---------------------------------------------------
how much should one reflect on his life so as to render it worthwhile?
(this of course assumes that reflecting on ones life is the only way to appreciate its significance--animals appear to lack the capacity to reflect on their lives, to entertain the possibility of nothingness, so we have sympathy for them, as it seems that without this capacity they cannot appreciate life as life, yet this isnt to say that they don't enjoy their time alive.
but As Kierkegaard knew too well, reflection can turn in on itself and become ugly we must impose limits on this reflection, because clearly it has the ability to hinder life. But before delving into this question, maybe we need to assess a more original one. That is, are we really in a position to be making value judgments? Who is to say that the man who concerns himself solely with material possessions, making money, etc., is leading a more valuable existence? The same applies to the man on the other end of the spectrum who devotes his entire life to lofty metaphysical questions (the essence of dialectic, etc.) but ignores his family, cuts himself from the ropes of earth...
He had wildly expressive mannerisms, exaggerated-
Nietzsche0---thus spoke zarathustra
zarathustra, the godless, descends from the mountains
Fish-kah
In my native language, means curse on the ocean
the fox that prowls by day
and the horse that runs all mornings
may run free
reflect though on the one who names these animals, these things
why not make up words
if all they do is refer
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
visit to mcvickers
Off to Josh McVicker's with Tiampo, Colin Jones and KO. The session had been planned for weeks. Ko and I were to meet Jones and Tiampo in the pit where they usually were, we'd blaze at McVicker's, then head back for economics with Cox. After meeting them in the pit, we walked back through the doors, past the guidance office (at this point I walked cautiously, trying to go unnoticed... V was probably in there and I knew he knew that these guys were stoners and I'd seen him confront guys he thought were good about hanging around similar types) and down the hall toward the cafeteria. Constable Donald was also on his way to the cafeteria, and he walked to the leftside and in front of me but behind Tiampo who was walking very fast, talking to Jones about cigarettes, particularly the one in his ear, which he mockingly called a cancer stick. Tiampo was quick minded, snappy, and very bold. Donald watched him, sneering, knowing that the little shit disturber was going to commit a crime that he could bring him down for, if only he could arrest him now...but that would provoke him and he would be merciless in
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Difficulties in Understanding ones Historical Situation
In order to understand your surroundings, you need to have an accurate view of the past, i.e. the events that produced your present situation. You cannot simply look around; you can't turn inward and find a universal, explanatory truth; you must consider the events that came before you to come to this understanding. NOTE: We will not consider the value of this understanding for now, though we will need to consider it at some point. It needs to be confronted, determined. If history has no value for life and if by understanding it we are only limited, weakened, then we should abandon it.
The reason you can't simply look around you to understand your historical situation is that it is impossible to predict the outcome of your actions. They are radically Simply recording your day to day observations may give a pluralistic account of the world--the many insignificant, mundane occurrences of our lives may be summarized by the coming historian in one keystroke, or crystalized by the theoretician as a single social movement--yet their outcome, their effect on history, cannot be discerned yet.
A man living in 1967 might note on his trip through the grocery store that chicken breast costs more than it did in the 1920's, and he might apply the finest economic wisdom of the day to understand this increase, but he will have no way of knowing what this way of life really was...he won't have the necessary frame of reference that comes only with time...he can't differentiate his time from any other, except the past. He might say that goods in his market move faster, the range of products is far greater, than the 1920's economy, and therefore make the conclusion that the 60's are far more commercial--trade has increased, the flow of goods has increased, the sheer mass of goods has increased, the speed at which they are produced has increased, and other such conclusions---
but he can only make these conclusions by comparing it to the economically slower, less commercial 1920s.
The reason you can't simply look around you to understand your historical situation is that it is impossible to predict the outcome of your actions. They are radically Simply recording your day to day observations may give a pluralistic account of the world--the many insignificant, mundane occurrences of our lives may be summarized by the coming historian in one keystroke, or crystalized by the theoretician as a single social movement--yet their outcome, their effect on history, cannot be discerned yet.
A man living in 1967 might note on his trip through the grocery store that chicken breast costs more than it did in the 1920's, and he might apply the finest economic wisdom of the day to understand this increase, but he will have no way of knowing what this way of life really was...he won't have the necessary frame of reference that comes only with time...he can't differentiate his time from any other, except the past. He might say that goods in his market move faster, the range of products is far greater, than the 1920's economy, and therefore make the conclusion that the 60's are far more commercial--trade has increased, the flow of goods has increased, the sheer mass of goods has increased, the speed at which they are produced has increased, and other such conclusions---
but he can only make these conclusions by comparing it to the economically slower, less commercial 1920s.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Memory of a Goldfish
Today you said that Strickland had the memory of a goldfish. in other words, he forgets about past fuck-ups and confronts his new task of serving the ball. When the serve doesnt go in, he hops in the passers line and promptly tries to pass a dime. When he doesn't pass the dime he goes to the setter's spot and tries to set a peach and finally he does. This is model volleyball player behaviour, and you say that this peach set happened because Strick had literally forgotten about his recent serving and passing blunders. They'd left his mind. But this repression isn't good enough for those of us who don't also have Strick's boyish enthusiasm, which is the reason I think he set the peach. Aadvising us to "forget your mistakes and concentrate on the new ball" is negative, not in the sense that it is discouraging, but in that it advises us to NOT do something rather than to DO something. When we hear this advice, we automatically remember our last mistake and try not to let it crowd our mind when passing the next ball. Our minds are cluttered. Its like saying 'don't think about your neighbour's wife'...it might or might not have happened before, but after hearing that advice, it certainly will. So whats the solution then? What advice do I think is most effective for the 8 players on our team, in order to produce the best results?
"Approach each ball with confidence. Make it your bitch; Love the pass youre about to make; Love your serve; If you fuck up, try harder and be even more confident; use it as motivation; look forward, always look forward."
"Approach each ball with confidence. Make it your bitch; Love the pass youre about to make; Love your serve; If you fuck up, try harder and be even more confident; use it as motivation; look forward, always look forward."
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