A Brief Bit about Me
Since this blog is basically my views put on paper, in a very generalized or simplistic way (mostly to make it as bearable as possible), I decided that it might be quite useful if I discussed a few things about myself. This may lend clarity to a number of things that the reader may be made curious about, even they even care to read anything on this supremely boring blog.
First of all, I am 18. I am not a philosophy professor, teacher, nor do I hold a degree in philosophy. I am currently majoring in philosophy, but that in of itself gives no credence to anything I say. I am an 18 year old male with a huge imagination. For better or for worse, I have spent much of my life lost in my own imagination. It was only when I began to try and put these stories I had contrived to paper that I began to get interested in philosophy. It began with trying to understand the universe, and from there, my interest in metaphysics peaked. But all branches of philosophy interest me, and I'd rather not choose just one branch.
Here is the fact though: nothing makes my views any more valid than anyone else's. Basically I am just some random guy who decided to write a blog about his views on philosophy, which probably do not amount to much for anyone else. But for me, this is helping me ascertain certain things, or at least develop some semblance of understanding that helps me in life. If anything, it is pushing me away from certain things I once clearly associated with, much to my own displeasure. I'm not going to stop though, for much of what I am doing now seems very useful and proper.
For a while, I did believe that I was becoming much more assured in life and happy with life through my studies of philosophy. Philosophy was tantalizing to me because it seemed like you could understand certain things without having to experience them (one of the basic ideas to rationalism). To some extent, I do believe you can, but I began to use this in such a way that I subconsciously began to withdraw myself ever so slightly from reality. Philosophy is not a substitute for life. Karl Marx once said, "Philosophy is to the real world as masturbation is to sex." Philosophy is a way to try to understand certain things about life, but never to live it.
In the past couple of weeks, I gave special consideration to my whole "i love philosophy" attitude. I realized that through it I was justifying a basic withdrawal from reality, though the justification was mostly subconscious, done through the means of conscious thoughts eventually trickling down into subconscious action. I regret this, in all truth and honesty. A long look back at my life reveals a life not lived to the fullest. I'm still not ready to live life to the fullest. I may never be. That's the way I am.
I don't justify the weirdness of me writing about this, or my wasting of much precious time thinking about this stuff, but if it can be of use to anyone in any way, I'd be eternally grateful. I don't even need to know it's happening, but if it happened, I'd be happy. No matter what, I know that in this life I will find some sort of meaning and that I will one day die. I believe that I will become eternal, and join with eternity, becoming part of God once more. That is my personal view. I do not claim to represent any school of thought in that respect.
The day may come where I will either begin to improve my life, or further withdraw. I cannot say. I pray that I may be able to improve my life while pursuing my passions (like philosophy). However, I can never truly be sure, and for the moment, I'm largely content to just enjoy being alive and being able to think.
You all do not have to read this, and in fact, I discourage reading my blog if this stuff does not interest you. It is not the result of academia, of studies, of professors, or of supreme intellectuals. This blog is the result of one person who is attempting to clarify certain things for himself in a variety of ways, this being one of them. I pray that for those of you who ever read my blog (if anyone ever does), that it will be of benefit. I know it was for me.
I will talk to you all later.
First of all, I am 18. I am not a philosophy professor, teacher, nor do I hold a degree in philosophy. I am currently majoring in philosophy, but that in of itself gives no credence to anything I say. I am an 18 year old male with a huge imagination. For better or for worse, I have spent much of my life lost in my own imagination. It was only when I began to try and put these stories I had contrived to paper that I began to get interested in philosophy. It began with trying to understand the universe, and from there, my interest in metaphysics peaked. But all branches of philosophy interest me, and I'd rather not choose just one branch.
Here is the fact though: nothing makes my views any more valid than anyone else's. Basically I am just some random guy who decided to write a blog about his views on philosophy, which probably do not amount to much for anyone else. But for me, this is helping me ascertain certain things, or at least develop some semblance of understanding that helps me in life. If anything, it is pushing me away from certain things I once clearly associated with, much to my own displeasure. I'm not going to stop though, for much of what I am doing now seems very useful and proper.
For a while, I did believe that I was becoming much more assured in life and happy with life through my studies of philosophy. Philosophy was tantalizing to me because it seemed like you could understand certain things without having to experience them (one of the basic ideas to rationalism). To some extent, I do believe you can, but I began to use this in such a way that I subconsciously began to withdraw myself ever so slightly from reality. Philosophy is not a substitute for life. Karl Marx once said, "Philosophy is to the real world as masturbation is to sex." Philosophy is a way to try to understand certain things about life, but never to live it.
In the past couple of weeks, I gave special consideration to my whole "i love philosophy" attitude. I realized that through it I was justifying a basic withdrawal from reality, though the justification was mostly subconscious, done through the means of conscious thoughts eventually trickling down into subconscious action. I regret this, in all truth and honesty. A long look back at my life reveals a life not lived to the fullest. I'm still not ready to live life to the fullest. I may never be. That's the way I am.
I don't justify the weirdness of me writing about this, or my wasting of much precious time thinking about this stuff, but if it can be of use to anyone in any way, I'd be eternally grateful. I don't even need to know it's happening, but if it happened, I'd be happy. No matter what, I know that in this life I will find some sort of meaning and that I will one day die. I believe that I will become eternal, and join with eternity, becoming part of God once more. That is my personal view. I do not claim to represent any school of thought in that respect.
The day may come where I will either begin to improve my life, or further withdraw. I cannot say. I pray that I may be able to improve my life while pursuing my passions (like philosophy). However, I can never truly be sure, and for the moment, I'm largely content to just enjoy being alive and being able to think.
You all do not have to read this, and in fact, I discourage reading my blog if this stuff does not interest you. It is not the result of academia, of studies, of professors, or of supreme intellectuals. This blog is the result of one person who is attempting to clarify certain things for himself in a variety of ways, this being one of them. I pray that for those of you who ever read my blog (if anyone ever does), that it will be of benefit. I know it was for me.
I will talk to you all later.
posted by Andrew McKenna at 9:07 PM
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