Introduction

Hi, all. First off, thanks for being here even reading this; you’re giving me part of your time and attention and I appreciate that.

I was talking about some random ideas with my girlfriend and she suggested I post them in a blog so that others could read, comment on, and discuss them. I thought it was an interesting idea, so here I am. I’ve never had or wanted to have a blog before; they seemed rather pointless to me. As such, this will be quite an experience for me, hopefully a positive one.

I want this to be a place minds can talk and especially discuss freely and fearlessly about anything and everything, including, but not limited to: philosophy, politics, religion, science, etc. If you decide to participate, please be open-minded and considerate of others’ beliefs. Most of what goes on here (if I have my way) will be opinion, so respect that.

With that in mind, I look forward to and encourage giving and receiving feedback on a multitude of topics, along with some intelligent conversation.

 

I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells.

–Dr. Seuss

Topic: Death Part 1

Greetings, readers! This topic is not going to be as morbid as the title would suggest. Today I want to discuss the fear of death, and why it doesn’t make sense to me.

First, let’s analyze what fear is. In my experience, fear usually stems from an unknown: you don’t know what’s out there in the dark. You don’t know whether that spider or snake is poisonous, etc. There are some fears that stem from knowing: you know if you fall from a high place, you will get hurt.

So what about death? Is it a known or an unknown? Do we know what happens to us when we die? Several belief systems claim to know. If you are monotheistic, chances are you think you’re going to a paradise in the sky where you can relax blissfully and be at peace. What’s there to be afraid of? If you are not monotheistic, I admit I have less of an idea of your beliefs, but my experience is that you do not believe death is painful, rather a passing or a change, the new beginning, a transfer of energy. That still doesn’t sound scary.

Why then? Why are people so desperate to hold on to life? What is the worst that could possibly happen when you die? What is there to be afraid of?

No one wants to die. Even the people that want

to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there

–Steve Jobs

Topic: Public Emotion

Greetings, readers! Today I have something to discuss that has been bugging me for some time now: the taboo on emotion.

It occurred to me that society seems to frown on extreme emotions in public places. When we mingle with each other in the great game of life, we obviously have thoughts and experiences. If you’re not a soulless automaton, (and I assume you aren’t) these thoughts and emotions make you feel things, such as sadness, joy, etc. Why, then, does our culture tend to mute or dampen these?

Well, perhaps I should clarify. I do not believe that we as humans dislike emotion, as that would be contradictory, but when, for example, a good thing happens to someone on the subway, on the street, or any other public place, and they express that raw emotion physically, they seem to get shot down. Say that you got a text while you were walking down the street saying that you won a million dollars or some valuable prize. you jump and scream in excitement and joy. Yay for you! But immediately afterward, you crouch and look around, fervently hoping nobody saw your outburst. Why? Is it that embarrassing to feel that joy? Going a step further, someone did see your outburst. They sigh and shake their head. Why? Is jumping and yelling too immature for you to partake in?

I realize that some people will smile or congratulate you on your accomplishment, but is that a majority? And why does embarrassment seem to be the first thing we feel after displaying emotion?

Reverse side of the spectrum: crying in public. This is also a no-no, as far as I have seen. No one wants to be seen crying. Why? Is it a sign of undeniable weakness? A fear of being rejected or not taken seriously perhaps? Now, I understand that some problems are personal and not necessarily to be shared with the world, but that doesn’t answer my questions. I don’t want to encourage you to tell every dark secret you have, but why hide the crying?

Usually, from what I’ve seen, humans in public don’t go much further than a laugh or a frown. I know you all feel stronger emotions than that. Are you limiting yourself in order to fit in with what you think is the right thing to do? Are you scared of what people around you will think of you? If you have any other ideas, please discuss.

All emotion is involuntary when genuine.

-Mark Twain

Quick Topic: Do chimps go to heaven?

Or any other animal, for that matter. Non-sentient life forms don’t believe in a God, do they? So what happens when they die? Is there a reason they should be denied paradise? Or since they don’t believe in and love God are they eternally damned from birth? I’ve been told there is an answer to this, but I’m not Christian, so I’m kinda in the dark.

Topic: Language and Writing

Greetings, readers!

Today I would like to discuss an amazing concept: not what you’re reading or why you’re reading it, but how you’re reading it.

I got to thinking about literacy in the United States, and how many people couldn’t read or write. I can’t imagine not being able to do either; how hard can it be? You just read the words, for Pete’s sake!

But it’s not nearly that simple. Think about what you are doing right now in reading this. You are looking at little squiggly lines and curves that your brain translates into letters, and from there, groups certain letters together to recognize words, and then has to take meaning from those words and comprehend the ideas behind them. Over and over again. All of literacy is interpreting little dots and lines, and giving them meaning.

This is not an easy task; many of the lines have different shapes that mean the same thing. Take a look at all the fonts we have on a computer, capital and lowercase letters, not to mention cursive. Our brain has to get used to interpreting these strange symbols correctly if we have any hope of reading or writing.

And then there are the different languages! Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, even Hawaii has a separate alphabet and language. Every one is based off of seemingly random bits of ink! Your mind has to give a meaning to these drops of black on a white area.

What does this mean, though? Of course you can read; it’d be kinda pointless being here if you couldn’t… But consider the implications. Who or what determines the shape of letters? Who or what determines what sounds those letters make in conjunction with each other, and what the resulting words mean?

These meanings are arbitrary. What stops letters sounding differently than we assume them to? What if letters didn’t look the way they do? They certainly have no obligation to look that way; they’re just splashes of color arranged in a pattern.

So what does that mean for our day-to-day lives? Honestly, you have to decide that much. New words are added to the dictionary all the time, and languages have to come from somewhere. Personally, I challenged myself to create an alphabet and language from scratch. (I quickly realized that was not as easy as it sounds…) I drew shapes that I thought looked cool, and made them letters. From there, I determined what sounds they make and other rules for composition.

The problem with languages is that they have to be a public entity: people have to understand what meaning you wish to convey with your squiggles for anything to be considered “communication.” So, we’re stuck using this primitive and confusing thing called “English.” Could be worse, I suppose.

The limits of my language are the limits of my world.

–Ludwig Wittgenstein

Topic: Math as an Absolute

Greetings, readers!

I would like to discuss the subject that is at the same time my best friend and my worst enemy: mathematics.

I love math, really, I do. I just wish it weren’t so hard. Currently, I am enrolled in a differential equations and linear algebra class, reminding myself why I am not a math major. Most of the equations I have to memorize anymore have more letters than numbers. (I don’t know whether to count e as a letter or number…)

But then I think about what math really is. I said I love it, and I meant it. Why? Because math is ideal. Logical. There is only one possible answer one can come up with given a specific set of conditions. Any method you use, if it is consistent with mathematical laws, will give you the same answer. This means that both sides of an equation must always be the same. Or, as Aristotle put it, A is A.

It’s comforting to think that even in this crazy universe of subjective perspectives that at least one thing can be constant. Math has been, is, and will be. In some senses, it’s all there is: the universe itself is described by the unchanging certainty of math, even the chaotic or nonlinear parts. You can always depend on that equals sign to be there, and that the equation will never deviate.

Math is not based on assumptions like science or philosophy. There are no prerequisites except that the idea of numbers exists. Even then, “numbers” and “math” are only labels. The universe would behave in such a way even if we did not have the means or knowledge to model it. Math is. Everything else is derivative.

What other absolutes exist in the universe? Death and taxes? I’m not certain of either, especially the former, but that’s a discussion for another day…

 

Math is the language of the universe.

So the more equations you know,

the more you can converse with the cosmos.

-Neil deGrasse Tyson

Topic: Music and Feeling

Greetings, readers!

As I write this, I’m listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop.” I’ve always loved music; I have played the trombone since fifth grade, and have participated in eighth grade show choir, as well as two musicals: Seussical Jr. and Footloose. Loved both of them.

The topic I want to discuss here, then, is the connection between music and feeling. In my mind, the two are irrevocably intertwined. Music, to me, is a symbol of feeling, and in some cases, even a generator of feeling. Every time I hear a song or look at lyrics, I try to imagine what kind of feelings went into creating them. More often than not, my feelings resonate.

Take, for example, Carl Orff’s orchestral version of “Fortuna Imperatix Mundi.” It’s a chillingly beautiful poem written in Latin about the twists and turns of fate. Every time I hear it, it gives me shivers. The beginning is attention grabbing, the middle calms down to tell the story, but then the ending drives home the drama, and the urgency is almost overwhelming. This is a prime example of a piece of music written with a specific feeling in mind.

It’s not enough to have a feeling in mind when writing, though. The performance is even more important. You have to be convinced of your feelings if you want to induce them in anyone else. The feeling gives the music purpose and direction, and lends an extra sort of… well, quality, I guess. The same thing can be applied to purely instrumental pieces, as well. Take Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Every note, every rise and fall of pitch and volume, every accent is designed to instill joy into the listeners. The performers know this, and pour that feeling into their playing to make the piece truly memorable.

Expressing and inducing emotion. Does music serve any other purposes? How and/or why? Examples?

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

-Victor Hugo