Perhaps the beginning of peace? No, I would never aim so high.
A balance of contradicting forces leads both forces into being 'created'.
To recognize something as something, be it metaphysical or of 'this world',
usually requires a definition and most times requires an additional anti-definition.
It is in this that the world is beautiful yet terribly volatile -
...the possibility of differences
and the possibility of confrontation...
The current 'flow' of the world is to confront with the intention of destroying the opposition.
Defending one's position is one thing, however, eliminating the competition is merely an unfortunate circumstance of capitalistic tendencies.
As my first blog, I am not entirely sure of the systematics here, but will try my best to avoid
being too abstract - as I am normally not an abstract individual...(some days I get inspiration
from people and things around me and I simply cannot avoid a rant here and there...)
For my first question to the blogging community out there,
I must mention my current outlook on life and ask for your take on my opinion
(be they fierce attacks or support, I actually want a little bit of both if I may be so selfish).
1) Accept and embrace everything, even if a contradiction occurs (as they are bound to happen).
2) Bias and separating oneself from others based on physical/mental differences is limiting to
the one being biased and should be avoided at all costs.
However, the problem with this is that it ultimately contradicts my original ideal of accepting
everything and the people that have their own bias are doing so (un)consciously to protect
their own world/identity (and should not be looked down upon as it is a mode of supporting/solidifying one's existence).
3) It is here that I came up with my own belief system entitled "inspirationism".
Within each individual exists this beautiful (sometimes ugly to the individual themselves)
world and thought process.
Understanding this person and accepting them as an equal no matter their differences is the ultimate goal.
Tell me what you think!
(And correct English mistakes without reserve. I am in Japan and gradually forgetting my home-tongue the longer I stay here and appreciate people pointing out my stupidity...)
よろしくお願いします！
Nice first post! I am looking forward to the follow ups! =)
返信削除So embracing contradiction... I get what you mean by contradiction being on everything which requires an anti-definition. But do different forces have always to be opposed? Can't they just be alternatives rather then mutually exclusive to each other? You said that eliminating competition is merely an unfortunate circumstance of capitalistic tendencies. Is the world is bound to work this way, or are we the ones doing that?
As for me, I've always tried to be coherent to myself, internally. I always thought that everyone would be like this and have their own logic inside which makes sense to them. Of course, I can't possibly know how others' minds really work, so you can consider this as me just projecting my own view, my only way to see the world around me, on this very world. Truth or not, from this perspective, I've always thought that those who live with internal contradiction are either confused or hypocrites. They either don't know themselves or are in the search for their true nature. But that's just my own perception of things...
As for external contradiction, that is, differences found outside of oneself and in relation to others, I wouldn't consider them as contradictory since they come from different people. They are simply alternatives and shouldn't be judged under the same standards. They should be embraced and respected under the understanding that we are all unique. Does that go along your ideas?
Does this all make any sense? ehehe I feel like this whole talk is very deep ;)
Cheers!
I suppose I respond to your post here?
返信削除In any case, this is the kind of intellectual dialogue I have been craving! Thanks for your response chapulina!
Considering your idea that definitions and anti-definitions are not required to oppose each other, I am in complete agreement with you (and if you read my newer post, I think my views on this will be clarified) and I am not just saying that because of my rule to accept every viewpoint in existence.
Eliminating competition and capitalism may simply be a branch off of evolution and Darwin's view of 'survival of the fittest' - and I am not entirely sure from where I began to think of capitalism in that light or if it was a mere side thought that I forgot to write down (recently I am writing down everything I run into down, I have a little notebook where I keep all of these little bits of information. According to Wordsmith (where I get my daily new English word), I am an onomatomaniac by the way...). In any case, to describe the nature behind this (that is, whether or not human-kind can refrain from this sort of behavior or not) I simply feel that the current state of the world promotes this 'getting rid of the competition' mindset - and capitalism may be an off-shoot of that and in turn is creating some sort of cycle that humanity has of yet been able to break apart from. Tell me your thoughts! As I am not entirely sure myself.
And as for your last part about internal and external contradiction and the difference between the two - very interesting position. I had always been under the impression that internal contradiction is what life is all about - that is, there is no constant self to maintain a single position. Especially when it comes to our age group, maintaining a front to the rest of society may be easier said than done but internal conflict confounds us all to no end. However, I do agree with you that there is a distinct difference between internal and external contradiction and upon that subject I must be honest and say I need more time to ponder.
Basically, from what I read in your response, we have very similar outlooks yet very distinct perspectives on that same subject matter.
Need to think more and do some more blogging.
Take care until then and I await further blogs from you chapulina!
Hi there! First off congrats on your blog.. I really like it and I have to say that your first post is quite nice and already I feel the urge to call myself an "inspirationist" according to the definition you give. :)
返信削除Reality in itself is full of opposition. There is day, there is night, there is hot, there is cold. There is old, young, birth, death, up, down... and a lot of in betweens... I think that the evidence that we have of oppositional forces in nature should alert us that even within ourselves we will be bound to find opposing views and desires. Extremes are a part of nature, and extremes are a part of our selves, and as you say, we should indeed embrace them in order to find beauty in all of the moments that we experience and beauty in the mere act of existing, as contradictory beings.
I think opposition is a force of creation, not a state of incoherence. If you see contradiction as a force then, we should embrace it for it keeps us moving forward. The variety of desires and views, even existing in opposition to themselves, is just a proof that there are no absolutes, and this lack of absolute-ness is what leads to life and the act of creation.
Opposition, as you guys pointed out, leads to the creation of something new. If there are no oppositional forces within yourself you wont be able to create or re-create identity, you remain static. But if there are, then we become the Super-Man of Nietzche, who has realized the power of developing a new self by embracing those contradictions within him.
So we should make a difference between oppositional forces that exist in the same being, and contradiction as a state of internal incoherence. Contradictory states are to be avoided as a person needs to find a peaceful balance, but such balance might be found in the acceptance of the fluidity of identity in itself and the lack of absolute-ness. So yes, I believe contradiction should be embraced, but only because it brings forces of opposition and this leads to creation. Not because we will remain in that contradictory state forever, but because it will lead us to recreate our selves and our desires into something new. Its value is in its ability to destroy something old and bring about something new.
We are not static beings. Identity is constantly changing with new experiences. If we allow ourselves to truly experience life, to engage with it constantly, we will find that there are things that we take in and become fond of that oppose our previous ideas or beliefs. Instead of shying away from this imbalance and cling to some concept, we should embrace the oppositional forces and allow ourselves to be molded into something new.
"Contradiction" in society is the same. As we embrace the diversity of people, tastes, beliefs, cultures, systems, then society in itself changes and evolves into something else. Nothing should be sacred, nothing should be upheld as untouchable, for by doing that, society stays static.
I see more hypocritical the idea (or illusion) that we don't change or that we do not contradict ourselves in our behavior. You can live to protect a view/ideal/a god, or you can live to embrace it all. We become our own gods when we shy away from opposition in our lives. But we become God (with a capital G) when we CREATE our own selves through the forces of opposition.