My will
Happy birthday to my dear sister today =D (she's... 28 o_O oh my) Contacted her to wish her a happy birthday. ^^ Thinking of buying a gift for her and a gift for the baby when I go visit her. The gender is still unknown, cuz the pictures don't show it clearly XD I'll have to find something unisex. Still deciding on what to buy. Hmm. Well, I'll be going camera shopping soon so I can take plenty of pics there, including the baby ^^ Actually, I need to go shopping for many things @@
Happy birthday to Matthew in advance too!! ^__^ I'll get you the gift you want, don't worry, it's slowly arriving :P (I've gotten almost everyone gifts this year, even though they were late lol) As for the future, it'll be fine. =)
Mm, even for myself, I'm sorta mentally prepared that perhaps teaching might not be the perfect thing for me, once I experience it. Who knows? I'll do my best, but I'm still flexible to changing. I don't want to suffocate under the pressure or stress. A job environment that can truly let us be happy and grow is the most important. ^^
I bit my tongue while eating ._. *ouch* It hurts, even while playing flute ><
I have this really big thing coming this October. My first. o.o
My parents really are getting old. They're getting plenty of body problems in addition to insomnia =/
Hum. The limits of my patience are being tested. > > Anyways.
Going outside to feel the sunshine on my skin today really put me in a good mood =3 I discovered some pretty "weeds" that were of a lilac colour :O
For university, I discovered that there was this Intro to Digital Art class I could take as elective that I didn't see before. o_o But it's full T T... I'm constantly checking to see if there's anyone who'll change and drop that class since we can play with our schedule until September *crosses fingers*
School's almost done! Toughing it out during my last big week. Celebration!! ^_^
Lots of things to do this summer!! I'm going to get productively busy~ I won't just busy myself in a no sense busyness. I'll get a busyness that actually contributes to my personal growth. >=)
In my final days of life, when I look back, I don’t want regrets. I don’t want to think that I may have messed it all up. I want to know that I added something of significance. I want to know that I paid attention to its beauty, acknowledged and respected others, evolved and improved as I progressed towards my full potential. Most importantly, I don’t want to think that I ever took life for granted.
I will paint this world with my favourite colours. ^^
Yes, we can fly.
Illusions
Plato’s Cave allegory was explained to me in a casual conversation with a dear friend many years ago. It was one of the most thought provoking discussions I can remember.
There are a group of men dwelling in a cave who have been chained together by their legs and necks since childhood. They have been in the same spot the entire time and cannot turn their heads: they can only look forward at the cave wall. They do not seem to have seen anything of themselves or of the others.
Behind the men is the cave entrance, which lets in light. Between the cave entrance and the men there is a fire burning, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a low wall. From behind the wall, there is another group of men who are free and can move and speak. Their movement, shapes and images cast shadows on the wall in front of the prisoners - like puppet show.
The prisoners appear to accept this situation and seem content to accept the shadows on the wall as the totality of their reality.
When one man breaks free and manages to stand up and turn around, we are asked to imagine what must have gone through his mind as he was confronted with what he saw.
We might first wonder at the pain his body would experience in standing for the first time, and the blinding light’s effect on his vision. Would he then run towards the men in great excitement, wanting to see and know more, or would he first turn back and set the other prisoners free.
What would be the response and the reaction of the other prisoners? It is easy to assume they would be excited and grateful at being liberated but, would they? We find ourselves asking how we might feel about someone telling us our entire existence and belief system was nothing more than an illusion.
The most interesting part of this story, for me, is in considering that not only does the freed man have to comprehend that his perception of reality was nothing more than shadows, but he also has to try and comprehend and accept that the fire, the shapes and the men were the real reality. Even if he managed to get his head around all of this, we are then left to imagine how he copes when he sees the cave’s entrance, and his reaction when he discovers that outside the cave there is yet another reality.
If he did manage to get this far, and was able to comprehend everything outside the cave, we would then have to assume that he would also have to grasp such things as the sun, moon and stars. We might also conclude, that if he were able to make sense of his past and his present, then he would also be compelled to question his future.
Is it possible that the other prisoners would have been so threatened by these revelations that they may have become hostile or violent; would they fight to hold on to the security of the world they knew?
Perhaps, they might group together and use peer pressure to convince the freed prisoner to sit back down and forget what he had discovered. If this were the case, would they be forever tormented by knowing the truth?
Would the prisoners be left wondering why they had never tried to get free before, or would they wonder why they had never even thought to question their reality?
This story leaves us with many questions when we place ourselves in the position of the liberated prisoner.
Some people are happy and content to accept things as they appear to be. Others sense that there is much more and move slowly, safely and steadily through changes. Of course, there are those who fight to hang on to their beliefs, while others actively seek greater understanding.
Although the Cave Allegory is much more complex than I have illustrated here, it should at least serve as a great example of perception of reality in today’s world. We like to believe that we are far too evolved and intelligent to be compared with the cave dwellers, but are we?
If we put ourselves in the position of the prisoners, our initial response is that we would rejoice in being freed. On deeper reflection, we might recall many times in our lives in which we fiercely resisted change. I’m sure we have all been involved in petty but passionate arguments in which we insisted we were right. Haven’t we all stayed in jobs, relationships and situations which were obviously soul destroying? Often, we sense that we are more than we understand and that life is greater than our personal experience. Something is missing and we are vaguely uncomfortable or perhaps deeply insecure.
We want more; we believe there is more and we long for more. But we do not want to let go of what is familiar and comfortable. We don’t like big or sudden changes and we don’t like to accept that we may have been wrong.
It might seem quite absurd that people would allow themselves to be tied up and imprisoned without question or resistance. It’s even more ridiculous to believe that shadows on a wall would be accepted as reality. But is it? It might be interesting to ask yourself how much of your belief system has come from mass media. Media is an extremely powerful influence, as are culture and education. These are not bad things and serve as excellent foundations, but have we lost our ability to think for ourselves?
To a large degree, our belief system is determined by geographical location. Social norms are where we find our comparisons, and most of us mould ourselves to fit our environment. The same can be said about education, social skills, ethics, food, dress and language. We all like to believe that we can think for ourselves, but the truth is, that most of us have been fully programmed before we enter adulthood.
In pondering our own perceptions of ourselves or our experiences, we can compare ourselves to the prisoner in the cave. Much of our understanding serves us well, but it’s not until we question our belief system that we begin to expose the illusions and then the illusions beyond those illusions.
Some people appear to function very well within their given environment and may feel no desire or need to question it. Most of us have mastered the art of looking like we fit. In today’s world, we compare ourselves to others within our environment, and consider ourselves and our lives to be normal or successful, based on the status quo.
Many people feel that they don’t measure up and experience great distress. Some people think they look good but feel that they are faking it. These days, we seem to hold material issues in very high regard, and many judgements about a person’s value have little to do with the person at all, but rather the wealth, fame and career status of the person. We also seem to be somewhat impressed with celebrities or physically attractive people. Now, tell me that’s not shadows on the wall!
Life today is materialistic and very, very fast. With so much emphasis on earning money, we find ourselves running faster and faster, just to stay in one place. We feel that we are on a treadmill and someone else has the controls. We are ever conscious of the fact that just one wrong step and down we’ll go, face down and flung across the room in a heap.
At some point, we must ask ourselves who is controlling our lives, what exactly is my life, who or what am I, and what does it all mean.
Another great illusion that many of us live by, is the belief that we need to prove our value. So many people suffer so much anguish by believing that they must do something great in order to be validated as worthy. Not only do we judge ourselves by what we do, but we also judge others and allow others to judge us, value us, or at least label us as worthy, based on what we do. Almost as ludicrous as this, is the belief that what we have makes us worthy. More often than not, we marry the ideas of what we do with what we earn, and as unbelievable as it may sound, we actually label someone as important or valuable, based on their occupation and material assets.
When I was younger, a group of us used to hang out together and the boys in the group decided to learn to play musical instruments. They used to practice at my sister’s house and they were not very good. I used to write lyrics and the boys would try to work them into songs. We all thought that they were as great as any pop stars around at the time. The girls used to shop for old lady’s dresses and they would chop the dresses into minis, add beads or lace, and turn out some pretty amazing originals. Life was good, healthy and a lot of fun. We laughed a lot and we were all very close to each other.
Back then, we did what we did for fun, we did not think of ourselves as designers, fashion models, rock stars or athletes. No one thought about becoming rich and famous. We created and we did things because it was in us to do so.
These days, everything is about being a celebrity, gaining fame, looking good, earning money and acting like “we are someone”. Really, showing a bit of skin and running computerized sounds through a mixer hardly qualifies anyone as a musician, and being paid millions of dollars to kick a ball around is a rather shabby measure of human worth.
If we were to measure worth on doing, then my personal votes would go to mothers, farmers, carers and nurses. Doctors and lawyers are often esteemed, but I would rate them variable. However, this is not about joining the “Value by Occupation League”, it is about exposing it for what it is - just another illusion.
Being of value is not about what you do, what you have, or what and who you know.
All these things are transient and only small fragments of your overall experience. None of this is who you are, and your life’s value should be based on the simple fact that you exist. The consciousness or energy that you are is as vital to the mix as anyone else’s. An ocean is not made of a few select drops of water, and the Universe does not exist the way it is meant to exist, if your energy is not included.
Happy birthday to Matthew in advance too!! ^__^ I'll get you the gift you want, don't worry, it's slowly arriving :P (I've gotten almost everyone gifts this year, even though they were late lol) As for the future, it'll be fine. =)
Mm, even for myself, I'm sorta mentally prepared that perhaps teaching might not be the perfect thing for me, once I experience it. Who knows? I'll do my best, but I'm still flexible to changing. I don't want to suffocate under the pressure or stress. A job environment that can truly let us be happy and grow is the most important. ^^
I bit my tongue while eating ._. *ouch* It hurts, even while playing flute ><
I have this really big thing coming this October. My first. o.o
My parents really are getting old. They're getting plenty of body problems in addition to insomnia =/
Hum. The limits of my patience are being tested. > > Anyways.
Going outside to feel the sunshine on my skin today really put me in a good mood =3 I discovered some pretty "weeds" that were of a lilac colour :O
For university, I discovered that there was this Intro to Digital Art class I could take as elective that I didn't see before. o_o But it's full T T... I'm constantly checking to see if there's anyone who'll change and drop that class since we can play with our schedule until September *crosses fingers*
School's almost done! Toughing it out during my last big week. Celebration!! ^_^
Lots of things to do this summer!! I'm going to get productively busy~ I won't just busy myself in a no sense busyness. I'll get a busyness that actually contributes to my personal growth. >=)
In my final days of life, when I look back, I don’t want regrets. I don’t want to think that I may have messed it all up. I want to know that I added something of significance. I want to know that I paid attention to its beauty, acknowledged and respected others, evolved and improved as I progressed towards my full potential. Most importantly, I don’t want to think that I ever took life for granted.
I will paint this world with my favourite colours. ^^
Yes, we can fly.
Illusions
Plato’s Cave allegory was explained to me in a casual conversation with a dear friend many years ago. It was one of the most thought provoking discussions I can remember.
There are a group of men dwelling in a cave who have been chained together by their legs and necks since childhood. They have been in the same spot the entire time and cannot turn their heads: they can only look forward at the cave wall. They do not seem to have seen anything of themselves or of the others.
Behind the men is the cave entrance, which lets in light. Between the cave entrance and the men there is a fire burning, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a low wall. From behind the wall, there is another group of men who are free and can move and speak. Their movement, shapes and images cast shadows on the wall in front of the prisoners - like puppet show.
The prisoners appear to accept this situation and seem content to accept the shadows on the wall as the totality of their reality.
When one man breaks free and manages to stand up and turn around, we are asked to imagine what must have gone through his mind as he was confronted with what he saw.
We might first wonder at the pain his body would experience in standing for the first time, and the blinding light’s effect on his vision. Would he then run towards the men in great excitement, wanting to see and know more, or would he first turn back and set the other prisoners free.
What would be the response and the reaction of the other prisoners? It is easy to assume they would be excited and grateful at being liberated but, would they? We find ourselves asking how we might feel about someone telling us our entire existence and belief system was nothing more than an illusion.
The most interesting part of this story, for me, is in considering that not only does the freed man have to comprehend that his perception of reality was nothing more than shadows, but he also has to try and comprehend and accept that the fire, the shapes and the men were the real reality. Even if he managed to get his head around all of this, we are then left to imagine how he copes when he sees the cave’s entrance, and his reaction when he discovers that outside the cave there is yet another reality.
If he did manage to get this far, and was able to comprehend everything outside the cave, we would then have to assume that he would also have to grasp such things as the sun, moon and stars. We might also conclude, that if he were able to make sense of his past and his present, then he would also be compelled to question his future.
Is it possible that the other prisoners would have been so threatened by these revelations that they may have become hostile or violent; would they fight to hold on to the security of the world they knew?
Perhaps, they might group together and use peer pressure to convince the freed prisoner to sit back down and forget what he had discovered. If this were the case, would they be forever tormented by knowing the truth?
Would the prisoners be left wondering why they had never tried to get free before, or would they wonder why they had never even thought to question their reality?
This story leaves us with many questions when we place ourselves in the position of the liberated prisoner.
Some people are happy and content to accept things as they appear to be. Others sense that there is much more and move slowly, safely and steadily through changes. Of course, there are those who fight to hang on to their beliefs, while others actively seek greater understanding.
Although the Cave Allegory is much more complex than I have illustrated here, it should at least serve as a great example of perception of reality in today’s world. We like to believe that we are far too evolved and intelligent to be compared with the cave dwellers, but are we?
If we put ourselves in the position of the prisoners, our initial response is that we would rejoice in being freed. On deeper reflection, we might recall many times in our lives in which we fiercely resisted change. I’m sure we have all been involved in petty but passionate arguments in which we insisted we were right. Haven’t we all stayed in jobs, relationships and situations which were obviously soul destroying? Often, we sense that we are more than we understand and that life is greater than our personal experience. Something is missing and we are vaguely uncomfortable or perhaps deeply insecure.
We want more; we believe there is more and we long for more. But we do not want to let go of what is familiar and comfortable. We don’t like big or sudden changes and we don’t like to accept that we may have been wrong.
It might seem quite absurd that people would allow themselves to be tied up and imprisoned without question or resistance. It’s even more ridiculous to believe that shadows on a wall would be accepted as reality. But is it? It might be interesting to ask yourself how much of your belief system has come from mass media. Media is an extremely powerful influence, as are culture and education. These are not bad things and serve as excellent foundations, but have we lost our ability to think for ourselves?
To a large degree, our belief system is determined by geographical location. Social norms are where we find our comparisons, and most of us mould ourselves to fit our environment. The same can be said about education, social skills, ethics, food, dress and language. We all like to believe that we can think for ourselves, but the truth is, that most of us have been fully programmed before we enter adulthood.
In pondering our own perceptions of ourselves or our experiences, we can compare ourselves to the prisoner in the cave. Much of our understanding serves us well, but it’s not until we question our belief system that we begin to expose the illusions and then the illusions beyond those illusions.
Some people appear to function very well within their given environment and may feel no desire or need to question it. Most of us have mastered the art of looking like we fit. In today’s world, we compare ourselves to others within our environment, and consider ourselves and our lives to be normal or successful, based on the status quo.
Many people feel that they don’t measure up and experience great distress. Some people think they look good but feel that they are faking it. These days, we seem to hold material issues in very high regard, and many judgements about a person’s value have little to do with the person at all, but rather the wealth, fame and career status of the person. We also seem to be somewhat impressed with celebrities or physically attractive people. Now, tell me that’s not shadows on the wall!
Life today is materialistic and very, very fast. With so much emphasis on earning money, we find ourselves running faster and faster, just to stay in one place. We feel that we are on a treadmill and someone else has the controls. We are ever conscious of the fact that just one wrong step and down we’ll go, face down and flung across the room in a heap.
At some point, we must ask ourselves who is controlling our lives, what exactly is my life, who or what am I, and what does it all mean.
Another great illusion that many of us live by, is the belief that we need to prove our value. So many people suffer so much anguish by believing that they must do something great in order to be validated as worthy. Not only do we judge ourselves by what we do, but we also judge others and allow others to judge us, value us, or at least label us as worthy, based on what we do. Almost as ludicrous as this, is the belief that what we have makes us worthy. More often than not, we marry the ideas of what we do with what we earn, and as unbelievable as it may sound, we actually label someone as important or valuable, based on their occupation and material assets.
When I was younger, a group of us used to hang out together and the boys in the group decided to learn to play musical instruments. They used to practice at my sister’s house and they were not very good. I used to write lyrics and the boys would try to work them into songs. We all thought that they were as great as any pop stars around at the time. The girls used to shop for old lady’s dresses and they would chop the dresses into minis, add beads or lace, and turn out some pretty amazing originals. Life was good, healthy and a lot of fun. We laughed a lot and we were all very close to each other.
Back then, we did what we did for fun, we did not think of ourselves as designers, fashion models, rock stars or athletes. No one thought about becoming rich and famous. We created and we did things because it was in us to do so.
These days, everything is about being a celebrity, gaining fame, looking good, earning money and acting like “we are someone”. Really, showing a bit of skin and running computerized sounds through a mixer hardly qualifies anyone as a musician, and being paid millions of dollars to kick a ball around is a rather shabby measure of human worth.
If we were to measure worth on doing, then my personal votes would go to mothers, farmers, carers and nurses. Doctors and lawyers are often esteemed, but I would rate them variable. However, this is not about joining the “Value by Occupation League”, it is about exposing it for what it is - just another illusion.
Being of value is not about what you do, what you have, or what and who you know.
All these things are transient and only small fragments of your overall experience. None of this is who you are, and your life’s value should be based on the simple fact that you exist. The consciousness or energy that you are is as vital to the mix as anyone else’s. An ocean is not made of a few select drops of water, and the Universe does not exist the way it is meant to exist, if your energy is not included.