Early Morning Conversation

Saturday, January 14, 2006

(to explain the ramblyness)

Why are so many people convinced that experience is the only fount of knowledge and that if you haven't gone through certain things you will never know yourself? I think that's bullshit. It means that you can't ever commit to a decision and you can never make a declarative statement because you can't possibly experience everything that you're ever going to experience in the world until you're on the verge of death. I can say now, for example, that I will never skydive because it's just not worth the risk. And even if ever a moment comes when I feel suicidal, I will remember my reasons and remember that impulse madness is temporary but whatever consequences there may be from skydiving will be forever.

Yes, I agree that choices are not always black and white and there's always the temptation to be self-interested and an instinct to see how much you can get away with, but that's where things like compassion and empathy and self-discipline and generosity come into play. People form their ethical and moral standards fairly young, I believe, and yes, they adjust these as time goes on but for the most part you should make life decisions based on these principles rather than change your principles to suit whatever choices you feel like making. A big part of it is also holding yourself to the same standards that you would hold other people to. You can't criticise people for doing things that you later copy and then go lenient on yourself because, you know, it's you, and whatever you do is inherently justified even if that justification is irrationality. And conversely you have to have faith in people - just because you yourself would be unscrupulous doesn't mean everyone else can be counted on to do the same. Some things are more important than the pursuit of potential-maybe-perhaps-let's-see romantic feelings (I can't even bring myself to call it love). Things like self-respect, for instance. Trust everyone until they fail you.

Of course you, you'll probably say I just haven't been tested yet. But I hope that when the time comes I can rely on extrapolation to guess at the consequences rather than have the insatiable urge to live through it just to see what it's like and then crash in a blaze of petty, self-projected glory.

 posted by zyn :: 12:15 PM :: 1 Comments :: permalink


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