Viral 5: A Bit of Philosophy

I've run across quite a few little philosophy-related videos as of late, so I thought I might share a few of my favorites.

1. If you have no idea who Stephen Fry is... well, that is a problem that needs immediate solution. Search for "QI: Quite Interesting" on YouTube and watch all of them. Seriously, right now. If you insist on reading this second-hand blog post instead... thank you. But QI is better.




This silly little series is worth checking out... pretty much just a cheeky brit summarizing enormous philosophies in three minutes or so. But it's fun.

*Caution: Rough Language...*




This was my introduction to a now-favorite philosopher: Cornel West. I completely fell head-over-heels in love with this dude... I have a hunch that you might, too.




Another cogent Cornel West clip:




Slavoj Zizek... this guy is a trip. He was also featured in the film "The Examined Life," where I also found Cornel West. Slavoj tends to make a lot of sense... be careful following his line of thought, however... it can be quite slippery.




Subtitles... worth reading, don't worry.







And now for an after-dinner mint... a palate cleanser, if you will:

A Case for Improvisation. Prelude: "Truth Transcends"

I will be working against all of my insecurities in this post; I feel it's important to do this, if just for brevity's sake. Therefore, I will try not to qualify much of what I'm going to say with my typical cheeky little quips or excuses/justifications. I am well aware that I'm not qualified whatsoever to make these sorts of claims... I'm positive that anyone with two licks worth of higher education can disprove this in a matter of seconds, but I'm not going to let that stop me from giving it a solid go. I probably should delay this posting to update myself in epistemological philosophy, but instead I'm going to be working off the top of my head on this one... I know, ballsy. Not really... I don't get much traffic from philosophers. And most of them punch like girls.

The purpose for this inquiry is to try and build a case for the acceptance of improvisational comedy as a legitimate art form, an all-encompassing, all-inclusive creative outlet and a unique platform for intellectual inquiry. I believe it to be one of the most exciting things that we (as a society) have stumbled into, and one of the worst utilized. In the status quo, we are taking a supercomputer and using it to make cartoons. This has got to change.

It's pretty important to establish this groundwork before I continue on to some bigger, more important posts that I have in the works. And even though I'm stupidly attempting to capture something that exists somewhere outside of language, or possibly even above knowledge altogether, I hope that it makes some sort of sense, in an elemental sort of way.

I'm going to begin this line of thinking with an assumption: there is an ultimate Truth.

At a very, very basic level, this Truth underlies the nature of everything, not in a Platonic disembodied way, exactly, but in a simple, everyday kind of way... it's just there from the beginning. It's how we can conceptualize anything. In a world that's in a perpetual quantum shift, it's how we can differentiate any one thing from another, from objects, to actions, to emotions, to ideas. Without this Truth everything would be nothing at all... vague enough? Identifying Truth is, at its basic level, a recognition of differences.

I can't resist at least one attempt to clarify... I know I'm breaking my own rules, but I'm worried that I'm coming across a bit too heady so soon in. Maybe it'll help to think of Truth as something like the idea of color. Let's assume, just for the sake of the illustration, that our only sensory input is visual. If everything were the exact same color, we would be completely useless. Blind as bats, we would have no way to tell objects apart. There would be no way to measure distance or length or breadth or anything, or even conceptualize those ideas. Everything would be nothing at all; we would be utterly helpless. Because we have different colors, and shades of the same color, we can tell the difference between one thing and the next. We are freed to live. Now, I'm not saying that there are differences in Truth in the same way that there are differences in color. I'm saying that Truth is the difference between the colors.

So Truth, then, separates dots from the background.

It is this Truth that is the medium for all metaphor. A simple, usable definition of “metaphor” is “understanding one thing in terms of another.” While identifying Truth is at first a recognition of differences, it is also a comparison of the resultant similarities. It's easy enough to see that when you have specific, observable differences, you can begin to group things together. Metaphors (literally meaning “to carry between”) find objects that are inherently dissimilar and find where they are the same.

Truth connects the dots.

Here's another way that metaphor is valuable. It is difficult to identify a new point of information (let's call it a “dot”) without being told where it is. You have to experience it, and that takes a lot of time and, often, random happenstance that is outside your control. Then you have to name it and find its place in your library of references, etc., etc... It's just a lot. [The more I chew on this idea, the more I'm convinced that everything that we learn must, by necessity, be digested in terms of metaphor; meaning, we conceive every new bit of information in the light of what we have previously learned. Perhaps learning, at its heart, is a metaphorical process... which has huge implications on the use of creativity in education.] Metaphor draws lines between known dots. Both are illuminated by the light of the other; we see both in new ways. But even further, lines (by definition) are a solid sequence of dots themselves. In one fell swoop they identify an untold number of new points of information and perspectives (which, perhaps taking the geographical imagery a bit too far, you could think of as “angles of connection between two or more dots”), each which can then connect to others, and so on. A web of connection and reference, each illuminating one another.

So... we have at least two dimensions of revealed Truth established.

First, in our inherent ability to recognize the difference between two objects, actions, values, etc.

Second, in our ability to identify similarities between two seemingly different objects, actions, values, etc,... In recognizing the two things as both different and similar at the same time (but maintaining their autonomy) we find a new aspect or dimension of Truth. A little bit deeper and more profound.

I'll end on this: a third dimension in which Truth works is in our ability to observe ourselves interacting with the first two levels of Truth. We can conceptualize ourselves both inside and outside the process. Take this essay for example. It's attempting to form a connection to the actual process itself, creating all kinds of havoc. It becomes a sort of meta-critical event, somehow floating over the process and reporting on it. Really this seems like something that shouldn't be possible, but it's yet another way for us to make a connection to the over-arching Truth that defines the differentiations to begin with.

All of these facets of Truth are inherent in our nature and are able to be exercised to greater effectiveness through practice and repetition. Being inherent, they were discovered facets and not created ones.

Why do I spend so much time attempting to describe some ambiguous process of evaluation that is an inherent, taken-for-granted part of life? Because ultimately it's important. We are able to become our own metaphors and can compliment, support and illuminate each other. We can consciously take the next step.

And it's just plain awesome to see the amount of complexity in which we live on a moment-to-moment basis. Beautiful, really.

And finally... the reason all of this is here. I was working towards paving a clear-ish road to this concept, which I plan on using to support further conjecture:

If something holds a value of being true, the same structures that make it true are valuable metaphorical assets and are cross-applicable to other disciplines as either support mechanisms or foundations for new exploration.

Specific truth can be cross-applied to specific aspects of specific disciplines.

Universal truth can be cross-applied universally.

Truth transcends.

Rusty Improv

There is a possibility that I'm going to be improvising in front of a crowd tonight.

This hasn't happened for quite some time.

There is a very real possibility that I'm going to be overwhelmed with a nostalgic attack and find myself huddled in a corner, sobbing. If the show is in "the round," that will make it weird for one or two people. If it happens, I'm totally going with it.

There's also the very real possibility that I'm going to end up playing the easy jokes and flirting with the scandalous, two no-nos of improv. But that's what happens when you haven't done it.

If i don't get a chance to perform... well, that will be a shame. For me, at least. I'd hate to think what the current students at NGU would think of a large anachronism bumbling around on stage pretending to be funny.

But ultimately it boils down to a "hit it hard" moment.


I've been playing a lot of disc golf recently. So naturally I've tried to find all the help that I can get from youtube videos, pro interviews, and the rare bits of anecdotal stuff that you might run across in a Play It Again Sports or on the course. One particular piece of advice seems appropriate for the improv situation:

Always try to sink the putt.

Ok... you might be only slightly whelmed at that quote. But when you are trying to decide whether or not to lay-up in front of a basket for safety, it's better to try for the basket and deal with whatever happens when you get there.

It's better to just go for it and fail than it is to play for safety.

Game on.

Blogger Intentionality

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it everytime."

I don't know who originally said that. But it doesn't matter.

I've been thinking about the intentionality of this blog site. Why am I blogging? Why should you read it? Why would I want you to read it? Should I want to want you to read it?

Some days I read a lot of blogs. Other days I don't read any at all. I'm hardly a faithful follower of any in particular. So I'm not sure of all the ins and outs of an intentional blog, outside of a professional attempting to bite-size-ify their vast knowledge of something specific.

I think what I do is a little different.

Well, I hope that it is.

I tend to synthesize everything that is going on in my life, both outside and in, and present it in a way that might be interesting to read or remember. Or confirm suspicions of my lunacy. It's cool either way.

Or maybe that's all in hindsight.

I think that philosophy is mostly in hindsight.

Perhaps theology, too.

Maybe intentionality is something to be handled loosely. Like most creative things, to put too much emphasis on the overt "Message" often kills the delicate nature of any beauty it might yield.

And beauty, as we all have experienced at some point or another, often serves to magnify any "Message" tenfold.

Jesus preached outright for a while, then turned to parables.

Did his intentionality change? Hardly.

But in parables everything gets swirled around a bit, and the interplay of culture and story and character and situation reveal different and exciting parts of each other.

May that swirling be my intentionality, too.

Having locked my keys in my car again...

I'm writing this while sitting alone on the concrete steps at Baxter. I have, for the second time in two weeks, locked my keys in the car. Whenever life events precipitate inaction, I've learned to take the opportunity to mine (as in "gold mine") the situation for applicable lessons. So I'm hashing things out on my phone.

In this particular situation, I have found two truths.

The first deals with the medium used for exploring the truth. One, A: proficiency determines the extent to which the truth is explored. I type slower on this cell phone. I make many mistakes, which force me to go back and change things. I can only elaborate so much. Certain detailing is simply counterproductive. One, B. The application. Pretty obvious. I'm limited by my own inability to pursue my train of thought and document it while it is still happening.

A random note... The passing breeze is carrying the thick, heady scent of honeysuckle. it's a rather good night.

Anyway, in such a way, the method by which you limit yourself (which anything structured inherently will)informs your content.

Chris is here to help me break into my car. I need to go.

The only other thing I had to say dealt with one action limiting your ability to do anything else.

But maybe that's too obvious.

Deli Etiquette

This is just a general list of basics for engaging a grocery store deli. While you can rest assured that one out of ten people have no regard for any etiquette at all, and therefore clumsily bulldoze their way around annoying everyone, here are just a few ideas to help the process go smoothly. You might think these are obvious... believe me, not everyone shares your view.

1. The scales all read in decimal, so please don't use ounces as a unit of measurement.

2. Please know what you are ordering before engaging a deli worker. It's fine to take two hours to figure it out... just don't have the gall to keep us waiting around for you to make the decision. (This happens a LOT)

3. Stay off your cell phone.

4. Ask questions. Questions are good. We have spent a long time with the product. It's much faster.

5. If you are nice, we will be nice, too. And vice versa.

6. Specific orders are good. It's more frustrating to have someone say, “Somewhere from half to three quarters.” We know darn well you are going to follow it with, “Just a few slices more.” Maybe a couple of times. Be specific, then ask for more.

7. Waffling is always annoying and time-consuming. [Questions don't count as waffling. Ask, then let someone else go.]

8. DON'T be upset when a deli worker doesn't hit your target weight on the nose. Every product is different. Always expect a .05-.1 variance. Over that, it's fine to ask for more/less.

9. Seriously... Stay off your cell phone.

10. Saying “Perfect!” even when it isn't, is comforting. Saying “That will do,” when we skillfully hit your off-kilter order perfectly... well... we don't really like you very much.

11. There's a fine line between being a punk and letting us know you are there, but please don't just stand there expecting that we'll see you. We probably won't. Or, honestly, we may ignore you until you express your readiness. We have a lot of things to do outside of slicing.

12. Phone orders are fine, as long as you don't act like a jerk when it doesn't come out exactly as you thought. You weren't there to make sure, were you? English is a second language for most of these guys. Be patient.

13. Multiple orders are great, as long as you let us know at the start, so that we can get help. This is probably my biggest pet peeve. We can be efficient if you are.

14. STAY OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.

15. Don't walk away unless you ask if it's ok to go. You started a transaction. See it through. It's only three minutes of your day.

16. Regulars are always treated better than strangers. Always.

Now, I realize that not all delis are as busy as the one where I work, but come on... these are not revolutionary tips, people.

Just be human.

My Life as a Poe Hoe

Nil sapientiae odiosius acumine nimio. - Seneca

"Nothing is more hateful to wisdom than excessive cleverness." Just in case you were wondering about that quote. It's my only apology for the horrific title of this post. It's also the epigraph to Poe's "The Purloined Letter." And, according to Wikipedia, Seneca probably didn't even say it. Which might be funny, in an "Edgar, you rogue," sort of way.

As you probably know, in "The Purloined Letter," *spoiler alert* Poe's Dupin solves the mystery of a hidden letter by realizing that it's sitting in the open. *end spoiler alert*

It's a perspective thing.

As usual.

"If it is any point requiring reflection," observed Dupin, as he forbore to enkindle the wick, "we shall examine it to better purpose in the dark."

"That is another of your odd notions," said the Prefect, who had a fashion of calling every thing "odd" that was beyond his comprehension, and thus lived amid an absolute legion of "oddities."

I'm hardly breaking new ground by realizing that I live too far away from where I actually am. Resting on un-gotten laurels. Searching the forgotten corners of life for a meaning. Making simplicity incredibly complicated.

"And what is the difficulty now?" I asked. "Nothing more in the assassination way, I hope?"

"Oh no; nothing of that nature. The fact is, the business is very simple indeed, and I make no doubt that we can manage it sufficiently well ourselves; but then I thought Dupin would like to hear the details of it, because it is so excessively odd."

"Simple and odd," said Dupin.

"Why, yes; and not exactly that, either. The fact is, we have all been a good deal puzzled because the affair is so simple, and yet baffles us altogether."

"Perhaps it is the very simplicity of the thing which puts you at fault," said my friend.

"What nonsense you do talk!" replied the Prefect, laughing heartily.

"Perhaps the mystery is a little too plain," said Dupin.

"Oh, good heavens! who ever heard of such an idea?"

"A little too self-evident."

"Ha! ha! ha! --ha! ha! ha! --ho! ho! ho!" --roared our visitor, profoundly amused, "oh, Dupin, you will be the death of me yet!"

I forget that effort is not necessarily the engine for satisfaction. That trying so hard to "find the answer" often makes seeing it impossible.

Sometimes you need to relax.

Sometimes you need to have fun.

One thing is for sure: if you get too far ahead of yourself, you will end up falling two steps backwards for every forward step.

It's ok to be a farmer. Farmers have no choice but to do things in order.

Farmers deal with growing things. Growing things take time. They take work.

Farmers don't reap before it's time to harvest. They don't plow through seedlings. They don't plant one seed over another. There's an order to their work cycles.

That's not to say that the process is flat or uni-dimensional.

Farming is not boring. Good farming is diverse. While easier and potentially more lucrative, monocultures end up, ahem, putting all the eggs in one basket. But it's unwise.

I won't get too deep into it. Even though I'm sure you've figured out the obvious comparisons, I'll probably blog on monocultures more later. But for now...

1. Don't look too hard for something that may be in front of you the whole time.
1b. Don't use "exploration" when "realization" is needed.
2. Don't reorganize the cycles. They are in that order for a reason.
3. Give the plants some time to grow. Some things grow slower than others.
3b. Make sure everything is still growing. Dead things don't grow. If need be, prune that sucker.