Friday, September 30, 2011
A future of promise
As the snow white ashes of a lofty dream destroyed, gently descend from their heavenly heights, a sweet peace blankets the desolate earth in it's memories. The stillness of the earth defines the swirling skies, giving them breadth and presence in an otherwise barren landscape of harsh cold and passionate warmth. Where once the constancy of moving form gave life to the stark towers that scrapped against the heavens, mighty in their symbols of power, silence grips their broken steal girders, relishing a sense of despair where once was none. Oh how the mighty do fall! So secure in their supposed earthly dominance, life gave way to omnipotent powers of destruction, forfeiting the rights of living they fought so valiantly for so many years ago. This is what it has come to. A broken sea of Rearden Steel, the works of the enlightened, the complacent, and the fallen, now brought to pass before the biting wind as a sacrifice upon the alter of pride.
Monday, August 29, 2011
A loving God
Hey guys!
Before I start this new post I just wanted to thank you all for your comments and support! It means a lot to me.
Alrighty.
So currently I am reading a fabulous book called 50 Philosophy Ideas you really need to know, and it's wonderful. It breaks things down and helps explain some really complex philosophical ideas and break them down into examples that are easy to understand. Even if you don't want to be a Philosophy Major, I'd suggest reading it.
So. Obviously, I haven't agreed with everything or even most of the things that I've read, but it's all been extremely enlightening. I was reading a quick blurb about religion and God and Evil, and I rushed to the computer to share my thoughts with you all. Isn't that exciting?
The chapter is called "The Problem of Evil" and it starts like this:
"Famine, murder, earthquake, disease- millions of people's futures blighted, young lives needlessly snuffed out, children left orphaned and helpless, agonizing deaths of young and old alike. If you could click your fingers and stop this catalogue of misery, you would have to be a heartless monster not to do so. Yet there is supposed to be a being that could sweep it all aside in an instant, a being that is unlimited in it's power, knowledge and moral excellence: God. Evil is everywhere, but how can it exist side by side with a god who has, by definition, the capacity to put an end to it? That thorny question is the core of the so-called 'problem of evil.'"
See why I'm excited?
Before I get into what I think on this theory, let me give you another quick little taste of the chapter.
"1. God is omniscient: it knows everything that it is logically possible to know.
2. God is omnipotent: it is able to do anything that it is logically possible to do.
3. God is omnibenevolent: it is of universal goodwill and desires to do every good thing that can possibly be done.
4. If God is omniscient, it is fully aware of all the pain and suffering that occurs.
5. If God is omnipotent, it is able to prevent all pain and suffering.
6. If God is omnibenevolent, it wishes to prevent all pain and suffering."
:) I love this stuff.
Okay. Here I go.
1, 2 and 3 are absolutely true. 4 and 5 are true too. 6 is even true! So what's the problem Rachel? Are you suddenly atheist? Those statements are supposed to disprove the existence of God as we know him.
Well never fear. I have not, nor ever will lose my faith. Opposition only makes us stronger.
Let me begin by saying this: God loves us. Were it not so, well, I'll get into that in a bit.
The world today does not know God anymore. They doubt his existence with what they call logic and reason, but those two potent forces will only ever prove in The Almighty.
God loves us. It is because he loves us that he allows the pain and suffering of the world. It is because he loves us that he does not snap his fingers and rid the world of all evil and pain.
If we take those first three statements, and we examine God in this way, things will quickly become clear. God knows everything there is to know. That is a trait that is logically possible to achieve and be the best at. As human beings we must concede that there is always someone smarter than us. Yes? Than Einstein himself waas not the smartest being in the universe, and there must be someone smarter than him. Following this train of logic it becomes apparent that there must be one being who is the smartest, who is omniscient, who knows everything there is to know.
God is Omnipotent. He has the power to do anything, create anything, at will. This means he also has the power to destroy anything at will. Such as the evil in the world. BUT HE DOES NOT. Why? Because he is also Omnibenevolent.
Think of all our trite little human sayings,
"that which does not kill you makes you stronger"
"no pain no gain"
"we learn from our mistakes"
"it took Edison 1000 times to make a lightbulb"
And so on and so forth. Each of those is a little fragment of truth that we have brought with us in our souls; that pain and suffering shape and improve us. Trails are an opportunity to grow. Adversity can be used as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block.
We learn and improve through the refiners fire, to become the precious gem that God wants so desperately for us to become. To take away the evil, the sorrows, and the hard times, takes away our opportunity for growth.
Think about it like this. If you had a perfect life, you made plenty of money, you had a successful career and/or a happy family, you loved what you did, you had great friends, you lived in a wonderful neighborhood, you could do whatever you wanted all day long and had no responsibility… wouldn't it be awful? You would become stagnant. When your life is perfect, there is no need to improve or change or grow. It is only when things get tough that we step back and assess ourselves. That is when we recognize our constant need for improvement and change.
The second reason God does not snap his fingers and make the world a perfect place, is because he has given us agency. We are completely free to chose whatever we want. We can become an astronaut, a millionaire, a hobo, a sleaze-ball in prison, or a McDonalds employee. It is up to us. We can get that 4.0 in school, or cut classes every day and drop out. We can go to the gym every morning, or smoke a cigarette instead. The choice is ours, while the consequences are not.
God is not only benevolent, he is just. Which is why he did not strike Hitler with a lightning blot, or stop the many wars. The wicked people in this world must be able to carry out their evil intentions to be fully judged before God.
But back to tonight's theme.
One of my favorite (this is going to sound bad) examples of God's never ending love for us is the story of Noah. Now let me explain myself. The people on earth at the time were so shockingly wicked, that because God loved them so terribly much, he could not stand to let themselves do what they were doing. Because he loved them he flooded the earth so that they could not continue to ruin their eternal souls with the crimes that they were committing. That has only ever happened once in the history of our world, and God has promised that it will never happen again.
So many people read that same story and are struck by God's terrible wrath, anger and vengeance, but they are wrong. God wept that day. I know he did. Because God knew what they were doing, and what their consequences would be. Because he loved them, he took them off the earth so that they could not continue to damn themselves.
I love Philosophy. I love looking at all the different angles from the perspective of what I know to be true, and I testify that God is a loving God. Were it not so, Adam and Eve would still be in the Garden, stagnate forever, never moving forward, never taking one step closer to becoming like God, the way he wants each of us to.
Thanks for reading guys.
Before I start this new post I just wanted to thank you all for your comments and support! It means a lot to me.
Alrighty.
So currently I am reading a fabulous book called 50 Philosophy Ideas you really need to know, and it's wonderful. It breaks things down and helps explain some really complex philosophical ideas and break them down into examples that are easy to understand. Even if you don't want to be a Philosophy Major, I'd suggest reading it.
So. Obviously, I haven't agreed with everything or even most of the things that I've read, but it's all been extremely enlightening. I was reading a quick blurb about religion and God and Evil, and I rushed to the computer to share my thoughts with you all. Isn't that exciting?
The chapter is called "The Problem of Evil" and it starts like this:
"Famine, murder, earthquake, disease- millions of people's futures blighted, young lives needlessly snuffed out, children left orphaned and helpless, agonizing deaths of young and old alike. If you could click your fingers and stop this catalogue of misery, you would have to be a heartless monster not to do so. Yet there is supposed to be a being that could sweep it all aside in an instant, a being that is unlimited in it's power, knowledge and moral excellence: God. Evil is everywhere, but how can it exist side by side with a god who has, by definition, the capacity to put an end to it? That thorny question is the core of the so-called 'problem of evil.'"
See why I'm excited?
Before I get into what I think on this theory, let me give you another quick little taste of the chapter.
"1. God is omniscient: it knows everything that it is logically possible to know.
2. God is omnipotent: it is able to do anything that it is logically possible to do.
3. God is omnibenevolent: it is of universal goodwill and desires to do every good thing that can possibly be done.
4. If God is omniscient, it is fully aware of all the pain and suffering that occurs.
5. If God is omnipotent, it is able to prevent all pain and suffering.
6. If God is omnibenevolent, it wishes to prevent all pain and suffering."
:) I love this stuff.
Okay. Here I go.
1, 2 and 3 are absolutely true. 4 and 5 are true too. 6 is even true! So what's the problem Rachel? Are you suddenly atheist? Those statements are supposed to disprove the existence of God as we know him.
Well never fear. I have not, nor ever will lose my faith. Opposition only makes us stronger.
Let me begin by saying this: God loves us. Were it not so, well, I'll get into that in a bit.
The world today does not know God anymore. They doubt his existence with what they call logic and reason, but those two potent forces will only ever prove in The Almighty.
God loves us. It is because he loves us that he allows the pain and suffering of the world. It is because he loves us that he does not snap his fingers and rid the world of all evil and pain.
If we take those first three statements, and we examine God in this way, things will quickly become clear. God knows everything there is to know. That is a trait that is logically possible to achieve and be the best at. As human beings we must concede that there is always someone smarter than us. Yes? Than Einstein himself waas not the smartest being in the universe, and there must be someone smarter than him. Following this train of logic it becomes apparent that there must be one being who is the smartest, who is omniscient, who knows everything there is to know.
God is Omnipotent. He has the power to do anything, create anything, at will. This means he also has the power to destroy anything at will. Such as the evil in the world. BUT HE DOES NOT. Why? Because he is also Omnibenevolent.
Think of all our trite little human sayings,
"that which does not kill you makes you stronger"
"no pain no gain"
"we learn from our mistakes"
"it took Edison 1000 times to make a lightbulb"
And so on and so forth. Each of those is a little fragment of truth that we have brought with us in our souls; that pain and suffering shape and improve us. Trails are an opportunity to grow. Adversity can be used as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block.
We learn and improve through the refiners fire, to become the precious gem that God wants so desperately for us to become. To take away the evil, the sorrows, and the hard times, takes away our opportunity for growth.
Think about it like this. If you had a perfect life, you made plenty of money, you had a successful career and/or a happy family, you loved what you did, you had great friends, you lived in a wonderful neighborhood, you could do whatever you wanted all day long and had no responsibility… wouldn't it be awful? You would become stagnant. When your life is perfect, there is no need to improve or change or grow. It is only when things get tough that we step back and assess ourselves. That is when we recognize our constant need for improvement and change.
The second reason God does not snap his fingers and make the world a perfect place, is because he has given us agency. We are completely free to chose whatever we want. We can become an astronaut, a millionaire, a hobo, a sleaze-ball in prison, or a McDonalds employee. It is up to us. We can get that 4.0 in school, or cut classes every day and drop out. We can go to the gym every morning, or smoke a cigarette instead. The choice is ours, while the consequences are not.
God is not only benevolent, he is just. Which is why he did not strike Hitler with a lightning blot, or stop the many wars. The wicked people in this world must be able to carry out their evil intentions to be fully judged before God.
But back to tonight's theme.
One of my favorite (this is going to sound bad) examples of God's never ending love for us is the story of Noah. Now let me explain myself. The people on earth at the time were so shockingly wicked, that because God loved them so terribly much, he could not stand to let themselves do what they were doing. Because he loved them he flooded the earth so that they could not continue to ruin their eternal souls with the crimes that they were committing. That has only ever happened once in the history of our world, and God has promised that it will never happen again.
So many people read that same story and are struck by God's terrible wrath, anger and vengeance, but they are wrong. God wept that day. I know he did. Because God knew what they were doing, and what their consequences would be. Because he loved them, he took them off the earth so that they could not continue to damn themselves.
I love Philosophy. I love looking at all the different angles from the perspective of what I know to be true, and I testify that God is a loving God. Were it not so, Adam and Eve would still be in the Garden, stagnate forever, never moving forward, never taking one step closer to becoming like God, the way he wants each of us to.
Thanks for reading guys.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Eureka!
I've figured out what I want to do in college (though all plans are, of course, subject to change) and I'm excited!
I was with my best friend Miranda and she was showing me her classes for BYU next semester, and we started looking at different majors. I got a little curious and discovered that a Philosophy Major only takes 47 hours. The suggested Minors list said "Logic" (which I didn't even know was a class) and it only takes 15 hours. So I wanted to Major in Philosophy and Minor in Logic. That sounds pretty fun to me.
But then I had another idea!
If those were all I did, my college years might me a tad shorter than everyone else's, and that's no fun. So I wanted to add something. But what?
Physics.
That's right.
I am going to double Major in Philosophy and Physics, and Minor in Logic.
Everyone's first reaction is, "Wow! …. okay." Followed by a, "How do you intend to make a career out of that?"
I don't. That's what a Cosmetology license is for.
See, here's the thing. I can plan it all out carefully and earn a degree in something impressive that will serve me well in life and help me get a successful career that I can fall back on to support myself and or my future family and blah blah blah. OR I can do something that makes me absurdly happy just thinking about it, as well as making me feel truly successful.
What is better than to learn all that I can about the deepest mysteries in life? If all I want is to learn something new and exciting every moment of every day, what better way to do it?
So yes. I am ridiculously excited now. I'm even going to try and get a jump on it and take an AP Physics class this year instead of Painting.
:) This wasn't much of a blog post, I realize, but I"m excited about it so I had to share. Sorry guys! I'll try and think up something more interesting for next time.
I was with my best friend Miranda and she was showing me her classes for BYU next semester, and we started looking at different majors. I got a little curious and discovered that a Philosophy Major only takes 47 hours. The suggested Minors list said "Logic" (which I didn't even know was a class) and it only takes 15 hours. So I wanted to Major in Philosophy and Minor in Logic. That sounds pretty fun to me.
But then I had another idea!
If those were all I did, my college years might me a tad shorter than everyone else's, and that's no fun. So I wanted to add something. But what?
Physics.
That's right.
I am going to double Major in Philosophy and Physics, and Minor in Logic.
Everyone's first reaction is, "Wow! …. okay." Followed by a, "How do you intend to make a career out of that?"
I don't. That's what a Cosmetology license is for.
See, here's the thing. I can plan it all out carefully and earn a degree in something impressive that will serve me well in life and help me get a successful career that I can fall back on to support myself and or my future family and blah blah blah. OR I can do something that makes me absurdly happy just thinking about it, as well as making me feel truly successful.
What is better than to learn all that I can about the deepest mysteries in life? If all I want is to learn something new and exciting every moment of every day, what better way to do it?
So yes. I am ridiculously excited now. I'm even going to try and get a jump on it and take an AP Physics class this year instead of Painting.
:) This wasn't much of a blog post, I realize, but I"m excited about it so I had to share. Sorry guys! I'll try and think up something more interesting for next time.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Music Speaks the Truth
There's something about music, wouldn't you say? It somehow cuts through all of the worlds nonsense and confusion and speaks to our souls. My director always says, "Music Speaks the Truth." And it does!
Right now I've been playing the piano quite a lot as well as being in two choirs and Musical Theatre, so I've been very exposed to it lately and learned so much. I've learned it takes work. If the music is conveying a message, but you and your body language or facial expressions are not, then you're basically lying and it comes off false and shallow.
So taking that knowledge, I think that we underestimate the power that music has in our society and the source for good it can be. If we like an artist, or one song really speaks to us, the connection that is made is a connection in our very soul. That is why there is such a hero worship of musicians, because the fans feel like they are understood and accepted by the music their particular musician has portrayed to them.
Music also has tremendous political power. A catchy tune can get stuck in your head and be reapeated all day on the radio and on tv. The words become ingrained, like subliminal messages stuck on replay. The words can weaken our thoughts, ideas, arguments and convictions, or they can strengthen them. But to say that the music we listen to doesn't affect us is either a blatant lie, or a gross misunderstanding.
Just a thought.
Right now I've been playing the piano quite a lot as well as being in two choirs and Musical Theatre, so I've been very exposed to it lately and learned so much. I've learned it takes work. If the music is conveying a message, but you and your body language or facial expressions are not, then you're basically lying and it comes off false and shallow.
So taking that knowledge, I think that we underestimate the power that music has in our society and the source for good it can be. If we like an artist, or one song really speaks to us, the connection that is made is a connection in our very soul. That is why there is such a hero worship of musicians, because the fans feel like they are understood and accepted by the music their particular musician has portrayed to them.
Music also has tremendous political power. A catchy tune can get stuck in your head and be reapeated all day on the radio and on tv. The words become ingrained, like subliminal messages stuck on replay. The words can weaken our thoughts, ideas, arguments and convictions, or they can strengthen them. But to say that the music we listen to doesn't affect us is either a blatant lie, or a gross misunderstanding.
Just a thought.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Objectivism
I've just had an epiphany.
I finished reading Atlas Shrugged last night and I'm completely enraptured with the philosophy of Objectivism. So since then I've been researching it and listening to lectures and the like. It's absolutely fascinating and I love it.
The ideas are simple and concise and I agree with all of them except one. And that is where my discovery began.
Objectivism states that A is A. There are no contradictions in life. Existence exists and that we as humans cannot escape it. Objectivists reject all form of mystisism and the idea that the supernatural can interject and change reality, because A is A and cannot exist as non-A at the same time. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Reality is not something that anyone or anything can change because they will it or wish it to be another way. Because of this Objectivism requires Atheism.
Well, being a deeply religious person myself I began to ponder this idea. Objectivism makes total sense, it just seems so right. But I know there is a God, and there can be no contradictions in life.
That was when I realized that there isn't a contradiction here! The God I know can fit quite nicely into everything that Objectivism declares.
You see, this is what I believe.
I believe that there was a life before this one: a pre-mortal existence in which we knew God the Father and he knew us. But that existence was not to be the final step in the scheme of the eternities. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created the Universe and the Heavens as well as a type of Hell or Outer Darkness. Because he knew us so implicitly I believe that he knew exactly which realm our souls would be qualified to reside in for eternity but he couldn't just go around saying, "Congratulations you are going to make it to Heaven." And, "Sorry, you won't make the cut." to us without proving it to us himself because God is a God of Reason.
In order to prove to us during the Final Judgment that he is a Just God, we were sent to earth with no memory of our life before; this that we may see for ourselves at the end of our lives the true condition of our souls.
Here is where the connection to Objectivism is made. According to its axiom that Existence exists, that reality cannot be changed or altered even by a God, I agree. But I submit that there is in fact a God and a reality that co-exist without contradiction!
The Bible tells us that God exist beyond time, that time is a mortal concept, not an eternal one. And when one looks deep into the concept of time itself with all it's complexity and seemingly irrationality, that is not hard for me to accept. It is man that travels in a straight line all his life, while nature constantly cycles. This is another belief of Objectivism. That mans course is a line, not a circle. Therefore his experience and reality on earth is that of a straight line, a continuous stream of time.
I believe that God operates on a different level. Einstein said that it was possibly that the past and the present exist simultaneously, so why not the future as well? I believe that God see's everything as it was, is, and will be. But he does not need to interfere! God knows us implicitly. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us so well that he can know without any doubt every decision that we will ever make in our lives, and to give us our agency and to carry out the fulfillment of Justice, he does not interfere. Knowing the heart of a dictator or murderer, he could simply reach out his hand and stop terrible things from happening, but he does not! This so that we may face the full reality of our choices, the consequences of the path we choose.
Objectivism also states that there are no miracles because the definition of a miracle is something that could not have been possible before that is brought about by a supernatural force or intervention. I say that life's course is already known to God and he does not change it because it has already been set in motion in full detail by himself. Every "miracle" that happens, for there are things on this earth that I would define as miracles, has already been planned for and set in motion.
To pray is not a useless attempt as Objectivists suggest, neither because there is no God nor because he will not help you. To pray is to show recognition to him who you owe everything. To pray for strength or help is right. God will answer your prayers for the simple reason that he knew you would pray. Because he knows you better than you know yourself. Extending the blessings of your righteousness to you is not an intervention by God that changes reality. It is the carrying out of reality itself.
I am only a seventeen year old girl. I have only studied Objectvism for a short time, maybe a week or so, but this is what I know. I know that man's purpose on earth is not suffering and pain, but happiness. I know that there is a reality with consequences to the choices that we make. I know that reason and logic are the standards by which I judge everything in life, and I know that Objectivism embraces all these things. Yet I also know that there is a God. I know this in the ways the Objectivism requires all knowledge: through my five senses. I have heard his voice and felt his presence and seen his hand. I know he is there. I know that there are no contradictions in life. I found one, checked my premises and discovered that it was never there to begin with.
This is my epiphany. One day I hope to explain my new-found knowledge to an Objectivist and see how they take my idea's. I know that I'm right. I know it. Though I'm not yet articulate in the ways of philosophy I ask you to use your own judgment, with the soundness of your mind which is a tool that only you can use to judge the truth, and discover for yourself what you think about this life, whether you think as I do or not. The important thing is that you not only have an opinion, but believe it passionately and understand it thoroughly.
Because of these new ideas that have been introduced into my life, I'm a changed person for good and for the better.
Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be teaching my new Philosophy as a professor and spreading my ideas to the world? For now I have my blog. My Desiderata.
I finished reading Atlas Shrugged last night and I'm completely enraptured with the philosophy of Objectivism. So since then I've been researching it and listening to lectures and the like. It's absolutely fascinating and I love it.
The ideas are simple and concise and I agree with all of them except one. And that is where my discovery began.
Objectivism states that A is A. There are no contradictions in life. Existence exists and that we as humans cannot escape it. Objectivists reject all form of mystisism and the idea that the supernatural can interject and change reality, because A is A and cannot exist as non-A at the same time. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Reality is not something that anyone or anything can change because they will it or wish it to be another way. Because of this Objectivism requires Atheism.
Well, being a deeply religious person myself I began to ponder this idea. Objectivism makes total sense, it just seems so right. But I know there is a God, and there can be no contradictions in life.
That was when I realized that there isn't a contradiction here! The God I know can fit quite nicely into everything that Objectivism declares.
You see, this is what I believe.
I believe that there was a life before this one: a pre-mortal existence in which we knew God the Father and he knew us. But that existence was not to be the final step in the scheme of the eternities. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created the Universe and the Heavens as well as a type of Hell or Outer Darkness. Because he knew us so implicitly I believe that he knew exactly which realm our souls would be qualified to reside in for eternity but he couldn't just go around saying, "Congratulations you are going to make it to Heaven." And, "Sorry, you won't make the cut." to us without proving it to us himself because God is a God of Reason.
In order to prove to us during the Final Judgment that he is a Just God, we were sent to earth with no memory of our life before; this that we may see for ourselves at the end of our lives the true condition of our souls.
Here is where the connection to Objectivism is made. According to its axiom that Existence exists, that reality cannot be changed or altered even by a God, I agree. But I submit that there is in fact a God and a reality that co-exist without contradiction!
The Bible tells us that God exist beyond time, that time is a mortal concept, not an eternal one. And when one looks deep into the concept of time itself with all it's complexity and seemingly irrationality, that is not hard for me to accept. It is man that travels in a straight line all his life, while nature constantly cycles. This is another belief of Objectivism. That mans course is a line, not a circle. Therefore his experience and reality on earth is that of a straight line, a continuous stream of time.
I believe that God operates on a different level. Einstein said that it was possibly that the past and the present exist simultaneously, so why not the future as well? I believe that God see's everything as it was, is, and will be. But he does not need to interfere! God knows us implicitly. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us so well that he can know without any doubt every decision that we will ever make in our lives, and to give us our agency and to carry out the fulfillment of Justice, he does not interfere. Knowing the heart of a dictator or murderer, he could simply reach out his hand and stop terrible things from happening, but he does not! This so that we may face the full reality of our choices, the consequences of the path we choose.
Objectivism also states that there are no miracles because the definition of a miracle is something that could not have been possible before that is brought about by a supernatural force or intervention. I say that life's course is already known to God and he does not change it because it has already been set in motion in full detail by himself. Every "miracle" that happens, for there are things on this earth that I would define as miracles, has already been planned for and set in motion.
To pray is not a useless attempt as Objectivists suggest, neither because there is no God nor because he will not help you. To pray is to show recognition to him who you owe everything. To pray for strength or help is right. God will answer your prayers for the simple reason that he knew you would pray. Because he knows you better than you know yourself. Extending the blessings of your righteousness to you is not an intervention by God that changes reality. It is the carrying out of reality itself.
I am only a seventeen year old girl. I have only studied Objectvism for a short time, maybe a week or so, but this is what I know. I know that man's purpose on earth is not suffering and pain, but happiness. I know that there is a reality with consequences to the choices that we make. I know that reason and logic are the standards by which I judge everything in life, and I know that Objectivism embraces all these things. Yet I also know that there is a God. I know this in the ways the Objectivism requires all knowledge: through my five senses. I have heard his voice and felt his presence and seen his hand. I know he is there. I know that there are no contradictions in life. I found one, checked my premises and discovered that it was never there to begin with.
This is my epiphany. One day I hope to explain my new-found knowledge to an Objectivist and see how they take my idea's. I know that I'm right. I know it. Though I'm not yet articulate in the ways of philosophy I ask you to use your own judgment, with the soundness of your mind which is a tool that only you can use to judge the truth, and discover for yourself what you think about this life, whether you think as I do or not. The important thing is that you not only have an opinion, but believe it passionately and understand it thoroughly.
Because of these new ideas that have been introduced into my life, I'm a changed person for good and for the better.
Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be teaching my new Philosophy as a professor and spreading my ideas to the world? For now I have my blog. My Desiderata.
Monday, July 18, 2011
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo is almost upon us!
It's a little bit scary to think about, if I'm being honest.
For those of you who don't know what it is..... shame on you.
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. For the entire month of November crazy writers all over the world circle the wagons and commit to writing an entire 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That's a big freaking deal. To accomplish such insanity one much write a consistent 1667 words per day. (Whether you are inspired or not, which is the challenge.)
Last year I participated, but because I was also in a musical at the time I procrastinated much of my writing, sometimes not writing at all for a few days. Which meant by the end I had to write 20,000 words in 4 days. That was an adventure...
My family had a great time too! I lived on the computer and refused to do anything else, forgetting the necessities of food and sleep, while basically obsessing over this insane goal I had set for myself. My poor family didn't see much of me that fateful November. They were pretty sick of NaNoWriMo once it was done. But that is beside the point!
THE POINT of this outrageous and borderline impossible challenge is the challenge itself. In the same way that my favorite comedian Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days, it's going to hurt. The process, though not involving blisters or freezing rain, is a painful one. You'll find yourself having said what you planned to say, with half your book left. So you end up pulling new plot lines and characters out of your bum, and many times being shocked at how perfectly it all falls into place.
It's a marathon of the mind, not intended for the faint of heart. In fact, it's such a daunting task that I'm already looking forward to it... and it's only July!
So yeah. If you've got a love of writing, or you're just a crazy lunatic who likes to challenge yourself (I'm a bit of both) then do it. Go to the NaNoWriMo website and pledge your allegiance! Then, who knows? By the end of the month you may have written a novel, all by yourself. So you can introduce yourself like this, "Hello. My name is blankety blank. And I write a novel in one month. I'm a novelist, that's right."
Eternal Glory awaits you at the finish line. As well as brownie points and bragging rights forever.
It's a little bit scary to think about, if I'm being honest.
For those of you who don't know what it is..... shame on you.
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. For the entire month of November crazy writers all over the world circle the wagons and commit to writing an entire 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That's a big freaking deal. To accomplish such insanity one much write a consistent 1667 words per day. (Whether you are inspired or not, which is the challenge.)
Last year I participated, but because I was also in a musical at the time I procrastinated much of my writing, sometimes not writing at all for a few days. Which meant by the end I had to write 20,000 words in 4 days. That was an adventure...
My family had a great time too! I lived on the computer and refused to do anything else, forgetting the necessities of food and sleep, while basically obsessing over this insane goal I had set for myself. My poor family didn't see much of me that fateful November. They were pretty sick of NaNoWriMo once it was done. But that is beside the point!
THE POINT of this outrageous and borderline impossible challenge is the challenge itself. In the same way that my favorite comedian Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days, it's going to hurt. The process, though not involving blisters or freezing rain, is a painful one. You'll find yourself having said what you planned to say, with half your book left. So you end up pulling new plot lines and characters out of your bum, and many times being shocked at how perfectly it all falls into place.
It's a marathon of the mind, not intended for the faint of heart. In fact, it's such a daunting task that I'm already looking forward to it... and it's only July!
So yeah. If you've got a love of writing, or you're just a crazy lunatic who likes to challenge yourself (I'm a bit of both) then do it. Go to the NaNoWriMo website and pledge your allegiance! Then, who knows? By the end of the month you may have written a novel, all by yourself. So you can introduce yourself like this, "Hello. My name is blankety blank. And I write a novel in one month. I'm a novelist, that's right."
Eternal Glory awaits you at the finish line. As well as brownie points and bragging rights forever.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Atlas Shrugged
Hey everyone! I know it's been forever, but I've had some crazy stuff going on. Everything is right with the world once more so I thought I'd resume my blogging which I've so sadly neglected.
Right now I'm reading a fabulous book called Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I havn't gotten through it yet and I am absolutly desperate to know "Who is John Galt?" but that will have to wait. For now I've contented myself with observing all the little details of the society that Ayn Rand has created, and it's a little bit scary.
In this new place everyone acts for the good of society as a whole. Business and greed are considered crass and undignified, as it doing something soley to make money. The majority of people there are fools. They fear hard and fast facts and when faced with a yes or no question they hem and haw and beat around the bush to avoid answering. These idiots run the world. They fear the power of politicians and the peoples opinions mean everything to them.
It creates a lot of interesting problems for everybody. People become cunning and malicious, yet wholly stupid. If it doesn't seem to benefit the world as a whole, they don't do it or care about it, even if it something good and necessary. They're running themselves into the ground.
As well as being moronic, they are extremily apathetic. This apathy in part comes from not wanting to take the blame for anything. If they never take action, they can never be blamed for doing something wrong. It's always someone else who can take care of it, and in this way nohting gets done.
It's an odd senario in the fact that it is both far fetched and already a realtiy.
We're apathetic. We're silly people who care far too much about ourselves and our individual causes to see the bigger picture. We often miss the simple things that make the most difference. Common sense is no longer common.
When talking about Politics we wish for equality in all things when we should be wishing for an Equaltiy of Opportunity instead. In Business we wish to eliminate Monopolies, yet encourage competition, which caps the limit of sucess one man can acheive from his hard work. In life we wish for things to be fair, when in reality the only fairness we can ever acheive is that equality of oppurtunity.
It's a frustrating thing to see the world and the direction it is headed in. It often makes me wish that more people would only stop and think and observe.
Leonardo da Vinci once lamented that too many people Look without Seeing, Listen without Hearing, Eat without Tasting, and Touch without Feeling. If we could all just take a moment of silence and listen, we might learn something.
As far as apathy goes, I beileve that the worst kind of man is the man without a purpose. That is one definition of apathy itself. Why should I do it when it's someone else's job? It's not my problem. We need people in this world who are doers. We need the kind of people who take it upon themselves to make a difference. Ghandi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
We are a doing people. We have dreams and aspirations and work hard towards our goals. When we want something in life, we will not be content to sit back and dream. We make our dreams a reality. In this way we are not so very much like Ayn Rand's world. As long as we remain proud of ourselves and our accomplishements, as long as we never give up or settle, as long as we can truely see and hear the world around us, we have nothing to fear.
Right now I'm reading a fabulous book called Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I havn't gotten through it yet and I am absolutly desperate to know "Who is John Galt?" but that will have to wait. For now I've contented myself with observing all the little details of the society that Ayn Rand has created, and it's a little bit scary.
In this new place everyone acts for the good of society as a whole. Business and greed are considered crass and undignified, as it doing something soley to make money. The majority of people there are fools. They fear hard and fast facts and when faced with a yes or no question they hem and haw and beat around the bush to avoid answering. These idiots run the world. They fear the power of politicians and the peoples opinions mean everything to them.
It creates a lot of interesting problems for everybody. People become cunning and malicious, yet wholly stupid. If it doesn't seem to benefit the world as a whole, they don't do it or care about it, even if it something good and necessary. They're running themselves into the ground.
As well as being moronic, they are extremily apathetic. This apathy in part comes from not wanting to take the blame for anything. If they never take action, they can never be blamed for doing something wrong. It's always someone else who can take care of it, and in this way nohting gets done.
It's an odd senario in the fact that it is both far fetched and already a realtiy.
We're apathetic. We're silly people who care far too much about ourselves and our individual causes to see the bigger picture. We often miss the simple things that make the most difference. Common sense is no longer common.
When talking about Politics we wish for equality in all things when we should be wishing for an Equaltiy of Opportunity instead. In Business we wish to eliminate Monopolies, yet encourage competition, which caps the limit of sucess one man can acheive from his hard work. In life we wish for things to be fair, when in reality the only fairness we can ever acheive is that equality of oppurtunity.
It's a frustrating thing to see the world and the direction it is headed in. It often makes me wish that more people would only stop and think and observe.
Leonardo da Vinci once lamented that too many people Look without Seeing, Listen without Hearing, Eat without Tasting, and Touch without Feeling. If we could all just take a moment of silence and listen, we might learn something.
As far as apathy goes, I beileve that the worst kind of man is the man without a purpose. That is one definition of apathy itself. Why should I do it when it's someone else's job? It's not my problem. We need people in this world who are doers. We need the kind of people who take it upon themselves to make a difference. Ghandi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
We are a doing people. We have dreams and aspirations and work hard towards our goals. When we want something in life, we will not be content to sit back and dream. We make our dreams a reality. In this way we are not so very much like Ayn Rand's world. As long as we remain proud of ourselves and our accomplishements, as long as we never give up or settle, as long as we can truely see and hear the world around us, we have nothing to fear.
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