Whew, it feels good to be out, dunnit? Classes are done and two and a half weeks to de-evolve into a mass of primordial ooze before picking myself back up for the fall. It was an overall good semester, and I'll let it be known when I get my grades in. I'm looking forward to the fall, though. A few business courses, Social and Political Philosophy, and an Honors Colloquium on Charles Darwin. Can't freakin' wait!!!
So, while I have lots to talk about, I'm not gonna bring them up now. Hold your breath 'til I get back!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Definition of Absurdity
There is an old maxim that I've applied to much of my worldview: Nothing is true, everything is possible. Another simple way to say it is that there is no objective truth in the world. Now, a common rebuttal is to say that the above maxim is itself an objective truth, thereby discrediting it as a self contradictory statement. This is, of course, quite true... if you only take a literal look at said statement.
Let me show you a different way.
When a man (I say man to keep my thoughts in particular order, not to support some chauvinistic patriarchal way of life) is young, he is taught that a particular way of thought holds some truth of the way this world does or ought to function. We hold these ideals as self evident, as beginnings from which logic flows rather than ends which we achieve with time. These truths can be as complex as an entire religion with many teaching from any manner of religious text or as simple as 'do as your told' and 'good things happen to good people'. In most cases such axioms are necessary for a civilization of any size to function properly.
However, when a man confronts the Absurd, that which is contrary to what the man knows as objective truth, he comes at a crossroads, and must make a choice between three different paths. However, the actual choices that can be made is the topic of a later discussion.
Still, when a man confronts the absurd and embraces it (one of the three choices) he returns with an intimate understanding of the chaotic nature of the world with which he is a part of. However, he is still forced to use the axioms of reason simply because that is all he knows or understands. Despite his new found wisdom, he is trapped in the communication techniques of his past life. It is much like when an individual claims to have a God experience and returns unable to fully put into words what he experienced in his encounter. Likewise, when a man confronts the Absurd, he is likewise unable to fully put into exact words what he experienced in that circumstance.
So to say that the axiom 'There are no objective truths' is a self contradictory fallacy isn't itself an incorrect statement, but only if you take this idea in the most literal sense possible. if you allow it to hint at a much larger idea that cannot be put into exact words, you allow the possibility of such an idea to take full shape.
This is, at least, what I understand as self evident in this moment, and that itself may change with enough time.
Let me show you a different way.
When a man (I say man to keep my thoughts in particular order, not to support some chauvinistic patriarchal way of life) is young, he is taught that a particular way of thought holds some truth of the way this world does or ought to function. We hold these ideals as self evident, as beginnings from which logic flows rather than ends which we achieve with time. These truths can be as complex as an entire religion with many teaching from any manner of religious text or as simple as 'do as your told' and 'good things happen to good people'. In most cases such axioms are necessary for a civilization of any size to function properly.
However, when a man confronts the Absurd, that which is contrary to what the man knows as objective truth, he comes at a crossroads, and must make a choice between three different paths. However, the actual choices that can be made is the topic of a later discussion.
Still, when a man confronts the absurd and embraces it (one of the three choices) he returns with an intimate understanding of the chaotic nature of the world with which he is a part of. However, he is still forced to use the axioms of reason simply because that is all he knows or understands. Despite his new found wisdom, he is trapped in the communication techniques of his past life. It is much like when an individual claims to have a God experience and returns unable to fully put into words what he experienced in his encounter. Likewise, when a man confronts the Absurd, he is likewise unable to fully put into exact words what he experienced in that circumstance.
So to say that the axiom 'There are no objective truths' is a self contradictory fallacy isn't itself an incorrect statement, but only if you take this idea in the most literal sense possible. if you allow it to hint at a much larger idea that cannot be put into exact words, you allow the possibility of such an idea to take full shape.
This is, at least, what I understand as self evident in this moment, and that itself may change with enough time.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Lie to me
Lie to me, Lie to me
The truth is too much.
Didn't we learn
from Oedipus Rex
the dangers of questioning
the given perspective?
He shared his mothers bed
and was content.
What greater gift
can man receive?
But in his quest
for self destruction
he would relieve
his thirst for objectivity.
Better had he kept his eyes
and lived the lies
than like Tiresias
loose his perspective
when faced with the horrid
realization
that life is a choice
that cannot be made
without painful
self scrutiny.
So when you tell me about my cousin,
tell me he was a good boy.
Tell me how he went to church,
how he loved his mother.
Don't tell me how he died
when a dumb mistake
met Mexican knives
and left him dead,
his hands and his head
cut from his body,
cast aside.
So Lie to me, Like to me.
Don't tell me that he died
for powders and pills and potted plants.
Don't tell me he lived for a high.
Its better to live in a lie.
I can't handle the truth
that the boy in my youth
is a druggie
a junkie
a lost cause
a dredge of society
that by another mans morals
I must abhor.
Feed me the lie.
I want it.
I need it.
The truth of the world is frightening
and all too well reflects
my own fears
and insecurities.
So when I read the news
feed me political views.
I don't want the truth.
Its too much,
I can't handle it.
'Cause when you speak
I must react
and its easier to say
"Kill the Muslim"
than
"Kill the man"
Feed me the black and white
the left and the right
the facade of moral objectivity.
Lie to me, Lie to me
There is too much in truth
to make a stand
when the choice itself
is between comfort
and self scrutiny
So let me live in this lie
where its easy to hide
give me my eyes
and like Oedipus
Le me share my mothers bed.
The truth is too much.
Didn't we learn
from Oedipus Rex
the dangers of questioning
the given perspective?
He shared his mothers bed
and was content.
What greater gift
can man receive?
But in his quest
for self destruction
he would relieve
his thirst for objectivity.
Better had he kept his eyes
and lived the lies
than like Tiresias
loose his perspective
when faced with the horrid
realization
that life is a choice
that cannot be made
without painful
self scrutiny.
So when you tell me about my cousin,
tell me he was a good boy.
Tell me how he went to church,
how he loved his mother.
Don't tell me how he died
when a dumb mistake
met Mexican knives
and left him dead,
his hands and his head
cut from his body,
cast aside.
So Lie to me, Like to me.
Don't tell me that he died
for powders and pills and potted plants.
Don't tell me he lived for a high.
Its better to live in a lie.
I can't handle the truth
that the boy in my youth
is a druggie
a junkie
a lost cause
a dredge of society
that by another mans morals
I must abhor.
Feed me the lie.
I want it.
I need it.
The truth of the world is frightening
and all too well reflects
my own fears
and insecurities.
So when I read the news
feed me political views.
I don't want the truth.
Its too much,
I can't handle it.
'Cause when you speak
I must react
and its easier to say
"Kill the Muslim"
than
"Kill the man"
Feed me the black and white
the left and the right
the facade of moral objectivity.
Lie to me, Lie to me
There is too much in truth
to make a stand
when the choice itself
is between comfort
and self scrutiny
So let me live in this lie
where its easy to hide
give me my eyes
and like Oedipus
Le me share my mothers bed.
Street Preachers
I've maintained for a long time that this world if inherently absurd. To say that there is objective truth in the world is just as self-contradictory as saying that the is no objective truth in the world. Simply put, the world is founded on paradox, and while I plan to go into great detail on this subject in the future, let me share a simple happening today.
Earlier this morning I was walking from the 5-Points station to my office where I work. Its about a 4-5 block walk, nothing to freak about. Still, there are plenty of things to see along the way. Today, however, something seemed more off than usual. There was a street minister there preaching about the 3 temptations of the christgod. He was particularly fond of the saying 'man cannot live on bread alone' as he screamed it thrice to an uncaring crowd of pedestrians. Sitting next to him was a very dirty homeless man who looked like he passed out on heroin some hours ago and hadn't had a decent meal in some time.
The preacher told us that only the christgod can feed our soul, but who was willing to give that poor old man a piece of bread? What good is a fulfilled soul if the stomach goes empty?
I have yet to meet a preacher of any faith who has been able to give me a solid answer to this.
Earlier this morning I was walking from the 5-Points station to my office where I work. Its about a 4-5 block walk, nothing to freak about. Still, there are plenty of things to see along the way. Today, however, something seemed more off than usual. There was a street minister there preaching about the 3 temptations of the christgod. He was particularly fond of the saying 'man cannot live on bread alone' as he screamed it thrice to an uncaring crowd of pedestrians. Sitting next to him was a very dirty homeless man who looked like he passed out on heroin some hours ago and hadn't had a decent meal in some time.
The preacher told us that only the christgod can feed our soul, but who was willing to give that poor old man a piece of bread? What good is a fulfilled soul if the stomach goes empty?
I have yet to meet a preacher of any faith who has been able to give me a solid answer to this.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A quick update and a Rant
Taking summer classes wasn't what I thought it would be. You stay in a class room for 3 hours a day covering an entire weeks worth of material in that time. Fucking crazy, man. I'm taking two classes: Principles of Microeconomics and Philosophy of Religion. And I'll be honest, the class I thought I would love is aight at best, and the class I thought I would hate ended up being fucking amazing. Micro is a lot more fun than I thought it would be, 'specially with the professor I have. The Philosophy class is okay, but its not asking the questions that I want to discuss and that aggravates me a bit.
I started dialogues with our college of business to put together an honors thesis as an undergrad. Funny thing is that no one has ever done this before in our college of business so I have a few professors already lined up and excited. Still, its a lot of footwork and I'm pretty sure I won't be starting the nitty gritty until next fall. That's all right. It gives me plenty of time to figure our just what I'm going to write about and how I want to do it. The basic question I want to ask is this: If an organization that is built to create a profit becomes too big to fail, is it too big to act in that same self interest? I'm pretty excited about it already.
So I've had surprisingly little fun this summer. I've been hanging out with Nick and Travis a good bit, and the three of us have also been gaming with Russel. Thats always fun. I've met up with Stephanie a few times, but she's off to merry ol' England in the fall. Simone and Naomi just got back from their respective vacations, so I've been hanging out with them a good bit. They've moved into an appartment together and I'm helping them move a couch in there tomorrow. Good times, good times.
So, now to my beloved Rants. The topic to today's fustrations is relationhships. I'm at the point in my life where I don't want another fling, I don't want a crazy girlfriend, and I want something serious. The problem is this: Flings are fun, I'm really fucking atracted to crazy women, and I've never pulled off a serious relationship. Its entirely new waters for me, and I don't like it one bit. But even so, the old way of dating just doesn't satisfy me the way it used to, so I don't think i have a choice.
But here's my real delimma. When dating for sex, you can never come right out and say that as your primary intention. It'll get you nowhere. Even if that's what you BOTH WANT, you can't go that rought. You have to be subtle and use subterfuge. No you think that when its clear that you both want something MORE than sex, it should be easier, right? No more of this rediculous banter and empty words, correct? Well that seems to be wrong on just about every level. Things simply get more complicated and the friendly battle becomes an all our war where either both sides when or, more likely, both sides loose and go home unahppy.
So why is this? If both parties want something serious, why is there this wall that keeps them apart? Why can't they simply be open with what they want and who they want to be with?
The best answer I have is that we are all afraid to expose ourselves at that level. I guess that's not a bad thing, really. I mean, if we were that open all the time, relationships wouldn't be that special. I guess you HAVE to build that trust if your gonna get anywhere.
Well, that's all I have boys and girls. Talk to you again soon.
I started dialogues with our college of business to put together an honors thesis as an undergrad. Funny thing is that no one has ever done this before in our college of business so I have a few professors already lined up and excited. Still, its a lot of footwork and I'm pretty sure I won't be starting the nitty gritty until next fall. That's all right. It gives me plenty of time to figure our just what I'm going to write about and how I want to do it. The basic question I want to ask is this: If an organization that is built to create a profit becomes too big to fail, is it too big to act in that same self interest? I'm pretty excited about it already.
So I've had surprisingly little fun this summer. I've been hanging out with Nick and Travis a good bit, and the three of us have also been gaming with Russel. Thats always fun. I've met up with Stephanie a few times, but she's off to merry ol' England in the fall. Simone and Naomi just got back from their respective vacations, so I've been hanging out with them a good bit. They've moved into an appartment together and I'm helping them move a couch in there tomorrow. Good times, good times.
So, now to my beloved Rants. The topic to today's fustrations is relationhships. I'm at the point in my life where I don't want another fling, I don't want a crazy girlfriend, and I want something serious. The problem is this: Flings are fun, I'm really fucking atracted to crazy women, and I've never pulled off a serious relationship. Its entirely new waters for me, and I don't like it one bit. But even so, the old way of dating just doesn't satisfy me the way it used to, so I don't think i have a choice.
But here's my real delimma. When dating for sex, you can never come right out and say that as your primary intention. It'll get you nowhere. Even if that's what you BOTH WANT, you can't go that rought. You have to be subtle and use subterfuge. No you think that when its clear that you both want something MORE than sex, it should be easier, right? No more of this rediculous banter and empty words, correct? Well that seems to be wrong on just about every level. Things simply get more complicated and the friendly battle becomes an all our war where either both sides when or, more likely, both sides loose and go home unahppy.
So why is this? If both parties want something serious, why is there this wall that keeps them apart? Why can't they simply be open with what they want and who they want to be with?
The best answer I have is that we are all afraid to expose ourselves at that level. I guess that's not a bad thing, really. I mean, if we were that open all the time, relationships wouldn't be that special. I guess you HAVE to build that trust if your gonna get anywhere.
Well, that's all I have boys and girls. Talk to you again soon.
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