Bliss

There goes a saying where I live that ignorance is bliss. That is to say that not knowing makes us happier than knowing. But the scientists among us, the philosophers, the mathematicians, know this cannot be true. The dark ages were brought from a philosophy all too similar to this one. It is the thinkers that keep culture, and civilization itself on its feet. It is Immanuel Kant's "dare to know" process that keeps us happy. And yet sometimes, when the parents are yelling and it is all you can do to stop the tears from rolling onto your pillow, the only cure is to cover your ears with music and let ignorance be bliss.

Just Some Thoughts

As is with the random brain mush that falls into this site, I thought I would add some random quote-like thoughts.

All women are crazy and all men are jerks. Some are just better at hiding it.

We could learn so much more if we didn't waste our time in school.

If you knew what you were doing, you would be doing it.

Fix yourself before you try to fix anyone else.

You can't make yourself responsible for someone else's failures.

If life is hard, if it is scary, if it is uncomfortable, then you are doing something right. The warm, cozy, dream life, is a mixture of apathy and laziness.

Don't romanticize life. You won't like the break-up.

The more generalities you make, the closer you are to being right.

Cute

In childhood, we are called cute. Anything from the way we rub our eyes to the determination with which we work on a project, people give this backhanded complement. At what point does cute become an insult? At what point do we reject cuteness and accept a more severe life? It seems almost instinctual to despise these words at any age of which we have memory, but why? Why can't we accept what is essentially charm and attractiveness? What stops us from separating from the ridiculous expectation of gravity in all the throws of life? We all look at the fools and mock them for their whimsical attitude. Is it not them, in their cuteness, that allows them to be free?

Somewhere in the Middle

Accepting extremes of an idea splits a search for the truth into a battle between people. In politics, this manifests as democrats against republicans. In religion, it lead to the 30 years war. More than 1500 years ago, the Buddha presented the idea of the Middle Way. Both idealistically and pragmatically, this makes the most sense. When someone suggests that there is only one right way to live, or only one right way to think, they are wrong. There are ideas across a continuum, and to only accept the extremes is like only eating the edges of an oreo, never tasting the frosting of the middle way.

Tradition

Traditions are what shape a person’s life, the ones they love and the ones they hate, the ones they toss away and the ones they keep. Traditions are the thoughts and practices of all the people that have come before them, and the ones that they choose decide which of these people they are going to be like.

History

Reading a history book is reminiscent of reading an adventure novel. There are the friends and the enemies, the ones that could never be trusted, the loving couple who's break-up hurts not just themselves but their friends. There are twists and turns and tensions that explosively break. The only difference is once you get to the end of a history book, you aren't done with the story. When you're at the end of a history book, it's your turn to write the words on the page.

Trust

It's easy to look at those who trust everyone and laugh. Anyone who has the wisdom to mature a little knows that no one can be completely trusted. In the best case scenario, nothing is changed. In the real world, promises will be broken and tears will be shed. Only the few people who have the wisdom to mature a lot know that we have to do it anyways.