Things I Learned In High School Entry Six

• Sooner or later, you'll see that you are interested in the things that you disliked before
• There are no real divides, only ignorance
• Art is a universal language
• There is always a different way at looking at something
• Popularity is a myth
• The moment is so much better when youre not worrying about the future

Things I Learned In High School Entry Five

• Girls LOVE facebook
• Your parents are human
• Your parents aren't human
• You remember the most simple nuances of life much more than the spectacle
• Everyone wants to be an artist
• Everyone is NOT like you, but they are exactly like you

Things I Learned In High School Entry Four

• When two people do the same thing, one will always be prized more... some people just belong in the background
• Friendship can't have a universal meaning
• When you dont have a car and you want to go to the Tim Horton's drive thru, use a home depot cart
• People say the most when they aren't saying anything
• You don't learn anything practical from a textbook
• Simplicity is just masked intricacy

Things I Learned In High School Entry Three

• Conversation is the greatest thing in the world
• Beautiful people plague our minds
• Realizing something you're not is much worse than realizing something that you are
• The people that show the most emotion publicly are those who are really bored with life
• People (for the most part) never prize what's in front of them
• We concentrate on the 2 things that go wrong in a day, rather than the thousands that go right

Nothing Matters

Albert Einstein was named the man of the century in the millennium edition of TIME magazine, 1999. Einstein re-defined the term gravity, proved one of the greatest scientists of all time to be dumbfounded, and still maintains a strong influence over the world of modern science to this day; though all these feats are present, it is also Einstein’s most famed formula from the theory of special relativity that says everything, including Einstein himself is nothing. E=mc² is the equation spoken of, and it is also the equation that changed the world, and marked the beginning of seemingly limitless progress of the 20^th century. To break down the formula itself, it is seen that E represents energy, m represents mass, and c represents the speed of light. Though pure mass to energy conversion is nearly impossible and has never happened, this theory has practically proven itself with the creation of the atomic bomb, by demonstrating that atomic release of mass is not in the realm of mythology.

To string together the thesis of this paper’s argument, it is appropriate to logically set it up. All matter in the universe down to the most insignificant specks of dust in space in one form or another have mass. Since human beings’ perceptions and ideas are based on the information given to them by the physical world, then they also see the worth in everything around them. Einstein proposed that everything could be converted, or for lack of a better word simplified down into raw energy. Everything down to the hormones which cause the emotions on one’s face, can be counted ass mass and in turn energy. Although people are constantly immersed in a world of energy, there is nothing associated with it. Energy has no definition, no value, no taste, or color; there is also no intrinsic or emotional value associated with it. This sparks the terrifying thought Therefore, the question must be asked whether there is any point to nothingness, and what kind of questions would one ask if the universe is something made of nothing.

What kind of value can be associated to nothingness, and does matter matter?

The philosophy of nothingness, nihilism, is often associated with suffering, pain, and chaotic action. If these principles were to be true, it would be found that nothing is likewise suffering. Since this suffering can not be attributed to the micro level of being attributed to all mass, as one cannot associate the nothingness of a rock to an emotion, it is necessary to look for a different approach. Existential nihilism is the study of the primary question of “why is there something rather than nothing?”, which is most appropriate to examine the question of value behind nothing, as perhaps the examination of both nothingness and being will diverge into a separation and thus revealing the truth through difference.

Freidrich Nietzsche once addressed the question of being in his passage named ‘Eternal Recurrence’. To summarize this text, Nietzsche proclaimed the following statement: “Everything becomes and recurs eternally—escape is impossible!” [Nietzsche, i]. Essentially, Nietzsche proclaimed that instead of the ever-evolving and progressive energy that one is accustomed to hearing in the modern way of thought, there is a cyclical nature of all things, events and occurrences. This particular view is one that explains nothingness is a very particular manner as it states that there is a nature to the nothingness around us, and it is a very predictable and overall eternal one. If one were to accept this claim, this would mean that nothingness is more than just a nothingness of time; it is evidence for the question of free will to be destroyed. Based on the interpretation of this claim, it is actually not as far-fetched as it seems at first glance as one could simply factor in technological progress that would alter the consequences of events, not the actions themselves. Nietzsche made a claim that ultimately lead back to Einstein in the same writing when he stated “I seek an eternity for everything: ought one to pour the most precious salves and wines into the sea?—My consolation is that everything that has been is eternal: the sea will cast it up again.” [Nietzsche, ii]. This quotation offers the same as the first, but brings up the point of eternity and perhaps what the philosopher means when everything will repeat itself; the conservation of physicality and (going back to Einstein) the energy behind it. The repetitive, and eternal nature of the universe has indeed been proven, from simple nuances such as spinning of the earth which results in a sunrise everyday. Perhaps what Nietzsche means by his definition of nihilism is not sorrow and grief, but rather the instance of the sorrow and grief that comes from not being able to escape from the repetitive nature of the universe and all that has essentially become innate in us. What is most striking about both these points, is that Nietzsche constantly speaks of the ubermensche, and the power to overcome that which the norm has become. Though this is contradictory, Nietzsche also believes that all progress comes from the superman of society, and that is the hope of man. By assuming that all these points are interconnected, it could be said that the only point of nothing is to lead all things in nature including humanity to its original place by progress and counter-progress in a cyclical nature, and that the sorrow comes from the knowledge that there is nothing that can escape nothingness. After all, origin and end place of all things is nothingness itself in death. “Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.” [Nietzsche, iii].

Jean Paul Sartre is another philosopher that is highly regarded as an explorer of the question behind existence, his notable work ‘Being and Nothingness’ addressed the question of what is nothingness and is there such a thing in the first place. Throughout the book, Sartre uses many terms and delves into what they mean to one another, and to their individual theories in themselves; but, one of these terms stands out as the part of the pack that defines the pack itself: Affirmation. "Affirmation is always affirmation of something" [Sartre, i], by this one quote Sartre believes that being is existent, but there is much more that the topic of nothing can move to from this. Growing from the point that Sartre set up, George Smoot once lectured the world about the design of the universe, and how technology has helped us find that when there is something there is nothing, and vice versa. Smoot theorized that matter is everywhere, even when its gravitational pull is much weaker in the reaches of the universe rather than what we ourselves know it to be. Since the matter extends, and comes in different forms, it is all part of the same essential fabric, and that the cumulative energy that it produces plays a bigger role in the shape of the universe than what any human can fathom. The integration of seemingly simple ideas in order to create a multi-layer and complex universe is something that the nothingness of energy can create. This then begs the question of how the universe expands with all of these layers and where does it extend to? If the universe does expand, it accordingly does so in a manner when all of the layers of the universe are being dispersed in a series of processes that carry on the complexity of the complete product, and keep the simple fabrics moving. These fabrics of course, are the energies that construct the universe in the first place. But where does the universe extend to? The initial thought is that which was not there before, and thus extending the energy and infinity, that would be logical, except if the place the universe extended to was not the definition of nothing: that which does not exist. If we use the concept of affirmation, we see that by acknowledging that this nothing is there, it is not nothing, it is at least energy, meaning that the universe could be an energy which has already been there, which boggles the mind as the idea of expansion is exactly that: expansion. If the universe expands to a place where it has already been, perhaps it is a place where it has already been, thus returning to an argument of repetition of nature, in literally a universal form [Smoot]. Sartre also stated that everything that exists, exists within itself, therefore this may provide an explanation as to the universe expanding everywhere it has already been by proposing that the universe is everything, but it does not address how there can be no nothing.

For the final dissection of theory, it is only appropriate to address the theory of how the universe came to be everything it is, and everything it isn’t. For the sake of argumentation, this dissection will not include the various religion-based creation stories as the question at hand is derived from scientific findings. The big bang theory, which suggests that the universe was created by a mass explode-and-expand effect of a colliding electron and its anti-matter is one which is accepted by most scientists as the most reasonable and backed theories to date. This theory is one which raises the most important question related to this topic: if the universe was produced by matter and its counterpart, and matter is nothing, what is its counterpart? This question is one that holds the capacity that could change the way humanity looks at everything. In a recent study, scientists have discovered that the universe is for the most part made of dark matter, meaning that in the infinity we know, there is also a separate infinity which swallows our reality, yet all of this is allowed under the principles of Einstein’s general theory of relativity [Brown]. One theory that surprisingly fits into this scheme is that of Plato’s cave theory. Much like Plato stated that humans are only shown what others decide to show, in this instance the universe has until now only presented what lead to the belief of a + universe and a – universe, but since the integration of both can be proven, the + and – essentially create a synthesis of 0, or nothing. Since this nothing is essentially everything, it is safe to assume that the universe is growing in, and was created in balance. Although the big bang could never be explained completely, or the limits of the universe be reached, the change and evolution of its state is what the core what it exists as today.

The universe is nothing through being everything, and therefore it is undefined, and will be indefinable forever. Though this is true, all points stated in the arguments lead to the belief that the universe is alive. It’s life comes from its constant evolution and progress, whether its cyclical like Nietzsche theorized, or ever expanding such as scientists believe. If the universe is comprised of energy, and the universe is alive, then the answer for the value behind nothingness is the most valuable thing of all in the egoistical mind of the human: life. From the arguments and points presented, there is a trend of agreement with the activity within the universe. Perhaps it is unfair to assume that energy is nothing, because even if the mass that could be converted from energy is utterly useless in the universe, that uselessness could have a name such as Plato, or any other philosopher mentioned for that matter. Energy in any definition of the term is a demonstration of activity, even the energy that created a rock did so because of activity, and if humanity recognizes this, perhaps they will also see that everything else in the universe is connected through the same mesh of nothingness, and interdependency is essential. Energy is both everything and nothing, which is a beautiful thing because it gives both humility and worth to everything that one sees. Energy does indeed have worth, and it is life. Life that is not limited to humans, but a literal demonstration of a universal life through activity. Though this everything is a somewhat depressing nothing, this worth will always stay here, because just as Einstein said: “energy can not be created of destroyed”.

Energy never dies.

Things I Learned In High School Entry Two

Sorry for the delay, i had a period of time without internet, followed by a weekend in montreal due to prom... so without any pause lets get into it.

• Your iTunes library can never be too big
• Montreal is a great city
• The real story is never as interesting as the one you're told
• The more you know someone, the more disappointing they are
• Disappointment can be the most reassuring thing
• Your leaders are just as afraid of you as you are them, theyve just had more people to fear which makes them experienced

Things I Learned In High School Entry One

okay, i dont know how many im gonna crank out of these... but since i have these thoughts in my head now... ill try to post a couple everyday until graduation.

• if you think you know everything, you dont know anything
• you create your own opportunities
• its necessary to take a step back and assess things
• spelling thingz with zedz iz really uncoolz
• people change
• people never change
• everything that seems to matter SO MUCH... really doesn't

The Line

The CPU

When I read this, i instantly thought this was brilliant. The following will be an excerpt, and highlight of a grade 12 metaphysics paper, and as silly and somewhat degrading as it may sound to the human race, please try to understand where the author is coming from, and surely it is worth at least a moment for your consideration. The excerpt reads:

"Consciousness is a thing. There is only one of it. We say “I want a book”, but we do not say “I want a consciousness”. The latter phrase seems wrong because we know that consciousness is one thing, there aren’t many of it. There is a possibility that our individual selves are only temporary subjective experiences. I believe that consciousness is one single thing that is naturally distributed into all matter. However, some compositions of matter, such as brains, possess more consciousness than others, due to phenomenon yet unknown to science. In other words, there is something about matter that attracts consciousness to it. Due to their complexity, some clusters of matter can do this better than others. To better understand my view, consider the following analogy. In some new videogames, the player is thrown into a fictional world that serves as a home for many video game characters that are controlled by the computer’s artificial intelligence. In these games, the player is free to do whatever he/she wants, and the world needs to react in a realistic fashion. Imagine a digital city containing hundreds of characters; these characters have needs, such as food and sleep, and are able to go about their own business, react to environmental changes (namely those caused by the player), and seem aware and separate form one another. Although the game characters seem separate from each other, each and every one of them is controlled by one thing- The computer itself (more specifically the CPU). The processing power of the whole computer is what gives game characters their own artificial intelligence- it is simply distributed as needed into the characters. So in that sense, though the characters are all separate and have their own AI, they are all a part of the same thing! The computer is just separating its computational power temporarily, until the game is closed. Theoretically, because the AI of the characters belongs to the computer, the computer should be able to access all the information gathered by the characters, thus making the computer all knowing (in terms of the game world). Now think of the characters as real people in the “real” world, and consider the computer’s processor to be consciousness. In this view, it is very possible that god, the creator, is just an accumulation of all the knowledge, and experiences gained by every conscious thing in the world. Perhaps the “holy spirit” is all the free floating consciousness, and souls are chunks of the Holy Spirit that animate those who possess them."

-Hayk Amirbekyan

The Answer

[super long post!]

My philosophy teacher told me to answer a metaphysics question for this assignment.
"There are no right or wrong answers"
How many times have you heard that? Time and time again this phrase has been beaten into our heads to preserve as sense of individuality and political correctness in society. This same phrase inspires statements that comically challenge whether there can be a wrong answer by taking the route of the inappropriate, it may also cloud over a belief that one may feel strongly about. To be brief, whenever one utters this phrase of having no right or wrong answers they can create any number of different circumstances and thoughts that cannot possibly be tabulated. In a sense, I completely agree with this phrase. I do not believe that there are right answers, and I also don't believe there are wrong answers; but i disagree with the phrase because my belief is that there are no answers, period. There is no meaning to life, there is no definition to reality, and there is no point trying to construct an answer so perfect that it cant be challenged.
The first argument against this remark will inevitably come, and will most likely ask that by saying there are no answers aren't you yourself answering something? My response is no. My "answer" is not a response to the question, it is a product of what knowledge has been given to me and is by no means to be considered the truthful response. In turn, the statement I gave is should only be interpreted as an opinion and nothing more. Our world is created by opinions and not by answers, but the trouble behind this is that people take one of two routes at interpreting this. The first of which being that people neither want, nor have the sufficient amount of knowledge to find the answers they so dearly desire. The second being that today's man wants the authority of being right, even if it is only to himself, which leads the mind to simplify an idea and generate answers which realistically hold no value. Sadly, this is the cause of so much conflict in the world today, because the combination of refusing to understand opinion as just that and having an undeveloped knowledge push people to find comfort in sharing the same belief as others. Having a large backing of support is a very primitive way of accepting "the truth", but simply put: it works. Completing the full circle this link, it is seen that those beliefs that are most backed are also of the more simple, giving way for the fundamentalist thinking to dramatically minimize or distort the individualist nature that everyone prizes beforehand. When people take on fundamental or strict beliefs, it is impossible for them to find a true answer unless it is one which can be found in the narrow corridor which they have bestowed upon themselves, and if your belief is based on anything other than your own genuine thought, how is it that your opinion is the truth? Even if the people who partake in this believe that their opinion is the righteous one, there is nothing wrong with that; but, it is impossible to avoid the fact that this is a problem because it has lead to so many conflicts throughout history. Religion, politics, sports, or you-name-it have all lead the individual opinion to mutate into the uncontested truth, and they all have lead to conflict because of the second point of desire for an answer: being right, and all of us know the terrible feeling of being told that we are wrong. By taking the mentality of the herd, the enforcing nature of "answers" have escalated to a point where it is seemingly impossible to stop because it is much easier to say "I am not wrong" than it is to say "We are not wrong." I do not intend to lecture you on how -ism's are bad and wrong, but surely if one were to realize that not only can there not be an answer, and even more-so that there doesn't have to be one, perhaps one could find more depth in that.
Depth. There is a problem with that word when it comes to finding an answer, and most believe that the truth should have some association with it. But, it is plain to see that this goes against everything that the truth should be. The truth should represent the truth 100%, but this in itself is impossible, which explains how there can not be such a thing as an answer. For example: if I were to say the sky is blue most would agree with me, but at the moment of writing this the sky is black, on a day with overcast the sky is grey, and even when the sky is mostly blue there are white clouds obstructing the blue so it is plain to see that this absolute statement is not absolute at all. Instead of working against the system, to deconstruct it we should work with it, and so lets suppose that the sky is blue. Even under this new thought to find the truth we must acknowledge the fact that the sky is not blue, but has a blue gradient showing an immense amount of colors. If then then the truth becomes a dismissal of differences, how is it that we can provide an answer with absolute truth if our definition of the truth in most cases is so 'loosely based'? An answer can not be found if you gauge it, because the truth can not be put on a gauge, much like it cant be put on a scale. Frequently people try to distinguish one event or object from another by judging it on a scale with 'a' at one end and 'b' on the other. Although we have already determined that 'a' and 'b' can not exist by showing that there is no absolute, a variable 'c' could not possibly be put on this scale seeing as there are too many external things that push and pull the variable in different directions, and to assume that all the possible push/pull factors present are known that would be nothing short of ignorance. An answer of 'c' in relation to 'a' and 'b' is impossible, and the only thing we can ever know is that 'c' is an independent thing no matter how great the influences are, even if it is dependent on a 'd'. The thing we must accept is that even if there it is a truth, we can not define it as the 'd' will always have a link, whether it be an 'e' or a 'j' and this will go on for infinity. The reason why we can never define these things as infinity is because infinity is constantly re-definining itself, and your 'answer' will never be the answer again.
When we think of 'a' or 'b', what do we really think of? Letters? Math? Elephants? No. No matter what we think of, we firstly think of the idea of 'a', the idea that fits in the context under which it is presented. Upon this realization, we stumble upon the last true frontier of having an answer, or the truth. The most reassuring thing that we can have is the constant answers that the laws of mathematics provide us with. Everyone knows that 2+2=4, as its what we've been taught to us for as long as we can remember. What we fail to grasp though, is that 2+2 does not equal 4, the idea of adding two 2s equals the idea of having a resulting 4. The initial example that we were given to understand these ideas was the thought of counting these ideas on our hands; two fingers and another two fingers equal four fingers. Since then, the foundations of math have been drilled in our heads by the educational system in an attempt to make us come up with the next example to provide the next generation with, but again it seems as though we have settled with the simpler of routes. We accepted that it is possible to add four fingers to each other without ever doing so, and yet when we grow up to be rational human beings and we realize that this is not actually possible we don't go back and reassess all the other ideas we have based on this foundation of a thought. Sadly, this is not only applicable to math; language, technology, and science all carry this very same trait of conducting through ideas. In fact, you are reading these words and having analytical thoughts when little do you realize that these words are not really here, their ideas are. What you are reading though, are simply collections of ink that resemble symbols to which you have attached specific ideas to. If we were ever to seemingly acquire all the infinite amount of knowledge to truly create an answer, who's to say that all of the idea-based facts you have acquired could even create a new, absolute idea in the first place?
We all look for answers in life. How will I get out of this? How do I get that? Why? I believe that even though there are no answers, these questions are necessary even if you never formulate your opinion on them. In fact, I believe that these questions are more important than the answers because these questions are a direct reflection of who we are in life and what we seek. These questions give purpose to oneself in one way or the other, and so instead of answering these questions and completing them, I believe it is better to question our questions and add depth to them. By doing so, we are finding the inspiration that was behind them and the ideas that have resulted as a consequence. The truth is relative, and even if reality is the same for all, the truth you know is your truth through your own eyes and perception. From this, you create the world around you simply by observing it and building on the ideas and opinions you have created for yourself. The only answer which can hold any weight is yourself, because you are the only one in your own world at any given point. To go back to the questions of "How will I get out of this?"," How do I get that?" and "why?"; the only answer for these questions is your existence, and how your world will unfold to get you through the question, possibly without ever providing an answer for it.

“Any man who knows all the answers most likely misunderstood the questions”

The Photo

This will be another quick one.

I've started a photo log on my new favorite site tumblr.com
Basically what that means is that i carry a camera around everywhere and take a photo or two everyday and try to show you life through my eyes

You can find it at sereda.tumblr.com

Oh, and I have a good, long post coming up today or tomorrow (most likely tomorrow) which i think most will enjoy.

Til then, have a good one.

The Kruger.

I haven't exactly posted art on this blog, but for this artist i absolutely must. Barbara Kruger is a photographer that gives her art meaning without leaving the subject matter f

or interpretation like countless amounts of artists. By showing what the photograph means to the artist, it opens so much depth to investigate, rather than guessing what it means. So without further adieu, i present some of Barbara Kruger's work, I highly suggest looking for more.

The Seed

So scientists have proved that a seed is pretty much pre-programmed and has every detail of a trees life in it.
But what if its never planted?
Do the seeds ever know if they will be planted?
Just a thought.

Krishnamurti

The Clouds

The Data

"The idea controls, but one cannot control their ideas other than choosing how much they explore them."

"Life is not linear, it is everywhere at once. We are both alive and dying at the same time, so our line can not end if it does not independently exist in the first place."

"I am a manifest of not only the decisions I do make, but also those I didn't. Though I understand that I could never be that person, its important for me to understand that i could just as easily have been."

The Note

[Disclaimer: no matter what message you get from the following post, i am NOT suicidal or depressed, it is all simply a train of thought.]

Everyone has the thoughts such as "what if i died today?", but today i ask of what people think when it comes to the point of asking yourself "what if i killed myself today?"

Clearly this is a question that no one wants to seriously consider, but the act of suicide is so intriguing because in the most extreme form it demonstrates that we really do have control over our own lives. The question i seem to think about is not why one would end themselves because clearly one who is alive could not have a clear idea of one who has committed an act which would make them dead.

Perhaps to explore all of our potential questions, we can turn to the suicide note. When one is writing their suicide note, its an explanation of why they are in this state of mind, or possibly a goodbye; though maybe, it could just be a commitment to death. I believe that the words that are written can reveal such great things: the innermost emotions, or the truth. But it is in this note that one shows the greatest strength in the weakest moment. In this note, every word has so much reserved weight behind it, as they know it will be their last. The emotion that is channeled through the pen gives such and exposure of character, and I begin to wonder if it is because we can truly see who we really are at a time when we decide that our character arch is over? There are just so many burning questions that can simply not be answered, but of course it is never wrong to wonder.

When I think of this topic, i seem to wonder yet again how i would act if i thought that every set of words would be my last, all leading back to the post where i examined expectation. The power of language is unlimited, and maybe when we relinquish our final emotions we can leave the stamp on the world that we always wanted to, even if we aren't killing ourselves. I know this post is really scattered, and I'm sorry, I just had this train of thoughts/questions and i really didnt want to let it go to waste.

“The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.”

-Ben Okri

Bueller?

When i read this, i knew i had to re-post this. Even though it definitely wasn't intended in the original film, you can't help but wonder; especially if its about one of your favorite movies.

"My favorite thought-piece about Ferris Bueller is the “Fight Club” theory, in which Ferris Bueller, the person, is just a figment of Cameron’s imagination, like Tyler Durden, and Sloane is the girl Cameron secretly loves.

One day while he’s lying sick in bed, Cameron lets “Ferris” steal his father’s car and take the day off, and as Cameron wanders around the city, all of his interactions with Ferris and Sloane, and all the impossible hijinks, are all just played out in his head. This is part of the reason why the “three” characters can see so much of Chicago in less than one day — Cameron is alone, just imagining it all.

It isn’t until he destroys the front of the car in a fugue state does he finally get a grip and decide to confront his father, after which he imagines a final, impossible escape for Ferris and a storybook happy ending for Sloane (”He’s gonna marry me!”), the girl that Cameron knows he can never have.

What do you think?"

originally posted by 'Cool Papa Bell' on Metatalk.

The Prediction

So I see a headline: "NASA Scientist Predicts We'll Meet E.T. By 2019"

And I think to myself: at what point does stupidity become credibility?

... just saying

Songs About Nothing.

Songs About Nothing Beat Tape... Download>HERE.

The Expectation

There are several things that seem to be universal phenomenons: love, death, wealth, and quite simply life itself. Yet with all of these things, there seems to be a common trend among all of them; our expectations of them. The euphoria, mediocrity, or petrifying feelings that we expect also seem to be a phenomenon within themselves.
When we delve a little bit deeper, we must ask ourselves two questions:
i) "Why do I expect these things?"
ii) "Do my expectations depend on me, or vice versa?"
The second question may seem very obscure, as the natural thought we have is to ponder how we could possibly depend on expectation. This question has a rather simple answer, it could be theorized that an expectation is nothing more of an anticipatory thought, and since a rational being is a manifest of thought, we could possibly depend on expectation until we reach the climax of anticipating our last act on earth.

To return to the first question of why we expect, we must first realize that each psyche reacts and perceives differently, so we cannot definitively conclude on anything. But by looking at several cliche or extreme instances we can find a certain trend that we can pertain to people. And yet, we have already stumbled on our first expectation of this question, and even furthermore: a piece of theory that could prove to be useful. It is evident that we go through life trying to observe and instinctively try to find answers, or the truth. Sadly though, many answers don't, or can't come to us as easily as we would hope, and since the mind is temporarily left unsatisfied by not knowing, we must look for at least an idea of what possibly the subject could be. Call it a hypothesis, or a simple stab at a question, but really its just an attempt to simplify or satisfy the mind. This is the true nature of an expectation. What separates the idea from an expectation though, is the level of persistence. Ideas change and evolve, but the change in expectation demonstrates the re-structuring of one's mindstate. So perhaps we not only create expectation to put our minds at ease, but also evolve and plot our path out, and in turn our future selves.
A probable second answer to why we expect, is because we have experienced. The experience of seeing, hearing, calculating or committing any action with a subject gives us a sensation or impression that satisfies our unease of the mind, as it replaces or affirms the expectation which we have had. Although we must consider that this is done simply to satisfy the mind, and not really understand the truth that every time we see, hear, etc. is different, and just as Nietzche said: "the truth is an arbitrary distraction from differences." We accept different things as the truth because we are bred to notice trends, and if we associate every individual event as unique, our mind will never be satisfied as it will always trying to be comprehending the significance and details of the moment. If that is our mentality, we would be in a state of euphoric boredom, as we would not be able to appreciate when something truly unique occurs.

Do we depend on our expectations, or do they on us? Even still, it is almost impossible to fathom this concept that we can depend on something that we believe that we ourselves have created. Seemingly, there is no validity to the question, but there is much more depth, if we were to take a second glance we would find that there is much more depth to it than first thought, just like the classic expression of "expect the unexpected." If there was one thing that we expect most it would be life. Our existence is practically guaranteed, as there is no reason to expect it to end at any moment, when in fact there is no reason to expect the opposite. What's funny is that we think so highly and naively about something that is so fragile, that we want to take command of moments and 'live life to the fullest'. Why is it then, that we never ask the question of why we choose to do so? Is it because we expect the best result from that mentality? I believe a more appropriate question to ask would be one that questions what would happen if we chose to expect ourselves not to live at all. Could it be that this state of mind would end us? Scientifically of course not, but theoretically: of course. What I mean by this, is not that we would die, but we would re-define ourselves to look at the accident we call life completely differently. By rejecting the seemingly everlasting certainty we've carried with ourselves all of our lives, the creation of genuine care, as well as true character would be imminent. The genuine care would not come from a sense of paranoia, no. Paranoia arises from the thought of consequence, but what kind of paranoia could you possibly have if you have already removed the ultimate consequence from your expectations, from your existence. Character would develop as the concept of life would exist as a privilege, bringing out the qualities that one would want them to be remembered them by. If the person believes that they are doing everything rightfully, goodness would not only be inspired; goodness would become a self evident reality. This could be the case, just as long as human nature does not reveal itself and make people forget that this expectation even exists.

We can pick apart every single aspect of life (or period before death under the newfound acceptance) and find that there are so many variables that could change. Though the changes may not be revolutionary, they are changes nonetheless, and if they change us in the slightest that means that there exists a load of dependency, therefore that means that we do indeed depend on our expectations.

Expect nothing but the best from yourself.

The Headlights

When we are too foolish to see what we have let go of in life, the headlights hit our back. But when we realize just what it is thats behind us, we see that its too late to do anything about it.

When we see that the light is on the ground, all we can do is look back to the last time we looked at a clear sky.

The Dark

The Tolerant

“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”

Theory/Long Post Soon, I Promise...

The Obnoxious

20% of people make 80% of the noise, while the other 80% make 20%.

Too bad the same goes for money, idiocy, wisdom, luck, and pretty much everything else...

The Puppeteer

All fears can be rooted back to the fear that many identify as the fear of the unknown.
But since we cannot know that the unknown is to be feared, we truly only fear those unknowns which several known outcomes.
This also makes our fear one of vulnerability, as fears come from moments that we cannot control, which in turn makes them control us.
It is because the puppeteer knows how powerful control can be that makes him fear the string which is attached to him.

The Life Of The Mind

If you haven't seen Synecdoche, New York. Go do it. Now.

On the flip side, if you have i highly suggest you read this essay, and how this writer responded to this movie.

Read The Life of the Mind: On Synecdoche, New York HERE

The Tweet of Life

Last week, The Toronto Star hosted a contest open to everyone in an attempt to find the meaning of life. And of course, there is a catch: finish the following sentence: "the meaning of life is..." oh, and do it in less than 140 characters. The winners were published over the course of this week, and here are my favorites:

The meaning of life is to understand that we are living, and that is possibly the only thing we could ever do.
mattsereda

1. Birth, 2. Survival, 3. Reproduction, 4. Repeat 2 and 3 if necessary, 5. Death ... and nothing more, as more is less.
greg_a_elliott

To live that's why it's called life yo.
TaylorBLANK

Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.
Egypt

In 1,000 years will anyone care? Actions matter, but remember this question as you swell with pride or die of embarrassment.
mpaulschmidt

The meaning of life is not to live it in a way that can be compressed into 140 characters or less
noahmintz

The meaning of life is to achieve a state of mind in which you no longer wonder about the meaning of life.
nancycanuck

The meaning of life is to pursue the meaning of life through learning, teaching, searching, losing, success and failure.
AlanWharris

The Simple Mind

The Simple Mind Gone Wrong.

Throughout time the human being has consistently changed it's physical form, spiritual followings, and a countless amount of paradigms. Yet throughout all of these progressions, it seems as though the foundation of our intellectual makeup has remained the same. Of course, what I am referring to is the process of simplification when acquiring new knowledge. Generally, people are bred by either nature, or the educational system to interpret facts from a standpoint that allows them to relate to a set of rudimentary principles. By taking on this mental process, we decline to learn the new knowledge as truly new knowledge, and are there in turn limiting our capacity and understanding before we choose to further delve into the topic at hand. With this, the human mind is unethical. To examine why this is so, it is essential for one to examine the cause, effect, and alternative outcomes of this seemingly self-perpetuating phenomenon. “A good teacher is a master of simplification and an enemy of simplism.” [Berman] and yet, perhaps this is the problem itself.
What would be the cause of mental simplification? Of course, modern day man could not even fathom the root of that, but perhaps it arose from quite literally his first steps. When in infancy, the world is full of complexities and every object seems to have a profound aspect to it. This is the only time one truly tries to understand everything in its raw form, as one has not formed a "database" for simplification. As time progresses, and the brain does not interpret everything as complete insanity anymore, the mind start laying down a basic foundation as to what is beneficial or detrimental to our state, and with this the life-long process of simplification begins. Blanket: soft, good; Dirt: dark, yucky. Of course, we do not have words to do this for us, but we do it anyways through sensations and symbols. This shows that people almost naturally become followers of Ayn Rand, in the way one instinctively create a guideline of which way to act in pursuit of personal benefit and pleasure. Of course, the mind does not stop collecting pieces of data there, or else forty-year-old males would still ponder why Barney's torso is green.
What happens when this cause is struck, is that down the line the mind gets quite literally limited by our imaginations. When one chooses to simplify, they essentially make a connection in their mind with something that it shares similar traits with, first starting with what grasps the general concept. This in turn strengthens the new link; but, when one realize that they are creating a link, there are only so many paths that one can choose to link the information to. With this limitation in place the mind slowly builds a house of understanding, placing a brick of experience on top of another. This then creates one's own standards, and one's senses of egoism and intuition, which are ethical standpoints in themselves. Returning to the house metaphor, we choose to create separate rooms or extensions to the foundation of our knowledge, but by doing so the mind can experience distortion of perception, which gives way for the deconstruction of a mind. When one creates a house as large as all of their life's experiences, the link between one end and the other can definitely exist, but one usually tend to go to the garage for our car, and not the attic; as such should be the case for knowledge. If people were to create a community rather than a household, one could not only create a harmonious space for interdependency of knowledge, but also an adaptive way of thinking.
When one chooses to think or interpret a certain way, it usually fits into the jigsaw that they have been laying down their entire life. If people were to practice the act of creating new puzzle sets for every section of life it would perhaps not be as simple, but rather irrefutably more organized. By rejecting relativism, one can define their own true ethical code and intellectual structure through the process of creating not only one, but many points of view. This will inspire the creation of the truly adaptive human, and potentially destroy the single-minded, radicalist nature of man, which has held down progress throughout history. A perfect example of how this could benefit society is to look at the technological and innovative progress that took place when the societal status quo had fallen from being a mono-cultured religious collection, and evolved into a multi-opinionated and multi-purposeful one. If one would apply this macro-scale example to their micro-scale self, personal evolution will inevitably begin. Einstein theorized about how relativity is the foundation of everything, and this take does not minimize his statements, but rather maximize it, as the relation of raw knowledge could in turn spontaneously create a synergy of ideas, rather than a homogeneous mesh.
The truth is, the mind simplifies because it is not only what others have taught it to do, but also what it has taught itself. It is one's own selfishness which has lead to the creation of the minds fleshed out paradigm, yet it is the same selfishness which has kept both themselves and others from producing and understanding the ideas that could have lead to great progress. In fact, when one simplifies the act of simplification itself by looking at its root, effect, and the alternative path it is evident that this phenomenon is not ethical. Of course it is not to say that simplification is wrong, because it has been somewhat effective for as long as anyone can remember, but rather that the alternative route is right; and by taking the lesser path of the mind, we are unethically compromising what is, and what could have been. To return to the toddler metaphor; if one were to attempt understanding the truth in a raw state, it would be the same as the first release of understanding language when that first word is spoken. If that same euphoric feeling could be expressed in everyday knowledge, the human mind would live in a rightful, and ever-evolving state.

The Lonely People

Artist: The Beatles

Song: Eleanor Rigby

Album: Revolver

Producer: George Martin

This song needs no introduction, as it is one of the greatest songs ever recorded [in my opinion, anyways]. John Lennon once said that music is just like a flower; if you pay attention long enough, you'll find whatever answer you're looking for. This song is no exception to that quote, as every time one listens to it there arise thoughts of the past, future, and of course the present. One of the timeless treasures delivered from The Beatles.

Download HERE.

The Silence

Silence is simple.

Silence is perfect, it is the closest thing we have to nothing. And with nothing, comes no flaw, and no margin for error, as it is after all: nothing.

When silence strikes, it is powerful, as it commands whichever setting it is in; yet, at the same time it is vulnerable in the fact that it can be broken by the slightest "something" like a pin dropping.

And nowadays, silence is a practical impossibility to find.

Yet, it seems like the only time we truly find it is when we lay to rest. And in that still moment, and only in that moment you realize: silence is everything. Silence gives weight to every sound, movement, paranoiac sensation, all while remaining the same, still silence.

Lying in that bed, the brain is not satisfied with simply doing nothing, and seeing as there are no distractions coming from the sounds that simply aren't there. So in turn your thought process begins, and even though there is nothing, there is also everything, seeing as your mind will take you to a digression of your life, and all the experiences that took up your life. And you try to escape it, but you really can't escape the silence, because there is simply too much noise in your mind.

Perhaps it is because of this, that we choose to immerse ourselves with gadgets and iPods to block out the silence, and isolate ourselves in noise. Because of all the noise, we cannot concentrate or think of much, and we are afraid to have unsettling thoughts, and we choose to retreat to simplicity. We are a species that essentially lives alone, and we are afraid of the silence, because the desolation we feel is imminently going to remind us of the very sad truth over and over again.

Of course, silence is not only audio, it is applicable for every other sense. Why is it that when paint first hits a canvas, there is instant beauty in it? Because it is that same stroke, that shows us that from nothing can come something, and all the "somethings" in this world are distractions. We must not fear, nor embrace the silence, but simply recognize that it is there, and its power.

There are two ways silence can truly be silence:

When you are genuinely lost with no sense of direction, and the experience you are going through completely swallows any possible thought

And, when there is no silence at all.

"Silence is the most powerful scream"

The Bear

Isn't it funny how as much as we do change we never really do?

The Understanding

What is it that we understand?

That is, if we can understand anything.

Not to be confused by the existentialist question of whether we can accumulate knowledge, the question of understanding, though similar is really quite different. When we acquire information, which is essentially the knowledge of a fact, or more precisely a fact that we accept in our current paradigm of acceptance, we are adding to the ever-growing sand pile of certainty in our mind. Of course there are processes such as our individual perception, censorship, among others, but when it comes down to it: you typically accept information as fact if you had no prior knowledge of it.

It is true, that the flow of information is ever-expanding, but still it is indeed limited to a certain extent. But that being said, the possible interpretations of the knowledge acquired is unlimited. Yet, given all of these possibilities, the human mind seems to want to turn the information at hand into a simplified version of it to comprehend it. My question is: why?

When we try to understand a topic or fact, do we not want to understand it in its own entirety? By associating the information coming at you with generalizations as an attempt at relativity, we are bound to lose a great deal of that information as a compromise or discrepancy to understand it. In this process, since we lose information is it fair to say that we do not understand the topic, seeing as we do not understand it in its entirety?

Since our interpretation, and understanding comes from generalizations, i believe that the only things we can truly understand are some fundamental principles that have a vague, and broad scope of interpretation. These are things such as laws, theories, and emotions. But since laws and theories can be changed or debunked, that only leaves our emotions.

Emotion can be the one thing that we can truly understand, because only we ourselves can know why we are having that emotion, and how exactly it is making us feel. Yet still, there is not one person that can truly describe their emotions, or figure out precisely what mix of thoughts and experiences have inspired them.

This leads me to my conclusion, and hypothesis... The only way we can understand, is throughout observing ourselves, and trying to channel our feelings into a self-generated interpretation. To do this, we must strive to find the correct symbols through the art of language to express our own emotions. If we can come to this, even if our interpretation is not right, at least we can understand what it means to us. From language, we can take our experiences and through logic make them concrete understandings, and later allow our understanding to progress and evolve with the expanding stream of information in the world.

The information in this world may be limited, but the wisdom it can produce is not.

The Rocker

Guitar Hero Culture:

A society where everyone wants to be a rock-star,

but is too lazy to learn the chords.

Watching Cars

All of our lives, all we do is watch cars.

Every car that goes by, we notice something. A loose hub-cap, a recent car wash, or maybe you just re-familiarize yourself with what you once knew the car to be.

Usually its the same flock of cars that comes at you constantly: the Hondas, the Fords, etc... But every so often you get the chance to see an exotic car. The Ferraris, the Lamborghinis, etc...

From this sight you notice so much: the elegant curves, the beautiful sound from the engine, the rumble underneath your sole. All of this is new, rare and consequently exhilarating; in turn you find yourself doing almost anything to catch even the smallest last glimpse of the auto.

As you return your vision to the area you were observing before, you find yourself thinking, reminiscing of the car. Every photo you'd seen in a magazine, every wallpaper you've downloaded of it, all lead up to that brief period of time before the car had left you in the dust.

Eventually your memory becomes distorted, and you're no longer sure whether your memory serves you correctly or whether it has transcended into more of your imagination.

After this realization you actually start concentrating on every passing car yet again. Then comes the sudden rush of realization that every car that went by became unnoticed while you reminisced over the rarity. Every Ford, every Honda; you realize that they were there, but to you its as none of them existed. Over time, you seem to gain confidence and start observing and noticing things in the ordinary again; yet you subconsciously know that another exotic car is bound to pass eventually, and the anticipation, the fantasy, and the excitement begins yet again, all too soon.

Now... The cars are not really cars, they are experiences.

We seem to neglect the fact that every car has some worth to it, and every car has a story, so as that Ford passes, for you its nothing but a Ford, but to the driver its their Ford. And as such to every other car you see on the freeway. Every car has some value to it, but its not until we start discussing the ordinary cars that we see that from every time we noticed something we have learned so much about them, and formulated full opinions of them; as to us, they are reality, and we do not need to resort to memory and imagination to comprehend them, as the accumulated amount of times that we noticed that one detail does it for us.

Cars can be powerful things, they can serve as symbols for goals and ambitions, they can be the necessity of your everyday life, or they can be just another speck in the flow of traffic.

But the next time you catch yourself looking at a rare car, don't forget to get your scope back in place before you miss out on something that could already be past you.

Whether your exotic car is love, success, family, or maybe a car itself, know when to let go of the experience of seeing it, because just as big of a motivator as it can be, it can also be an even greater obstruction.

"Fill your life with as many moments and experiences of joy and passion as you humanly can. Start with one experience and build on it"

-Marcia Wieder

The Pain

Artist: Murs

Song: The Pain

Album: 3:16- The 9th Edition

Producer: 9th Wonder

This is one of those songs which i wouldn't change a single note or word of. truly indescribable. if you are a guy, you need this song to live. if you are a girl, you need this song to Learn.

Download HERE.

The Transformation

"He closed his eyes as walter kovacs and said "mother". he opened them as Rorschach"

Never Compromise.

Sometimes we have to redefine ourselves. Time changes, Reality changes, and likewise people should as well. We always put limits on ourselves, and always think through a specific paradigm; as a result we stall behind while it seems everyone keeps progressing. Dont be afraid to evolve, and dont be afraid to let go of your fear. Evolution is a step forward in the search for truth, and the truth of oneself. The only person that can tell you what is right is you. Never Compromise.

The Education

"people need to stop planning for life and realize that they're living it. take yourself out of the system and find an interest. you never learn from what you're taught"

The Watchmaker

"the release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking... the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. if only i had known, i should have become a watchmaker."
-Albert Einstein

The Sermon

"No one knows I've done something wrong. Imagine the isolation. Now you see the world as through a window. On one side of the glass: happy, untroubled people, and on the other side: You.
... There are those of you in this church today who know exactly the crisis of faith I describe. And I want to say to you: DOUBT can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone."
John Patrick Shanley

The Symbol

The Observer

Why is it that those who observe, those who try to learn, to understand are often those who can't? We go through life as evolutionary creatures, those who try to understand the world around them, yet when we really think about it, there is only so much we could know until a single truth can reverse all of the previous knowledge.
Artists, scientists, mothers, children, us; everyone tries to find answers. Not necessarily an answer which is universally true, but at least is true to themselves. When we search, we are searching for a simplification, the human mind is not satisfied with a loose end. My question is: why should this simplification exist in the first place? Why do we choose the easy route? The answer really is that there is no easy route. On our path to enlightenment, we are faced with the difficulty of making a connection, a relevancy. The problem is, that our brain is essentially a room full of an infinite amount of wires, and even though it is not the case that only one could fit, we essentially bestow ourselves not only with a new task, but another piece that we will place into the inter-connected circuit board that never ends. We do this so often that we forget to understand the beauty of the action, for example, can you imagine the first time you learned to ride a bike? When we made all of the connections in our mind, we could experience a feeling we had never before, and it was certainly not a question of achieving a physical goal now was it? Every time we have a conclusive train of thought, you experience a similar sensation to that of riding your first bike, but since you have so many of these experiences, your enlightenment seems no brighter than a single lighter flame.
The problem is that much more often than not, we choose to find answers in a subject matter which there is no simple task of finding a center of balance such as that of your bike. Scientists spend their entire lives peeking through a telescope to determine or predict the behavior of a particle which they themselves have a countless amount of. Artists try to create amplified situations which we experience in life so that we can relate an amplified emotion to a lesser one in our own life.
Perhaps the most observed instance in life is none other than the phenomenon of love. A feeling which most experience, but none in the same way. This is exactly why it is so interesting for us to take a look at it, we place our attention in the heart of another for the attempt of trying to understand all of the emotions and feelings that they themselves experience. Since we will never get the same answer from any two instances, the attempt of trying to understand will never seem dull. Even then we try to typecast scenarios, when really there are too many variables existent, and we make it seem as though it is possible. Doing such a thing is like pointing in the sky in trying to single out a single star and holding the position, because you may be right for a second, but because the earth rotates we must change our fingers position frequently. Since it takes us such a long time for us to formulate an answer, the task of understanding such a monumental phenomenon is impossible. One father will never understand another father's love, as he will only relate and compare it to his own, and a woman will never be able to grasp a single point in any father's love. We assign the word 'love' as a symbol for the stir of emotions one could endure from relationship with anything; anything meaning books, bugs, women, men, even air ducts.
The reason why an observer can not understand anything, is because the observer cannot experience what they are observing, therefor the only thing they can comprehend is the idea of observing the specific thing that they themselves are.
Instead of understanding, perhaps we should re-consider and think of the beauty of the moment, otherwise one could never be satisfied with what they find, since there is no such thing as universality.

The Ice

Sometimes we have to fall to remind ourselves that such a thing can still happen to us.

The Ten

Watch "The Ten", a film highly acclaimed, and just as ignored which was released in 2007, featuring the likes of paul rudd (that apatow guy), jon hamm (that mad men guy), adam brody (that OC guy), and jessica alba (... you better know), among many many others. Watch it HERE.

Earlier today i had a brief discussion with regard to religion, and what it means to everyone, so what better what to carry on the mood with a comedy? There really is no other way to describe this film other than telling you the premise... Ten short films, each dedicated to one of the ten commandments and the potential consequences. My personal favourites are murder, and cheating, and an honorable mention goes to jealousy. I must warn you though, the tenth and last commandment requires some serious discretion, and is not recommended to homophobes. This is a great example of how sometimes art provides an extreme case can tie in with an example from most lives, and I really cant complain about the humor... Or Jessica Alba.

Bonus: George Carlin on the ten commandments (genius)... Click HERE.

"The two commandments: i) thou shalt always me honest and faithful to the provider of thy nookie. ii) thou shalt try real hard not to kill anyone...
... as long as they included another one: thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself."

E=Mc²