This week’s Monday Mission.
1. Postmodernism (a popular philosophy of the current day) indicates that there are as many “truths” as there are people; nothing is absolute (however, by its very nature, even the word ‘Postmodernism” resists definition). For yourself, what truths are absolute? Are there any absolute truths in the Universe?
Hm… I tend to think that there are absolute truths, but they’re mathematical/scientific in nature and we do not always understand them fully. I mean, take the whole lightspeed thing – when I was a kid, we were told nothing could go faster than the speed of light, but I seem to recall seeing something a while back about subatomic particles that could go faster…
I don’t believe in moral absolutes. I mean, ethics are something humans came up with so we could live together without having to watch our backs all the time. (Hobbesian? Moi? Why, thank you!)
2. Do you believe that you are still “teachable?”
Yep. That’s why I’m still studying Aikido.
3. To do something well, in most situations, requires study and practice. What’s the most recent thing that you have done well as a result of study and practice.
Hm… Well, I held my own at an Aikido class peopled mostly with blackbelts yesterday. Does that count?
4. If you had the time/money, what do you want to lean how to do more than anything?
Hm… speak another language fluently, maybe. Or sketch. I can’t draw for beans, never have been able to.
5. Those around us may often try to intervene, but ultimately each individual is responsible for the choices they make in life. Tell me about a recent situation where you had a decision to make, and those around you tried to influence or direct you. Were they successful? Was that “help” welcomed?
Hm… I tend not to involve other people in my decision-making processes when it’s a decision that’s purely mine. What movie to watch tonight? That’s something we need a consensus on. Where/when to have a party? Ditto. Whether to go steady or play the field? That’s between me and the guy(s) in question. How to spend my money? That’s purely my thing.
That doesn’t really answer the question, but oh well.
6. Things are much easier to accept when they are given by invitation rather than being forced upon us. When was the last time you rejected something because it was forced on you? How did it happen? Did you hold a grudge about it? Was it ever resolved?
Hm… dunno. Usually when things are forced on me, they’re really forced – I have no option but to do whatever it is. There’s only one person who really does that – everyone else in my life is too cool to inform me of stuff I have to do.
7. Are you the sort of person who questions everything, or are you able to accept things without someone providing you tangible proof?
Hm… I do question a lot of things pretty much all the time (my own sanity, the state of our government, the nature of existence…) but if someone tells me, say, they saw a famous person yesterday, I’ll probably believe them if I know they’re usually truthful. I don’t accept religious or political dogma blindly, which is becoming more and more of a problem as I get older and think up new questions that don’t have particularly satisfactory answers.
