Philosophy Friday - Is Anything Actually Free?

Hello and welcome to Philosophy Friday; the day of the week where I make you question if the word free means what you think it does, and then talk about why.

Random animated coins. Seems legit.

Sometimes people help out strangers. Sometimes they donate to the poor. Sometimes shops give out "free" samples. To be technical, none of these things is actually free, as every action in the world comes with an inherent cost, regardless of whether you perceive it or not. Lets talk about that.

Have you ever wondered why someone would help you out for no reason? Maybe you were a damsel in distress with a flat tire and some burly man with chest hair came along to help you replace it. Whether you consider his inability to think with both brains at once and influence or not, the fact is that he got something out of the exchange regardless of whether he actually *got* anything out of the exchange.

As I mentioned in yesterdays article, the human brain is very concerned with itself, and likes to get things out of it's exchanges. As an altruist, I myself even understand that I do not do things purely out of a want to help people. While it can be effectively surmised as such, the technically correct way to say is that I am an altruist because I like the contented feeling I get when I know that I have helped someone. Any fans of the anime Full Metal Alchemist would understand it as the law of transmutation. A fair exchange is always required. (*Greg busies himself with elbowing nerdy Greg back into his box*)

The point is that things always have a cost. Donating to the poor costs you money and costs them dignity. Helping a stranger costs you time and they must react in some manner. (Preferably with thanks, I've been known to get angry at people who don't say "thanks".) The definition of "Free" is "without cost or payment". However, in essence, the word "Free" is rather extremely redundant in terms of this meaning. It would be far more correct to assert that something is "Free" when it's costs are not readily apparent nor clearly stated. (Unfortunately, I don't think such a definition would catch on... the "Ain't broke, don't fix it" mentally being what it is.)

In any case, the next time somebody offers you something "Pro-bono", take a moment to consider the true costs of what such an exchange might be. You might find it to be an interesting exercise, if nothing else. If you found this article interesting, or have anything to add to the argument, be sure to do so in the comments below or via Facebook/Twitter. And of course do be sure to share this article with anyone you think might be unsure of the actual meaning behind the term "free". If you would like to read more interesting articles like this, do be sure to follow me on Twitter and/or like my Facebook page so that you can get the latest posts, as I post them. Of course, regardless of what you do, I thank you for taking the time to read this article; hope that you have had an absolutely fantastic day, and I will speak again tomorrow.

Au revoir mes amis.

Philosophy Friday - Being Unique (A Voice Above The Crowd)

Hello and Welcome to Philosophy Friday; the day of the week where I tell you about people trying to be noticed, and people that manage to be.

Hooray. It's not blue...

Have you ever wanted to be special or important in life? A figurehead that stands above others or leads from the front. Perhaps you just enjoy sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd. (I know I do, nothing makes me giggle like nervous glances.) Strangely, it's rather difficult for some to pull that, or the opposite, off. Lets talk about that.

People try to be unique in life. In all likelihood, from a young age you were told to be unique and try to make something of yourself in the world. It's one of those parental pieces of advice that get passed on in the hope that the child will use it to develop any talents they have. Of course, you've probably also noticed that we aren't all astronauts or famous. It's something of a double edged sword in that it's also one of those pieces of advice that is quite difficult to live up to in our world.

So why is it so hard to be unique? For some, it's not; they simply seem to stand out, whether from the sheer power of the presence, or the way that they act around others. For others, we often attempt to use all sorts of other means to draw attention to us according to what we wish to portray ourselves as. The girl in the header image has a colored mohawk, and, if I didn't know that that image was photoshopped, I'd have told you that she was likely showing off disdain for common beliefs of beauty, and showing off her free personality. (It wasn't me that did the photoshopping.) Of course, doing things which shows off your personality, typically is an act of being unique, and, to a degree, often gets you noticed.

Perhaps a more first hand example is myself. My appearance is an effective analogy for my personality, both in the way that I keep to no specific style, sample many, and change it often. In this year alone I had hair long enough to nearly cover my neck and a beard that would make a hermit proud, as well as what is now the style you can find in the graphics all over this blog. (If, perhaps, I try to keep my hair a tad shorter on occasion.) Of course, regardless of how my hair is, or what style I am currently trying, I always ensure to be immaculately dressed because, well, it's awesome looking good. (Teehee)

In the past I've walked around a shopping center in a gangster get-up, complete with Waist-Coat, Trenchcoat and even a Fedora. (A white one with colored feathers for flare.) It was difficult for me to stop laughing at the everyone kept looking at me, and I'm fairly certain mothers actually hid their kids when they saw me coming. Probably didn't help that I hadn't shaved and so looked positively wolf-like in my stylishly shady getup.

In any case, moving back to topic, you can see that I've mastered the art of sticking out like a sore thumb for laughs. However, some people often wonder, despite doing things like that, why they seem to attract little more than passing glances as a result. The answer comes in the form of a somewhat poetic statement I came up with in a conversation a while ago. "In a world where so many people seek to be heard, only the loudest voices are heard above the crowd."

You see, the problem is not that most people are too boring to be noticed, but more that there are too many interesting people for each one to be noticed. At least not in the way they like. I should point out that few people are ever completely ignored in the world, they often just choose to dismiss the attention that they do receive. (I had a temptation to make a joke about accountants not being included in this rule... but that would be mean. Heehee)

That sums that statement up fairly well. Image is from http://www.explodingdog.com/title/justremb.html

There are 7 billion people in the world, a fair deal of which are trying to seem like someone different than the other billions of people. Certainly a difficult things to do by any measure of the stick. Still, like anything in life, determination and perseverance can see you there if you're looking to be someone big, and a little bit of thought and self-confidence can have you standing out in whichever ways you want. (Like colored mohawks. I hear those are fashionable these days.)

So if you ever feel like you're being ignored, just take into account that Will Smith has 3 kids, keep your head up high, and just do the things that make you feel like you are behaving the most like yourself. I often say that confidence is everything, mostly because it is. One of the most important things I ever realized in my growth from a timid and introverted person into a largely GREGarious and extroverted person, is that pretending is not pointless, it's just practice. I found that I would often pretend to be a very outgoing and friendly person, and eventually, I got so used to it that it became who I actually am today. So keep that in mind if you aren't happy with who are. Pretend to be somebody you are happy to be. It helps.

In any case, I hope that you have enjoyed yet another insight into the strange way that my mind works; or maybe found something interesting to consider while you think about who you are, and who you would like to be. If you think that I should have added something, or simply wish to tell a story of your own about how you portrayed your own unique persona to the world, make sure to do so in the comments section below or by talking to me on Facebook and Twitter, (as seems to be the preference.) I always enjoy hearing what you have to say about these posts and discussions. If you have any other friends wondering about who they are or want to be, perhaps consider sharing this with them. They might appreciate the incite into how the world works. Of course, if you would like to read more articles like this one, make sure to like my Facebook page and/or follow me on Twitter so that you can get the latest articles, as I post them. Regardless of what you do, I thank you for taking the time to read this article; hope that you have/had an absolutely FANTASTIC day, and I will speak again tomorrow.

Vale amicis meis.

Philosophy Friday - Happiness and Positivity

Hello and welcome to a somewhat late Philosophy Friday; the day of the week where I talk about the strange serious tone I seem to have picked up as a blogger, and why being happy is awesome.

Because nothing says happy and positive like a Pink haired unicorn wearing armor. (Teehee) Come back on Tuesday next week to find out where said Unicorn is from.

Happy people are awesome people. How do people stay happy? I could be wrong, but I think positivist play a rather large role in it. You ever seen someone smile after saying; "Were all gonna die..." and meaning it? Lets talk about that.

Before I start thought, let me preface the idea behind the article. A friend of mine who reads my blog pointed out that I've become rather somewhat serious in tone lately with my articles, with far less joking and lightheartedness than I'd actually like. A large point of this blog is that I'm seeking a balance between being informative and interesting, while also fairly entertaining. While I can manage that in person easily, it's admittedly an interesting challenge in letters and words. Unfortunately, as I pointed out to my friend, I have been having something of a rough patch in my life, and that has, inadvertently, bled through into my writing. I won't apologize for it, since it's unrealistic to expect anyone to be perfectly happy all the time, but I shall endeavor to bring the joy back from now on.

So, having said that, I thought it was as good a reason as any to talk about why happy people are awesome, and some of the things that typically make for a happy person. (Apart from armored unicorns. Those are so obviously awesome, they don't even need to be mentioned.)

So; what makes a happy person? If we consult the expertly drawn graph I made below, I believe that we can ascertain three visible things which define a happy person.

No need to tell me; I already know how fantastic my drawing skills are.

To summarize; a smile, lots of talking and singing and moves like jagger... I mean swagger... No wait... You know what I mean. Shoulders back, protruding chest, etc. So how does one be happy? Well, there's a there are a lot of things someone can do which may or may not work. Google is your friend if you're really down on ideas, but I find that there are two things that make me a happy person mainly. (Sadly not a pet unicorn though, as much as that would make me happy.*sadface*)

Those two things, are positivity and confidence. Although they are largely the same thing in terms of myself. Other people would tell you the things that make you happy are your family or your religion or any number of other things which; don't get me wrong, can be large factors in your happiness and maybe are key to it for some people; but for me, they were never quite good enough to maintain a happy disposition.

For a long time I was a fairly morose individual, not precisely the funnest person to be around. I was not confident, nor was I positive. I was as defeatist as they came, and would probably have let anyone walk all over me, which they did on occasion. That changed, however, when I finally had a reason to be confident in myself. Turns out, school awards aren't quite as meaningless as they sound. (And things like "Team Award"  sound pretty damn meaningless.) Something I've mentioned a couple of times on this blog is how I started acting and the successes that followed from that. That and my selection as a prefect at school are both what largely gave me the confidence to change as a person; which obviously made me into a happier person.

Something I often say to people, is if they had to meet who I was before all that happened, they would not recognize who I am now with who I was then. From a quiet and timid individual who expected nothing great from them-self, I grew into a confident person from the recognition of my abilities, and thereby a positive person as I grew to believe in what I was able to do. It's an epiphany that likely comes rarely in one's life, but, I think, a great one to help people to grow and mature as people.

So happiness and postivity, fed by confidence. Self-belief is a very important factor in happiness. Quite simply, how can you be happy, if you don't think you can do anything that would make you happy? (If they existed, Unicorns would be a legitimate answer.) So if you're feeling down, consider the great things you've done in your life, and how you know that you have the ability to do so again. Feeling like you can do what you put you mind to is one of the greatest feelings in the world, and when you feel like that, even the non-existence of unicorns can't bring you down.

In any case, I hope that you have found something meaningful in today's (tonight's) post, and perhaps at least appreciate my attempt to bring some lightheartedness to a somewhat serious subject. If you do or did, make sure to let me know about it in the comments below so that I can know to keep at it. Also, make sure to share this any friends of yours who may be lacking in self-confidence. Maybe it'll give them what they need to feel better about themselves. And of course, if you really enjoyed reading this and would like to read more like it, make sure to like my Facebook page and/or follow me on Twitter using the associated buttons on the bar to the right so that you can get the latest posts, as they are posted. Lastly, I thank you for taking the time to read this, hope you have/had an absolutely FANTASTIC day, and will speak again tomorrow.

Goodnight my friends.

Philosophy Friday - Hard Work And Perseverance

Hello and welcome to Philosophy Friday; that day of the week where I discuss the importance of hard work, and why parents are stopping their kids from learning why.

Anvil, hammer and blacksmith, because nothing hammers out the stereotype of hard work like a burly man beating metal until it has a use.

If you've ever accomplished something of note in your life, you've likely had to do one of two things. To learn the value of hard work and perseverance, or be pretty damn lucky. As obvious an idea, (and ideal), as it seems, it is not actually as readily apparent to everyone as you would expect. Lets talk about why that is.

Some people think life is easy, which, admittedly, is understandable in our modern era. You may be wondering why I say that and, to be honest, the answer is fairly typical of much that I blog about. Personal experience. Having grown up in the ideals and social climate of our times, it comes as little surprise to me how undervalued hard work and perseverance is. In terms of those moving through the education system, as I had been until only just a year ago, everything is done for the children up to that point. There's no need to learn to persevere when you're required by law to go to school. There's no reason to work hard when the reason for effort is not immediately apparent.

Something the older generations often appear to forget is the difference in perceptions between generations. Those who run the education system understand it's necessity and value, as well as it's importance for getting into university, having been through those experiences. Those who have known nothing but school their entire life, don't have that understanding nor the maturity to understand that things cannot remain stagnant. By the time I realized that if I didn't work hard at school, I wouldn't get into university; it was late enough to become a MASSIVE stress in my life, to the point of having heart palpitations. (I suspect I'm not the only one that happened to either.)

Effectively, children are so forced into what they are doing and largely thought for, that they lack the actual skills to properly survive once the education system spits them out on the other side. A common phrase I heard from my peers usually was that "School teaches you so many things, except for everything you actually need to know." Which is not at all an inaccurate statement. Lessons such as how to pay taxes, the dangers of credit, and why hard work is necessary are something that no school teaches and parents oft refrain from as well, stating that their "children need to be shielded from the world."

As nice as that sounds, it's not helping your kids. Think in terms of the calluses on your skin. They develop because the skin is hurt frequently, and stop the skin from being hurt as a result of their growth. So if hard work hurts your kid, how are they supposed to ever grow to deal with it when the parent is no longer there to shield them? Simply: they can't. Some life lessons can only be learnt through experience, and the unfortunate reality is that social norms are making it too difficult for children to learn them and thereby grow into productive members of society. (And that is sad as all hell. *facedesk*)

Anyone who has ever achieved anything can understand that the only way anything of true value is obtained is through hard work and perseverance. Rome was not built in a day, but it was built off the daily labor of those seeking to eventually see the beautiful city in it's finished state. That doesn't happen with people that have never known anything that hasn't been done for them.

I fear for the future generations of children who grow in vacuums of safety, only to be unceremoniously dumped into the harsh realities of the world. You really want to entrust the planets future to slackers? *shivers* I sincerely believe that change needs to happen to help people to help themselves; and that can only happen, ironically, through education. Much as I loathe the idea, parenting classes in schools, (and maybe life classes for doing things like paying taxes), would be an exceedingly good idea in terms of improving the general work ethics and morals of future generations, and make life not so difficult once we have to think for ourselves. 

In any case, change can only happen once people understand the need for it; thought it might not happen any time soon. Thank you for taking the time to read today's blog post and don't forget to leave a comment if you have anything to add about the development of children in today's world, or anything in general. If you think that this is a fair argument and believe more people should become aware of this as an emerging social issue, then please share this with those you think should know as well. If you would like to see more interesting social discussions like this, then don't forget to like my Facebook page and/or follow me on Twitter using the associated buttons on the bar to your right. Regardless of what you do, I hope that you have/had an FANTASTIC day, and I will see you tomorrow.

Farewell my friends.

Philosophy Friday - Obligations (And Promises)

Hello and welcome to Philosophy Friday; that day of the week where I talk about the importance of Obligations and Promises, and the interesting facts behind why people break or keep them.

Diamond rings are pretty. So are promises. It's a shame to break either of them...

You ever told anyone you were going to do something but didn't follow through? More than likely; Humans are very flawed beings. Flaws are forgivable though, being undependable by choice; less so. If you think obligations and promises are something worth keeping to, then you might find this post to be of interest.

I'm going to preface this post before I get into the interesting philosophical discussions I like having on Friday's by saying that I am by no means preaching, nor am I judging other people. I make a point of being one of the least judgmental people you can meet, and am always happy to greet and talk to anyone and give them a chance. As such what I am about to discuss is more relevant to my own beliefs and ideals than anything else, (However naive they may possibly be), and should by no means be considered an attack on anyone who doesn't agree with those beliefs or ideals.

So, that said; Obligations and Promises. The necessities of civil and social life. Don't believe me? When you sign a contract, that is essentially a written promise and set of obligations. So what if every single person that's ever signed a contract decided to ignore their obligations? That's no more workers anywhere, people will go around talking about things they shouldn't, things like laws would be ignored as well (scary thought that), and things like basic provisions for your house like refuse removal and utilities would likely stop working very quickly. So yes, Obligations and Promises are rather important. (Unless of course you live by yourself in a cave somewhere... but then, how are you reading this?)

Having established the need for them in everyone's life, what about on a more personal level? Well, there have been a few low points in my life where my obligations where all that had me getting up in the morning. For me, obligations mean that somebody is depending on you, and bearing in mind that my personality is largely based on altruism, I don't like letting people down. So obligations not only helped those I promised to work for, but it gave me the motivation to be productive with my life. (Much like this blog does for me now.) Not to mention, if you get a kick out of making people happy, following through on obligations is like an addiction. There's also the benefit that people are far more willing to like/help you when you help them, so that's always a plus.

So here's the question: Why do people not follow through with obligations and promises? Perhaps as is usual, I'm of a select few that belief obligations and promises are as important as I have just stated them to be. This would be a good explanation... but then, how is civilization being maintained. Seven billion people would require a fair amount of cooperation to maintain in civilization; So that seems unlikely.
What is likely is that promises being broken are those which are perceived by the average person as "unimportant". Law can get you arrested. Contracts can see your wallet hurt significantly. But offering to help someone? Or perhaps a wedding vow to never be guilty of infidelity? What are the worst possible consequences of those issues? Divorce, someone yelling at you, or maybe even nothing. In the minds of people who do not consider promises to be important, the pro's certainly outweigh the cons.

An unfortunate reality is that if the promises or obligations do not benefit the person, and there are no perceivable consequences beyond those that other people may feel, than some people see that as reason enough to ignore them. A shame, but nobody is perfect. All humans are flawed in some manner; and are all the more interesting as people for it. While I do find it a shame personally that things of such importance as marriage vows and promises of similar prestige would be discarded so easily, it's not my place to tell anyone they shouldn't be doing that, as that would be highly hypocritical in terms of my liberal beliefs. That doesn't mean I won't strive to at least myself never be an example of what I don't like. My word is my honor, so when I say something, I do it. (Which is why I continue to blog every day by the way.)

In any case, it will be interesting to see how the world continues to change in the future, and how people develop in their ways of interacting with each other. Perhaps it will be completely different one day, and I will end up writing a blog post about how nice people are. I'll probably do that anyways though. There are fantastic people out there and there are not fantastic people out there; a description which will likely always remain correct.

Regardless, I hope that you have found something of interest to think about from this post. If you have something you wish to add, please consider doing so in the comments below and perhaps consider sharing this with other fellow thinker types that you may be friends with. Perhaps they will enjoy considering this same topic. If you enjoy the posts I write, or just think I'm funny, please consider liking my Facebook page or following me on Twitter with the associated button on the bar to the right. Either way, I hope you have/had an AWESOME day, and I will see you tomorrow.

Farewell friends.

Philosophy Friday - A kind word and a smile

Hello and welcome to a short Philosophy Friday. The day where I mention some good things I saw today, and then leave abruptly mid sentence because I'm so... *leaves*

This may or may not also be the logo for happy pills.

Friendliness is a good thing. So are smiles. What's even better? Both. I've spent the past 2 days with a good friend of mine playing games (Call of Duty if you're curious), moving furniture and driving around to various scenic locations. (read: shops)

To be honest; we were playing games far too late into the morning for me to write a thought provoking post today, but I figured those of you who come by daily deserve at least something for your troubles. So what better to talk about than my experience from these few days. 

This friend that I was with in particular is perhaps one of the friendliest people around. Always happy to strike a conversation with anyone, regardless of position or mood, and make them smile and laugh. Always full of humor and a smiling; it's a pure delight to be around him and to see the way he interacts with the people around him. And that's what I'm talking about. The disposition of those he talks to immediately changes to a happier, more lighthearted smile and their eyes light up at the fact that for once, someone spoke to them like a fellow human instead of just someone that has to be dealt with.

Friendliness, and even just a smile, can improve someones day drastically. So even though I may not have anything personally philosophic to suggest, or even original. What I can say is that the world is definitely a better place for having people like my friend in it and it would do far better to have more of such people. Perhaps even you can be one. It's not difficult. The occasional smile and small talk to the shop cashier or a friendly greeting for a neighbor is often more than enough to make what can often be a sad and depressing world seem that much happier.

I can certainly appreciate how difficult it can be to muster up the will to smile on a sad day, but nobody is alone in that struggle. Life is hard, most certainly, but I believe that if with some effort, life can be made easier to live for anyone willing to put that effort in. All it will take is people like my friend, people like me and people like you to do it. (And I do honestly hope we do, there's little better to see than the happiness of others. At least for me at any rate.)

As always, thank you for reading and don't forget to leave any suggestions or questions in the comments below. Perhaps even share this with someone who feels like they're wasting their time being nice to people. Either way, that's enough from me for today, and I hope you've had/have and AWESOME day. 

Later friends.

Philosophy Friday - Miracles

Hello and welcome to the first Philosophy Friday. The day where I ditch complete humor to talk about profound stuff and make epiphanies... Sometimes, preferably while being funny.

My eventual forearm tattoo

So. Philosophy. That's a fun topic... Perfect for sounding wise, no? Eh, if not, who cares. It's still fun to talk about. Do note that what I talk about below is just personal opinion and in no way meant to offend or belittle. A few days ago I posted the first Madness Monday post which involved a list of inspirational quotes, one of which, you may have noted, was attributed to me. (yes, I'm so cool I quote myself. :D )

The quote goes as follows: "What are miracles but the extraordinary acts of ordinary men?" It's an interesting question that occurred to me a few years ago as an axiom in the argument of fate and destiny. (Yay, a reason to use the word "Axiom") Just so that you as the readers understand what I'm talking about, allow me to quickly define what I'm personally talking about when I talk about fate and destiny.

• Fate: Preordained events that are guaranteed to occur. This is effectively the idea that everything that feels like a choice you may be making is actually guaranteed to have happened. It's the based on the idea that "Free Will" is simply an illusion and that in the same situation under the same circumstances, we would always make the same choice. (Personally, I find this idea rather depressing.)
• Destiny: Events which you were born or made for, but are by no means bound to. The concept behind this being that there may be an intended purpose for your existence, however you maintain free will in your life and may never life up to this purpose. (A preferably existence in my opinion, being that you can choose your own fate.)

So now, how does this tie in to the aforementioned quote? Well, many would argue that miracles are the acts of Gods or other similarly omnipotent beings. Which, for all we know, they just may be in some way? 

(This may be a fair place to note that I am speaking both in conjecture and subjectively in terms of my personal views. I can be, and probably am wrong, but part of being human is being able to be wrong.)

So to begin my argument, I ask, how do you attribute the actions of one person to the actions of another? I have heard many times a friend say something along the lines of: "Hooray, I passed my exams all thanks to the glory of God." or something similar. I do not blame them, (after all, I think everyone needs something to believe in.), however, I must question how they think that their studying and mental ability was not the cause for their success, in the stead of God? To which they may argue that He either: A: Was the motivation for their success; B: The person who gave them the mental alacrity required to exceed expectation; or simply both.

In my opinion, those are both fair arguments as they cannot be debunked and as such legitimate in the face of no counterarguments. "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." However, the argument begins to fall apart in the case of when they begin to attribute the actions of another being to Him. I have had several people of religious inclination be boggled by my belief in forgiveness and my wish to help others, despite my near complete lack of faith in anything more than myself. They argue that "I must surely be a miracle of God" to so willingly help even those that would hurt me.

That would be a fair argument, if I were a tool. Unfortunately, I personally believe in two things. Destiny, and myself. I choose to do these things, I choose to forgive and help. So how can my actions be "by the grace of God" when I'm not a religious person? That it something I cannot truly answer. There is no way to say who is wrong, and who is right. However, what I can say, is that the businessman who stops on his way to work to help you change a tire, or the lady that buys food for children on the street despite being hard up for cash herself, are not accidents or chance happenings. People do as they do, and for some, what they do is seen as miracles by others, either gifts from God, or gifts from man. The definition matters not, simply that miracles occur when the ordinary man or woman decides to take the time out of their lives to do something extraordinary.

I often find that media these days is an often overlooked source of wisdom. Years ago I watched the movie "Bruce Almighty" starring Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman. In that movie, the line "You want a miracle? Be the miracle." is said. And that my friends, is how I have always lived my life. By taking the time out to help when I can. And honestly, it is a rewarding way for me to live in simply the contentment I find in the joy of those I've helped. That is enough reward for me.

Anyways, I hope that I have given you something of interest to consider, or at least hopefully not bored you to death. Thank you for reading and, as always, have an AWESOME day.

Auf wiedersehen meine freunde.