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Post by sisyphus on Jun 22, 2006 21:11:21 GMT -5
Mattheus, May Swenson, the poet whose essay i posted on that other "brilliant essays" thread, has written some AMAZING poems about this paradox... next time i've got a moment at home i'll post some for you.
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:13:29 GMT -5
Another thing that really bothers me is this constant manipulation by society. The whole fucking "hollywood" "I love my country" point of view. It bores me to tears, and if I don't swallow it and fit in then I'm an outcast... so I keep my real thoughts inside.
There are times like during the abortion debate where my real thoughts come out, but they're just thoughts, and where I stand at some junction on the train of life. I could change my mind tomorrow. I feel like that's pathetic, and I should take some sort of concrete stance... but I don't really want to. I want to be open-minded all the time... but then I'm a convoluted mess, and is that really definining who I am... know what I mean?
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:14:04 GMT -5
Mattheus, May Swenson, the poet whose essay i posted on that other "brilliant essays" thread, has written some AMAZING poems about this paradox... next time i've got a moment at home i'll post some for you. That would be sweet!!! |
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Post by sisyphus on Jun 22, 2006 21:16:31 GMT -5
i think it's a matter of keeping various "definitions" in context, with the understanding that in other contexts, those definitions can be completely turned on their heads, if that makes sense. still, it seems that the definitions for some sorts of things defy/transcend singular contexts, or, at the very least, lie in contexts so large they are beyond our grasps as individuals. did that make sense. fuck.
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:16:43 GMT -5
I'm gonna wake up, yes and no
I'm gonna kiss some part of
I'm gonna keep this secret
I'm gonna close my body now
I guess, die another day
I guess I'll die another day
[Another day]
Sigmund Freud... Analyze this
I'm gonna break the cycle
I'm gonna shake up the system
I'm gonna destroy my ego
I'm gonna close my body now
I think I'll find another way
There's so much more to know
I guess I'll die another day
It's not my time to go
For every sin, I'll have to pay
I've come to work, I've come to play
I think I'll find another way
It's not my time to go
I'm gonna avoid the cliché
I'm gonna suspend my senses
I'm gonna delay my pleasure
I'm gonna close my body now
I guess, die another day
I guess I'll die another day
Another day...
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:20:39 GMT -5
i think it's a matter of keeping various "definitions" in context, with the understanding that in other contexts, those definitions can be completely turned on their heads, if that makes sense. still, it seems that the definitions for some sorts of things defy/transcend singular contexts, or, at the very least, lie in contexts so large they are beyond our grasps as individuals. did that make sense. fuck. Yahhhh... FUCK. It seems like much is beyond our grasp. Some things can be completely turned on their heads... but I keep on coming back to Kabbalah... not Christianity... not Judaism... not Buddhism... none of that. It's more a personal experience in Kabbalah and how the micro ties to the macro. But I try, and I try, to talk to other people about what Kabblah taught me, and how I see it in respects to other aspects of life... and I'm slighted. The religion of Madonna is not looked highly upon... and I thank my lucky stars I became a fan in '98 because of lyrics that were inspired by the thoughts of a "cult." Love is all that matters. |
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:21:35 GMT -5
Read and you'll judge... - Kurt Cobain.
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Post by sisyphus on Jun 22, 2006 21:25:58 GMT -5
Another thing that really bothers me is this constant manipulation by society. The whole fucking "hollywood" "I love my country" point of view. It bores me to tears, and if I don't swallow it and fit in then I'm an outcast... so I keep my real thoughts inside. There are times like during the abortion debate where my real thoughts come out, but they're just thoughts, and where I stand at some junction on the train of life. I could change my mind tomorrow. I feel like that's pathetic, and I should take some sort of concrete stance... but I don't really want to. I want to be open-minded all the time... but then I'm a convoluted mess, and is that really definining who I am... know what I mean? i think that's great. i think it shows that you understand that the world can't be painted in black and white. i've posted it elsewhere, but there's a buddhist saying that says that that when you settle on one idea as the unalterable truth, then when truth comes knocking at your door, you won't be able to accept it. in any case, i guess the best thing to do is to take each situation as it comes and consider the circumstances, and then make a decision to the best of your ability on what you understand. if you change your mind later, great. for example, the abortion issue: you listen to everyone's ideas and do your best to come up with your own opinion on the matter, bearing in mind that it may only be temporary, and then vote accordingly. it's tough.. To mature is in part to realize that while complete intimacy and omniscience and power cannot be had, self-transcendence, growth, and closeness to others are nevertheless within one's reach. ~Sissela Bok |
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Post by sisyphus on Jun 22, 2006 21:31:40 GMT -5
i think Kabbalah can be pretty fascinating. i have only investigated it on a superficial sort of level, but from what i've learned so far, i think it's very applicable. while i was in school i got a grant to build an installation at my university. i built my own brand of a kabbalahistic tree of life. i won't go into detail on the installation, but suffice to say i'm fascinated by a lot of the symbology. ultimately, i think i learned that "we're all in it together" on a variety of levels.
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:36:46 GMT -5
That's what it's about... we're all in this together.
That's what fascinates me about it... the idea that "everything counts, everything matters, everything affects everything else." The butterfly effect.
Even without any sort of spiritual connotation, the message is powerful.
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Post by sisyphus on Jun 22, 2006 21:53:30 GMT -5
true 'dat. a couple of years ago i re-read the new testement, having shed all religious presuppositions. jesus seems to be quite the kabbalist...
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Post by Matheus on Jun 22, 2006 21:54:48 GMT -5
true 'dat. a couple of years ago i re-read the new testement, having shed all religious presuppositions. jesus seems to be quite the kabbalist... From everything I've read... most definitely. KABBALISTS DO IT BETTER |
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JACkory
Struggling Artist
Posts: 167
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Post by JACkory on Jun 24, 2006 15:20:09 GMT -5
Read and you'll judge... - Kurt Cobain. Wow, what a coincidence. I just read Cobain's Journals...Cobain's suicide was a trigger for one of my psychotic episodes several years ago. And yeah, he was right...it's almost impossible to read his scribblings without being somewhat judgemental. Burt I think that's the way we all are, naturally. We try to convince ourselves that we are somehow "moral" and don't judge, but we all do. No exception to the rule. My Christianity has been very dear to my heart lately, and I've come to accept that God is in control, so that frees me from the guilt that comes when I realize that I have been that way, that we ALL are that way due to human nature... I have been flirting with the concept of universalism, which basically states that we'll all get to heaven, albeit with our sinful natures purged by fire. But then I see news reports about Zarqawi (sp?) and I realize that not only am I elated that he's dead, but I wish I could have been one of the soldiers who bashed his brains in. Does a person like that make it to heaven ("person like that" meaning Zarqawi and ME for wanting to pour out the wrath of my country upon his body). I hate angst and not knowing. That's part of why I accept the Bible as the REAL DEAL (though I will say that I believe God uses other "holy books" for other cultures...I don't think Hindus are going to hell, for instance...but I'm glad I'm not a Hindu, cuz I wouldn't want to go through life on earth again via reincarnation). Anyhoo, I read this board in it's entirety before I posted and found it very interesting. I wouldn't want anything to do with Mormonism, sys. Not only are they somewhat legalistic, their God is not big enough for me.  |
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Post by Matheus on Jun 24, 2006 16:24:24 GMT -5
Read and you'll judge... - Kurt Cobain. Wow, what a coincidence. I just read Cobain's Journals...Cobain's suicide was a trigger for one of my psychotic episodes several years ago. And yeah, he was right...it's almost impossible to read his scribblings without being somewhat judgemental. Burt I think that's the way we all are, naturally. We try to convince ourselves that we are somehow "moral" and don't judge, but we all do. No exception to the rule. My Christianity has been very dear to my heart lately, and I've come to accept that God is in control, so that frees me from the guilt that comes when I realize that I have been that way, that we ALL are that way due to human nature... I have been flirting with the concept of universalism, which basically states that we'll all get to heaven, albeit with our sinful natures purged by fire. But then I see news reports about Zarqawi (sp?) and I realize that not only am I elated that he's dead, but I wish I could have been one of the soldiers who bashed his brains in. Does a person like that make it to heaven ("person like that" meaning Zarqawi and ME for wanting to pour out the wrath of my country upon his body). I hate angst and not knowing. That's part of why I accept the Bible as the REAL DEAL (though I will say that I believe God uses other "holy books" for other cultures...I don't think Hindus are going to hell, for instance...but I'm glad I'm not a Hindu, cuz I wouldn't want to go through life on earth again via reincarnation). Anyhoo, I read this board in it's entirety before I posted and found it very interesting. I wouldn't want anything to do with Mormonism, sys. Not only are they somewhat legalistic, their God is not big enough for me. You know I have nothing but respect for you, but I definitely see it another way. I don't think God is in control or else we would be in paradise. God is the way to happiness, but it is on our shoulders to get us there. God shows us the way, but it's on our shoulders. If God were in control would there be all this angst? It's human nature... man vs. himself. Would there be this individual struggle that we all have to fight inside of ourselves? Atheist, Agnostic, Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, etc... we are all fighting our internal struggles. |
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JACkory
Struggling Artist
Posts: 167
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Post by JACkory on Jun 24, 2006 17:05:47 GMT -5
I guess I see it my way because I have no angst..for which I thank God.  |
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