<< Gawen,

 <<<1.  By "taking things seriously," I think you mean that criticism
is
taken,
 <<<by the speaker (in this case, writer), to be condemnation of the
speaker.
 <<<In other words, the writer is not merely putting something forth
for
 <<<consideration, but identifies with what s/he has said (i.e.:
considers
 <<<his/her expression to be a part of him/her) and is hurt when it is
rejected.

I'm sorry, I am not quite sure what you are saying.

 <<<In most cases, that's true, I believe.  Because that's so, I think
we
should
 <<<strive to be gentle in our assessments and genteel in our
expressions.

Go for it if you wish. In my experience, however, no matter how it
said, some
people will take offense.  Pardon my grammar.


 <<<2.  What one says reveals more about the speaker than it does
about the
 <<<subject.


Always
 <<<Judge not, lest ye be judged.

Most people hate being judged. It keeps the peons in line. That is
cultural
(possibly some biological) conditioning.  Judge not, and screw what
other
people think, would probably be healthier.

<<< 3.  I am not a vegetarian (I was, for many years), but I think
that it is
 <<<possible (in some cases preferable) to survive and thrive on a
fruit and
 <<<vegetable diet.

I have never met anyone that has thrived on a Fruit and vegetable diet
for
many years.  If it works for some people, GREAT.   I have met a
seemingly
healthy guy who was in his 80s who smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day
for 60+
years.  I wouldn't do it though

 <<<It's mostly a matter of through-put.  The more resources you
express, the
 <<<more you must assimilate.

 <<<A life of quiet contemplation (that of a mystic or philosopher,
for
example)
 <<<would be better served, in my opinion, by a diet that is low in
building
 <<<components (protein and most fat) and relatively high in the
factors that
 <<<facilitate thought and expression (EFAs and monosaccharides).

That is not my experience. You will find mystics and philosophers who
eat all
varieties of diets.
I meditate on a daily basis.  I have sat and meditated from 4:00 am to
9:00pm
for 14 days straight.  My mind is much calmer since I have been eating
meat
again.

As a matter of fact, meditation may have developed as a way to deal
with the
deleterious effects of a non-meat diet. High insulin levels can create
the
foggy head effect.  Meditation can adjust hormone levels and clear the
head.

 <<<A thirty-something who's raising kids, either alone or with a
working
 <<<spouse, paying down a mortgage, building "a career" or a business,
and
 <<<anyone who's very physically active, will need relatively more
construction
<<< materials.  The waste from these building materials, however,
interferes
 <<<with concentration, creativity, judgement and wisdom.

 Norm >>

How do you know that "The waste from these building materials,
however,
interferes
with concentration, creativity, judgment and wisdom."?
Is that your experience or does it just seem like it should (belief).
Kind
of like the statement that cholesterol causes heart disease (very
wrong).


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Gawen Harrison
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A mind is a terrible thing to save.
The United Madman's College Fund.