Breaker
09-23-06, 08:55 PM
Every now and again, I go on a philosophical tangent and write some stream of conscious opinions on stuff. Normally I don't even know if I necessarily agree with these opinions, but writing them tends to help me sort out my thoughts. Most of my writings are metaphysical, but my most recent one isn't. I'm going to post it here, and any questions, comments, opinions or responses are welcome. If I learn anything from this, maybe I'll post another older one, or post the next one I write. I'm sorry if my writing may be a little dense, but it IS stream of conscious, and for that reason I never edit it. Hope you enjoy.
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As people, what drives us?
It has been said that our reason is solely what separates us from animals. I disagree. Animals will remain in one shelter, and survive on one food source their entire life, providing that it is sufficient and continuos. People on the other hand are always looking for bigger, newer, better things, wanting to be MORE comfortable even if we already ARE comfortable. It is as though we WANT to be reliant on other things, rather than being independant.
It has been said we fear the unknown.
Studies have been done to understand why people go to horror movies. To a neutral third party, it would seem ludicrous; why pay to get scared? The answer is in the science. The adrenaline rush, the heightened feeling of living given by fear. Is that what we strive for? Is that what we want? To feel more alive because a series of toxins designed to increase our energy is flowing through our bodies on the false pretense that we are in danger?
It would seem people are on a constant mission. We each see ourselves as some ancient knight, assigned the task of seeking the holy grail, a task which will last our entire life and never be completed. Even when one should be content, one always wants something more. Whether it be material possesions or manner of life, there is always a wondering of what else might be out there, and a burning, never ceasing inner drive sends us dashing after something unseen, something unhad. A constant conviction that a NEW experience would be better than the PRESENT experience, even if the present experience could be improved. Even if what we seek may not be entirely idealistic, or logically attainable, we will waste away trying to have it, rather than saying "What I have is sufficient", and in many cases what we have is MORE than sufficient, and is better than what that unnatainable might be.
So why, then, do we always seek the unknown? Perhaps the answer to this is also found in science. If we fear the unknown, do we crave it simply because it may cause some heightened sense of being? Do we, essentially, try to progress simply to feel more alive?
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As people, what drives us?
It has been said that our reason is solely what separates us from animals. I disagree. Animals will remain in one shelter, and survive on one food source their entire life, providing that it is sufficient and continuos. People on the other hand are always looking for bigger, newer, better things, wanting to be MORE comfortable even if we already ARE comfortable. It is as though we WANT to be reliant on other things, rather than being independant.
It has been said we fear the unknown.
Studies have been done to understand why people go to horror movies. To a neutral third party, it would seem ludicrous; why pay to get scared? The answer is in the science. The adrenaline rush, the heightened feeling of living given by fear. Is that what we strive for? Is that what we want? To feel more alive because a series of toxins designed to increase our energy is flowing through our bodies on the false pretense that we are in danger?
It would seem people are on a constant mission. We each see ourselves as some ancient knight, assigned the task of seeking the holy grail, a task which will last our entire life and never be completed. Even when one should be content, one always wants something more. Whether it be material possesions or manner of life, there is always a wondering of what else might be out there, and a burning, never ceasing inner drive sends us dashing after something unseen, something unhad. A constant conviction that a NEW experience would be better than the PRESENT experience, even if the present experience could be improved. Even if what we seek may not be entirely idealistic, or logically attainable, we will waste away trying to have it, rather than saying "What I have is sufficient", and in many cases what we have is MORE than sufficient, and is better than what that unnatainable might be.
So why, then, do we always seek the unknown? Perhaps the answer to this is also found in science. If we fear the unknown, do we crave it simply because it may cause some heightened sense of being? Do we, essentially, try to progress simply to feel more alive?