JANUARY 29 "PESSIMISM - GREEK GOD SILENUS"
In Greek Mythology, Silenus was a
companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. A notorious consumer of
wine, he was usually drunk and had to be supported by satyrs or carried by a donkey. Silenus was described as the oldest, wisest and
most drunken of the followers of Dionysus, and was said in Orphic hymns to be the young god's tutor. When
intoxicated, Silenus was said to possess special knowledge and the power of
prophecy and was known for his pessimism. His prophecy was always quite
pessimistic. Interesting that even today, a fortune teller is most likely
to be believed when giving ones future, if that future is negative. The hearer
is not likely to be glad to receive such a future fortune, but is more likely
to believe the fortune teller, than had she or he been given a future that was
prosperous and good. Greek mythology states that the god Midas, after
hunting, asked his captive Silenus somewhat urgently, what was the most
desirable thing among humankind. At first he could offer no response, and was
obstinately silent. At length, when Midas would not stop plaguing him, he
erupted with these words, though very unwillingly: ‘you, seed of an evil genius
and precarious offspring of hard fortune, whose life is but for a day, why do
you compel me to tell you those things of which it is better you should remain
ignorant? For he lives with the least worry who knows not his misfortune; but for
humans, the best for them is not to be born at all, not to partake of nature’s
excellence; not to be is best, for both sexes. This should our choice, if
choice we have; and the next to this is, when we are born, to die as soon as we
can.’ It is plain therefore, that he declared the condition of the dead to be
better than that of the living.” The Greek god Silenus lives in every one
of us! Even King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived embraced the ideas of
the pessimistic god Silenus, in his weaker mental and spiritual state. If we
are not careful, we to can turn into a very pessimistic fortune teller of our
own futures.
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