Certainly no intention to make you feel sad.
What is spirituality?
- Thread starter I_Voyager
- Start date
Not sad, just ... regret that I cannot (will not) play with the others' toys. Maybe *I* have my own exclusive club, and do not let others in. And I shouldn't be like that.
Re (from GalaGirl):
Thanks. I do have an interest in spiritual things, even though I don't think of myself as being spiritual. And wanting to live in such a way as to improve the human/animal/plant condition does count as a "bigger thing."
Re (from GalaGirl):
Thanks. I do have an interest in spiritual things, even though I don't think of myself as being spiritual. And wanting to live in such a way as to improve the human/animal/plant condition does count as a "bigger thing."
Spirituality is the belief that there is something greater than ourselves. We are not alone in this world and we have a connection to something bigger than us. This can be through religion, nature, or even just our own intuition. Birthday astrology
Leander
Member
By this definition it would be rare for someone *not* to be spiritual. Most would not argue, for example, that they weren't part of some greater collective of beings or being-ness.
There should be a word for this in general because so many people fit that description. The closest I can think of is psychonaut, but that usually implies the use of psychedelics in addition to other practices plus its more a description of what someone does rather than is.
I guess what I find confusing is, for example we look at the word "polyamory" and derive a ballpark definition from it based on its parts. "Poly-" means "many" and "-amory" means "love." Hence, polyamory -- many loves. This makes sense. The official definition takes a little tweaking, but the parts of the word have put us on the right track.
Why, then, do we look at the word "spirituality," and disregard the presence of "spirit" as part of it? The suffix "-uality" infers "of the prefix as a noun ..." "-al" means "of or pertaining to" (per Wiktionary), "-ity" forms the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description (per Wiktionary). Putting these parts together we get something on the order of, spirituality = the state of being of the spirit.
This isn't rocket science, you really don't need to look at Wiktionary to comprehend where the parts of the word are pointing. How can one be "of the spirit" if one does not believe in spirits? But hey, let's consult Wiktionary. Definition One: "The quality or state of being spiritual." Definition Two: "Concern for that which is unseen and intangible, as opposed to physical or mundane." Definition Three: "Appreciation for religious values."
And what does "spiritual" mean? Consulting Wiktionary ... One: "Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul." Two: "Of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred." Three: "Of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural." Four: "Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal." Five: "Of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual." Six: "Controlled and inspired by the Holy Spirit; pure; holy." Seven: "Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical."
Granted, Definition Five refers to the intellect. But come on, that's one definition out of seven. And it's only because the mind and the spirit tend to be thought of as synonymous. A word with the word "spirit" in it, strongly implies a world with spirits in it. I guess I've given it more thought, and I'm inclined to not describe myself as spiritual.
Why, then, do we look at the word "spirituality," and disregard the presence of "spirit" as part of it? The suffix "-uality" infers "of the prefix as a noun ..." "-al" means "of or pertaining to" (per Wiktionary), "-ity" forms the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description (per Wiktionary). Putting these parts together we get something on the order of, spirituality = the state of being of the spirit.
This isn't rocket science, you really don't need to look at Wiktionary to comprehend where the parts of the word are pointing. How can one be "of the spirit" if one does not believe in spirits? But hey, let's consult Wiktionary. Definition One: "The quality or state of being spiritual." Definition Two: "Concern for that which is unseen and intangible, as opposed to physical or mundane." Definition Three: "Appreciation for religious values."
And what does "spiritual" mean? Consulting Wiktionary ... One: "Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul." Two: "Of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred." Three: "Of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural." Four: "Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal." Five: "Of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual." Six: "Controlled and inspired by the Holy Spirit; pure; holy." Seven: "Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical."
Granted, Definition Five refers to the intellect. But come on, that's one definition out of seven. And it's only because the mind and the spirit tend to be thought of as synonymous. A word with the word "spirit" in it, strongly implies a world with spirits in it. I guess I've given it more thought, and I'm inclined to not describe myself as spiritual.