philosophy

The Ugly American

I am that of which I am; that overlord of the word, the rhetorician of knowledge.  I only exist in the sound of my own thoughts, those wily things that come from no where and disappear just as quickly.

I am blind but yet I see; no method will end my madness, no undone thought exists in my head.  The bricks by which I build my fortress are solid, secure and filled with certainty.  The wall goes up of its own accord as I watch, comforted and alone.

It is my conversation, my domain that matters most and yet no one realizes that I need their ear, their understanding, their acknowledgement, their accordance.  I will speak until the goal is reached, the need is met.

No physics, no logic, no rational, no moral, no epistemology, no aesthetic, no consideration, no methodology, no expertise, no reality, no fact, no knowledge, no Truth will ever overturn what I have created.

I speak louder; I fill the air with words.  And yet deep down, I doubt.

 

The Individualist

I am an individualist, and have lived life that way intently and consciously throughout the years.  For an individualist, reliance upon others is often seen as a form of failure, as a weakness, as lazy.  I know this because I have felt those things and judged others as such.

I have picked up the shovel and dug the hole with my bare hands.  I have demolished and built; I have fixed and destroyed; I have learned and I have taught; I have created and dismissed.  I have been against the wall and solved the puzzle.  I have done these things as the individualist that I am: with no thought to ask permission or no intention to ask for help.

Women have jested that I am a man and that we are simply that way.  But they are no better than I.  Individualism knows no boundaries and we recognize each other, we individualists and we recognize those who wear the mask of individualism.  They are the worst: the miscreant liars of loneliness, because the fakers of individualism; they are weakness behind the mask of strength.

The thieves of strength rely upon their masks to undermine the secret of individualists: that we need and desire help; we need others in order to be individuals.  Where else would I have learned the trades and arts that I know?

Whom else would answer the questions I have about the tools and ways that I have come to rely upon but from those who have recognized that being an individualist means learning from the silent and still waters of experience and time.

 

Doing Your Best

We are told to do our best, sometimes from our parents, sometimes from our friends and spouses.  These wonderful people in our lives mean the best for us; they are empathizing because we are important them.

But doing our best is really a personal decision on our part, and doing our best will often not bring about the consequences that we want or expect, except for one.  Here are some things that are important to remember about doing your best.

  1.  Doing your best is always worth it.  No matter the situation, no matter your station in life.
  2.  Sometimes your best is not good enough.  This is OK…if it’s your best.  Learn from it and next time your best will be better.
  3. Others may not appreciate the best that you can do.  Doing your best, however, is not for the sake of others.
  4. Your best is an ideal that you will never achieve.  Doing your best is really a virtue, and as such, it is a goal rather than a reality.

So, keep doing your best and know that sometimes, maybe often, you will fail.  But keep trying to raise the bar and just maybe, just maybe you might surprise yourself at what you can achieve.

Ahhh, the Holidays

Ahh, the holidays, no matter where or what they are, are really not about the traditional roots that they might stem from, nor should they be.  Perhaps they started as, or became, religiously important, and perhaps they still are.  These ideas about holidays, especially Christmas, are not really important: how we celebrate is not as important as what we celebrate and why we celebrate.

Typically holidays are the time when families get together; sometimes, holidays include friends that may be alone.  Holidays are a good excuse for doing something good, putting our self’s aside and thinking of others, or giving to a charity.  All of these things are what matters, no matter why we do them; maybe we should celebrate the chance to be with those who are important to us, and to help those who cannot do the same.

Want to pray and celebrate religious beliefs?  Do it, but do it with those you love.

Want to eat and argue?  Fine, but do it with those who matter to you.

Want to roll your eyes in cynical apathy?  Great, roll them with your best friends or those who need a best friend.

Merry Quansihonikus!!!!  Eat, drink, argue, forgive, and smile.

 

Something for Nothing

There is no such thing as something for nothing.  Our need for cheap goods and services is real, but the ability for companies to offer them is an illusion.  Think about this the next time you walk into a Walmart or refuse to buy quality, ethical food because it is too expensive.  Think about this the next time you hire someone.

Companies do not need to eat; they do not have needs.  People have needs, and when we demand more for less we are demanding that others give up what they need; we are demanding that others give up what they need for what we desire.

The arguments are similar and ubiquitous against this way of thinking.

“I cannot afford…”

This is true, but it is not the cost of quality goods and services that is the problem; companies do not pay living wages, we need to reevaluate our priorities, our economy is based upon a lie.  We have overextended our finances.

“That is too expensive.”

Perhaps.  Maybe you do not understand what it takes to bring “that” to you.  It might be that “that” is not subsidized by your taxes.  Chances are you do not value “that” enough to buy it or don’t realize the true cost of doing so.

“I can get it cheaper….”

Yes, it is probably true that you can get it seemingly cheaper, but at what cost?  The true costs of cheap goods and services are rarely seen or thought about.

There is no such thing as something for nothing because for most of us nothing is simply not enough.

Diversity

Diversity is an important aspect of surviving and thriving societies; it is inevitable and should bring with it pluralistic attitudes towards beliefs, cultures, and traditions.

Diversity is natural.

We human beings are a diverse bunch, but diversity is also unnatural; we humans are a tribal and a fearful bunch.  We group ourselves according to backgrounds, skin color, beliefs, gender, age, occupation, pain, politics, pleasure, families and comfort.  We shouldn’t do these things because these things do not matter.

The true diversity in the world, the diversity that matters, the diversity that allows us to progress through the dark times of fear and greed is that diversity which brings us together; it is that diversity that reminds us that there is only one group of human beings and that we depend upon one another and always have.

All other differences pale in importance.

When

When we get money out of politics.

When we become involved and not apathetic.

When we stand up to comfort in the name of justice.

When we care enough to change.

When we face the truth and give up faith.

When we mean what we say.

When we treat the weakest of us with respect.

When we turn our fear into courage.

When we say “enough is enough” and act upon our words.

When we no longer suffer fools.

When we define progress differently.

When we truly educate the public.

When we read.

When we do these things we will no longer search for meaningless things.

 

 

 

Civil Societies

It is true that societies are made up, and should be made up, of a plethora of beliefs and ideology.  Censorship, however, will inevitably lead to certain beliefs and ideologies.  It is also true that civil societies must create boundaries by which those societies are defined.  There is a balance to be drawn.

When someone steps over those boundaries and then demands their rights to do so, such individuals, and groups, are no longer acting with the good of a civil society in mind.  When the ideologies of individuals, or groups, overrides the good of a civil society then those individuals or groups no longer have a place in that society.  The balance must be based upon the good of the society as a whole and not for certain individuals within that society.

Often, censorship is not so blatant.  In fact, censorship is often hidden within the language that we use, is hidden by fallacious arguments.  To use rhetorical language and fallacious arguments to support ideologies or to further individual agendas is deadly to civil societies because it blurs the boundaries that are necessary for civil societies.

One word that has unfortunately become nothing more than an example of rhetoric is the word: rights.  Law is created by concepts such as the concept of right, and law often defines the civility of a society.  But law becomes the censor when concepts such as rights are used as nothing more than a rhetorical tool to justify individual desires, greed, and ideologies.

The lack of virtue in leadership allows for censorship and empty rhetoric to overcome basic needs of any civil society; needs that are imperative for the allowance of individuals to lead healthy, happy lives: all individuals, not just some.

The Importance of History

The history of humanity often reads like a continuous war, an unending barrage of violence and trepidation; even when things are good.  To make matters worse, much of historical human violence seems based on fear and greed rather than the battle against those very real villains that have existed and continue to exist today.

And it is difficult to remember that we have made progress;  things are better even though when one looks out the window of their mind they see the continued stupidity, the gargantuan greed, and blindness towards the true evils of the world.

Things are getting better; history shows us that it is.

The importance of history is not only to remind us not to repeat it, but also to teach us what we need to do in order to continually progress against the true villains of humanity: greed and ignorance towards all life on earth.

When we remember, just a few decades ago, how things were we can then say to ourselves that we have progressed even in the torrent of continued barricades.  It is difficult to do so, but we must, yes, we must keep the faith that we can do better and that there are those that will do better.

Things are getting better; history shows us that it is.