FEBRUARY 4 "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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