Philosophy
As I've been trying to make sense of certain aspect of my life recently, I've been surprised -and horrified- to notice my feelings swinging like a pendulum, going from one extreme to another, taking me along for a ride I could only experience as an unwilling spectator. While I normally don't actually attempt to be in control, I normally feel in control, so this sudden turn of events, needless to say, has been less than welcome. I'm used to feeling confident and independent, like an overflowing cup that's impervious to insult or injury because it just continues to overflow with abundance and awesomeness (yes, I'm used to loving myself).
Recent developments, however, have wounded that perception, and I've noticed revealing in me an instinct of self-preservation and self-defense that, while biologically understandable and possibly necessary, goes against my conception of the kind of person I'd like to be. I've been watching myself, against my own better judgment and against my own will, succumb to the weight of suffering and injustice and slowly become someone else...
I'm not sure how to escape this downward spiral, but I'm considering a few strategies: reflect on the ideals I'd like to embody, engage in physical activity, remind myself of that possibility in the writings of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, and -the most frightening- take that leap into the abyss in virtue of the absurd, against all rationality and probability and safety...
As the following TEDTalk presentation by Brené Brown shows in a moving and funny way, happiness stems not only from the recognition that life is messy, but from our ability to authentically embrace those social aspects we can't always understand.
Connection is achieved by those who have the courage to be compassionate and by those who have the courage to become vulnerable...
Check out some entries on Nietzsche, Kierkegaard or more TEDTalks.
.
- The Doctor Is Out: Peanuts, Intellectual Property, And Fair Use
I had a great idea. It was Hanukkah last year and the shorties had gotten gift cards from my grandparents for a national chain bookstore. Being the proto-nerds that they are, they had big plans for them. One advantage to being from a minority community...
- Spirituality For The Existentially Post-racial Black Atheist?
The existentially post-racial black atheist is an odd creature (statistically speaking that is). While 89 percent of African-Americans identify with some religion, she hasn?t been in anyone?s church in a while. She has no desire to live forever and finds...
- Sea Of Faith - Soren Kierkegaard
Among the many theologians and religious philosophers that have become famous throughout history, the most interesting, enjoyable, thought-provoking and challenging has got to be the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (whose 200th birthday is being...
- Fear And Trembling - The Story Of Abraham And Isaac
I'm currently re-reading Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, one of my favorite books of all time: a gripping philosophical and theological analysis of one of the most macabre stories in the Bible: Abraham's unquestioning willingness to sacrifice...
- When Aliens Read The Socratic Dialogues
Apparently they get a different satisfaction from reading Plato: Of course, that might either mean that they are intellectually superior to us, or that maybe they're semi-autistic engineers. Oh snap! :) To be fair, at least two humans, Kierkegaard...
Philosophy
Brené Brown - Wholeheartedness and Vulnerability
As I've been trying to make sense of certain aspect of my life recently, I've been surprised -and horrified- to notice my feelings swinging like a pendulum, going from one extreme to another, taking me along for a ride I could only experience as an unwilling spectator. While I normally don't actually attempt to be in control, I normally feel in control, so this sudden turn of events, needless to say, has been less than welcome. I'm used to feeling confident and independent, like an overflowing cup that's impervious to insult or injury because it just continues to overflow with abundance and awesomeness (yes, I'm used to loving myself).Recent developments, however, have wounded that perception, and I've noticed revealing in me an instinct of self-preservation and self-defense that, while biologically understandable and possibly necessary, goes against my conception of the kind of person I'd like to be. I've been watching myself, against my own better judgment and against my own will, succumb to the weight of suffering and injustice and slowly become someone else...
As the following TEDTalk presentation by Brené Brown shows in a moving and funny way, happiness stems not only from the recognition that life is messy, but from our ability to authentically embrace those social aspects we can't always understand.
Connection is achieved by those who have the courage to be compassionate and by those who have the courage to become vulnerable...
Check out some entries on Nietzsche, Kierkegaard or more TEDTalks.
.
- The Doctor Is Out: Peanuts, Intellectual Property, And Fair Use
I had a great idea. It was Hanukkah last year and the shorties had gotten gift cards from my grandparents for a national chain bookstore. Being the proto-nerds that they are, they had big plans for them. One advantage to being from a minority community...
- Spirituality For The Existentially Post-racial Black Atheist?
The existentially post-racial black atheist is an odd creature (statistically speaking that is). While 89 percent of African-Americans identify with some religion, she hasn?t been in anyone?s church in a while. She has no desire to live forever and finds...
- Sea Of Faith - Soren Kierkegaard
Among the many theologians and religious philosophers that have become famous throughout history, the most interesting, enjoyable, thought-provoking and challenging has got to be the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (whose 200th birthday is being...
- Fear And Trembling - The Story Of Abraham And Isaac
I'm currently re-reading Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, one of my favorite books of all time: a gripping philosophical and theological analysis of one of the most macabre stories in the Bible: Abraham's unquestioning willingness to sacrifice...
- When Aliens Read The Socratic Dialogues
Apparently they get a different satisfaction from reading Plato: Of course, that might either mean that they are intellectually superior to us, or that maybe they're semi-autistic engineers. Oh snap! :) To be fair, at least two humans, Kierkegaard...