I am a big believer in the jack of all trades. When two sides appear to be at a stalemate, it is usually the unforeseen variable that turns the tide in a direction that no one could anticipate. Every person of stature in history, every charismatic person that ruled a crowd with their microphone, and any person that goes above and beyond what is asked of them... they are never implanted firmly on the one side of anything. Their strengths provide ability, while their flaws provide understanding. One who knows a little of everything has a wider perceptive than a specialist who can see a single slice of the pie in greater detail.
Did the Renaissance men have it right? Would you rather have a little knowledge of everything, or an expert's critical eye on a few things? When two sides are in conflict, is it always a wild card that has to upset the balance?
Would love to hear your opinions on this. Until next time, don't let life have it's way with your brains; keep on truckin'.
A not very timely note
This was a blog I once wrote during my high school and early college years. I keep it around for nostalgic purposes, but it is quite obviously no longer updated. I am looking to make a more professional blog presence in the future, but I still like to look at where I was mentally at certain points in time.
- G. Jan 2013
- G. Jan 2013
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Roots
The ecosystem around you can be quite amazing.
Walking outside, your eyes could be exposed to a multitude of things. The buildings, the people, cars, roads, bridges, and other places where humanity declared that x marks the spot. Sometimes it's a bit of a shock to imagine that at one time, there was not a speck of human ingenuity, or mistakes, as far as your eyes could see.
Then the human spark arrived, and broke the ground with a shovel.
In a similar way, anything and everything that is complex in the slightest was built from the ground up. Without roots, a tree would fall at the slightest nudge. Without a foundation, a building would have to learn to live with lying on it's side. And without our mental skeleton, our minds would just be a overactive, disorganized mess.
I could say that a start to being a perfect human being would be the perfect mental foundation. And I would be dead wrong. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. And while a weak link in a bridge could lead to disaster, a bad experience in a person's childhood can make them all the wiser.
So our mental roots require as much loving water as they need a few dark times away from the sun. But what determines this optimal mix? The same abusive childhood that turns one into a savior can make another into a psychotic killer. Genetics and upbringing clash in infinitely different ways, bringing out a diversity in humanity that goes beyond the physical.
A person's mental roots can manifest themselves in every aspect of a person's life. How can a person change when their experiences, good or bad, chain their intellect in some way? What do you think?
Walking outside, your eyes could be exposed to a multitude of things. The buildings, the people, cars, roads, bridges, and other places where humanity declared that x marks the spot. Sometimes it's a bit of a shock to imagine that at one time, there was not a speck of human ingenuity, or mistakes, as far as your eyes could see.
Then the human spark arrived, and broke the ground with a shovel.
In a similar way, anything and everything that is complex in the slightest was built from the ground up. Without roots, a tree would fall at the slightest nudge. Without a foundation, a building would have to learn to live with lying on it's side. And without our mental skeleton, our minds would just be a overactive, disorganized mess.
I could say that a start to being a perfect human being would be the perfect mental foundation. And I would be dead wrong. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. And while a weak link in a bridge could lead to disaster, a bad experience in a person's childhood can make them all the wiser.
So our mental roots require as much loving water as they need a few dark times away from the sun. But what determines this optimal mix? The same abusive childhood that turns one into a savior can make another into a psychotic killer. Genetics and upbringing clash in infinitely different ways, bringing out a diversity in humanity that goes beyond the physical.
A person's mental roots can manifest themselves in every aspect of a person's life. How can a person change when their experiences, good or bad, chain their intellect in some way? What do you think?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Acceptance
Acceptance can be liberation; the breaking of a chain that binds to a single place. It can also be a final judgment; taking things to be the way they are, with not a shred of hope for change.
It's easy to stay where we are; change is a disruption no doubt. But when one accepts themselves for who they are, instead of settling for the fact that we all judge each other, one is truly free. Extraneous opinion no longer holds weight. Life tries and tries to throw the knockout punch, but true acceptance of who you really are simply cannot be broken.
Life can be a very tiring game. An ever shifting landscape of masks, facades, and a struggle for the acceptance of society. But it is that drive to gain acceptance that chains us. To accept ourselves, and in the process accept each other unconditionally; this is an aspect of true freedom.
Once in awhile, let the inner you out to play, with no reservations. Life is short. And it could surely use some fresh air.
It's easy to stay where we are; change is a disruption no doubt. But when one accepts themselves for who they are, instead of settling for the fact that we all judge each other, one is truly free. Extraneous opinion no longer holds weight. Life tries and tries to throw the knockout punch, but true acceptance of who you really are simply cannot be broken.
Life can be a very tiring game. An ever shifting landscape of masks, facades, and a struggle for the acceptance of society. But it is that drive to gain acceptance that chains us. To accept ourselves, and in the process accept each other unconditionally; this is an aspect of true freedom.
Once in awhile, let the inner you out to play, with no reservations. Life is short. And it could surely use some fresh air.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Ambiguity of Good and Evil
Yep; I'm back. It's been awhile, but hopefully I have a brief, concentrated figment of thought for the pleasure of your superego. Hopefully, I haven't hemorrhaged too many readers from my long absence, from the small amount of people who care about the existence of this minuscule part of the internet. But I digress. Lets move on.
It's a struggle that never ends; a mental tangle of great passion and excruciating hopelessness. When one pulls off the black and white shade that makes life easy, we stumble into a world that has too many possibilities to make sense of. Good and Evil. Concepts unique to Man. Primarily based off perception, but defended to the bone by the hardcore of both sides. We draw the lines in the sand, secretly knowing that we ourselves could easily have been the person on the other side of the moral chasm. The death, destruction, and acts that boggle the kind hearted soul; reported without fail by the news media. One starts to wonder. Why?
We think we can define something as complex as good and evil. Anyone who brings harm to others is evil. Deception always has fiendish intentions. Lying rips a imaginary halo right off a person's head. But it is never that simple. It will never be that simple. Why do people do bad things? Can we honestly say that they just "are" bad people? I'm a big believer in nuture; the sum of our experiences creates the whole; ourselves. Our jails and prisons have their fair share of drug addicts and the mentally ill. Does this make them "evil"? Abuse, humiliation, and mental suffering during those critical childhood years causes unspeakable damage to occur; some of these victims become the very people they detest. Of course I cannot discount nature. Abnormalities in the neuroanatomy of one's brain and neurological diseases can adversely affect certain aspects of a person. If that person were to commit an "evil" act, what does one do? Many mental illnesses cannot be effectively treated, yet we also cannot allow crimes and criminal acts to occur. Where do we draw the line?
This is the first part of my look into this tantalizing debate. I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts on this matter. To those who regularly read this blog; I thank you, and apologize for my long absence. Adios!
It's a struggle that never ends; a mental tangle of great passion and excruciating hopelessness. When one pulls off the black and white shade that makes life easy, we stumble into a world that has too many possibilities to make sense of. Good and Evil. Concepts unique to Man. Primarily based off perception, but defended to the bone by the hardcore of both sides. We draw the lines in the sand, secretly knowing that we ourselves could easily have been the person on the other side of the moral chasm. The death, destruction, and acts that boggle the kind hearted soul; reported without fail by the news media. One starts to wonder. Why?
We think we can define something as complex as good and evil. Anyone who brings harm to others is evil. Deception always has fiendish intentions. Lying rips a imaginary halo right off a person's head. But it is never that simple. It will never be that simple. Why do people do bad things? Can we honestly say that they just "are" bad people? I'm a big believer in nuture; the sum of our experiences creates the whole; ourselves. Our jails and prisons have their fair share of drug addicts and the mentally ill. Does this make them "evil"? Abuse, humiliation, and mental suffering during those critical childhood years causes unspeakable damage to occur; some of these victims become the very people they detest. Of course I cannot discount nature. Abnormalities in the neuroanatomy of one's brain and neurological diseases can adversely affect certain aspects of a person. If that person were to commit an "evil" act, what does one do? Many mental illnesses cannot be effectively treated, yet we also cannot allow crimes and criminal acts to occur. Where do we draw the line?
This is the first part of my look into this tantalizing debate. I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts on this matter. To those who regularly read this blog; I thank you, and apologize for my long absence. Adios!
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