Category Archives: Philosophy

Yes, they were wrong…

I was bullied in school. It still breaks my heart when I see it. There is a lot of anger in me because of it. Bullying me these days would be very bad for anyone’s health. I wish I could take all those kids by the hand and tell them how special they are and how the adversity will make them stronger. Unfortunately, this is not always true.

Ramblings

It is good to think. For yourself.

Most of us have given up on that. We take what we are being presented with as the truth. Not much of it is. TV, Radio, really any form of mass media or communication only have one product. They only sell one thing. That one thing is you.

The audience.

The only reason there is content is to make you watch. You will be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of different product placements every day. The very fabric of your reality is determined by advertising and the pursuit of your money.

Make no mistake, they know what makes us tick.

Yesterday I was taking an escalator. It was going down. On my left they were advertising sunglasses on a poster. A semi naked young woman was embracing a young man. She had her back to the audience, the young man was facing you. He was wearing the sunglasses, of course.

Really?

We are that dumb now?

As you are the product, you might wonder who the customer is. Everybody who wants to sell you something. Everybody.

They spent billions in an attempt to earn trillions. And they are succeeding.

Along the way this particular end has become the only end. We are, for better or for worse, a total consumer society. All our culture, our once noble pursuits, our science our art. They are all geared to sell more things no one really needs.

One of the greatest achievements recently, was the extremely high altitude jump from the edge of space. Sponsored by Redbull. Wow.

A softdrink company has a better space program than most nations.

I do not mean to be too negative but it is hard to see your way past the inevitable. We are becoming creatively barren. No art for art’s sake anymore. It is all driven by the mindless need to consume and make you consume more and more. Without end.

We live on a planet with finite resources. Unlimited growth is a dangerous fallacy. We will consume ourselves to death. The need for greater and greater profits and more and more stuff will, eventually, be the end of us.

Think for yourself. Do you really need that thing that you feel you must have? Really?

How about just sitting down and writing down your thoughts. You could start blogging…

The adventures of Technicolor man in Greyland

There is a land not far away. The land of the grey. Just around that bend.

Grey men live in grey houses, thinking grey thoughts all day long in Greyland.

They eat grey meals and drink grey beer and make merry at a game of grey on grey.

Philosophy is sport in the land of grey. Incessant is the argument of the merits of grey and being grey, much better grey than black or white. They can’t change their stripes. Dogmatic are the black and white. Dogmatic to a fault. Shades of grey are much more tolerant and see life for what it really is, an endless sea of grey.

Greyland is content and the great day of grey is fast approaching. Many visitors are expected for great grey festivities. From far and wide will they roam. Some say even the Opaque might come.

On the day of days a  man like no other came. A man of strange and bewildering appearance. What manner of grey is he? He is not black or white, certainly not opaque. Strangeness upon strangeness.

Technicolor man strode about in technicolor brilliance. Confusing and befuddling where he went.

Some grey men could not see him for all his color. He was too far from grey.

The grey authorities saw him causing puzzlement, disturbing the unity of grey. Contentment was in danger. The grey men had to act.

Of course.

Technicolor man will be buried at the first grey of dawn.

The End

Such is life…

This morning I took my wife to work. Traffic, as usual, was very busy and it was more of a stop-and-go arrangement rather than a swift and decisive drive.

The last part of the journey took us past a cemetery to our left. It is beautiful, small and recessed headstones, luscious lawns, well kept small hedges and a blue sky and sparkling sunlight to boot.

That was on our left.

On our right we see the legions emerging from the underground railway station into the blinding light. They assemble into shambling cohorts and trudge along miserably, already knowing the shape and circumstance of their day. No joy, no surprises there.

It seems odd that the near living should be in a position to envy the finitely dead. I look left again and think that I would probably prefer to bask in the sun – even under the lawn.

It is clear that most of the undead on the right in their pale imitation of life think similar thoughts if they are still able to.

Where did we go so wrong?

Thoughts on Valentine’s day

I am lucky.

I am married to the woman I love.

Our Valentine’s day today (or evening to be more precise), essentially consists of her nursing me back to health. I had dental surgery – unpleasant at the best of time – but this time I was in real agony.

I am thinking of all the souls out there who are still seeking love, of those who found it and lost it, of those who have not found it and most of all, of those who do not know they need to look for and find it.

We could have our Valentine’s day on the dark side of the moon or at a bus stop, it would not matter. We would be together.

I hope that you will find love if you have not already done so. Real love, which is a mixture of caritas, eros and philia.

Selfless love.

Passionate love.

Affectionate love.

Don’t stop looking.

Just a little kindness…

As I sit here beavering away for the man, and yes I am on a break, just in case you are wondering, I cannot help but think that we all labouring to no discernible end.

Truly, what difference do most of us make? Since that difference cannot be made in our working lives, let’s try to make a difference in our private lives. Kindness will echo through the community and society at large.

We do not have to get angry when we get cut off in traffic, we could let someone else take our seat on the bus or train, we could say ‘Good morning’ more often and mean it.

Like I said – just small things.

Here is smiling at you, babe.