The TL;DR ('too long, didn't read' for those of you not into the whole brevity thing) version is this: read philosophy, it's exercise for your brain. Also stuff about the cosmos, life, stardust and humanity.
I've picked up reading the works of a very unique individual lately by the name of Paolo Soleri. He was an architect, builder, philosopher, dreamer, prophet; a man of the Renaissance mind set living in modern times. I was introduced to his work through one of his one time protege, Doug Lee who became Chief Architect and worked Soleri's Arcosanti project. I was introduced to Doug because he is my beautiful and apprentice architect wife's boss. Anyway, after reading the entirety of the Wheel of Time Series it was time for me to put the fiction down. Soleri's words have dusted off a few other rooms in my brain containing similar works that I've read. All that lead to this idea for BD&LL. Enjoy.
Life Lesson #2: Life is an Experiment
Reading philosophy, studying it, is truly an exercise of the mind. As such it can be difficult, frustrating, and extremely rewarding. It can also lift you out of a bad mood, give you a new perspective: a filter in which to interpret the reality that surrounds us. I would like to share some if it but I'll do my best to do the majority of the heavy lifting and offer a more "10-minute abs version."
Perhaps you've noticed that I've assigned arbitrary #'s to my "life lessons." This is because the "lessons" thus far are extremely specific and removed from the more basic necessities of life. They have been lessons in navigating the tributaries of a much larger sphere of life. But much thought over what would be the most basic lessons lead me to these two. First lesson: survive. It is the self-containing truth of life to survive. Without life, there are no 'life' lessons. Maybe more on that in a later post. Here, I want to share life lesson #2: Life is an experiment.
My life, your life, all preceding life in entirety of history, the cosmos, etc. - i.e. human life and the entirety of all living things past and present, has been and will be an experiment of life. Billions of years of evolution can be looked at as an incredibly long experiment in survival. That's pretty epic. Have a drink. Stay seated and let your brain chew on that one - that human brain which is probably the most impressive result of those billions of years of cosmic transformation. Stardust assembling itself into a consciousness that can be aware of its own existence. Sorry. I did say I'd do the heavy lifting, on we go.
The basic philosophical questions are something like this: (1) What is nature of existence? - Or more simply "What exists?" (2) How do I know that? or How do I know what I think exists actually does exist the way I think? (3) What should I do?
The third one is important and the answers are many. But these are the types of things that guide the way in which we live. What is right and wrong? What is the ultimate purpose of life? What is the ultimate purpose of my life? etc. etc. ad absurdum.
In answering this question our species has created moral code, culture, religion, philosophy which then breeds more philosophy, law, social norms, common sense. The diversity of the human species means a diversity of answers and combinations of the answers. We all subscribe to some set of philosophical consequences: some established law, nation, culture, religion, morals, manners, and means of interacting with each other. We build our personal ethos and directions for living through our experiences with these "answers" through our life. Our families, friends, churches, nations, towns, cities, heroes and heroines, have all had a say in what we have established as way to live and also ways in which not to live.
I'm not here to argue for the rightness or wrongness of any of these ways to live. My point is simply this: with so many answers available to "what should I do?" and "how should I live?", we can view our own life, and that of others, as an experiment - one testing the validity of our life lessons. I think this is quite liberating. As a species we are still trying to figure out what the best answers are. As individuals we spend the entirety of our lives figuring out our answers. The point of life is not finding the best answer, it's to keep questioning, keep experimenting, keep testing. It's the journey, not the destination.
If I treat my life as an experiment in living it opens up the possibilities of true liberty, understanding, tolerance - of myself, of others. While I have a core set of beliefs that make up who I am, what I hold important, what I deem appropriate, etc, simply knowing that it's still imperfect allows me to be open to the viewpoint of those around me; to attempt understanding while reigning in judgement; to open the door to honestly and dialogue instead of fear, hate, and cruelty (all too real demons).
It can be uncomfortable to take on this perspective and use it to explore and experiment with what life has to offer. I also know that many of those reading will not and maybe cannot take it on because you subscribe to a set of answers that prevent you from doing so. And if that set of answers leaves you content, happy, and an active, functioning, contributor to the betterment of human society than who am I to tell you that you should do otherwise? I wouldn't and I won't. But this perspective is what's working for me. Here. Now.
Listening to: Rival Sons; Black Crowes; Rolling Stones
Reading: Paolo Soleri
Playing music, living, learning, stumbling, and coasting through life.
Take care,
Mikey
p.s.
Here's something I've been part of (taking and adding to the ether): Whiskey & the Wolves - an experiment all its own.
