Continuing on from where I left off.
Someone once said that man lives only to eat, sleep and reproduce. Wrap that fact in other anthropologistic facts: that above all man desires survival and success of his own species, that man cares for his fellow man, that man needs rituals of birth and death, that man necessarily loves nature as it is his natural habitat. I think you've got the human being spot on.
But how about this: start from this premise instead: that man lives only for the deep ideas.
I think you've got man spot on too.
So which is true? Well, you've only got to examine yourself here. There are many types of men but in a simplistic variation there are perhaps two types only. One who identifies with the first type: anthropologistic man. The second who identifies with the man who often feels trapped in his human body. Whose body and his thought are separated, never to be joined amicably in his life on earth. Whose thoughts are miles away. Whose mind is at the edge of the universe.
It seems there are necessarily two species of men, even though they're genetically undefinable. The first type has no soul. He is his body. When his body dies, so does his being.
The second type is a soul. He has a body, but that is besides the point. He, in this vein, looks exactly like the first type of man that even he thinks they are the same species. But he is so different. Even he is puzzled to how different he is sometimes.
Monday, 21 April 2008
Internet and Attention Span: Why we should read books......
Yes, I an attention span of at best 5 seconds. I am in love with the internet. Now I think its because I dont have to struggle with anything for longer than seconds before going to the next thing. The internet does shorten your attention span, and this point isnt even contentious.
There is so much out there, media files, downloads and streams, e-shopping, blogging, msn, webcams etc that there is no point in staying with anything if you can just flit about to your hearts content.
You can have 10 things going on at the same time: a movie, music, a book, streaming, pdf files, work etc.... I mean, why read a book anymore, right?
Heres one very potent reason why: the internet is not a substitute for books!
Okay, yes, ebooks are substitutes but not websites. We're not talking about magazines here, that put online the whole content of their print versions. I'm not talking encyclopedia britannica either. I'm talking real books, not just soundbytes.
Real ideas, not just commentary. There is a very real difference. Like this blog, its just commentary. Read a book and notice that literature is actually still an art form, not just random ideas strung together.
The thing about most online content is that its structureless. The writers, like their readers, suffer from short attention spans. They write either short, breathless commentary, or long rambling articles on whatever pops into their minds at the instant, flitting about from one thing to the other because it suits them. None of what they say is researched or verified. Run out of ideas? Skip to the next one! Always have something to say, about everything, but when you really examine the content, it says nothing.
Of course I'm all for a paperless future. E-books are our future. Get yourself a amazon kindle or iphone now, I say, so that you can keep your entire library of books in electronic form.
Thing is, not everything is in ebook form, to the detriment of society. If you refuse to pay for a paper book, thinking you can get a free ebook off the net, well, you're missing out. The best things out there are not on the net, I'm afraid. Not yet, anyway.
It used to be the old magazines vs books debate. Yes, there are good magazine journalists out there. But no matter how well researched an article is, its simply too short to even pretend to be of the same standard as a well written book. Sure, there is a skill to inventing soundbytes, or hip short stories with the odd quick turn of phrase. You're never really a master till you're quotable, after all. But in context, we see that the mastery is all an illusion.
A masterpiece is a masterpiece for its entire brilliancy, not for a couple of clever phrases.
We try and put forward original ideas. These can appear in any format or medium, from charcoal to C code. We get mixed up because we no longer know how to appreciate quality over volume. This is why we always resurface empty handed, despite the volume of information available to us in all forms. This is why we have this bizarre feeling that all these words and pictures are empty, because they don't enlighten us. If anyone can be a writer or an artist, then literature and art become common. They dont hit home anymore. We can't scratch that itch, that desire to discover an artist's sacrifice to create something that will last for eternity, not just a decade.
A photograph is now all point and shoot. A novel is all type type and email. Everything is now superficial by default unless it is deep.
All art requires sacrifice. All art requires apprenticeship and mastery first. This is not just design for a purpose. As human beings, we live for the deeper ideas. The computer itself is a deep idea. This is why we derive so much pleasure from it. What gives pleasure is necessarily deep.
There is so much out there, media files, downloads and streams, e-shopping, blogging, msn, webcams etc that there is no point in staying with anything if you can just flit about to your hearts content.
You can have 10 things going on at the same time: a movie, music, a book, streaming, pdf files, work etc.... I mean, why read a book anymore, right?
Heres one very potent reason why: the internet is not a substitute for books!
Okay, yes, ebooks are substitutes but not websites. We're not talking about magazines here, that put online the whole content of their print versions. I'm not talking encyclopedia britannica either. I'm talking real books, not just soundbytes.
Real ideas, not just commentary. There is a very real difference. Like this blog, its just commentary. Read a book and notice that literature is actually still an art form, not just random ideas strung together.
The thing about most online content is that its structureless. The writers, like their readers, suffer from short attention spans. They write either short, breathless commentary, or long rambling articles on whatever pops into their minds at the instant, flitting about from one thing to the other because it suits them. None of what they say is researched or verified. Run out of ideas? Skip to the next one! Always have something to say, about everything, but when you really examine the content, it says nothing.
Of course I'm all for a paperless future. E-books are our future. Get yourself a amazon kindle or iphone now, I say, so that you can keep your entire library of books in electronic form.
Thing is, not everything is in ebook form, to the detriment of society. If you refuse to pay for a paper book, thinking you can get a free ebook off the net, well, you're missing out. The best things out there are not on the net, I'm afraid. Not yet, anyway.
It used to be the old magazines vs books debate. Yes, there are good magazine journalists out there. But no matter how well researched an article is, its simply too short to even pretend to be of the same standard as a well written book. Sure, there is a skill to inventing soundbytes, or hip short stories with the odd quick turn of phrase. You're never really a master till you're quotable, after all. But in context, we see that the mastery is all an illusion.
A masterpiece is a masterpiece for its entire brilliancy, not for a couple of clever phrases.
We try and put forward original ideas. These can appear in any format or medium, from charcoal to C code. We get mixed up because we no longer know how to appreciate quality over volume. This is why we always resurface empty handed, despite the volume of information available to us in all forms. This is why we have this bizarre feeling that all these words and pictures are empty, because they don't enlighten us. If anyone can be a writer or an artist, then literature and art become common. They dont hit home anymore. We can't scratch that itch, that desire to discover an artist's sacrifice to create something that will last for eternity, not just a decade.
A photograph is now all point and shoot. A novel is all type type and email. Everything is now superficial by default unless it is deep.
All art requires sacrifice. All art requires apprenticeship and mastery first. This is not just design for a purpose. As human beings, we live for the deeper ideas. The computer itself is a deep idea. This is why we derive so much pleasure from it. What gives pleasure is necessarily deep.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Superficiality and Hypocrisy
Yes,
To continue the theme that I started previously. We live in a superficial world. And we certainly arent the better for it. Of course, we can always succeed if we hold the same superficial values of the world.
We must:
Look good = cosmetic surgery and designer clothes
Be successful and Rich = Forbes top 100 list
Be smart = Ivy league degree
Be talented = sports superstar etc
All this is good and can all now be achieved artificially if not god given. But for those unfortunate ones who arent the perfect superficial person, is even mildly imperfect, of the wrong race, or is disfigured in some way, or is mentally disabled.......the above give a prerogative for them to be despised.
The fortunate are not the beautiful or rich or talented. They are only fortunate that they have the world's adoration. But what is the point of that? For each person in the world is as stupid as the next.
No, the intelligent person is the person who can see deeper. To him, its all a facade. But how to hold such beliefs in a world where everyone believes otherwise? For we need the world's love. This is what we live for, I suppose. So in a way, we sustain the superficiality by feeding it with our neediness. And our delight for certain things, that look nice, smell nice, feel nice....
No one likes a smelly beggar in a slum. They pity him, but no one wants to be him.
Let me tell you how deep this vein runs. I have fallen in love many times with imperfect people. I love them, but I've never said to myself I would like to be them. Why not? Not because I don't think they're perfect, they are, to me. I wouldn't change a hair on them. I love all their imperfections. But I know not everyone can see that. Because as a society we set standards, and no matter how we try not too, we always care what the majority thinks. We need the vindication.
We can't trust ourselves. Ever. If its one against the world, the world always wins. We have our own opinions, but we succumb to society's, simply because we are overpowered my numbers.
A stupid majority overrules a smart minority. So we'd prefer to be the person that personally you despise but everyone adores. The beautiful and egotistical. The horrid megalomaniac. The charming narcissist. There's one in all of us. But theres no need to see these as the good parts of our characters. We're complex beings. We all have an ego that likes to be acknowledged but we also all have an ego-less side. So why does society glorify all the negative parts?
Why is it cool to be egotistical? To sneer at the poor, middle-class, ignorant?
A person is fortunate if they like themselves. I could be the perfect person, but if I hate myself, what's the use?
If I like myself, and the world likes me, then I'm set right? So sometimes it is good to be a narcissist!
Yes, but we have to please one more character here. The all-knowing God. For the 6 billion people in the world are pretty much nothing when it comes to God.
So believe that God doesnt exist. Then the narcissist is universally adored!
Yes, but then the narcissist will ask himself why he isnt God. Why he's not actually perfect! Why he cant change water into wine. Why he needs science and art and all these damn electronics and still cant figure out what the point of life is. And why he constantly falls in love with the imperfect person.
To continue the theme that I started previously. We live in a superficial world. And we certainly arent the better for it. Of course, we can always succeed if we hold the same superficial values of the world.
We must:
Look good = cosmetic surgery and designer clothes
Be successful and Rich = Forbes top 100 list
Be smart = Ivy league degree
Be talented = sports superstar etc
All this is good and can all now be achieved artificially if not god given. But for those unfortunate ones who arent the perfect superficial person, is even mildly imperfect, of the wrong race, or is disfigured in some way, or is mentally disabled.......the above give a prerogative for them to be despised.
The fortunate are not the beautiful or rich or talented. They are only fortunate that they have the world's adoration. But what is the point of that? For each person in the world is as stupid as the next.
No, the intelligent person is the person who can see deeper. To him, its all a facade. But how to hold such beliefs in a world where everyone believes otherwise? For we need the world's love. This is what we live for, I suppose. So in a way, we sustain the superficiality by feeding it with our neediness. And our delight for certain things, that look nice, smell nice, feel nice....
No one likes a smelly beggar in a slum. They pity him, but no one wants to be him.
Let me tell you how deep this vein runs. I have fallen in love many times with imperfect people. I love them, but I've never said to myself I would like to be them. Why not? Not because I don't think they're perfect, they are, to me. I wouldn't change a hair on them. I love all their imperfections. But I know not everyone can see that. Because as a society we set standards, and no matter how we try not too, we always care what the majority thinks. We need the vindication.
We can't trust ourselves. Ever. If its one against the world, the world always wins. We have our own opinions, but we succumb to society's, simply because we are overpowered my numbers.
A stupid majority overrules a smart minority. So we'd prefer to be the person that personally you despise but everyone adores. The beautiful and egotistical. The horrid megalomaniac. The charming narcissist. There's one in all of us. But theres no need to see these as the good parts of our characters. We're complex beings. We all have an ego that likes to be acknowledged but we also all have an ego-less side. So why does society glorify all the negative parts?
Why is it cool to be egotistical? To sneer at the poor, middle-class, ignorant?
A person is fortunate if they like themselves. I could be the perfect person, but if I hate myself, what's the use?
If I like myself, and the world likes me, then I'm set right? So sometimes it is good to be a narcissist!
Yes, but we have to please one more character here. The all-knowing God. For the 6 billion people in the world are pretty much nothing when it comes to God.
So believe that God doesnt exist. Then the narcissist is universally adored!
Yes, but then the narcissist will ask himself why he isnt God. Why he's not actually perfect! Why he cant change water into wine. Why he needs science and art and all these damn electronics and still cant figure out what the point of life is. And why he constantly falls in love with the imperfect person.
Tired but refusing to sleep
Okay,
I am tired but would like to contribute more to my NEW blog!
Just saw a great play tonight, starring the fantastic Ralph Fiennes and written by french playwright Yasmina Reza. Was on at the Gielgud Theatre at the London West End so if you're in the city I suggest you go see it before this first production is over.
I didnt plan to go, but was bumming around Covent Garden (in London for those of you who dont know) and remembered that I had one day planned to see it.
You know how you're in those planning moods and you start researching and planning things to do and then you dont feel up to it on the day because you'd rather stay in bed and....and blog!
Well, my advice is, follow through on your plans as new experiences are always worth the trouble!
This time it was anyway, because the subject matter was actually once again uncannily on my mind.
The play is called 'God of Carnage', and its about alot of things. I was reading this National Geographic article on Darfur the other day and there is a bit about the situation there in the play. In a nutshell, its about the hypocrisy and superficiality of the current day bourgeosie,
Okay, I really have to sleep, but I will write more and put up some links tomorrow. Its just too late.
I am tired but would like to contribute more to my NEW blog!
Just saw a great play tonight, starring the fantastic Ralph Fiennes and written by french playwright Yasmina Reza. Was on at the Gielgud Theatre at the London West End so if you're in the city I suggest you go see it before this first production is over.
I didnt plan to go, but was bumming around Covent Garden (in London for those of you who dont know) and remembered that I had one day planned to see it.
You know how you're in those planning moods and you start researching and planning things to do and then you dont feel up to it on the day because you'd rather stay in bed and....and blog!
Well, my advice is, follow through on your plans as new experiences are always worth the trouble!
This time it was anyway, because the subject matter was actually once again uncannily on my mind.
The play is called 'God of Carnage', and its about alot of things. I was reading this National Geographic article on Darfur the other day and there is a bit about the situation there in the play. In a nutshell, its about the hypocrisy and superficiality of the current day bourgeosie,
Okay, I really have to sleep, but I will write more and put up some links tomorrow. Its just too late.
Hey guys! This is my first post!
I know you must be wondering about the weird title. No, I'm not really suicidal, it just popped into my head and I'm not really in the mood for brainstorming witty titles at the mo'. Its 3:30am in the morning, and suicide was one of the things I was wondering about today so I guess it was kind of in the forefront of my mind.
Yes, I was wondering, would I do it, if I had a loaded gun in my hand?
Okay, I will generally write alot more but as its really late and I'm REAlllyyyy tirrrrrrrrrreeddee ....................YAWN.......
gnite!
I know you must be wondering about the weird title. No, I'm not really suicidal, it just popped into my head and I'm not really in the mood for brainstorming witty titles at the mo'. Its 3:30am in the morning, and suicide was one of the things I was wondering about today so I guess it was kind of in the forefront of my mind.
Yes, I was wondering, would I do it, if I had a loaded gun in my hand?
Okay, I will generally write alot more but as its really late and I'm REAlllyyyy tirrrrrrrrrreeddee ....................YAWN.......
gnite!
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