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Yeah, that's right, I have my own philosophy on life.
...and it's a pretty damned good one, too. I am a firm believer in the power of the individual. I don't feel that humankind is either inherently good or evil; I believe humanity is inherently ignorant. Now, my philosophy used to be that humans were born stupid, but that implies that they were hopelessly trapped forever, and I don't think that is accurate. People can change, they can improve, and most of all, they CAN CARE ABOUT THE WORLD! I believe we are guided by internal forces that cause us to make a lot of decisions, both good and bad. There are three aspects of the human body/mind that determine happiness: the physical, the intellectual, and the emotional. In order to achieve self-actualization, we have to be willing to get out of our "comfort zones" every once in a while. That means in order to get out of our physical comfort zone, we have to exercise and nourish ourselves properly; in order to escape our intellectual comfort zone, we must read, write, think critically, and argue; and in order to escape our emotional comfort zone, we must endure every extreme of emotion. Now, the physical side must be exercised much more often than the intellectual and emotional, and the intellectual must be exercised more than the emotional. Escaping our emotional comfort zone shouldn't occur very often, in order to ensure mental well-being. If one is to become a progressive human being, he/she must be willing to push their limits. Visualize your limits and shatter them. Avoid substances that will slow you down. Drugs are bad, really bad, and so are alcohol and tobacco. I've seen too many people go from being a coherent, intelligent person to a virtual pile of flesh, courtesy of drugs and alcohol. If you feel that you cannot possibly have fun without these substances, you need to take a long, hard look at your life. Oh, and before any of you e-mail me saying, "If you haven't tried them, don't knock them," let me say this: I don't have to stick a needle in my eye to know that it'll hurt like crazy. It comes down to this: I follow my philosophy on life because I want to achieve a higher level of being. Sure, I could go for what is pleasing and sedating right now, but in the end, I'll lose. I'm sure getting high feels good, but after a while, my brain will fry. It's about a higher level of purity and reason.
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My views on religion.
I used to have this big thing about religion. I considered myself a full-blown, hard to the core agnostic, but recently I've had an epiphany of sorts. Now don't get me wrong, I still have a whole lot of animosity towards organized religion (take the scandal involving child-molesting priests, for example), but then again, I can't say I'm warming up to it anyways. I believe that all sentient beings have a guiding spirit that science cannot explain. We're guided by these souls, and it is these souls that make us different from each other. Unlike most monotheistic faiths, my beliefs center around a power that is closer than most people think. I feel the true god/goddess/deity exists in each of us. We are the ones who determine our path. I am a firm believer in reincarnation, but one who doesn't have a clear, thorough explanation for it. I have an ankh tattooed on my upper right arm because it is the ancient Egyptian symbol for rebirth, and because it holds a lot of meaning for me. I have had a rebirth of sorts, because I have evolved from a life of anger, sadness, and fear to one of love, happiness, and will. It is because of this second chance that I got the tattoo (see left). I don't knock anyone for their religious beliefs, only their associations. I don't hate Christians, but I do despise their mission of conversion. I hate the fact that a lot of Christians don't tolerate people of other faiths, I hate the fact that they humiliate those that don't share their beliefs,and I REALLY hate the fact that, historically (and even still today), they have MURDERED people who refused to desert their traditions and adopt the faith. Sort of like the "hate the sin, not the sinners" complex.
The Gideons descended on UTEP today, and I must say they're nothing short of scary. I didn't realize that my damnation hinged on whether I took one of their new testaments. Man, talk about religious fundamentalism, they have a section in the new testament where you sign a line declaring your dedication to Jesus Christ. What do you do then, send it off to heaven? "Here you go, Jesus, I love you now!"
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My views on people.
Sometimes, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Most often, however, I won't even give you the time of day. Why you ask? It's simple, very simple. Most of the time, when people open their mouths, nothing but filth and muck and flotsam escape their throats. Now, I don't mean that "I'm right, you're wrong," certainly people are correct sometimes. But, for the most part, people are always concerned only with themselves to even matter. They won't help out on a project because they're going out that night, they won't protest with us because they don't like getting out and in the mix, and they won't support a cause if it interferes with their lifestyle. Once again, this reflects on my three comfort zones: it forces you to get out of your intellectual and physical (and sometimes emotional) comfort zones so that you can affect change. If you aren't willing to ditch the Nike shoes to show solidarity with sweatshop workers, you're hopeless.
A lot of people can't understand why I'm taking the death of Layne Staley, vocals of Alice in Chains, so hard. Well, if you can't see it, you aren't looking hard enough. Yes, it is possible to mourn the death of someone you never actually, physically met. Yes, it is possible to make a connection to someone you never knew personally. I am saddened by the tremendous loss of yet another talented individual. If people weren't so concerned with material things, they might understand why things like this occur. To put it in a way that most people could probably relate to: losing Layne, for me, was like your cell phone kicking the bucket. Let's all mourn together.
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My views on myself.
Even though this technically goes beyond philosophy, I'm going to give you the dirt on what i think about myself. I see myself as being seperate from western society. Now, don't misunderstand that statement, it isn't about superiority, it's about a different perspective on life. I talk to a lot of people about a lot of things, but it seems like their dreams and goals center around only monetary gains. Money is good; it pays the bills, and allows you to live comfortably without having to worry about food and such, but it isn't everything. I'm definitely looking to live comfortably because I have been around family members that have struggled with money (food stamps, anyone? I've been there.), but economics isn't what drives me towards my goals. I am a print media major with a minor in creative writing, and obviously, that isn't the most lucrative occupation around today. My main goals for myself include recognition, a bit of fame perhaps, but most of all, a chance to change the world. I want to use the written word to help people. Yes, I realize how cheesy this sounds, but I don't care. Twenty, fifty, even two hundred years from now, I would like for people to be discussing my literary works in classes.
I have a big problem with materialism, but I have a big problem with people who attempt to totally reject material things, as well. Yes, I realize this is a paradox, but follow me on this one. It's ok to have material possessions, it's almost human nature, but when these possessions control your very existence, something is wrong. Buy things. Buy things you enjoy, but don't break your back trying to get a 578 inch screen TV. Too many people are controlled by clothes, gadgets, and starbucks. Free your mind, and your ass will follow :) The Buddha called it the "Middle Way," no aceticism, but no overindulgence either.
More to come, stay tuned.
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