Leaving this beautiful quote here, as it speaks to this essay:
"In Media Vita. No! Life has not deceived me! On the contrary, from year to year I find it richer, more desirable and more mysterious - from the day on which the great liberator broke my fetters, the thought that life may be an experiment of the thinker - and not a duty, not a fatality, not a deceit! - And knowledge itself may be for others something different; for example, a bed of ease, or the path to a bed of ease, or an entertainment, or a course of idling, - for me it is a world of dangers and victories, in which even the heroic sentiments have their arena and dancing-floor. "Life as a means to knowledge" - with this principle in one's heart, one can not only be brave, but can even live joyfully and laugh joyfully! And who could know how to laugh well and live well, who did not first understand the full significance of war and victory?" (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, 324)
I’ll also add that your article on relationships—“Comfort”—is prob the most substantive yet succinct primer for describing the seasons of love (and in it I think you move through the four types of love according to Aristotle (and since you don’t read philosophers, that’s rather interesting and impressive coincidence). I just read it and it fully resonated with my life and then immediately sent it to my wife and 2 friends. I just recently found you on here but I’m really impressed so far 👊🏻
There is a reason that true liberal arts education (the school of hard knocks + working around other geniuses + time for quiet contemplation in exile) cannot be delivered to the masses.
Of course your lust for raw thought and experience can't scale... and probably should not. Few people can benefit from the experience of being punched. But, for me, 'the philosophers' and the described experiences of others is a rich menu...proof that life is an all you can eat buffet. The philosophers and academics are not a place for consecrated answers, but a great listing of places to check out... a tantalizing airport departures board.
Amazingly written, and a great take. Glad to see some originality.
I’m currently studying literature and philosophy myself, and I do tend to notice that academics teach via regurgitation of scholars as opposed to enlightening us with their own wisdom - but I guess that’s academia for you - retrospective appreciation as opposed to forward thought.
I have no idea who this is and google wasn't much help. so I put my essay into chatgpt and gave it your comment and asked it to explain the connection; I get what you're alluding to.
"As a human being, you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation—or let your subconscious accumulate a junk heap of unwarranted conclusions, false generalizations, undefined contradictions, undigested slogans, unidentified wishes, doubts and fears, thrown together by chance, but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single, solid weight: self-doubt, like a ball and chain in the place where your mind’s wings should have grown.” ~ if you don’t know but want to know who wrote this, let me know
Jung speaks of this
lmao. DELETE.
Leaving this beautiful quote here, as it speaks to this essay:
"In Media Vita. No! Life has not deceived me! On the contrary, from year to year I find it richer, more desirable and more mysterious - from the day on which the great liberator broke my fetters, the thought that life may be an experiment of the thinker - and not a duty, not a fatality, not a deceit! - And knowledge itself may be for others something different; for example, a bed of ease, or the path to a bed of ease, or an entertainment, or a course of idling, - for me it is a world of dangers and victories, in which even the heroic sentiments have their arena and dancing-floor. "Life as a means to knowledge" - with this principle in one's heart, one can not only be brave, but can even live joyfully and laugh joyfully! And who could know how to laugh well and live well, who did not first understand the full significance of war and victory?" (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, 324)
Tool….good call “right in two…”
I’ll also add that your article on relationships—“Comfort”—is prob the most substantive yet succinct primer for describing the seasons of love (and in it I think you move through the four types of love according to Aristotle (and since you don’t read philosophers, that’s rather interesting and impressive coincidence). I just read it and it fully resonated with my life and then immediately sent it to my wife and 2 friends. I just recently found you on here but I’m really impressed so far 👊🏻
that means a lot man thank you for that. I appreciate you sharing it with them, it's rewarding to hear it resonated.
and I believe this is the first time anyone has told me I've converged on something Aristotle said, so that's a nice new one to add to the list, ha.
Haha
There is a reason that true liberal arts education (the school of hard knocks + working around other geniuses + time for quiet contemplation in exile) cannot be delivered to the masses.
Of course your lust for raw thought and experience can't scale... and probably should not. Few people can benefit from the experience of being punched. But, for me, 'the philosophers' and the described experiences of others is a rich menu...proof that life is an all you can eat buffet. The philosophers and academics are not a place for consecrated answers, but a great listing of places to check out... a tantalizing airport departures board.
well said
Amazingly written, and a great take. Glad to see some originality.
I’m currently studying literature and philosophy myself, and I do tend to notice that academics teach via regurgitation of scholars as opposed to enlightening us with their own wisdom - but I guess that’s academia for you - retrospective appreciation as opposed to forward thought.
Anyways, loved the essay, thank you very much 🙏
I really appreciate that. that was my observation too for school in general. regurgitation. bags of facts. 'retrospective appreciation' is well put.
and you're very welcome. thank you back for reading.
Roman MacClay resonance...
I have no idea who this is and google wasn't much help. so I put my essay into chatgpt and gave it your comment and asked it to explain the connection; I get what you're alluding to.
"As a human being, you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation—or let your subconscious accumulate a junk heap of unwarranted conclusions, false generalizations, undefined contradictions, undigested slogans, unidentified wishes, doubts and fears, thrown together by chance, but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single, solid weight: self-doubt, like a ball and chain in the place where your mind’s wings should have grown.” ~ if you don’t know but want to know who wrote this, let me know
Here's most of the answers: https://kaiserbasileus.substack.com/p/metaphysics-in-a-nutshell