Tag Archives: humor

The Dangers of Totalitarianism

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I’ve been thinking about the George Orwell novel 1984, how the totalitarian regime in the book implemented catch phrases to secure the minds of the populace. ‘War is Peace’ is used to establish a permanent enemy, a scapegoat, that can be blamed for any and all ills that befall the citizenry. ‘Freedom is Slavery’ discourages individualism tribalism in order to keep everyone bound to the collective. ‘Ignorance is Strength’ encourages the subservient populace to forego intellectual reflection, follow the dictates of those in power, not think about things to hard and they will realize contented peace. The message is, I guess, that given such ideas along with sufficient deterrents a totalitarian regime turns people into sheep without them realizing it.

It does seem a bit familiar these days but I guess as long as a free exchange of ideas remains in place reasonable responses can happen.

Are We Living in a Simulation?

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There are certain theoretical physicists contemplating, as I understand it, the idea that perhaps we are not living a base reality but are in a simulation, a simulated reality. We may be, they surmise, virtual beings created by a higher intelligence with infinite computational facility. Our limited capacity to fully understand our world renders impossible to grasp the closed system provided by our overseers.

The overseers, acting as game players, pit us against each other, create inventive situations for us to deal with and suffer through and then play favorites, much as the ancient Greek gods did. The idea is, I guess, our overseers are using us as players in the ultimate virtual Game of Life.

Well, if I am existing in a virtual closed system, I really can’t complain too much, reclining, as I am, in my lounger in the warm summer breeze. There are difficulties that occur, of course, from time to time but they’re solvable and life is, all in all, good.

The Beauty of Imperfection

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It seems reasonable to think that imperfection offers a more authentic representation of the world. Plato maintained all of our physical reality, all objects are but flawed copies, imperfect representations of the Forms existing beyond the physical world. To be of this world is to be imperfect. In our reality, perfection can’t exist and is, therefore, without meaning.

I guess, then, what we need to understand is that as we work to improve, we must realize perfection will never be achieved, and that fact is the very thing that gives what we do value.

It’s good, sometimes to rationalize our inadequacies.

What Good is Critical Thinking

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Wondering lately about what it means to exercise critical thinking. Daily occurrences will produce events that require judgements. Often such mental requests should be denied, go unanswered because as soon as they’re thought about they {the critical assessments) will take hold, become of greater importance than if they would have been ignored or denied and more than likely such critical assessments are of little importance anyway, requiring, nevertheless, intellectual energy almost always better spent on positive actions.

A lesson I must concentrate on relearning.

An Inauspicious Beginning

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I went to the store this morning; collected what I needed and proceeded to checkout only to realize I’d forgotten my wallet.

Am ominous foreboding appears; what terrible occurrence will be next, I wonder. Will the dermatologist I visit later in the day need to autopsy a suspicious mole? Will the engine dash icon reoccurring with maddening irregularity require roadside assistance? Will all the tables be full at Bridgeman’s requiring a painful wait for our planned breakfast? Will Elon Musk become a trillionaire?

So many uncertainties. Must I accept that angst will always be a constant companion? Is stoic oversight the best solution to maintaining a peaceful existence?

Silly isn’t it to dwell on such insignificance when I know everything will be better tomorrow morning. For a while anyway. Until angst sets in once again.

Transcendence

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Our first camping trip of the season with our small camper has me noticing the variety of large camping trailers and vans filling the parks this month. I’m struck by the names of some of these large mini-homes that are being directed into the nicely designed private campsites the state parks offer.

I’m wondering how the campers who are bringing these camping luxuries are thinking about the experience they’re expecting to have. Names like Transcend, Escape, Flight and the like suggest a vision the owner might have of finding his way beyond everyday existence to an alternative reality, at least for a few days, where the children will be happy and occupied where one can sit near an open campfire in contemplation, exchanging pleasantries with equally serene neighbors while enjoying well-functioning wifi access, warm toilets and showers.

Reality, of course will eventually set in as one tires of the long walk to the restrooms, replenishing the camper’s water reservoir, chopping wood and starting fires; the bed could be a bit more comfortable. It’s time to return home, let one’s colleagues know about roughing it while enjoying ‘the great outdoorsman’ status.

I guess it’s no wonder why so many people do it.

Virtue

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I’ve been reading Aristotle’s Ethics lately. In it, he spends considerable time defining what it means to be virtuous. His investigations consider how one’s feelings or actions determine how one measures up virtue-wise, the general rule being the exercise of moderation in one’s behavior, avoiding excess on the one hand but acting when action is called for, providing it’s the right action to the right person to the right extent at the right time with the right motive in the right way.

As I think about it, it seems to me excessive behaviors are not something I might be accused of but perhaps I am a bit lax when it comes to social action. Even so, I wonder if I want the label. Assuming virtuosity as a personal trait seems a bit pretentious. I guess, though, there’s nothing wrong in having pride in one’s good behavior, but I have to wonder how capable I am of getting all the ‘rights’ right.

Human Nature

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A Pragmatist is someone who sees true reality and works with it, within the limitations of what is at hand. An Idealist sees the reality of what is, finds it lacking and seeks to change things for the better. In either case, these are all people of action, seeking positive outcomes, though the results they seek may differ, one being of a personal nature the other altruistic.

There are, however, those pragmatists who choose a life path of least resistance as they seek the easiest means of finding a comfortable existence, which might mean overstepping legal and moral imperatives, taking advantage of an open society. And there are those idealists, who, finding society resistant to change, are unable to reach their goals, give up, living out their lives amorally on the social fringes.

Human nature determines the path taken, but success and well-being will require a moral commitment.

Sigmund

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In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud developed his theories on the nature of the human psyche. The primary motivation for most everyone’s behavior, he determined, was the sex drive. Beginning in early childhood, oral and anal fixations, then phallic and genital fascination defined the libido, the personality and life-force through the id, ego and superego: the realization of desire than tempered with age.

Problems of social adjustment were often caused, he surmised, by suppression of one’s natural sex drive, so, through psychoanalysis, he believed he could cure his troubled patients by making them aware of their latent sexuality.

Certain personality disorders Sigmund traced back to a childhood infatuation with his mother from whom the patient’s sexual inhibitions originated, an illness he labeled an Oedipal Complex after the tragic Greek figure Oedipus who fell in love with his mother and killed his father.

Anecdotally, it turns out Sigmund was his mother’s favorite and while he did produce progeny, it appears his sexual activity was short-lived.

A Short Chat

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The increasing use of chatbots these days has me wondering if my modest blog might be thought of as AI produced. Careful as I am-using spell-check and avoiding redundancies, not delving into contexts I know nothing about-it seems my short musings ought to be seen as human produce.

To underscore the obvious, the absence of intricate nuance must make it clear, dear reader, this writer is receiving no help from artificial sources. But, maybe, to be certain no doubt exists as to the origin of my modest posts, a convoluted sentence or two ought to verify these texts human touch.

Good enough? Happy reading.