Friday, October 01, 2010
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The trick is living without an answer
... I think.
Hello and welcome to the show! I sit here in my cane chair and stare at a blank document. This document can be anything. Somehow, its potential is intimidating.
The irony isn't lost on me.
It’s 2009 and the year is coming to its end. I’ve always wondered what we call this decade. There were the 80s and then came the 90s and these are the 00s. That makes sense. Except how do you say it? And what do we call the next set of 3652 days? Tens? I think the 20s to the 90s have it easy. We’re sitting on some difficult to term terms. And nobody seems to be bothered. The future is well on its way but I can’t seem to spot any flying cars or people migrating to Mars. Ooh but apparently there’s water there now. Or the possibility of water. Tomato tomato. 90s 00s.
In my quest for self realization I have met many travellers. Unfortunately they don’t share my enthusiasm in finding myself. Selfish? I don’t know. But in this journey of awareness and cognition and the occasional dinner party, I have learnt many things... So let me begin by saying what I’ve figured out is –
I like figuring things out.
“What is the meaning of life?” is never a relevant question. It’s what brings meaning to your life that’s the trick. I guess I find meaning in meaning. As we grow older, that meaning tends to dissect itself and spread into tributaries like your kids and their kids and health and tax and self preservation and death and leaving a mark before dying before exiting this world and going to another. Where? Fuck if I know. Society has trained us into believing we need things using the highly convincing methods of conformity and uniformity. If X believes this and Y does that and all the other letters in the alphabet are more or less the same, why would U like to be any different? [sic]
You ask me whether I believe in God and I ask “Why? Why God? When did that come up?” I guess that makes me an atheist. But I prefer ‘agnostic’ or ‘skeptic’ because that seems more sensible. I’m not going to pick a side when the battle doesn’t involve me.
My version is that we’re here to write a story and that’s all it is.
That’s a neat little trick I learnt about credibility. Quotation marks. People seem easily charmed by anonymous intelligence. A pearl of wisdom spawned from an unnamed source is way more valuable than if you knew it came from an oyster named Bob.
So I guess reality is nothing more than a consensus. We are sharing consciousness/reality... We ought to feel grateful. A basic form of that is our ability to express thought. And I am grateful that I can, and in this way. But the problem with that is that as soon as you communicate meaning into thought, it takes away from its meaning. And as soon as you start thinking, you’ve justified your reason to start thinking.
It’s like stepping into a hole that wouldn’t be there if you hadn’t stepped into it in the first place.
And somehow that never ending Catch 22 is inspiring in that it’s even been created.
But what if someone else’s meaning could be made up of something other than thought? Wow. Imagine that. I can’t.
We have grown into a culture of verifiable knowledge and I think we need to embrace it. Google is in the flipping dictionary and we use these words no longer as nouns, but verbs which just goes to show how horizontal we’re moving. Broad and vast, we’re covering subjects like tidal waves across the realm of information. And the difference between information and misinformation will one day hopefully drown into oblivion. Our thirst for knowledge coupled with our desire to conform to the consensus of reality (a.k.a remaining legally sane) has escalated our learning curve to a point where it is embarrassing to not be in the know. And if you’re in the know, you better know it right. Ambiguity and weasel words don’t cut it.
You need to understand to be understood. And vice versa.
Our minds are entities themselves and if you think about it, the human body (brain and all) is a vessel. It’s like our minds’ little child’s toy. We exist outside of it. Maybe this is what the fourth dimension is supposed to be. Or fifth.
A simple example is how we feel about our bodies and hair and clothes or whatever. Because it is how we are represented... Our minds are being represented. At a certain level, your own body is alien to you. And what’s funny is that you know it.
Everyone knows it.
The funny (and incredibly scary) thing about representation is that it is everywhere. On our faces, in our writing, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the music we listen to, the people we associate with, the food we eat. The job we have and how much money we look like we’re making, the school we went to and the level of regret/pride we express for having gone there to even the fucking operating system (mac vs. windows) we choose. It’s all representation. Most of it is subliminal. The rest is elementary. And people like you and me learn to become obsessed with portrayal. It’s sad, it’s pathetic and worst of all, if you really think about it – it’s unnecessary because it’s in your head.
"We are the victims of the trap that is our minds. And that’s putting it lightly. That’s merciful. Because YOU are the victim of the trap that is YOUR mind.”
There’s another powerful set of quotation marks for you.
Now assuming there is a world around me and people aren’t merely figments of my imagination, I’d like to talk about relationship maintenance. The past few months have posed some pertinent questions. I’ve always invested a lot of myself into relationships because I derive meaning from them and the people around me constitute a large percentage of my happiness quotient. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking about whether it’s worth putting any effort into fixing or sustaining relationships once you reach a sizeable conflict. Deliberating the principle - on one hand, I want for people to love me and appreciate me etcetera etcetera. On the other, if I succumb to the responsibility of upholding the relationship alone, I am in danger of compromising my integrity. I guess I 've learnt that I can only work things out if the conflicting party is intent on working things out. If they aren’t, well, there isn't anything I can do and any and each effort I make to resolve the situation is solely to make myself feel better. So do I persist? Do I stand my ground? Do I sever ties?
I think secretly I’ve always felt I’d be successful at keeping happy relationships with everyone I ever meet because that is exactly my intention. But now I’m starting to question my personal Doctorate of Intentionalism and whether it really is the true way forward.
Coming to a close now and there's some really groovy, ambient stuff playing. Music always manages to communicate emotion into its own universe of sound. It's a sensual process and I love soaking it in; feeling it in the tips of my fingers; inhaling the melody; shutting everything else down. I feel positive at the moment. The beat seems to resonate my happy state. I wish I could share this with you.
Be happy. Spread happy.
Which brings me to the theme I intend to follow this coming year: Happiness and Humility. I believe that there is truth in humility and it is key in the pursuit of happiness. This year, I hope to incorporate as much of the humble stuff I can in my pursuit. At this point, it seems genius; but I can only conclude with a field test.
Here’s to taking her for a spin! See you next year!
Yours humbly,
The Greatest Person Ever.
Hello and welcome to the show! I sit here in my cane chair and stare at a blank document. This document can be anything. Somehow, its potential is intimidating.
The irony isn't lost on me.
It’s 2009 and the year is coming to its end. I’ve always wondered what we call this decade. There were the 80s and then came the 90s and these are the 00s. That makes sense. Except how do you say it? And what do we call the next set of 3652 days? Tens? I think the 20s to the 90s have it easy. We’re sitting on some difficult to term terms. And nobody seems to be bothered. The future is well on its way but I can’t seem to spot any flying cars or people migrating to Mars. Ooh but apparently there’s water there now. Or the possibility of water. Tomato tomato. 90s 00s.
In my quest for self realization I have met many travellers. Unfortunately they don’t share my enthusiasm in finding myself. Selfish? I don’t know. But in this journey of awareness and cognition and the occasional dinner party, I have learnt many things... So let me begin by saying what I’ve figured out is –
I like figuring things out.
“What is the meaning of life?” is never a relevant question. It’s what brings meaning to your life that’s the trick. I guess I find meaning in meaning. As we grow older, that meaning tends to dissect itself and spread into tributaries like your kids and their kids and health and tax and self preservation and death and leaving a mark before dying before exiting this world and going to another. Where? Fuck if I know. Society has trained us into believing we need things using the highly convincing methods of conformity and uniformity. If X believes this and Y does that and all the other letters in the alphabet are more or less the same, why would U like to be any different? [sic]
You ask me whether I believe in God and I ask “Why? Why God? When did that come up?” I guess that makes me an atheist. But I prefer ‘agnostic’ or ‘skeptic’ because that seems more sensible. I’m not going to pick a side when the battle doesn’t involve me.
My version is that we’re here to write a story and that’s all it is.
“Science is cool. But we’ve been talking about reality for generations. Explaining gravity would be to you like explaining consciousness is to me. It’s a subset. Complete the bubble.
Age matters because it’s a way to measure the physical world. Age is to science what consciousness is to existence. And we exist because we need to exist. Take away need. Boom.”
That’s a neat little trick I learnt about credibility. Quotation marks. People seem easily charmed by anonymous intelligence. A pearl of wisdom spawned from an unnamed source is way more valuable than if you knew it came from an oyster named Bob.
So I guess reality is nothing more than a consensus. We are sharing consciousness/reality... We ought to feel grateful. A basic form of that is our ability to express thought. And I am grateful that I can, and in this way. But the problem with that is that as soon as you communicate meaning into thought, it takes away from its meaning. And as soon as you start thinking, you’ve justified your reason to start thinking.
It’s like stepping into a hole that wouldn’t be there if you hadn’t stepped into it in the first place.
And somehow that never ending Catch 22 is inspiring in that it’s even been created.
But what if someone else’s meaning could be made up of something other than thought? Wow. Imagine that. I can’t.
We have grown into a culture of verifiable knowledge and I think we need to embrace it. Google is in the flipping dictionary and we use these words no longer as nouns, but verbs which just goes to show how horizontal we’re moving. Broad and vast, we’re covering subjects like tidal waves across the realm of information. And the difference between information and misinformation will one day hopefully drown into oblivion. Our thirst for knowledge coupled with our desire to conform to the consensus of reality (a.k.a remaining legally sane) has escalated our learning curve to a point where it is embarrassing to not be in the know. And if you’re in the know, you better know it right. Ambiguity and weasel words don’t cut it.
You need to understand to be understood. And vice versa.
Our minds are entities themselves and if you think about it, the human body (brain and all) is a vessel. It’s like our minds’ little child’s toy. We exist outside of it. Maybe this is what the fourth dimension is supposed to be. Or fifth.
A simple example is how we feel about our bodies and hair and clothes or whatever. Because it is how we are represented... Our minds are being represented. At a certain level, your own body is alien to you. And what’s funny is that you know it.
Everyone knows it.
The funny (and incredibly scary) thing about representation is that it is everywhere. On our faces, in our writing, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the music we listen to, the people we associate with, the food we eat. The job we have and how much money we look like we’re making, the school we went to and the level of regret/pride we express for having gone there to even the fucking operating system (mac vs. windows) we choose. It’s all representation. Most of it is subliminal. The rest is elementary. And people like you and me learn to become obsessed with portrayal. It’s sad, it’s pathetic and worst of all, if you really think about it – it’s unnecessary because it’s in your head.
"We are the victims of the trap that is our minds. And that’s putting it lightly. That’s merciful. Because YOU are the victim of the trap that is YOUR mind.”
There’s another powerful set of quotation marks for you.
Now assuming there is a world around me and people aren’t merely figments of my imagination, I’d like to talk about relationship maintenance. The past few months have posed some pertinent questions. I’ve always invested a lot of myself into relationships because I derive meaning from them and the people around me constitute a large percentage of my happiness quotient. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking about whether it’s worth putting any effort into fixing or sustaining relationships once you reach a sizeable conflict. Deliberating the principle - on one hand, I want for people to love me and appreciate me etcetera etcetera. On the other, if I succumb to the responsibility of upholding the relationship alone, I am in danger of compromising my integrity. I guess I 've learnt that I can only work things out if the conflicting party is intent on working things out. If they aren’t, well, there isn't anything I can do and any and each effort I make to resolve the situation is solely to make myself feel better. So do I persist? Do I stand my ground? Do I sever ties?
I think secretly I’ve always felt I’d be successful at keeping happy relationships with everyone I ever meet because that is exactly my intention. But now I’m starting to question my personal Doctorate of Intentionalism and whether it really is the true way forward.
Coming to a close now and there's some really groovy, ambient stuff playing. Music always manages to communicate emotion into its own universe of sound. It's a sensual process and I love soaking it in; feeling it in the tips of my fingers; inhaling the melody; shutting everything else down. I feel positive at the moment. The beat seems to resonate my happy state. I wish I could share this with you.
Be happy. Spread happy.
Which brings me to the theme I intend to follow this coming year: Happiness and Humility. I believe that there is truth in humility and it is key in the pursuit of happiness. This year, I hope to incorporate as much of the humble stuff I can in my pursuit. At this point, it seems genius; but I can only conclude with a field test.
Here’s to taking her for a spin! See you next year!
Yours humbly,
The Greatest Person Ever.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
the Difference is In Difference
Hello and welcome to the show. This particular episode, I will attempt to explain, elaborate and elucidate a theory I have been sitting on for over a year now: the Perspective of Infinity.
But before we begin, some highlights. First- the career aspect. I took up multiple jobs in all sorts of fields and have learnt to understand the concept of a career and the lifestyle that corresponds to it. I have learnt discipline and routine, and understood why it is I don't enjoy it. I have seen different characters and appreciated and criticized the system. I now find myself equipped to empathize with the working man. I have also become adept at looking ‘too busy to deal with more work, so go away you fat lump’.
Second- social aspect. Brilliant summer, really. Re-evaluated and restructured all my ties and have solidified many relationships. Furthermore, I have utilized those long hours of passive behaviour studying to my advantage, and don't see any reason why you won't be my friend. Yes, the future looks bright.
Third and final, I have thoroughly examined this game people call 'love' and feel empowered to take on the next encounter with all guns blazing. The downside to this, however, is this unassuming feeling of awareness that has come over me and taken the reigns so that I don't fall into some sort of unintelligent, emotional trap. To a layman, that would imply being "guarded", but nay, it isn't. It is merely the act of looking out for myself.
Yes, I guess that still pretty much means "guarded". Let me just make clear that I am prepared to put myself into another compromising situation, all the while understanding the importance of my own personal freedom. And the importance of being idle, but perhaps I'll get to that in the next segment.
Time is an illusion. What? But sir, in your last post you clearly expressed utmost respect towards the powerful concept. Well yes, it took me a while, but I managed to uncover its secret. Along with many others. In my quest for knowledge, I have learnt that societal influence plays a vital and overwhelming role in our pursuit and sometimes this role can tilt our scales of judgement while looking for the ever-elusive entity of objectivity. Not to discredit Man, but I have discovered that there are certain concepts and terms that are suspiciously ambiguous and difficult to define. Upon further examination, I learnt that these terms were potentially masking the truth, or giving a bit of a push to those concepts that seemed difficult to explain/understand. It is human nature to find truth, but it is also human nature to delude itself in this journey. The end justifies the means? Not usually, and definitely not in this case.
Imagine if you will, a line. Draw two arrows on either side, so as to imply limitlessness. Right there. That word – limitlessness. A synonym for another, more powerful word – infinity. Hold that thought. Now apply this concept to the universe. If one were to move towards one side, one arrow, do they achieve contact? Or does the line keep moving forward, as if to thwart any efforts made to find its end? Perhaps, dear readers, the universe is like this line. Perhaps that would explain its ‘expanding’ nature. Mere speculations, but let’s not get physical here. Philosophically speaking, time is man-made and essentially just a means for humans to unitize and better understand the ‘flow of the universe’. Do we really understand the word ‘infinity’? Do we seriously grasp the concept and its implications? We don’t because we tend to believe that everything has a beginning and an end. We subscribe to the idea of starting and finishing, of life and death. It’s what makes us human. Speaking of, I have recently recognized life as a mere classification. We attribute so much meaning to everything, especially “life” but from one existentialist to another, there’s the rub, isn’t it?
We are free to create and destroy meaning at any moment we please. Let’s just leave it at that, shall we.
This constant ping pong match between truth and reality, hope and despair, happy and sad, togetherness and loneliness, friends and not-really-well-acquainted-folk, life and the absence of it has left me in a pickle. One tends to create new answers for questions that are hard to battle. Solutions for a way out. A loophole, perhaps... or maybe an ideology. We’re attached to a system and this system has us fooled. It also has us inspired, berated and amused. We’re victims of what is termed “freewill” but tsk, are we really worthy of such luxury? Or punishment? Wicked game, this freedom of thought, action and expression. We’re still always confined to limits, aren’t we? And once choice is limited, where’s the freewill then? Assume for a moment, we are not free beings, but in fact, just entities imagined by ourselves floating through existence able to perform actions based on conducive circumstances and preferred consequences. I do not see any meaning in contradicting that.
How are we different from that rock lying near the pavement? Yes, complexity in composition, biological systems etc, but really – are we not pretty much the same? That rock is not able to move across the road, unless kicked by a passerby, or maybe picked up and thrown. It is a victim of circumstance. Similarly, in a larger scheme, we are victims too. Don’t be thrown by the word, it isn’t necessarily derogatory or belittling. Merely implicative of our submissive, powerless nature. We can’t just stand up and fly across town, can we? We are bound by our own physical capabilities. In essence, not free to act as we desire. That rock doesn’t seem to have it any different, now does it?
I cannot refute “choice”; it poses a solid argument. I am merely playing with the thought of freewill and how perhaps we are deluding ourselves once over. It does solve a lot of problems, doesn’t it? Oh but then nobody’s accountable and all hell can break loose. Oh, anarchy and terror will reign. Oh, this and oh, that. It’s true. It’s all true. Once freewill walks out the door, morals and ethics follow closely. See, there never really is a right and wrong since there’s only one way to go. Feel free to quote me. Now that sort of fixes a lot of philosophical debates too. So what do we have left, then? Hmmm.
I guess everyone needs a way to pass the time.
You know, I always have been infatuated with time. Ever since I can remember, I’ve played with it in my head, as I’m sure each and every one of you has. Back and forth, bending and breaking, stopping and starting, watching it move and creep all over us, wearing a pompous grin. The mind is a powerful tool and a terrible thing to waste. Which brings me to a topic of utmost relevance. Intelligence. Once all the smoke blows over, philosophy really doesn’t cut it in the big bad world anymore. It’s all in the practice. The actions, the words, the drama and the thrill. We strive to be effective beings pursuing a common goal of glory while dabbling in side habits along the way. World peace, no disease, no hate and violence, no breaking the law. Get your kick but stay in line because the system knows it makes for better sense.
The search for objective truth is like running on a treadmill. You better be in it for the exercise.
This year, I learnt that there is another pursuit that deviates a little, but proves more fruitful, more satisfying. The pursuit of immediate happiness. The Perspective of Infinity aims to do just that. We grow older and wiser and our minds expand and our vision grows broad. The art of maintaining an ideology of infinite perspective while pursuing immediate pleasure is the essence of the theory. It’s simple, elegant and worth revelling within. Of course, there is a level of detachment that comes with it. But that’s what we’re going for, I guess.
An unadulterated excerpt from a letter I wrote a friend that I find apt to place here, with regard to worldly issues and how we fit in, during this divine pursuit:
“Fuck that, I say. Why must we concern ourselves with things that don’t concern us? I mean, I’m all for people being socially active and humanitarians and such. But only if it makes you happy while doing it, you know? If I decide today, that global warming, AIDS, and other funny things don’t need to take up my attention and I grow indifferent towards these ‘causes’, what’s the harm? I’m merely simplifying my life. I’m focusing more on the things that concern me directly. I’m detaching myself from disconnected matters and attaching myself more firmly to things that are of real concern to ME. Like my family and friends. Like basketball or sex. Like music and movies and beer. That way, I manage to stabilize my existence and get the advantage of taking more pleasure from each moment, rather than feeling convoluted and claustrophobic because X and Y can’t seem to pay their bills on time, which leads to someone in Somalia having one grain of rice less. Which isn’t a big deal because they don’t have much to start with anyway. Haha.
Inappropriate humour. We discovered and developed it because it made sense to us to deal with sensitive situations and remove the stigma attached to various issues by objectifying them and therefore, desensitising them. That way, everyone’s cool with everything and we groove forward and continue to lead a healthy and free existence full of pleasure and yes, the odd hardship. But not because there was an earthquake in China, more so because your mother died. Something that hits you close, you know? I hope you dig. I’m becoming more and more intensively existentialist. And I enjoy it. You start to feel ‘free’, (I don’t say you ARE free because it’s only just a state of mind and again, isn’t real) and begin to enjoy the littler things until you are able to deal with everything in a seemingly stable and systematic way, instead of getting swayed by disconnected thoughts and only live for yourself and attach yourself to things that concern you directly and you have influence over. The pursuit of immediate happiness. The rest should and must fall under your indifference curve.
That way, everyone’s happy and if they aren’t, they’re indifferent. Which isn’t half bad. And everyone lives and everyone dies and everyone creates a memory and nothing more because there really is nothing more. Yeah.”
So add a splash of humour to your day, add colour and excitement. Have fun and be merry because, and I quote, “the future’s uncertain, but the end is always near.” Thanks, Lizard King.
And thank you for your time, Dear Reader. I wouldn’t know where I’d be without you... Oh wait a minute, yes I do. Nothing would change. This doesn’t pay any bills. That’d be the day, eh? Nonetheless, I sincerely appreciate your ability to scrounge through this ramble and find an inkling of value in it all.
Good day.
But before we begin, some highlights. First- the career aspect. I took up multiple jobs in all sorts of fields and have learnt to understand the concept of a career and the lifestyle that corresponds to it. I have learnt discipline and routine, and understood why it is I don't enjoy it. I have seen different characters and appreciated and criticized the system. I now find myself equipped to empathize with the working man. I have also become adept at looking ‘too busy to deal with more work, so go away you fat lump’.
Second- social aspect. Brilliant summer, really. Re-evaluated and restructured all my ties and have solidified many relationships. Furthermore, I have utilized those long hours of passive behaviour studying to my advantage, and don't see any reason why you won't be my friend. Yes, the future looks bright.
Third and final, I have thoroughly examined this game people call 'love' and feel empowered to take on the next encounter with all guns blazing. The downside to this, however, is this unassuming feeling of awareness that has come over me and taken the reigns so that I don't fall into some sort of unintelligent, emotional trap. To a layman, that would imply being "guarded", but nay, it isn't. It is merely the act of looking out for myself.
Yes, I guess that still pretty much means "guarded". Let me just make clear that I am prepared to put myself into another compromising situation, all the while understanding the importance of my own personal freedom. And the importance of being idle, but perhaps I'll get to that in the next segment.
Time is an illusion. What? But sir, in your last post you clearly expressed utmost respect towards the powerful concept. Well yes, it took me a while, but I managed to uncover its secret. Along with many others. In my quest for knowledge, I have learnt that societal influence plays a vital and overwhelming role in our pursuit and sometimes this role can tilt our scales of judgement while looking for the ever-elusive entity of objectivity. Not to discredit Man, but I have discovered that there are certain concepts and terms that are suspiciously ambiguous and difficult to define. Upon further examination, I learnt that these terms were potentially masking the truth, or giving a bit of a push to those concepts that seemed difficult to explain/understand. It is human nature to find truth, but it is also human nature to delude itself in this journey. The end justifies the means? Not usually, and definitely not in this case.
Imagine if you will, a line. Draw two arrows on either side, so as to imply limitlessness. Right there. That word – limitlessness. A synonym for another, more powerful word – infinity. Hold that thought. Now apply this concept to the universe. If one were to move towards one side, one arrow, do they achieve contact? Or does the line keep moving forward, as if to thwart any efforts made to find its end? Perhaps, dear readers, the universe is like this line. Perhaps that would explain its ‘expanding’ nature. Mere speculations, but let’s not get physical here. Philosophically speaking, time is man-made and essentially just a means for humans to unitize and better understand the ‘flow of the universe’. Do we really understand the word ‘infinity’? Do we seriously grasp the concept and its implications? We don’t because we tend to believe that everything has a beginning and an end. We subscribe to the idea of starting and finishing, of life and death. It’s what makes us human. Speaking of, I have recently recognized life as a mere classification. We attribute so much meaning to everything, especially “life” but from one existentialist to another, there’s the rub, isn’t it?
We are free to create and destroy meaning at any moment we please. Let’s just leave it at that, shall we.
This constant ping pong match between truth and reality, hope and despair, happy and sad, togetherness and loneliness, friends and not-really-well-acquainted-folk, life and the absence of it has left me in a pickle. One tends to create new answers for questions that are hard to battle. Solutions for a way out. A loophole, perhaps... or maybe an ideology. We’re attached to a system and this system has us fooled. It also has us inspired, berated and amused. We’re victims of what is termed “freewill” but tsk, are we really worthy of such luxury? Or punishment? Wicked game, this freedom of thought, action and expression. We’re still always confined to limits, aren’t we? And once choice is limited, where’s the freewill then? Assume for a moment, we are not free beings, but in fact, just entities imagined by ourselves floating through existence able to perform actions based on conducive circumstances and preferred consequences. I do not see any meaning in contradicting that.
How are we different from that rock lying near the pavement? Yes, complexity in composition, biological systems etc, but really – are we not pretty much the same? That rock is not able to move across the road, unless kicked by a passerby, or maybe picked up and thrown. It is a victim of circumstance. Similarly, in a larger scheme, we are victims too. Don’t be thrown by the word, it isn’t necessarily derogatory or belittling. Merely implicative of our submissive, powerless nature. We can’t just stand up and fly across town, can we? We are bound by our own physical capabilities. In essence, not free to act as we desire. That rock doesn’t seem to have it any different, now does it?
I cannot refute “choice”; it poses a solid argument. I am merely playing with the thought of freewill and how perhaps we are deluding ourselves once over. It does solve a lot of problems, doesn’t it? Oh but then nobody’s accountable and all hell can break loose. Oh, anarchy and terror will reign. Oh, this and oh, that. It’s true. It’s all true. Once freewill walks out the door, morals and ethics follow closely. See, there never really is a right and wrong since there’s only one way to go. Feel free to quote me. Now that sort of fixes a lot of philosophical debates too. So what do we have left, then? Hmmm.
I guess everyone needs a way to pass the time.
You know, I always have been infatuated with time. Ever since I can remember, I’ve played with it in my head, as I’m sure each and every one of you has. Back and forth, bending and breaking, stopping and starting, watching it move and creep all over us, wearing a pompous grin. The mind is a powerful tool and a terrible thing to waste. Which brings me to a topic of utmost relevance. Intelligence. Once all the smoke blows over, philosophy really doesn’t cut it in the big bad world anymore. It’s all in the practice. The actions, the words, the drama and the thrill. We strive to be effective beings pursuing a common goal of glory while dabbling in side habits along the way. World peace, no disease, no hate and violence, no breaking the law. Get your kick but stay in line because the system knows it makes for better sense.
The search for objective truth is like running on a treadmill. You better be in it for the exercise.
This year, I learnt that there is another pursuit that deviates a little, but proves more fruitful, more satisfying. The pursuit of immediate happiness. The Perspective of Infinity aims to do just that. We grow older and wiser and our minds expand and our vision grows broad. The art of maintaining an ideology of infinite perspective while pursuing immediate pleasure is the essence of the theory. It’s simple, elegant and worth revelling within. Of course, there is a level of detachment that comes with it. But that’s what we’re going for, I guess.
An unadulterated excerpt from a letter I wrote a friend that I find apt to place here, with regard to worldly issues and how we fit in, during this divine pursuit:
“Fuck that, I say. Why must we concern ourselves with things that don’t concern us? I mean, I’m all for people being socially active and humanitarians and such. But only if it makes you happy while doing it, you know? If I decide today, that global warming, AIDS, and other funny things don’t need to take up my attention and I grow indifferent towards these ‘causes’, what’s the harm? I’m merely simplifying my life. I’m focusing more on the things that concern me directly. I’m detaching myself from disconnected matters and attaching myself more firmly to things that are of real concern to ME. Like my family and friends. Like basketball or sex. Like music and movies and beer. That way, I manage to stabilize my existence and get the advantage of taking more pleasure from each moment, rather than feeling convoluted and claustrophobic because X and Y can’t seem to pay their bills on time, which leads to someone in Somalia having one grain of rice less. Which isn’t a big deal because they don’t have much to start with anyway. Haha.
Inappropriate humour. We discovered and developed it because it made sense to us to deal with sensitive situations and remove the stigma attached to various issues by objectifying them and therefore, desensitising them. That way, everyone’s cool with everything and we groove forward and continue to lead a healthy and free existence full of pleasure and yes, the odd hardship. But not because there was an earthquake in China, more so because your mother died. Something that hits you close, you know? I hope you dig. I’m becoming more and more intensively existentialist. And I enjoy it. You start to feel ‘free’, (I don’t say you ARE free because it’s only just a state of mind and again, isn’t real) and begin to enjoy the littler things until you are able to deal with everything in a seemingly stable and systematic way, instead of getting swayed by disconnected thoughts and only live for yourself and attach yourself to things that concern you directly and you have influence over. The pursuit of immediate happiness. The rest should and must fall under your indifference curve.
That way, everyone’s happy and if they aren’t, they’re indifferent. Which isn’t half bad. And everyone lives and everyone dies and everyone creates a memory and nothing more because there really is nothing more. Yeah.”
So add a splash of humour to your day, add colour and excitement. Have fun and be merry because, and I quote, “the future’s uncertain, but the end is always near.” Thanks, Lizard King.
And thank you for your time, Dear Reader. I wouldn’t know where I’d be without you... Oh wait a minute, yes I do. Nothing would change. This doesn’t pay any bills. That’d be the day, eh? Nonetheless, I sincerely appreciate your ability to scrounge through this ramble and find an inkling of value in it all.
Good day.
Friday, September 28, 2007
critical appreciation
time. wow. really gets you, doesn't it? here i sit, exactly one year from my previous visit, and put down my thoughts. my beliefs, my experiences, my circumstances and my consequences.
so what has this year been about? from sitting to standing to lying down, from bike riding to bike crashing, from finding people to losing people, from holding people together to breaking down alone, from love making to love breaking, from living to dying; i guess its pretty much what everyone goes through. the one and only objective party is that annoying yet ever-enduring four letter word- time. i bet she sits quite high and mighty on her proud little throne with her big fancy boots. but you have to give it to her.. you have to respect.
so what has changed for you, what makes scrolling through this page a different experience? let me try and identify any modifications that may exist. i still stand by practically all of which i stated previously. although i do think i came off as someone trying to cram my beliefs down people's throats. as this year has passed, one learning has been not to impose my theories on anyone. however, i think i touched upon a pretty broad subject and i feel it manages to apply to all spheres of life. but there are certain aspects, like the right and wrong bit. and the regret. we are living through a subjective experience, you and i. that implies and pretty much forms the basis for the existence of these concepts. i have come to realize, this past year, that one mustn't strive too hard for objectivity if it means for them to lose the human inside. the true art, however, lies in taking subjective experience into consideration, and being able to find objective truth. big words, yes, but i assure you, if you chew upon them long enough, you'll have something substantial to digest.
everything happens for a reason. the basic law that is cause and effect. circumstance and consequence. i have gone through quite an intensive learning experience this past year and it almost feels like i've been tested, by some unknown superpower, as if i were a pawn in some sort of premeditated 'game'. now not only is that false, its pathetic. i am not some victim of divine intervention. i guess that its human tendency to try and attribute occurrences to causes beyond our knowledge. an innate quality of human beings, one tends to look for mystery. even if one mystery is solved, we'll create another one for ourselves. it is our nature to want to imagine the unimaginable. to explain the unexplained. if truth can be found, we must create a new opportunity to find new truth. we'd like to believe that there is more to existence than existence itself. that we hold more significance in this inexplicably vast universe.
i guess it comes down to a mere debate. between reason and purpose. do things happen because of reasons that are potentially explicable or because they're meant to turn out that way? one can say that explaining situations with stories of god or destiny is us submitting to running away from responsibility; from accountability. some might feel it is us devising imaginative tales to explain why things happen the way they do.
i think it's just plain silly.
i'm an idealistic person. and i think peace is an ideal that is actually within grasp. i have only recently begun to recognize the futility and complete waste of money, people and resources the army is. i mean, why would we invest so much to defend ourselves, from ourselves? its preposterous. one world, one people everybody. honestly, why is it that when we think of the planet, we automatically divide it into different segments?
these borders. where did they come from? mere lines have formed the basis for unnecessary and heinous acts that disturb the harmony that could otherwise exist. sentiments of patriotism somehow convert themselves into negativity. i believe that competitiveness can harbour a taste for this negativity. a world without borders would be bliss. we would finally see the planet for what it truly is.
the physical map stands for much more than we know.. if you think about it. and politics seem to spell out disaster.
idealism. how do you like them apples?
respect. its a big word. its a brilliant word. its what connects people. its what helps bridge the gap that is created by subjective reality. i truly respect the people around me. i truly appreciate.
so i guess this year has been about perspective. its been about appreciating. its been about experiencing. like any other year, i suppose. i've learnt something intensely valuable from all of this and its something i feel can be applied to any situation and deliver the ideal and most positive consequence- embrace and endure. endure and embrace.
i was made to write an essay as part of my application for a job. the topic was hilariously broad but elegant nonetheless:
What I want from life:
Harmony. Such a small word, yet with such broad implications. If one were to look at this question at face value, one would come up with all sorts of ideas and thoughts, thereby convoluting his brain with statements so complex, they’re better off ignored. This question needs to be confronted in the same manner as it exists: simply. For someone to decide or predict accurately what he wants from life, it would take away from the very essence of life we get up in the morning for.
I firmly believe that the end does not justify the means. So, rather than answering what I want from life, I should be thinking about how I’d like to go about living. And for this, I have a pretty clear idea. I believe we exist as individuals who adhere to certain ideals and principles. If these principles are not stood by, we are in danger of hypocrisy. In order for us to be effective human beings, we must obtain objectivity by considering the subjective; because however prevalent logic may be, it is emotions that make up our lives and make who we are: human beings. And as human beings, we must learn to co-exist. Not just with each other, but with our environment; be it animals, vegetation or even the air we breathe.
What I want from life is to be able to live by the ideals of peace, love and respect. Because it is these broad and essential components that will allow me to impact the environment around me positively, and in essence, create a culture.
A culture of harmony.
That’s what I’m after. That’s what I want from life.
on that note, so ends this edition of 'now'.
catch you next year. same time, same place folks!
love, peace and respect.
V
so what has this year been about? from sitting to standing to lying down, from bike riding to bike crashing, from finding people to losing people, from holding people together to breaking down alone, from love making to love breaking, from living to dying; i guess its pretty much what everyone goes through. the one and only objective party is that annoying yet ever-enduring four letter word- time. i bet she sits quite high and mighty on her proud little throne with her big fancy boots. but you have to give it to her.. you have to respect.
so what has changed for you, what makes scrolling through this page a different experience? let me try and identify any modifications that may exist. i still stand by practically all of which i stated previously. although i do think i came off as someone trying to cram my beliefs down people's throats. as this year has passed, one learning has been not to impose my theories on anyone. however, i think i touched upon a pretty broad subject and i feel it manages to apply to all spheres of life. but there are certain aspects, like the right and wrong bit. and the regret. we are living through a subjective experience, you and i. that implies and pretty much forms the basis for the existence of these concepts. i have come to realize, this past year, that one mustn't strive too hard for objectivity if it means for them to lose the human inside. the true art, however, lies in taking subjective experience into consideration, and being able to find objective truth. big words, yes, but i assure you, if you chew upon them long enough, you'll have something substantial to digest.
everything happens for a reason. the basic law that is cause and effect. circumstance and consequence. i have gone through quite an intensive learning experience this past year and it almost feels like i've been tested, by some unknown superpower, as if i were a pawn in some sort of premeditated 'game'. now not only is that false, its pathetic. i am not some victim of divine intervention. i guess that its human tendency to try and attribute occurrences to causes beyond our knowledge. an innate quality of human beings, one tends to look for mystery. even if one mystery is solved, we'll create another one for ourselves. it is our nature to want to imagine the unimaginable. to explain the unexplained. if truth can be found, we must create a new opportunity to find new truth. we'd like to believe that there is more to existence than existence itself. that we hold more significance in this inexplicably vast universe.
i guess it comes down to a mere debate. between reason and purpose. do things happen because of reasons that are potentially explicable or because they're meant to turn out that way? one can say that explaining situations with stories of god or destiny is us submitting to running away from responsibility; from accountability. some might feel it is us devising imaginative tales to explain why things happen the way they do.
i think it's just plain silly.
i'm an idealistic person. and i think peace is an ideal that is actually within grasp. i have only recently begun to recognize the futility and complete waste of money, people and resources the army is. i mean, why would we invest so much to defend ourselves, from ourselves? its preposterous. one world, one people everybody. honestly, why is it that when we think of the planet, we automatically divide it into different segments?
these borders. where did they come from? mere lines have formed the basis for unnecessary and heinous acts that disturb the harmony that could otherwise exist. sentiments of patriotism somehow convert themselves into negativity. i believe that competitiveness can harbour a taste for this negativity. a world without borders would be bliss. we would finally see the planet for what it truly is.
the physical map stands for much more than we know.. if you think about it. and politics seem to spell out disaster.
idealism. how do you like them apples?
respect. its a big word. its a brilliant word. its what connects people. its what helps bridge the gap that is created by subjective reality. i truly respect the people around me. i truly appreciate.
so i guess this year has been about perspective. its been about appreciating. its been about experiencing. like any other year, i suppose. i've learnt something intensely valuable from all of this and its something i feel can be applied to any situation and deliver the ideal and most positive consequence- embrace and endure. endure and embrace.
i was made to write an essay as part of my application for a job. the topic was hilariously broad but elegant nonetheless:
What I want from life:
Harmony. Such a small word, yet with such broad implications. If one were to look at this question at face value, one would come up with all sorts of ideas and thoughts, thereby convoluting his brain with statements so complex, they’re better off ignored. This question needs to be confronted in the same manner as it exists: simply. For someone to decide or predict accurately what he wants from life, it would take away from the very essence of life we get up in the morning for.
I firmly believe that the end does not justify the means. So, rather than answering what I want from life, I should be thinking about how I’d like to go about living. And for this, I have a pretty clear idea. I believe we exist as individuals who adhere to certain ideals and principles. If these principles are not stood by, we are in danger of hypocrisy. In order for us to be effective human beings, we must obtain objectivity by considering the subjective; because however prevalent logic may be, it is emotions that make up our lives and make who we are: human beings. And as human beings, we must learn to co-exist. Not just with each other, but with our environment; be it animals, vegetation or even the air we breathe.
What I want from life is to be able to live by the ideals of peace, love and respect. Because it is these broad and essential components that will allow me to impact the environment around me positively, and in essence, create a culture.
A culture of harmony.
That’s what I’m after. That’s what I want from life.
on that note, so ends this edition of 'now'.
catch you next year. same time, same place folks!
love, peace and respect.
V
Sunday, October 01, 2006
The Two Cs
i dont believe in right or wrong. i dont believe in the concept of regret. i dont believe in god. i dont believe that there is a deeper meaning to life and that we are all here to fulfill some specific purpose. i dont believe that each of us has a role to play that automatically validates our existence. i dont believe that our existence needs to be validated.
i believe that everything boils down to circumstance and consequence. everything. from the fact that you are reading this blog right now, to the fact that your parents met and conceived you. they met due to circumstance. you are the consequence. at the same time, i believe you are who you choose to be. now both of these statements may appear to be intrinsically contradictive. but they arent. in fact they happen to coincide quite conveniently. you are who you choose to be. and your choices are based on circumstance. circumstance is society. it is your thought process. it is where you are right now. what you do is what you choose to. that is consequence. in retrospect, what you chose to do may seem wrong... but what is wrong? i know that right and wrong; ethics is a very debatable topic. and you may argue that everything is relative. what is wrong to you may seem right to me; one man's garbage is another man's gold and so on and so forth. but then there have to be some universal ethics, right? but what is universal? can the concept of universal truly exist? what is truth? is it absolute? no wait, i digress. ah yes, universal ethics. like murder. or rape. or stealing. death? is death wrong? or bad? or is it merely a consequence? or a circumstance. at the end of the day, it is all a matter of perception. and what is perception? it is choice. based on circumstance. when someone says "i think this is bad", they mean that they choose to perceive, to believe that "this" is bad. and their choice of belief is based on circumstance. and what is circumstance? their thought process; society and those universal ethics. but again, these ethics are based on society. and society is a circumstance. so you see, it is a vicious circle. or is it vicious? it is how you choose to perceive it. circumstance and consequence. consequence and circumstance.
so what i ask you to do is question. not question your ethics or whether or not you are influenced by society and to what extent. but i want you to question whether you believe all of this has a deeper meaning... or whether all of this is just a matter of circumstance and consequence. and your belief is a consequence based upon your thought process-your choice-your circumstance. so have i already answered that question for you? is there really a good and bad? a right and wrong? or is it actually about accepting? accepting circumstance and the proceeding consequence. or accepting consequence and the preceding circumstance. now "accepting" is a big word. but maybe its a word that needs to be thrown around more. but what is need? again, i digress. i believe, at least i'd like to (i choose to), that i accept who i am. i accept where i am and what i am. i accept the choices i make. because they are mine. and because they are choices. i accept you. i accept fact. i accept truth. i believe that truth is absolute. and i accept my belief. after all, my belief is my choice. and the choices i make are consequences as a result of circumstances. and i accept that.
so if i believe this, then why would i regret? what is regret? is it the concept of looking back at what you've done (your choices) and wishing you would have done something different? is it wanting to go back in time (which is impossible and i accept that) and changing what you chose to do? unnecessary. thats what it is. why not accept the choice you made and live in the now? be at peace with yourself. be at peace with the world. accept yourself. accept the world.
be able to say that if you were to die right now, you would be at peace with yourself and accept death for what it is. a mere consequence. because if you can do that, if you can be at peace with yourself, you can truly be in whatever state of mind you choose to. i choose to be in a positive state of mind at all times because i'd rather be happy than sad. if there is a point in time i need to feel sad, then i can. and i will. because that is my choice. my decision. but as soon as you recognise that you have the power to choose which mood you'd prefer to be in, imagine the possibilities. and what are these possibilities? consequences. or are they circumstances? either way, i feel that you should be able to say, at any point in time, that you are at peace with yourself.
and why should you be able to say this? why should you even listen to me?
i leave that up to you. your values, your thought process, your ethics.
your circumstance.
convinced? yes or no, its your decision, your choice.
your consequence.
accept it.
i believe that everything boils down to circumstance and consequence. everything. from the fact that you are reading this blog right now, to the fact that your parents met and conceived you. they met due to circumstance. you are the consequence. at the same time, i believe you are who you choose to be. now both of these statements may appear to be intrinsically contradictive. but they arent. in fact they happen to coincide quite conveniently. you are who you choose to be. and your choices are based on circumstance. circumstance is society. it is your thought process. it is where you are right now. what you do is what you choose to. that is consequence. in retrospect, what you chose to do may seem wrong... but what is wrong? i know that right and wrong; ethics is a very debatable topic. and you may argue that everything is relative. what is wrong to you may seem right to me; one man's garbage is another man's gold and so on and so forth. but then there have to be some universal ethics, right? but what is universal? can the concept of universal truly exist? what is truth? is it absolute? no wait, i digress. ah yes, universal ethics. like murder. or rape. or stealing. death? is death wrong? or bad? or is it merely a consequence? or a circumstance. at the end of the day, it is all a matter of perception. and what is perception? it is choice. based on circumstance. when someone says "i think this is bad", they mean that they choose to perceive, to believe that "this" is bad. and their choice of belief is based on circumstance. and what is circumstance? their thought process; society and those universal ethics. but again, these ethics are based on society. and society is a circumstance. so you see, it is a vicious circle. or is it vicious? it is how you choose to perceive it. circumstance and consequence. consequence and circumstance.
so what i ask you to do is question. not question your ethics or whether or not you are influenced by society and to what extent. but i want you to question whether you believe all of this has a deeper meaning... or whether all of this is just a matter of circumstance and consequence. and your belief is a consequence based upon your thought process-your choice-your circumstance. so have i already answered that question for you? is there really a good and bad? a right and wrong? or is it actually about accepting? accepting circumstance and the proceeding consequence. or accepting consequence and the preceding circumstance. now "accepting" is a big word. but maybe its a word that needs to be thrown around more. but what is need? again, i digress. i believe, at least i'd like to (i choose to), that i accept who i am. i accept where i am and what i am. i accept the choices i make. because they are mine. and because they are choices. i accept you. i accept fact. i accept truth. i believe that truth is absolute. and i accept my belief. after all, my belief is my choice. and the choices i make are consequences as a result of circumstances. and i accept that.
so if i believe this, then why would i regret? what is regret? is it the concept of looking back at what you've done (your choices) and wishing you would have done something different? is it wanting to go back in time (which is impossible and i accept that) and changing what you chose to do? unnecessary. thats what it is. why not accept the choice you made and live in the now? be at peace with yourself. be at peace with the world. accept yourself. accept the world.
be able to say that if you were to die right now, you would be at peace with yourself and accept death for what it is. a mere consequence. because if you can do that, if you can be at peace with yourself, you can truly be in whatever state of mind you choose to. i choose to be in a positive state of mind at all times because i'd rather be happy than sad. if there is a point in time i need to feel sad, then i can. and i will. because that is my choice. my decision. but as soon as you recognise that you have the power to choose which mood you'd prefer to be in, imagine the possibilities. and what are these possibilities? consequences. or are they circumstances? either way, i feel that you should be able to say, at any point in time, that you are at peace with yourself.
and why should you be able to say this? why should you even listen to me?
i leave that up to you. your values, your thought process, your ethics.
your circumstance.
convinced? yes or no, its your decision, your choice.
your consequence.
accept it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)