Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy

Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy

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Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Self Neglect

Self Neglect

Sure, give your attention to everything other than yourself.

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Martin Butler
Jun 24, 2025
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Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Self Neglect
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Wilted daffodils droop from a ceramic vase.
Photo by Carl Tronders on Unsplash

Effort takes us away from ourselves, and generally speaking, the more intense the effort, the more we forget our existence. It is also the case that efforts are only made when we want to gain something. The fewer gaining ideas we have the less effort we need to make. The dynamics of human existence work against this. Driven by a survival drive, we generally believe that more is better; more money, more possessions, a larger social circle, and so on. The net result is that people bury themselves in efforts to gain things that are very often unnecessary, but in the process, "lose their soul."

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