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CP1.25. Besides this, there are two modes of being that I call Firstness and Thirdness. Firstness is the mode of being which consists in its subject's being positively such as it is regardless of aught else. That can only be a possibility. For as long as things do not act upon one another there is no sense or meaning in saying that they have any being, unless it be that they are such in themselves that they may perhaps come into relation with others. The mode of being a redness, before anything in the universe was yet red, was nevertheless a positive qualitative possibility. And redness in itself, even if it be embodied, is something positive and sui generis. That I call Firstness. We naturally attribute Firstness to outward objects, that is we suppose they have capacities in themselves which may or may not be already actualized, which may or may not ever be actualized, although we can know nothing of such possibilities [except] so far as they are actualized. END
Positivity does not mean utter realization or manifestation. It means presence within. When a sign is in this category of firstness it is always potential and it is always activated by relationship. As a sign (information) it is in the first position in a triad that will consciously move by our choice to a second (observation, awareness of positives and negatives) and then to a third (law giving, habit formation, free choice of options).
Note the importance of actualizaton -- the third. One and two may be conscious but they are merely in the realm of the possible. We are free beings and choose what is. But we do not choose consciously until (ideally) we have a clear sense of what it is we are considering and a clear sense of what we want among the options we can see. In the third position we decide freely what changes we will make. These may be small and cumulative over time.
We are examining our existence. We are creating an environment. We are allowing for the possibility of choosing., We are learning the ineffable power of choice, of freedom. We are becoming the masters of our minds.
We do not have to leap to the third. The more conscious we are the more we can see the first as love incarnate -- possibility is such love.
Positivity does not mean utter realization or manifestation. It means presence within. When a sign is in this category of firstness it is always potential and it is always activated by relationship. As a sign (information) it is in the first position in a triad that will consciously move by our choice to a second (observation, awareness of positives and negatives) and then to a third (law giving, habit formation, free choice of options).
Note the importance of actualizaton -- the third. One and two may be conscious but they are merely in the realm of the possible. We are free beings and choose what is. But we do not choose consciously until (ideally) we have a clear sense of what it is we are considering and a clear sense of what we want among the options we can see. In the third position we decide freely what changes we will make. These may be small and cumulative over time.
We are examining our existence. We are creating an environment. We are allowing for the possibility of choosing., We are learning the ineffable power of choice, of freedom. We are becoming the masters of our minds.
We do not have to leap to the third. The more conscious we are the more we can see the first as love incarnate -- possibility is such love.
