Another nice theory developed while having a nice time.....
I would often think that any field of performance started as nothing in particular, on development became a science because of its technical aspects, and in its stage of highest development became "art". Why art? Because art is art! I couldn't really explain that one. Then, a brainwave....
Why do we call something art? It is because we can feel the sheer excellence of it, but we cannot comprehend it. That is why we call it an art. We call something a science when we feel it's sophistication/ excellence, but can also realize that there is a way to it.
However, the person actually doing something excellently, comprehends it quite well. So, it is never art for him. It remains purely technical work. It is only the others who find it art.
When things become too abstract to comprehend for an observer, they become art for him. When he finds the abstractions difficult or challenging but comprehensible, it is a science. However, for the doer, what he is doing never becomes too abstract to comprehend, or else he wouldn't be doing it!
This is exactly why music and many such things: plays, dancing, etc become art for most of us fairly easily... The incomprehensibility of abstraction begins pretty early. Whereas in many sports such as football, we find only certain things artistic: for example, the beautiful style of the brazilians. This is because the incomprehensibility of abstraction begins fairly late in these fields.
But another question arises: if, for example, a musician is not getting joy out of his music the way we are getting, what is his "spiritual" motivation?
The answer is simple: he is working on improving his technique/skill. Every time this reaches an unprecedentedly high level, the musician enters virgin territory. It is the joy of discovering these virgin territories that is pushing him.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Team Games and Some Ideas
I developed this theory on team sports rather as a matter of fun and as a good point to have a good argument upon, but it has matured into a better theory which makes sense.
My initial statement was that team games/sports are only played by people who's abilities are average or below average, because only they can benefit from other team members. Any player who is above average will soon get frustrated with the others and will have to walk out.
However, this has a lot to do with motivation, not only ability. So the above statement was retained, but 'ability' was replaced by 'motivation'. So now it read like this: Team games can only be played by people who's motivation is below or equal to the average, because any player who's motivation is above the average will get frustrated by the others' lack of motivation and walk out.
However, two truths remained to be added:
Firstly, it can be said that a team can be broken down into indivisual players, all of whom have very specific tasks to accomplish. The overall matching and fitting can be left to a coach or manager, who's dedicated job is only that.
Secondly, both the theories above assume that the sense of joy felt in a team sport is owing to the success of the team as a unit. That is, for example, in football, the joy that each member achieves out of playing in the team is dependent on how many matches the team wins, and how many tournaments or championships the team wins. This assumption is incorrect, because when specific tasks can be set to every team member, it is possible to derive pleasure not from such "material" victories, but personal victories achieved in the specific task. In this case, a player plays not for cups and glory, but for the pure joy of achievements on a personal level, which do not require anyone else's acceptance. Thus, this sort of player plays for a different cause, i.e. , the cause of self-discipline, commitment, dedication, etc.
With the acceptance of these two truths, our theory fails completely! But I hope that we have got a better understanding of team games, and people on the top of such games. So we can assume that Sachin Tendulkar, when he is playing cricket, just comes, bats, fields, does some bowling, all to the best of his capacity and does not bother much about anything else. I don't know if this is true, but it seems like a likely method of achieving excellence in team games.
My initial statement was that team games/sports are only played by people who's abilities are average or below average, because only they can benefit from other team members. Any player who is above average will soon get frustrated with the others and will have to walk out.
However, this has a lot to do with motivation, not only ability. So the above statement was retained, but 'ability' was replaced by 'motivation'. So now it read like this: Team games can only be played by people who's motivation is below or equal to the average, because any player who's motivation is above the average will get frustrated by the others' lack of motivation and walk out.
However, two truths remained to be added:
Firstly, it can be said that a team can be broken down into indivisual players, all of whom have very specific tasks to accomplish. The overall matching and fitting can be left to a coach or manager, who's dedicated job is only that.
Secondly, both the theories above assume that the sense of joy felt in a team sport is owing to the success of the team as a unit. That is, for example, in football, the joy that each member achieves out of playing in the team is dependent on how many matches the team wins, and how many tournaments or championships the team wins. This assumption is incorrect, because when specific tasks can be set to every team member, it is possible to derive pleasure not from such "material" victories, but personal victories achieved in the specific task. In this case, a player plays not for cups and glory, but for the pure joy of achievements on a personal level, which do not require anyone else's acceptance. Thus, this sort of player plays for a different cause, i.e. , the cause of self-discipline, commitment, dedication, etc.
With the acceptance of these two truths, our theory fails completely! But I hope that we have got a better understanding of team games, and people on the top of such games. So we can assume that Sachin Tendulkar, when he is playing cricket, just comes, bats, fields, does some bowling, all to the best of his capacity and does not bother much about anything else. I don't know if this is true, but it seems like a likely method of achieving excellence in team games.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Everybody's Free
As many of yo might be able to imagine, I am running out of good observations to make, and I am relying on qoutes to get things through. Today, I bring to your attention the lyrics of a song called "Everybody's Free" , by Baz Luhrmann. They are very insightful indeed, please read them and get the song if possible.
Everybody's Free
-Baz Luhrmann
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Good qoutes
I have found two good qoutes, on which I don't intend to give any major explaination.
"Even to win the lottery, you first need to buy a ticket" - Anonymous.
"You can't sell ice to the eskimos." - A musician from Singapore, when asked for his opinion on the eastern musicians who imitate the west.
"Even to win the lottery, you first need to buy a ticket" - Anonymous.
"You can't sell ice to the eskimos." - A musician from Singapore, when asked for his opinion on the eastern musicians who imitate the west.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Another nice pic
This is the first of two photos that I took near Vani, Nashik.
The tree is the same in both photos.
The tree is the same in both photos.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
A "Perfect" System.
I have realised that a system for producing near perfect results will always have to be a very fluid system, which will allow huge flaws just as it allows high excellence. This system cannot be consistent, and its results will vary very greatly. That is the price of perfection.
I visualise it something like the difference between solids and liquids. A solid has a fixed shape.. that is a metaphor for a consistent result. A liquid doesn't have a fixed shape.. it can be streamlined into any formation.. but then it can scatter all over the place.
I will take the example of football... consider a club like Real Madrid... they have had glory as high as noone else. But when the times are bad, they can be pathetic. If you can win 4-0 against good clubs, then that same system allows you to lose 4-0 against poor opposition.
I visualise it something like the difference between solids and liquids. A solid has a fixed shape.. that is a metaphor for a consistent result. A liquid doesn't have a fixed shape.. it can be streamlined into any formation.. but then it can scatter all over the place.
I will take the example of football... consider a club like Real Madrid... they have had glory as high as noone else. But when the times are bad, they can be pathetic. If you can win 4-0 against good clubs, then that same system allows you to lose 4-0 against poor opposition.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Killing the "Philosopher's Pain"
Even when you understand the value of discipline, it is still very difficult to implement all you know very well. This is the source of what I would like to call the "Philosopher's Pain", in that he knows what must be done but still cannot do it because he is weak. I can suggest two methods for this. One way is to throw yourself into the line of fire, where you have no option but to change. For example, joining the army. Now, there's no way out, and you have to discipline yourself. Another very good option never occurred to me until now...
Whenever you make a choice, ask yourself, "Did I choose this option so that it is easier and I don't have to move out of my zone of comfort?" If the answer is yes, and if you still have a choice, choose the harder option, where you will have to punish yourself. "Punish" is a term that I am using in a very different sense, of course. Even if you fail in the harder option, you have gained from within. You have become stronger, and that is all that matters.
Whenever you make a choice, ask yourself, "Did I choose this option so that it is easier and I don't have to move out of my zone of comfort?" If the answer is yes, and if you still have a choice, choose the harder option, where you will have to punish yourself. "Punish" is a term that I am using in a very different sense, of course. Even if you fail in the harder option, you have gained from within. You have become stronger, and that is all that matters.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Dealing with depression
There are times in our life when we really feel sick. There's nothing worth living for, and everything seems utterly boring and pointless. This is the best time for some introspection. It is also time to sit down and motivate yourself. As this is a low point, the only way you can go now is up! You are bound to rise to new heights, provided you don't lose hope. This is the start of the next big leap.
The bottom line is, believe in yourself. Believe in destiny. As I have earlier said, you cannot predict your own destiny, and so the only option is to live life as it comes. Take atleast some time alone. Sit on a deserted beach. The pieces will come together again, and you will be prepared to work once more.
The bottom line is, believe in yourself. Believe in destiny. As I have earlier said, you cannot predict your own destiny, and so the only option is to live life as it comes. Take atleast some time alone. Sit on a deserted beach. The pieces will come together again, and you will be prepared to work once more.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Poetry at War
Hello everybody, I know that I am posting after a long time, and I shouldn't do that, it doesn't make sense, I don't know, I don't have an excuse this time, I'm sorry, whatever.
I really don't know what to write, but as I have said before, if I don't write regularly, I'll never know what to write about.
The writing must be done,
Once the battle's begun,
Because it has to be won,
Else what's the fun?
Many have fallen, many have died,
They've had to go to the other side.
Was it their destiny, was it their sins,
Or was it the prophecy of the evil Kings?
Nobody knows, few bodies care,
Most of them cowards, they do not dare.
Caring to them is the biggest sin.
But without the caring, nobody wins!
Let go of your anger, let go of your swords,
Only loving will ever, bring rewards,
The war must be won, but not like this,
But with the compassion of a young child's kiss.
So let us begin, and once more rise,
But this time we use the beautiful device.
- Talented Idiot.
I really don't know what to write, but as I have said before, if I don't write regularly, I'll never know what to write about.
Poetry at War
The writing must be done,
Once the battle's begun,
Because it has to be won,
Else what's the fun?
Many have fallen, many have died,
They've had to go to the other side.
Was it their destiny, was it their sins,
Or was it the prophecy of the evil Kings?
Nobody knows, few bodies care,
Most of them cowards, they do not dare.
Caring to them is the biggest sin.
But without the caring, nobody wins!
Let go of your anger, let go of your swords,
Only loving will ever, bring rewards,
The war must be won, but not like this,
But with the compassion of a young child's kiss.
So let us begin, and once more rise,
But this time we use the beautiful device.
- Talented Idiot.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Creativity
There is a very fine line between chaos and creativity. Infact, creativity can be produced from chaos.
Ok. I've got a good idea. Our mind is like the surface of a lake, and thoughts are like stones thrown onto it. Now, when the mind is filled with thoughts, the surface is shattered and there are too many ripples coinciding with each other. Now, imagine a calm mind...a still surface. Now throw just one stone onto it... you get some beautiful ripples. This is creativity.
Now imagine a lake with many stones being thrown onto it.. too many ripples with no clear or beautiful effect. Just a big mess. This is chaos.
A thought free mind, when stimulated only to a certain degree, produces some amazing things, and we call it creativity. After some amount of stimulation, the creative capacity of the mind gets exhausted, after which it must be calmed down again. It is to be noted that a thought free mind can be produced by several methods, including drugs. However, very few of these methods are sustainable. Sustainable methods are methods that require discipline. And anyway, the concept of creativity is an inferior concept when compared to the concept of peace. In fact, creativity can be a product of peace, but it reduces the degree of peace.
Ok. I've got a good idea. Our mind is like the surface of a lake, and thoughts are like stones thrown onto it. Now, when the mind is filled with thoughts, the surface is shattered and there are too many ripples coinciding with each other. Now, imagine a calm mind...a still surface. Now throw just one stone onto it... you get some beautiful ripples. This is creativity.
Now imagine a lake with many stones being thrown onto it.. too many ripples with no clear or beautiful effect. Just a big mess. This is chaos.
A thought free mind, when stimulated only to a certain degree, produces some amazing things, and we call it creativity. After some amount of stimulation, the creative capacity of the mind gets exhausted, after which it must be calmed down again. It is to be noted that a thought free mind can be produced by several methods, including drugs. However, very few of these methods are sustainable. Sustainable methods are methods that require discipline. And anyway, the concept of creativity is an inferior concept when compared to the concept of peace. In fact, creativity can be a product of peace, but it reduces the degree of peace.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Cause and Effect
I do believe that we are victims of cause and effect, and that our choices are finally illusions. Because, even if one says that one can make good choices, it is finally an effect of the different influences one has. However, this has some implications:
Firstly, it means that one should always be very humble, even when one is very succesful, because one is only a victim of cause and effect.
Secondly, it does not mean that one must stop working hard for moving towards his goals, because even though you are a factor in the operations of the rule of cause and effect, you are still a factor in many other rules. Also, please don't let this theory de-motivate you!
Thirdly, the future still remains unpredictable because if you predict the future, your predictions will be the causes of some more effects, and therefore, your prediction is bound to be inaccurate. I think this phenomenon is a recognised scientific theorem in quantum theory.
Firstly, it means that one should always be very humble, even when one is very succesful, because one is only a victim of cause and effect.
Secondly, it does not mean that one must stop working hard for moving towards his goals, because even though you are a factor in the operations of the rule of cause and effect, you are still a factor in many other rules. Also, please don't let this theory de-motivate you!
Thirdly, the future still remains unpredictable because if you predict the future, your predictions will be the causes of some more effects, and therefore, your prediction is bound to be inaccurate. I think this phenomenon is a recognised scientific theorem in quantum theory.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Understanding Pain
Seeing the wrecks around me, I feel compelled to expound my principles for the betterment of many people!
Pain is just another side of the coin which has pleasure on one side. The equation is very simple: The total amount of pain you experience is equal to the total amount of pleasure you experience and vice versa. Indulgence in pleasure causes pain, and indulgence in pain causes pleasure. However, living in this duality really wrecks us. It is very important to move away from this cycle to peace!!
Peace is a state where one feels neither pleasure nor pain. One possesses a single pointed mind. Now, what is a single pointed mind? We all hear voices in our heads. We are always talking to ourselves. When this stops, and only a single entity exists in our head, one can be said to possess a single pointed mind. This requires enormous self and mental control, which is again basically discipline. I have written about discipline and please see my earlier posts for information about that.
However, pleasure and pain is often an ambiguous concept. Therefore, I must give you another important technique. Always be free of any attachment to anything. Attachment is the root cause of pain and pleasure. Please refrain from being attached to anything at all, including yourself. Whenever, you are uneasy or in pain, the easiest method of relieving oneself is by finding the attachment that you have to something that is causing you pain. Let go of any attachment towards your body, your spouse, your kids, your work, etc, etc, etc. Egoism is nothing but attachment to one's image. You will see how clear your thinking and way of dealing with things becomes once you let go of attachment.
Desire is nothing but craving for something in anticipation of pleasure. Once you refrain from pleasure, desire will take care of itself.
In this discourse, I must tell you about the Bhagvad Gita. It is the holy book of the Hindus. It describes very beautifully the methods of disciplined and peaceful people. Please go through it if you want a more in-depth understanding of the concepts that I have expounded.
Pain is just another side of the coin which has pleasure on one side. The equation is very simple: The total amount of pain you experience is equal to the total amount of pleasure you experience and vice versa. Indulgence in pleasure causes pain, and indulgence in pain causes pleasure. However, living in this duality really wrecks us. It is very important to move away from this cycle to peace!!
Peace is a state where one feels neither pleasure nor pain. One possesses a single pointed mind. Now, what is a single pointed mind? We all hear voices in our heads. We are always talking to ourselves. When this stops, and only a single entity exists in our head, one can be said to possess a single pointed mind. This requires enormous self and mental control, which is again basically discipline. I have written about discipline and please see my earlier posts for information about that.
However, pleasure and pain is often an ambiguous concept. Therefore, I must give you another important technique. Always be free of any attachment to anything. Attachment is the root cause of pain and pleasure. Please refrain from being attached to anything at all, including yourself. Whenever, you are uneasy or in pain, the easiest method of relieving oneself is by finding the attachment that you have to something that is causing you pain. Let go of any attachment towards your body, your spouse, your kids, your work, etc, etc, etc. Egoism is nothing but attachment to one's image. You will see how clear your thinking and way of dealing with things becomes once you let go of attachment.
Desire is nothing but craving for something in anticipation of pleasure. Once you refrain from pleasure, desire will take care of itself.
In this discourse, I must tell you about the Bhagvad Gita. It is the holy book of the Hindus. It describes very beautifully the methods of disciplined and peaceful people. Please go through it if you want a more in-depth understanding of the concepts that I have expounded.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Privacy
Take some time to be alone. Privacy frees one from others, and also from their way of thinking. It gives you physical as well as mental space, and it leads to independence of thought. Always, always, take some time to be alone. By alone, I also mean without your phone, TV, the internet, any book, your dog, etc. Alone means completely alone, where not a word needs to be said, heard, read , etc. Alone.
General Discourse on Life 2
It does make great sense to do a regular overview of what you plan to do in life, how you plan to do it, and the principles that you are always going to follow. The first two things can be done once in a month or so, depending upon the time span of your tasks, but I strongly believe that the third one should be done daily.
A daily refresher of the mind is really useful. These include some meditation, and the remembrance and acceptance of some principles of life. In the day to day affairs of the mind, it is very easy to forget the principles that you believe in, thus leading to a misled, or worse, an uncontrolled mind. This is downright disaster. Meditation calms the mind, and also, if done properly, stops the mind from thinking for a while. This is very important! Control over the mind is what discipline is all about, and, as I have said earlier, discipline is what life is about!
One should preferably do this complete refreshment in the morning, and if possible, include a short session in the evening.
A daily refresher of the mind is really useful. These include some meditation, and the remembrance and acceptance of some principles of life. In the day to day affairs of the mind, it is very easy to forget the principles that you believe in, thus leading to a misled, or worse, an uncontrolled mind. This is downright disaster. Meditation calms the mind, and also, if done properly, stops the mind from thinking for a while. This is very important! Control over the mind is what discipline is all about, and, as I have said earlier, discipline is what life is about!
One should preferably do this complete refreshment in the morning, and if possible, include a short session in the evening.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
The illusion of success
If you believe that you will be at peace after you achieve something or get to some goal, you are wrong! Success brings along with it even more difficulty. To cut a long story short, life is a series of problems to be solved.
If you want to be at peace with yourself, happy and satisfied, it is now or never! If you want to know how to do this, read my post titled, "The truth about happiness."
If you want to be at peace with yourself, happy and satisfied, it is now or never! If you want to know how to do this, read my post titled, "The truth about happiness."
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The idea of perfect freedom
I must now explain the idea of perfect freedom... One must write as soon as one gets ideas.
The basic concept involved in perfect freedom is that you are free to do exactly what you want to do. So is everyone else. This frees you from any obligation towards anything whatsoever. But it also frees others from your expectations out of them. This really creates a beautiful atmosphere as far as inter-personal relationships are concerned!
In perfect freedom, you are free to murder someone, do drugs, drink too much, etc, etc. However, you are also free to do some amazing and bold things that you wanted to do, which you never did uptil now because you were too scared about what others would feel. Also, even though you are perfectly free to do anything, you are still perfectly bound to the consequences of your actions! Therefore, one can contemplate each and every action with an open mind, thanks to the lack of any rules, and then pursue the action that best meets the desired consequence, while avoiding undesired consequences. I hope that you find it easy to understand the beauty of such an environment!
It will be observed that in the long term, after contemplation, the actions of men will be consistent with the principles of peace, justice, humanity, etc. We will have a very nice world!!
I must stress that this idea can actually be applied to everyday life! If you have concerns about doing something illegal with this principle, remember that the consequences of most outlawed actions will prevent you from doing them anyway! Furthermore, mostly, the life lived using this idea will be a better life in every way compared to the life lived by not following this just because it does not take into account matters of the law.
The basic concept involved in perfect freedom is that you are free to do exactly what you want to do. So is everyone else. This frees you from any obligation towards anything whatsoever. But it also frees others from your expectations out of them. This really creates a beautiful atmosphere as far as inter-personal relationships are concerned!
In perfect freedom, you are free to murder someone, do drugs, drink too much, etc, etc. However, you are also free to do some amazing and bold things that you wanted to do, which you never did uptil now because you were too scared about what others would feel. Also, even though you are perfectly free to do anything, you are still perfectly bound to the consequences of your actions! Therefore, one can contemplate each and every action with an open mind, thanks to the lack of any rules, and then pursue the action that best meets the desired consequence, while avoiding undesired consequences. I hope that you find it easy to understand the beauty of such an environment!
It will be observed that in the long term, after contemplation, the actions of men will be consistent with the principles of peace, justice, humanity, etc. We will have a very nice world!!
I must stress that this idea can actually be applied to everyday life! If you have concerns about doing something illegal with this principle, remember that the consequences of most outlawed actions will prevent you from doing them anyway! Furthermore, mostly, the life lived using this idea will be a better life in every way compared to the life lived by not following this just because it does not take into account matters of the law.
Monday, December 05, 2005
General Discourse on Life 1
The most talented people among us rarely ever accomplish anything in their field of talent. Human beings thrive on challenges. Our greatest achievements have not been because we had to achieve what we did, but because we loved to take up the challenge. Think of it, who wants to be at 29000 feet with a deficiency of oxygen and a strong wind blowing in your face, at temperatures way below zero! I am speaking, of course, about the summit of Mount Everest. What made people go there was the challenge of reaching the summit in the first place.
The problem with the most talented people among us is that they rarely find anything challenging in the first place, and thus they find most things not worth achieving. They know far too well that if they do put in some effort, they will be able to do it anyway. The lucky few among this group actually find something worth striving for in their field of talent. When they do, we get legends. I would not like to name any one legend, because I honestly know very few or maybe none. I do not consider any damn person in the world a legend right now. A legend should be the most outstanding person of his field for about a hundred years before and or after his time.
Talking of great people, I have realized the way the Americans quickly jump onto any damn fool, package him well, and call him the greatest person ever in any field. Again, I would not like to name anyone, but a field that I can suggest is climbing.
That's all for today I don't feel inspired or full of great ideas.
The problem with the most talented people among us is that they rarely find anything challenging in the first place, and thus they find most things not worth achieving. They know far too well that if they do put in some effort, they will be able to do it anyway. The lucky few among this group actually find something worth striving for in their field of talent. When they do, we get legends. I would not like to name any one legend, because I honestly know very few or maybe none. I do not consider any damn person in the world a legend right now. A legend should be the most outstanding person of his field for about a hundred years before and or after his time.
Talking of great people, I have realized the way the Americans quickly jump onto any damn fool, package him well, and call him the greatest person ever in any field. Again, I would not like to name anyone, but a field that I can suggest is climbing.
That's all for today I don't feel inspired or full of great ideas.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
The truth about happiness
A good climbing session almost always makes for retrospection, inspiration, and realization!
There is never a time in life to celebrate or to enjoy oneself. Never, ever. Our life, if lived well and even enjoyably, must be spent in unwavering and high discipline. Only disciplined people can truly enjoy life. Enjoyment through drink or partying is very superficial enjoyment. Real enjoyment can only be obtained by the virtue of living itself. And to enjoy the virtue of living, one needs discipline.
To make things more simple, life can only be enjoyed by living in the moment, and always doing whatever you are doing for the sake of doing it, and not for the sake of something else.
I think I must give some examples.
When washing your clothes, you must wash them with no other purpose than with the purpose of ..... Washing your clothes! You must not do it so that your clothes may be clean, or because it has to be done, or for the sake of cleanliness, or for any other reason apart from washing you clothes!
What that means is, whatever you do, do it with complete commitment and do it for the sake of doing it nicely and beautifully. It is wrong to play football very well because you enjoy doing it, while you don't maintain your garden properly because you do not like doing it.
This means, all in all, that one must get rid of the concept of past and future, and exist forever, solely in the very immediate present. Believe me, that is the only way to live a life. And it requires extreme self control to not think about the past or near future, that is why I said that one needs extreme discipline.
Let me just give you a good statement... It almost encompasses all that I want to say...
Extraordinary people do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.
The kind of joy obtained by living in the present is incomparable with any other joy, and it is the true joy. Actually, it is not joy, but peace.
There is never a time in life to celebrate or to enjoy oneself. Never, ever. Our life, if lived well and even enjoyably, must be spent in unwavering and high discipline. Only disciplined people can truly enjoy life. Enjoyment through drink or partying is very superficial enjoyment. Real enjoyment can only be obtained by the virtue of living itself. And to enjoy the virtue of living, one needs discipline.
To make things more simple, life can only be enjoyed by living in the moment, and always doing whatever you are doing for the sake of doing it, and not for the sake of something else.
I think I must give some examples.
When washing your clothes, you must wash them with no other purpose than with the purpose of ..... Washing your clothes! You must not do it so that your clothes may be clean, or because it has to be done, or for the sake of cleanliness, or for any other reason apart from washing you clothes!
What that means is, whatever you do, do it with complete commitment and do it for the sake of doing it nicely and beautifully. It is wrong to play football very well because you enjoy doing it, while you don't maintain your garden properly because you do not like doing it.
This means, all in all, that one must get rid of the concept of past and future, and exist forever, solely in the very immediate present. Believe me, that is the only way to live a life. And it requires extreme self control to not think about the past or near future, that is why I said that one needs extreme discipline.
Let me just give you a good statement... It almost encompasses all that I want to say...
Extraordinary people do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.
The kind of joy obtained by living in the present is incomparable with any other joy, and it is the true joy. Actually, it is not joy, but peace.
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