The Scripture of the Golden Eternity - The Morning News

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The Scripture of the Golden Eternity - The Morning News

letter to a young emerging creative who thinks she wants to blog (gods help her) | Justine Musk

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letter to a young emerging creative who thinks she wants to blog (gods help her) | Justine Musk

On Flippancy

I’ve been accused, on a somewhat regular basis, of thinking too much- the implication being that I’m a bit too serious. Since I so love my irony, I’ve been thinking about thinking.

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking,” Voltaire once said. The fact that this quote comes to mind more readily than others speaks to crux of the problem of thinking too much: it’s a difference in perspective on life itself, the lens through which I view the world. If the goal of thinking is to resolve a problem, and I think quite often, then I must view the world as a series of problems to be solved. If I look back on my short adult life, I realise that this is increasingly true. Each day, I see more and more of the world which needs to change. We’ve come a long way as a society, but the problems of humanity that have so outraged are not that far behind us. Given the age of mankind, political alliance through marriage, for example, are not exactly ancient history. It wasn’t too long ago that Galileo was burned for his ideas. Or, take much more recent history: segregation, for example, creationism, or the current gay rights movement. With so many wrongs that need righted, how can one not set aside time to ponder?

Not that I will solve these problems- I simply understand the importance of questioning the norm. After all, the above-mentioned atrocities were once considered the norm, at least within each offender’s respective society. The point is it took a new perspective, a new kind of courage, in each instance, to change the way the world viewed each problem. How, then, did this change in perspective come about? Inevitably, it starts with the individual. The printing press, the discovery that the earth was round, the economic policies that led to the Recession- all of these things began to change the world’s perspective by changing a single person (or group of persons)’s perspective. There are so many things that need changed today- the industrial age is at an end, and the workforce needs to change with it. Democracy and capitalism themselves have reached the tipping point, and we must now question the very fundamentals of the system in which we live. There’s no end to the challenges we face as a whole. As Einstein put it, “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

Yet, there must be something more personal involved. I don’t intend to change the world, so why do I think about these things? Socrates famously said that a live unexamined is not worth living. If my life is to be worth living, I must examine it- I must think. With more and more emerging research, mankind is starting to realise that our minds, our senses, our perceptions do little more than trick us all day long. We have now questioned the very purpose for which reason itself exists, or how much blameworthiness in a criminal can be attributed to free will, and how much to factors beyond the criminal’s control (physical, environmental, etc). If am to be the man that I hope to be, isn’t it imperative that I reflect on the way these emerging thoughts affect me as a man?

In the end, though, I have to agree that my detractors are right: I probably think too much. Combined with an understanding of myself in the here and now, developed largely through meditation practice, I also leave time for simply being here, now. Perhaps the problem is that I simply am not here and now often enough. Perhaps a little more balance is in order- and I thank those that have pointed out that I think too much for offering a little perspective on that balance. Perhaps, like alcohol, thinking serves us best in moderation.

On Miracles

*Disclaimer: this is an old post, imported from Tumblr.

I've long envied the ranks of the religious for their belief in miracles. What a truly amazing thought- to hold a true belief in that which transcends all known laws of the universe as we know it. Recently, though, I realized that my envy was misplaced. Truly, I would throw away belief in miracles, a thousand times over, for the ability to observe those tiny moments which exist within the constraints of physical law, and which inspire such awe in me.

I continually find myself amazed by the creativity of my fellow human beings. The process of creating a truly beautiful work of art, or an engaging story, or a tantalizing design from nothing more than a thought humbles me.

I'm amazed by great conversations. When one exchanges thoughts with a friend, and it seems to be that the flow of information, though coming from two sources, converges in space and time to form an idea which neither person, alone, could have imagined- it inspires me.

When I watch a colony of bees, and I understand how blissful it must be to be so focused on one task, continually, and to dedicate yourself so completely to the greater good, I am just a bit the wiser.

When I read a Shakespearean play, and I recognize the universality of the humanity contained within each character, marveling at the fact that a man five centuries removed from me could so embody the most primitive inclinations of man in such an elegant way, I am amazed.

When I watch my child learn something new, and she smiles at me so unreservedly, and I can almost see the expansion of her mind as new ideas form, I am nearly brought to tears.

I no longer envy the ranks of the religious in their belief in miracles. I'm simply thankful for the ability to recognize the miracles that constantly surround me.

Resolutions are shit.

Resolutions are shit.

So you have a few resolutions? Great. That means one thing, and one thing only: there are aspects of yourself which you would like to improve upon.

That being the case, I applaud that decision. It’s no secret that my mantra is stolen from Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Apparently you’ve accepted this notion, too, if you’ve set a goal to grow. The problem is that resolutions never work. We all know this, and yet we set them every year. What were your resolutions last year? How many did you accomplish? I thought so. It’s not your fault- it’s human nature, really.

January 1, 2012 is, quite literally, a completely random point in the space-time continuum. It is not a “better” time to improve yourself than was December 31, or July 7. At best, it may give you a sense of a blank slate from which to begin. Here’s the thing, though: every single day of your life is a blank slate. Growth isn’t something that you begin because of a flip of a page on a calendar. It’s a desire to be better, a hunger. If you didn’t feel that hunger last week, you’re not going to feel it today. Not all is doom and gloom, though. In fact, I’d say this is good news.

You want to change? Okay. Start today. Now. Tomorrow is the only day of your life that never comes, so get to it. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, here’s a tip or two.

Trim your list.

If your list of resolutions is a page and a half long, forget about it. It will never get done. In fact, the longer it is, the less likely you are to accomplish anything, let alone everything on the list. Why? Think of the feeling you get when you’re washing dishes. Imagine a set of eighteen dishes- eighteen plates, eighteen silverware sets, eighteen glasses. Now imagine approaching these dishes in the sink. Inevitably, it will feel like an almost insurmountable task. Now, imagine the same scenario, but with only three sets of dishes. See how much better that feels? There is no smaller a sense of accomplishment when the task is finished, but the stress level in even approaching the task is drastically diminished. You’re much more likely to start this task, which, of course, is the first and most important step. Trim your list down to those things which you feel are the most vital to your growth, and focus on those. Once you do them regularly, they will become habits. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an action, but a habit.” Aristotle was a wise dude. Once they become habits, the rest is frictionless, and you can move onto another goal.

Get specific.

Eating less and giving more to charity are admirable goals, but unless you break them down, you’re not likely to accomplish them. The human brain needs specific action steps to take towards completing a goal. Measure your caloric intake, and set a goal of a few hundred calories less per day. Find actual charities you’d like to donate to, set aside a fraction or your paycheck, and give a certain amount on a specific date of your choosing. Do this with all of your goals: break them down into actionable steps, with clearly defined dates, and watch the ease with which you mark them off the list. This has the added benefit of making it easier to start each task, since you can start with small, actionable steps (much easier to implement) than with large, generic goals, leaving you without the foggiest notion of where to even begin.

Workflowy is a wonderful and simple tool to organize your goals into simple, actionable steps.

In sum, resolutions are shit, and 2012 will not be your year unless you make today your day. Today, right now, is your blank slate. Begin.
 

On Bigotry

A quick thought on bigotry:

     One of the things I love about the progress of our civilization is the inevitable (albeit painfully slow) eradication of bigotry. At one point, of course, and to some extent still, a black person was viewed as somehow inferior to his or her counterparts. Now, a person that holds that view is considered a bigot. So it will be for the gay community, and I believe that atheists are next in line (by that I mean that once the gay community has gained the same level of acceptance that blacks have now, bigots will need something else to turn their hatred to, and atheism is the obvious target).
     My point is this: when I speak to someone who is full of hate for a particular group of people, my instinct is to debate them, to use reason to point out the fallacy of their belief. Obviously, this is not a good strategy- hatred cannot be reasoned with. When this happens, I find myself taking a step back and finding solace in one simple, irresistible fact: namely, that they and their kind will be written in history as bigots. It’s that simple. If you hated blacks once, or Jews, you’re now a bigot. If you hate gays now, or atheists, rest assured, you will be remembered as an ignorant bigot. Survival of the fittest, then, perhaps applies to our sense of compassion and reason as well as our physical attributes.

Happiness, as it applies to meatballs

     I happen to be amongst those silly people who believe that happiness in and of itself is an admirable goal to strive for. Consequently, I understand how slippery a thing it really is. Happiness requires work, paradoxical as it may seem. It also takes a certain amount of self-awareness. How many go about their daily routines, resigned to the fact that they are living the life they always will? That happiness is a tree-hugger dream, and that honorable men and women work for a living and shut up about it? Let me tell you about the workload, the self-awareness it takes to cultivate happiness.

     Last night, I ate a meatball sub for dinner. It was as delicious a meal as any man has ever consumed. I’d waited, and waited (somewhat impatiently) for my dinner. Suddenly, it was in my lap, steaming and beckoning.
I ate my sandwich, oblivious to anything around me, except perhaps the book I was reading. Two things happened:

        1:  I realized that, as I was fairly engrossed in my book, I forgot that I was eating as I was eating. I put the book down, and      focused on my miraculous meatballs.

        2:  Even after this revelation, I assumed that I was squeezing all the joy one can possibly squeeze out of a sandwich. I was wrong. I realized that as I was chewing each bite, I was hungrily looking at the next meatball (the one not in my mouth). I was lusting after a meatball, wishing with everything that I was that that meatball was in my mouth- right now. But wait… holy shit. I do have a meatball in my mouth. In fact, it’s the exact same meatball as the one I’m lusting after.

     After this little epiphany, I enjoyed what became a fantastic meal. I’m sure that, had I scarfed it down while reading, or had I continued wanting the next meatball, and the next, and the next, without realising what was in my mouth, I’d have missed the experience entirely. I slowed. I breathed. I tasted. And it was good.

     Where else does this behavior manifest itself?

     The answer may be astounding, if you’re truthful with yourself. Maybe when I go to the gym, I’m thinking of the coffee shop and book ritual that follow. Maybe when I’m reading that book, and drinking that coffee, I’m thinking of my workday. Maybe when I’m in the midst of my workday, I’m thinking of a conversation with my daughter. Maybe when I’m having a conversation with my daughter, I’m thinking of the gym the next day. Kinda vicious, isn’t it?
 
     It’s taken time, and practice, and effort to reach a level of self-awareness that allows me to see these faults. That doesn’t mean it’s difficult; it’s not. It simply takes a conscious, unwavering effort. When I put the acquired knowledge to practice, though, the results can be astounding, and can lead to… wait for it… happiness. Happiness is here; it is now. It is only here, and only now. It is only in this meatball, not the next.