Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Existentialism or Existential Crisis or Deconstruction of a Young Mind?

"The mind is an excellent servant but a terrrible master"

Last post, i started with "Something. Has. Been. Bothering. Me". This  time, i won't (i didn't). Started like a manufactured essay with that quote, though. Well, that may be because this is titled "Existentialism or Existential Crisis or Deconstruction of a Young Mind?" but i don't care. After all, should we not apply the rule: "The world is full of apathy and i don’t care". There, i have successfully managed to derail what was supposed to be a thoughtful introduction because context is everything (or was it king?), right?



I. The "I" Question

I am,
I am circled in,
I am encircled by
Religion's sin

I am,
I identify,
I am identified by
Identity

Am I
Aroused by
An imagined, enacted
Reality?

Am I
What's been whispered to me
That I am
Supposed to be?

Am I
A plasticine man
Told and played
Conducted and directed?

Am I who I'm told I am?

II. The "Who Is" Question?

Science and questions,
Answers and religions,
The what do you knows,
The who do you knows,
The problem of origin,
The problem of original sin,
No one knows, no one knows.

Starting assumptions,
Incomplete explanations,
Designed or a dance with chance?
Neither is here,Neither is there,
Each begins with
A leap of faith, A leap of faith.



III. The "Choice" Answer 

Pacifists, realists
Apologists, rationalists,
Crusaders, crucifiers,
Perpetrators, actors,
Populists, artists,
Creationists, scientists,
I could be all,
I could be none,
I could be another,
But I'd rather
Be a constant,
The common human denominator.

.............................................................................

For those interested in an engaging conversation (yes, Richard Dawkins is featured - he is one of the best firestarters i know) somewhat related to the theme that this piece tries to address (touch upon is perhaps a better choice of words. egads), you could do worse than consider this as your debate kickstarter:





Whats interesting to note is that Richard Dawkins places himself at a 6 out of 7, an "unlikelyist". What an honest position to take! After all, the absence of proof is no proof neither is it proof that no proof can exist. Neither here nor there.  Ultimately, we all begin (or end with) a leap of faith. If we don't, then we must be prepared to sleep with an incomplete, imperfect picture.

As for me, i know that i'd - in the least - always want to be  humanist.

Unrelated:

And since it is already 1:30 in the morning and i should be either studying or sleeping, this should help me (and you, if you should ever need a mood-setting @ 1:30  a.m)

I love this song about as much as i love Hallelujah. Leonard Cohen is a poet. All good lyricists have to be. There are some other pretty extraordinary and distinct versions by Adam Cohen, Joe Bonamassa and Katey Sagal. Each deserves a listen, each does.

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