Jonathan Swift Knew the Greeks Were Wrong Before We Did

[gymnosophist]

“So naturalists observe, a flea

Hath smaller fleas that on him prey;

And those have smaller still to bite ‘em;

And so proceed ad infinitum.”

-         Jonathan Swift

There is one paramount social constant throughout history: the importance of trends - in fashion, ideals, art, politics, and everything else.  Choosing which to follow and reject is our

Comments

[jdubbs83]

Everything put together, to the human eye, equals a fantastical ammount. Everything broken down to its smallest denominator, if there is such a thing, equals nothing.

i.e. The enigma of dark matter and the essence of 'space'.

0 + 0 = 0

Everything is nothing.

[gymnosophist]

Huh.

(Sound of pondering.)

[mor6idra66it]

is it too simplistic to say that science exists as a another method or medium such as religion and social discourse to make sense of it all? there will never be one agreeable answer to all questions, just as over time there will be many questions arising from a single answer. taking a chisel to a mountain may someday create something akin to michaelangelo's david, but david already exists. it's honorable in the effort, and new beauty and discussion will undoubtedly arise.

if i find any comfort in facts, it's that we're still here and may contribute. everything before us was an amalgamut just as everything after us will be. we are as unique as our voice and as common as our bretheren.

that is the battle i have trouble coming to terms with. what is it that you're concerned with in terms of personal identity (self v society)?

[gymnosophist]

I'm actually not concerned with personal identity. My thought regarding I.D. in a trendy environment was that it is easy to understand and figure out who you are, even if it may be terrifically difficult, if not impossible, to ever come to terms with it.

My beef here was from existential standpoint: if the universe is infinite in every regard (which it probably is) and our understanding finite, then there can be no "ultimate" goal of knowledge, only temporary and pragmatic goals. Which, I'm sure is fine with the majority of the population, even those within the scientific community, but I dread the idea of such an ultimately meaningless existence.

Don't get me wrong. I am happy to eat, sleep, touch the lives of others, shit, read, have sex, watch movies, and do all the other things life allows, but if that's all this is for - if we're just here for memories and the moment's sake - then I am disapointed. That is, I suppose, my point.

[goud21]

I guess it leads to the overall question that I ask myself when I ponder life: Is this it? Am I missing something? Isn't there more to life than this? I get up, shower, shave, go to work, come home, eat dinner, fall asleep, and do it all again the next day. Sure, sometimes there are other things that happen, but it's pretty much becoming routine without purpose.

It needs to warm up again sometime soon so I can sit out back at my apartment and smoke a cigar and drinking some Walker Blue...

[mor6idra66it]

my cat used to always look up at the ceiling, as if there was something in the attic. it would stretch up walls and meow, trying to get at whatever it was. one day i needed to get my fan out of the attic as a heat wave was coming over michigan and my cat ran up the attic stairs when i got down. i never found her, she probably did not die up there though because a bad smell never wafted down from above.

get it?

[jdubbs83]

i am well aware of the reason you do not use lj that much anymore...and it's a good reason.
you are enjoying life. you have a lot of sex...

who needs lj, you have beer and a good woman to rant to.

bravo

[anonymous]

if you read this, then I shoudl tell you I still have your xmas present in my car for hte past month....

wtf mate? holla t me.

-John