The only real challenges which count come from ourselves.
Sometimes other people place challenges, but those challenges are nothing but questions which need actions as answers. And if the question is unimportant, there's no real need to answer.
But the challenges which come from ourselves; those are important. Even though these challenges come from within us we have no say in what they are - because these challenges are made by the life around us.
They're made by the people we know, the things we need, the things we know, the people we love, the people we need, the things we love and the ways all these things interact with each other and change and twist and turn.
We have no say in the matter; sometimes our lives will present us with a challenge. And we may try to hide from it, but as long as we live the lives we do the challenges will remain.
And that leaves one question: face it or run away from it. And if the time to decide comes and you run from it or deny it then your life's been wasted on you.
But if you decide to take it on, then you've got to be ready to challenge your life back - before it overruns you and leaves you with the things you least desire.
Or worse: without the things you most desire.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Beneath the sea; seashells. Above the land; the shell of a world.
So many listen to their sense; yet so many are senseless.
The world's become a place where almost everyone relies on nothing but their senses. People's minds have become so fixated upon the physical world that they have contracted its disease; limits. Virtually nobody can think in any form of depth anymore.
Barely anyone thinks of consequences, and self-discipline (NOT self-limitation, real self discipline as in having proper control of oneself) is a long-dead concept. Even those who are meant to teach "discipline" have no idea what they're talking about. Their minds too(for the most part) have been trapped in little boxes. They mistake discipline for "following rules". How many times have I wanted to just blurt out at them "It was NOT a lack of self-discipline, I full-heartedly and willingly broke the rules and did so while in complete control of myself." But they wouldn't understand. Even if they could, their insistence on themselves getting their way- of them not being corrected whilst correcting-wouldn't allow them to understand.
And even when we look upon the world we don't look in depth. How many people do you see everyday? How many do you speak to? Have you ever realised that all those people have a past like you do; that they too have their lives and interests which might potentially be yours too? And the people who anger you - they have places in other people's lives too, places which might be much more important to the ones they have in yours.
No we don't think. We are like grains of sand, all of them similair unless you look at them in great detail- and all of them shift with the wind and rest in the calm unless they're big enough to hold their ground.
But thankfully, some people (although rare) can truly sense the world, in all its depth.
The world's become a place where almost everyone relies on nothing but their senses. People's minds have become so fixated upon the physical world that they have contracted its disease; limits. Virtually nobody can think in any form of depth anymore.
Barely anyone thinks of consequences, and self-discipline (NOT self-limitation, real self discipline as in having proper control of oneself) is a long-dead concept. Even those who are meant to teach "discipline" have no idea what they're talking about. Their minds too(for the most part) have been trapped in little boxes. They mistake discipline for "following rules". How many times have I wanted to just blurt out at them "It was NOT a lack of self-discipline, I full-heartedly and willingly broke the rules and did so while in complete control of myself." But they wouldn't understand. Even if they could, their insistence on themselves getting their way- of them not being corrected whilst correcting-wouldn't allow them to understand.
And even when we look upon the world we don't look in depth. How many people do you see everyday? How many do you speak to? Have you ever realised that all those people have a past like you do; that they too have their lives and interests which might potentially be yours too? And the people who anger you - they have places in other people's lives too, places which might be much more important to the ones they have in yours.
No we don't think. We are like grains of sand, all of them similair unless you look at them in great detail- and all of them shift with the wind and rest in the calm unless they're big enough to hold their ground.
But thankfully, some people (although rare) can truly sense the world, in all its depth.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Conflict
Why is conflict so commonly thought of as being negative?
After all, conflict is (most times) two people disagreeing about the way they treat each other. Obviously, that's never enjoyable. But why does unenjoyable = negative?
If a conflict is properly resolved, despite it not being a pleasant experience, afterwards the two people are going to get along better. That is of course, if it is properly resolved. If it cannot be resolved, or both people refuse to resolve it and just hide everything under the carpet, then things are just going to get worse and worse as the unresolved issues just keep growing.
Unfortunately, many people would just bury their issues to avoid conflict, since they're convinced that a conflict is negative and would just create a separation between two people. But, as previously mentioned, if one had to handle a conflict the right way it could turn out to be an aid, not a hindrance, to any kind of relationship.
After all, conflict is (most times) two people disagreeing about the way they treat each other. Obviously, that's never enjoyable. But why does unenjoyable = negative?
If a conflict is properly resolved, despite it not being a pleasant experience, afterwards the two people are going to get along better. That is of course, if it is properly resolved. If it cannot be resolved, or both people refuse to resolve it and just hide everything under the carpet, then things are just going to get worse and worse as the unresolved issues just keep growing.
Unfortunately, many people would just bury their issues to avoid conflict, since they're convinced that a conflict is negative and would just create a separation between two people. But, as previously mentioned, if one had to handle a conflict the right way it could turn out to be an aid, not a hindrance, to any kind of relationship.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Relativism
Nowadays we hear a lot about relativism. In layman's terms it means that absolute truths don't exist, that things are relative to the thinker (e.g. what's right to me isn't what's right to you) This way of thinking is, of course, severely flawed and can be shot down in a few simple steps;
1) Clarify the difference between "Universal truths can't exist," and "Universal truths don't exist." It can be proved, very easily, that Universal truths can exist. For example, all other truths, relative or absolute, are based on the assumption that the Universe exists. Hence the existence of the Universe is held to be a Universal truth. Furthermore the sentence "Universal truths don't exist" is self-contradictory, for it assumes itself to be Universally true.
2) Objectify the idea. Do not take the traditional approach of jumping into a topic (for example, ethics) and messing about with the definitions inside the topic itself. Instead, objectify the topic and extract the topic's fundamental qualities.
3) From the idea's fundamental qualities, deduct absolute truths about the idea. For example, right and wrong involves moral decisions. Hence all moral beings are of utmost importance. Therefore, values which better the state of mind of moral beings are definitely good; value such as freedom, peace and equality. These values are good and that is a universal truth; for no matter what you consider to be good or evil, moral beings will always be the ones who are doing either good or evil.
Granted of course that this line of reasoning will not give you accurate definitions of what is true and what is false. It will, however, indicate the general traits of what is true (in the given example, equality is one of the traits of what is good in general. Hence anything which disrupts it in vain is evil)
P.S.) The definitions extracted from objectifying the topic are true for all subjects of the topic. Hence if one had to choose a subject for a topic which didn't match the topic's characteristics (e.g. racism in the questions about right and wrong) than that subject is surely false (racism contradicts equality freedom and peace and so is evil). It is much like a maths equation. One cannot grab any equation, say x+2 = 4 and say that x is 9, just because one wishes to do so. It must make sense within the equation's boundaries.
That's all for now.
1) Clarify the difference between "Universal truths can't exist," and "Universal truths don't exist." It can be proved, very easily, that Universal truths can exist. For example, all other truths, relative or absolute, are based on the assumption that the Universe exists. Hence the existence of the Universe is held to be a Universal truth. Furthermore the sentence "Universal truths don't exist" is self-contradictory, for it assumes itself to be Universally true.
2) Objectify the idea. Do not take the traditional approach of jumping into a topic (for example, ethics) and messing about with the definitions inside the topic itself. Instead, objectify the topic and extract the topic's fundamental qualities.
3) From the idea's fundamental qualities, deduct absolute truths about the idea. For example, right and wrong involves moral decisions. Hence all moral beings are of utmost importance. Therefore, values which better the state of mind of moral beings are definitely good; value such as freedom, peace and equality. These values are good and that is a universal truth; for no matter what you consider to be good or evil, moral beings will always be the ones who are doing either good or evil.
Granted of course that this line of reasoning will not give you accurate definitions of what is true and what is false. It will, however, indicate the general traits of what is true (in the given example, equality is one of the traits of what is good in general. Hence anything which disrupts it in vain is evil)
P.S.) The definitions extracted from objectifying the topic are true for all subjects of the topic. Hence if one had to choose a subject for a topic which didn't match the topic's characteristics (e.g. racism in the questions about right and wrong) than that subject is surely false (racism contradicts equality freedom and peace and so is evil). It is much like a maths equation. One cannot grab any equation, say x+2 = 4 and say that x is 9, just because one wishes to do so. It must make sense within the equation's boundaries.
That's all for now.
Internet Etiquette
I do not feel like doing this. But I suppose I must. Nowadays a kind of etiquette has evolved on the internet (as is bound to evolve anywhere where humans interact, due to their own psyche) and not making an introductory post breeches that etiquette.
So, before doing what I have set out to do, I shall introduce myself. My (full) name is Jonathan Joseph Mark Ebejer, though I am known by many others. I never intended to blog. Ever. But when I heard about the experiences of others I was so intrigued that I had to try it for myself.
A second reason as to why I'm doing this is because I am constantly writing and thinking. But my writings and thoughts do not amount to anything if I just keep them locked away for myself. So here I am to share them with whoever may come across them. May they serve you well.
So, before doing what I have set out to do, I shall introduce myself. My (full) name is Jonathan Joseph Mark Ebejer, though I am known by many others. I never intended to blog. Ever. But when I heard about the experiences of others I was so intrigued that I had to try it for myself.
A second reason as to why I'm doing this is because I am constantly writing and thinking. But my writings and thoughts do not amount to anything if I just keep them locked away for myself. So here I am to share them with whoever may come across them. May they serve you well.
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