
no argument there...the mac is a solid system.
verging away from the OS analogy...
my problem is, I need to pursue the 'man behind the curtain' on things in order for me to claim I am studying something. I don't need to always find THE answer, but I have to pursue it in order to be honest with myself and my path.
I accept and partially understand the conceptual construct of Chi/Ki as it relates to ways of visualization, in order to assist the learner of a physically dynamic and tactile Art. I've worked with a bit of extra focus on 'short power'/fajing this year and have made some progress with measurable result. It isn't easy trying to translate IMA concepts into a 'language' that better suits me...but thats basically what I'm doing - I'm extracting out what I perceive as the baggage which often comes packaged within language associated with Chi.
My line of questioning on topics like this, I realize is frustrating to beleivers - but it being a public forum, they have to find a way to deal with it. just as non-beleivers have to learn to deal with reading nonsense and either ignoring it or addressing it rationally.
don't want the topic to become religious in nature, but wanted to mention I read various mythology which others hold as faith. I've read them from time to time and have read some good ones cover to cover. The metaphors are sometimes clever and poetic....to read it literally is to miss some great practical wisdom. other parts of it I read as just plain whack or irrelavent to my time and space. I have the freedom to do that since I'm not pre-setting the boundry with pre-conditioned faith mechanisms. all in text is fallible (including this post, in fact

).
Like Chi, the fact what little I manage to absorb with different eyes than a believer, does not mean my distilled meaning of particular 'verse' doesn't resonate at some level with people like me: atheists.
A 'chi atheist' does not necessarily mean 'anti-chi'...it just means (can only speak for myself), that belief for belief's sake even in the face of conflicting evidence (or no evidence) does me no good - so it's filtered, not necessarily rejected. but aspects may be rejected based on the level of absurdity or strength of conflicting evidence. ('evidence' be it science, intuition or experience)
The grey areas of learning in which at multiple points along the way, we often have to choose to either be our own teacher, or follow.