I believe that all actions are defined by the labels that we give them, and that all things are relative to one another. These beliefs are rooted in the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, a philosophical text written by Lau Tzu of ancient China. I believe that, in the grand scope of things, nothing has any real need to be called 'good,' 'bad,' or any other label, because that description is only true in relation to some other object. Naming things is a way to describe what has happened, but is never really true, by it's very nature. As a result of this, I believe that actions are actions, and how I choose to view them is entirely decided by me, and has no real bearing on what factually took place. I believe that actions speak far louder than any words; and that conscious, supportive presence is far more valuable than anything one can say.
I believe in loyalty to my friends. I believe that my friends, both platonic and romantic, deserve my absolute trust and respect. I will do anything for one of my friends, I will make any sacrifice if I feel that one of my friends is in need. I look at my friends as more important than me in many respects; I will break curfew to make sure that they get home safely, risk my employment to offer my support, cause tension between myself and my own family to make sure that they feel safe. This sense of loyalty to my friends is one that I am extremely proud of; and, I believe, one of my greatest strengths as a person.
I believe in movement. I believe that movement is the natural way that I express myself. Even when I am still, I am always envisioning how I would move through my environment. The introduction of Parkour to me was essential in my development as a healthy adult. Parkour has shown me an elegant, conscious, precise, disciplined and pure way to view the world and interact with it. When I train Parkour, I gain a clarity of mind, and am able to process complex intellectual thoughts with the same ease that I experience when overcoming a tangible obstacle.
This is what I believe.
1 comment:
your work shows a lot of thought, energy, reflection, and careful consideration - cool!
on the relationship between things and what we call them you might get something interesting from saussure (signified+signifier=sign) if you have any interest in linguistics. also plato's forms could give you some ideas. and of course there are tons of places to look re: how/if we can know anything is true/the nature of anything.
some questions: is there any such thing as "truth" whether in relation to language/communication or outside that realm? it isn't clear to me if you're making a distinction between descriptive/evaluative statements - that is, when you say naming things isn't really saying something true, are you talking about when we describe something factual or when we make an evaluation like "good" or "bad" about that thing/event? Is it possible to relate "facts" without involving some interpretation? if we all agree in the naming of a thing (whether descriptive or evaluative), does that make it true? Is it up to every individual to define everything? if so, what does that mean for our communication with one another? this is a total tangent, but the shannon-weaver model (source-message-channel-receiver) could be interesting both in a scientific and a philosophical way...
re: "all things are relative" if you carry that into ethics it raises some interesting questions about whether anything is universally acceptable/not or if anyone can pass judgement on another's behavior. can be problematic if you believe in rights across cultural lines...
re: loyalty i wondered the same thing that andy seemed to be getting at in his comment about hierarchy (of loyalties? or something like that). that is, why do friends outrank family and your own needs/is that what you meant/how did you come to that point?
i love the idea of being able to understand intellectual concepts (is that what you meant by thoughts? i'm not totally sure) through movement, and that you consciously combine athleticism and intellect in such a strong way - i think the old physical/mental talents being exclusive to one another idea is so boring, though sadly it's true for me, ha! or should i say in my evaluation it seems to be true... if you care to talk about or clarify any of the questions/comments i ask, or gossip about philosophers, you know where to find me.
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