Rather than doers, we're choosers. Or so they say.
Choice.
Every day, we do little else than spend our time choosing -- what to wear, what to drink, what to eat, where to go, what to study, what to do, where to take our lives... The list is endless. Sometimes we are satisfied with what we pick, other times, not so much. Or conversely, we are slapped in the face by the results of choices we thought were good, but didn't really turn out so well.
There are hard and easy choices, a whole sodding menu of them, and there we are, playing along, basing our decisions, in the best of cases, on what we expect as a result, on mere whims in the worst, always expecting a certain outcome. Because it's all about the outcome, isn't it? However bad or good our decision -- it's aimed at something specific.
Decisions, they say, give you power. Give you freedom. Give you independence in mind and soul. Because we have that little thing called free will, that little seed of judgment we apply on everything we see, we touch, smell or feel. Morals sometimes come into play, ethics. Education. We decide based on our life experience, sometimes know what to expect-- or think we know, only to be sorely disappointed-- or happily faced with something better than we'd hoped for.
Thought, knowledge, hope, wishes, intent and feelings -- all of these chisel our choices, turning them sometimes into complex little processes, of which we think we are the master. Choice is ours, exclusive to mankind, a privilege to whittle our lives in the same way our lives whittle us -- a path, as said before, to freedom and the realisation of our very own, private scheme of things.
When does it get bad?
When more than one of us is involved. With each head a world, reasons for this or that choice quickly become complex, convoluted labyrinths, oftentimes a cause for fights and battle of wills. Why?
Choice is power. Power over ourselves, which guides our every step. Choice with --or, as it often happens, over-- others, is power over the rest which is often wielded without thought or consideration. A manipulation, subtle at best, forcible at worst, to have our way without regard to anyone else.
We are self-centred, rotten little bastards at heart, thinking only of ourselves and what is best for us, not whoever happens to be caught in the crossfire of our choices. Too bad, we say. Hey, nobody asked you to take it personally. Or my favourite -- Oh, oops. Didn't mean for that to happen. Deal with it.
What about the consequences, then?
When someone chooses for you, when it is something you don't want or need, it instantly yanks at your chain. And yet, we let it happen. Goad ourselves into thinking we actually wanted things that way, that we are alright with things even if it can be downright painful. We lose, without reason or so much as a chance to protest-- or we let it happen. Feelings come into play here a whole lot. Love, caring, putting the other's wishes over ours, all that plays a big role sometimes, ties our hands, and hurts.
So choice is our blessing and curse both-- a humongous measure of power and responsibility, one that oftentimes is not taken as such. We don't think of anyone but ourselves most of the time, and our decisions reflect that. I guess that's why apologies were created right along with choice, and forgiveness and all that rot about good intentions came right after; for when we fail to take the others involved into account when choosing, and mess their plans or hopes up as a result.
Because we can't undo that sort of stuff, much as we would like to. We can only minimise the effects at best, are forced into living with the consequences of our choices, good or bad, or the choices that have been made for us, which are more than we like to think they are.
That's why time-turners would be a wicked cool thing to have. Loyalty and the such wouldn't go amiss either, really. Just a thought.
[/Philosophical Update of the Week]
In other news.
There's this thing going on -- no idea what it's called but it's probably called something different in every country anyhow.
Bottom line of the deal is, at 21:50 on Sept. 17, everyone is urged to switch their lights off for ten minutes. Worldwide.
Gasp.
Ten minutes, that's 600 full seconds without the lights on. Just to give the world a bit of a breather, see if we can have a display of solidarity on the whole planet, diminish fossil fuel consumption by a million barrels or two.
Would be wicked, but will it happen? Can we endure 10 minutes without the lights on?
I won't be anywhere indoors then, so I am safe, but -- it's supposed to happen at 21:50 in Mexico City. You could convert to your time zone, if you want to join in. Like Lennon said, imagine all the people and yadayada.
Personally, I'd like to see the stars again. If only for a little while.
Every day, we do little else than spend our time choosing -- what to wear, what to drink, what to eat, where to go, what to study, what to do, where to take our lives... The list is endless. Sometimes we are satisfied with what we pick, other times, not so much. Or conversely, we are slapped in the face by the results of choices we thought were good, but didn't really turn out so well.
There are hard and easy choices, a whole sodding menu of them, and there we are, playing along, basing our decisions, in the best of cases, on what we expect as a result, on mere whims in the worst, always expecting a certain outcome. Because it's all about the outcome, isn't it? However bad or good our decision -- it's aimed at something specific.
Decisions, they say, give you power. Give you freedom. Give you independence in mind and soul. Because we have that little thing called free will, that little seed of judgment we apply on everything we see, we touch, smell or feel. Morals sometimes come into play, ethics. Education. We decide based on our life experience, sometimes know what to expect-- or think we know, only to be sorely disappointed-- or happily faced with something better than we'd hoped for.
Thought, knowledge, hope, wishes, intent and feelings -- all of these chisel our choices, turning them sometimes into complex little processes, of which we think we are the master. Choice is ours, exclusive to mankind, a privilege to whittle our lives in the same way our lives whittle us -- a path, as said before, to freedom and the realisation of our very own, private scheme of things.
When does it get bad?
When more than one of us is involved. With each head a world, reasons for this or that choice quickly become complex, convoluted labyrinths, oftentimes a cause for fights and battle of wills. Why?
Choice is power. Power over ourselves, which guides our every step. Choice with --or, as it often happens, over-- others, is power over the rest which is often wielded without thought or consideration. A manipulation, subtle at best, forcible at worst, to have our way without regard to anyone else.
We are self-centred, rotten little bastards at heart, thinking only of ourselves and what is best for us, not whoever happens to be caught in the crossfire of our choices. Too bad, we say. Hey, nobody asked you to take it personally. Or my favourite -- Oh, oops. Didn't mean for that to happen. Deal with it.
What about the consequences, then?
When someone chooses for you, when it is something you don't want or need, it instantly yanks at your chain. And yet, we let it happen. Goad ourselves into thinking we actually wanted things that way, that we are alright with things even if it can be downright painful. We lose, without reason or so much as a chance to protest-- or we let it happen. Feelings come into play here a whole lot. Love, caring, putting the other's wishes over ours, all that plays a big role sometimes, ties our hands, and hurts.
So choice is our blessing and curse both-- a humongous measure of power and responsibility, one that oftentimes is not taken as such. We don't think of anyone but ourselves most of the time, and our decisions reflect that. I guess that's why apologies were created right along with choice, and forgiveness and all that rot about good intentions came right after; for when we fail to take the others involved into account when choosing, and mess their plans or hopes up as a result.
Because we can't undo that sort of stuff, much as we would like to. We can only minimise the effects at best, are forced into living with the consequences of our choices, good or bad, or the choices that have been made for us, which are more than we like to think they are.
That's why time-turners would be a wicked cool thing to have. Loyalty and the such wouldn't go amiss either, really. Just a thought.
[/Philosophical Update of the Week]
In other news.
There's this thing going on -- no idea what it's called but it's probably called something different in every country anyhow.
Bottom line of the deal is, at 21:50 on Sept. 17, everyone is urged to switch their lights off for ten minutes. Worldwide.
Gasp.
Ten minutes, that's 600 full seconds without the lights on. Just to give the world a bit of a breather, see if we can have a display of solidarity on the whole planet, diminish fossil fuel consumption by a million barrels or two.
Would be wicked, but will it happen? Can we endure 10 minutes without the lights on?
I won't be anywhere indoors then, so I am safe, but -- it's supposed to happen at 21:50 in Mexico City. You could convert to your time zone, if you want to join in. Like Lennon said, imagine all the people and yadayada.
Personally, I'd like to see the stars again. If only for a little while.