Otto Says
A piece of software by Stone Riley (C) 2013
The "More Information" Page
Main Website: www.StoneRiley.com

This is supposed to be a complete list of everything we need to know to save the world from all its troubles.  In other words, this is a list of pithy aphorisms better than a bag of fortune cookies, so is supposed to be.

Furthermore, each pithy aphorism will be presented individually in a speech bubble in an animated cartoon vignette, with one speech bubble and one cartoon vignette on a computer screen together to be appearing when you click a button.

And this interactive acting has a forward straight reason: ritually enact the ethnic ancient Celtic custom of removing the head from a percipient person, embalming said body part, installing in a small wood box so you can most conveniently open the lid and ask the head a question. (painting)

But of course herein in "Otto Says" the talking head is just a cartoon of the artist.  ("Otto" being homophone from Greek "auto" meaning "self".)  And it is animated so my jaw can wag with no underlying metaphysic infrastructure.

Okay?  Alright, so here below is the purported list.


Everything We Need To Know
To Save The World From All Its Troubles
(So far, as per 06/23/2013)

This is part of "Otto Says" which is a piece of software by Stone Riley (C) 2013.  Submit suggestions for this list if you want to.  Go to the main website: www.StoneRiley.com then click the "Send E-Mail" button.

1)  Evolutionary psychology

Evolutionary psychology is one of the world-changing ideas of our age, and one of the greatest discoveries of science, just like Charles Darwin predicted.

2)  Money

Money is a kind of magical thinking common to all human beings. It is an illusion in our minds that somehow helped us survive in our natural environment but is harmful today.

3)  Divination

Experience in counseling convinces me that divination (fortune-telling) is either a real phenomenon or a wonderful evolved illusion which gives us information that's otherwise hidden from us.

4)  Universal mind

Is everything aware? Do sticks, stones, stars, planets, storms and rivers all have mind? Nowadays it's hard to find a scientific argument against this. So what is death?

5)  Brilliant people

The human race is full of hidden brilliant people, Lincoln's mother for example. She lived poor and died young, but she taught her child to treasure understanding and sent him to the world.

6)  Love and work

While Sigmund Freud was dying, a friend asked him how to make life good. He answered "Love and work." He didn't say we need to succeed at love and work either, only that we need to do them.

7)  My country

My country began as a republic and grew toward democracy, but now suddenly it is a brutal crumbling empire. This nightmare is like a horrid patchwork of all the Shakespeare tragedies.

8)  Global warming

Refusing to believe in global warming does tremendous damage. But that kind of optimism is often needed for survival and seems to be evolved in us. The world burns while we pause in a dilemma.

9)  War is declared

When war is declared, we suddenly cheer for acts of cruelty that would have horrified us just a week before. How can we stop that mental switch from clicking?

10)  Mindfulness

A key to doing any good is mindfulness. If you become aware of the workings of your mind, that self-compassion leads to compassion for others. This is a supremely useful evolved mental trick.

11)  Teaching

We humans find deep delight in teaching, in gifting to each other any information that seems important for its truth and usefulness and beauty. This form of love is essential to our survival.

12)  Fundamentalism

Dark unreason blooms profusely in our time, the so-called "fundamentalist" religions and philosophies. Why are there so many of them in our world, all making war against each other?

13)  Don't stop walking

Don't stop walking when there is no way ahead. Your walking makes the path. The place you started from was cleared by others and others will soon follow you and pass and step ahead.

14)  Heroic life

There is a torrent now of change. But the heroic mode of life - knowing the world is true, knowing you can help, letting difficulties teach you - that can give us work and love and joy.

15)  Passion song

Is our situation all so new? Didn't we humans anciently evolve to be a family walking through a dangerous land? So aren't our passions a mystic song to help us find safe camp by nightfall?

16)  Trusting science

Science builds atomic bombs and new ingenious poisons. But we must celebrate at least the works of Jane Goodall, Katy Payne, old Charles Darwin and their like. Science - what in it can we trust?

17)  Trusting religion

Religion may take our souls and open them to the Unutterable Divine and countless other founts of beauty. And it may close our hearts to all who do not see. Religion - what in it can we trust?

18)  Trusting our passions

Great teachers point ahead, calling to us: "Follow your bliss!" But our nature records other instincts too, some saying "greed, jealousy, war". Our passions - what in them can we trust?

19)  Sacred duty

God is not dead. It (or They or She or He) lives in our minds to be the object of our highest duty, and in this catastrophe today we surely have a very sacred duty.

20)  Non-violence

Gandhi saw non-violent activists as soldiers. Dr.King taught our struggle like the progress of a soul toward God. Non-violence is our only possible strategy but what should our inward attitude be?

21)  Fundamentalist capitalism

Worldwide merciless robber bands, proclaiming a fundamentalist faith in capitalism, are attacking We The People. Meanwhile, we search desperately for some safe home on this troubled planet.

22)  Love Finds A Way

Love must be our answer. Love yearns to bind together. Love gifts wings to hope and wealth to charity, disarming cruelty and despair. Love finds a way. Love is our link to all, Cosmos here on Earth.

→ To offer your suggestions go to www.StoneRiley.com and click the "Send E-Mail" button.