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Re: Page 160: "There is great power in peacefulness and acceptance because there is great waste in restlessness, resentm

Post by Mounce574 »

I understand the quote but being the type of person who is always curious, I would want to understand obtain the great power to become peaceful and accepting. The only way to fully satisfy my thoughts would be to read the book.
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