Saturday, September 11, 2010

The oddity about truth (Stream of consciousness)

I always find it fascinating to find people who are unwilling to learn new ideas and ways of thinking. Especially when these individuals seem to be unable to open a book, a website, a newspaper, or any other form of media, and find that what they know might be wrong. It may take a bit of time to accept the fact that there are no certainties in life, but it does make things more interesting.

I enjoy reading about new scientific discoveries, I love reading about different modes of thinking, and I am bedazzled by the human ability to completely disregard all facts when they are presented to them. It says much about human ego and arrogance. We have brains, so it should be our prerogative to actually take the time to find out about the world, but this is not always the case. If you don't like an idea, then try and see how it is wrong, and formulate new ones, do not just accept everything you are told or read. Take the time to make your own discoveries!

I find biology to be very interesting, and have been reading about the 'Human Genome Project'. I found it fascinating to find out about genetic behaviour, and how it applies to all forms of life. This does make one pose the question of 'nurture vs. nature', and shows just how much we are influenced by our genetic memories. This does not mean that our genes are the only factors, and I would have to say that I find that both nature and nurture play equal parts in human mental/socio development. It is just interesting to see how one might have to delineate between the two. What has influenced a psychopath to kill, while another person with the same killer 'instincts' (or genes) might have total control over their psychotic impulses.

The more we discover, the more answers we are given, the more questions we ask. Some would view this as a bad thing, but I only see the beauty in it. Our natural curiosity has allowed us to adapt and evolve to such a point where we can adapt our very surroundings. The more we ask, the more answers we are able to get, and the more we are able to build on our vast collective knowledge of the world around us. Like the Pre-Socratic philosophers, we ask questions on how our world came to be, how the universe was formed, and we are slowly finding clues every day. Scientists are painting a beautifully complex perspective on the universe, and I am glad I am here to see it all unravel before my very eyes.
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” - John Allan Paulos
Just imagine what we will discover, and how these discoveries will change the very foundations of our world. We might not know everything, but at least we are trying to, and that is the important part. In the next century they will probably all be laughing at what we know today, they will be reading about our societies in history books, looking at our beliefs as myths, and find us as ridiculous as we find the people of the ancient word. The only truth is that, what we know now is only transient knowledge, and we will never be completely sure of anything.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Time

Time, that ever complex thing that always seems to allude one when it is needed. I have come to the conclusion that time is definitely not fixed, especially when it comes down to the individual that has to do something. Like Douglas Adams' famous quote "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by", this is how it feels for anyone who has a deadline; they seem to come at you at breakneck speeds.

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by" Douglas Adams

This may be due in part to my ever growing number of 'hobbies' that seem to pop out of thin air when having to do anything that does not grab my interest. I am a procrastinator of note. It might be due to ADD, or ADHD, or some other acronym that describes my ever changing mood.

I have tried 'Time Management', but unfortunately could never get myself to stick to them, as I felt they ended up making life terribly dull and uneventful. I think that it is my adventurous nature.