Arête

[Cramulus]

also, when i read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, "Arete" was translated as "Excellence". i think that is also a nice word for it.
still, i'm impressed how Cram managed to connect it up with freaking out and partying

good spot. The OP is, in part, a synthesis of Nietzsche's discussion on the Apollonian and the Dionysian and Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Both of them have had major influences upon my worldview.

Crowley's Party Manifesto (haphazard extracts from The Book Of The Law)

41. The word of Sin is Restriction

Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fine apparel; eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam! Also, take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where and with whom ye will!

9. Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains

Be strong, o man! lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture: fear not that any God shall deny thee for this.

44. Aye! feast! rejoice! there is no dread hereafter

Tear down that lying spectre of the centuries: veil not your vices in virtuous words: these vices are my service

Wisdom says: be strong! Then canst thou bear more joy. Be not animal; refine thy rapture! If thou drink, drink by the eight and ninety rules of art: if thou love, exceed by delicacy; and if thou do aught joyous, let there be subtlety therein!

Fear not at all; fear neither men nor Fates, nor gods, nor anything. Money fear not, nor laughter of the folk folly, nor any other power in heaven or upon the earth or under the earth.

Let her be loud and adulterous! Let her be covered with jewels, and rich garments, and let her be shameless before all men!

tomorrow I am printing this out and putting it on my wall.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

I've been meaning to say, hella good stuff here, Cramulanus.

I just got a book of mythological graphics for my birfday, so, when I'm done selling, smoking, and spanking things in Vegas I'd like to help whip up a PDF of this.

[B_M_W]

Wisdom says: be strong! Then canst thou bear more joy. Be not animal; refine thy rapture! If thou drink, drink by the eight and ninety rules of art: if thou love, exceed by delicacy; and if thou do aught joyous, let there be subtlety therein!

Thats some good Epicurean hedonism right there.

[Freeky]

bimp

[Pæs]

bimp

Thank you. I don't think I ever read this, but FUCKING RAH.
, 2007 Cram.

[Faust]

I just reread this.

Cram I'm considering doing a collection in the near future on the front page to go alongside the BIP and the PD, the pieces wont be thematically linked like the BIP, rather it will be a collection of some of our best material, would it be possible to use this?

[Pæs]

Interesting:

Arete was occasionally personified as a goddess, the sister of Harmonia (a personification of concord), daughter of the goddess of justice Praxidike.

Arete and Harmonia were known jointly as the Praxidikai (Exacters of Justice). As with many minor Greek deities, there's little or no real mythical background to Arete, who is used at most as a personification of virtue. The only story involving Arete was originally told in the 5th century BC by the sophist Prodicus, and concerns the early life of the hero Heracles.

At a crossroads, Arete appeared to Heracles as a young maiden, and offered him glory and a life of struggle against evil; her counterpart, Kakia (κακία, "badness"), offered him wealth and pleasure. Heracles chose to follow the path of Arete.

I think we need some mythology to describe the relationship between Arete and Discordia.

[Triple Zero]

Obviously, arete is the root of both the English word "arse" as well as its Dutch equivalent "reet". Thereby proving that virtue has its linguistic origins in asshattery.

[Cramulus]

I just reread this.

Cram I'm considering doing a collection in the near future on the front page to go alongside the BIP and the PD, the pieces wont be thematically linked like the BIP, rather it will be a collection of some of our best material, would it be possible to use this?

be my guest, my friend

all rites reversed

[Telarus]

Missed this one. Good stuff Cram (& commentators).