Phoesune

“For, as I suppose, no man in this world hath lived better than I have done, to achieve that I have done.” – Sir Thomas Mallory

This is not a statement for my generation or a call to some higher moral truth. This is my values, principles, and the driving purpose as I understand them today. Accept or reject them. Absorb or repel them. Attain them or refuse them. However you respond matters not to the reason I am writing this Manifesto. My purpose is to place this out there, to make it available to others for the purpose of consideration.

At the root of this document is the quote from Shakespeare:
    “This above all: to thine own self be true,
    And it must follow, as the night the day,
    Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

The world is mired in masks and hidden agendas. Each person has their own view and personal bias that shades and colors their perceptions and motivations. This is by its nature the typical result of humanity’s interaction with a world in which idealism is corrupted through repeated ingresses of human frailty and the biological and emotional responses to the stimulus of reality. This declaration of my personal struggle to achieve a higher self is the reality that we can only be true to ourselves. If we are degradated by a life long struggle with our circumstances into creatures that are wounded and scarred, we will act like wounded animals and react to protect ourselves and our loved ones at the expense of moral clarity and the respect of truth. So since the human can only be true to themselves, it is the obligation of the human being to improve themselves and thus improve the world in which he or she lives.

The work of self improvement can never be completed. There will never be a point when any human can be perfect. It is a process by which a human will endeavor throughout their lives to be closer to an ideal while yet remaining fully grounded in the reality that others in the world do not, will not, or cannot achieve an equal devotion to this process. As such each person is on their own journey and what may seem simple to one individual may in turn be beyond the resolve of another. As such embarking on the path laid out in this manifesto, it is best to understand that it is at once a personal journey and a lonely voyage. Even as I seek to improve myself through honesty and love, I can expect also that others will misunderstand my intentions or take advantage of my virtues to corrupt even the beneficial results of my actions. Understanding these things, it is important to note that success cannot be based on tangible results. Success is only rated by the journey and each step forward is a success and any failure merely a lesson.

The following is the list of tenets of this Manifesto which will be outlined in later installments.
•    Love
•    Truth
•    Honesty
•    Faith
•    Hope
•    Beauty
•    Peace
•    Purity
•    Mercy
•    Courage
•    Humility
•    Justice
•    Generosity
•    Temperance
•    Fortitude
•    Devotion
•    Compassion
•    Nobility
Although these have been discussed throughout history in so many ways, I will define them each in an article as they apply to this Manifesto. I will not follow this list in order as they appear now, but I will update this post as I do to place the list in order as they appear here. I cannot promise to complete this Manifesto only that I will try to do so. I have yet to be a person that is dedicated enough to see such a massive piece through to its completion. I only promise that the attempt will be made as I will not promise what I cannot guarantee. This is one part of my attempt toward honesty.