<NOTE: this was originally just a
reply to an earlier message of Ewa's, but it got more interesting than that,
ergo the above title, enjoy!>
Well, 'tis no great feat to learn a
small bit of Polish, languages have a tendency to sort of creep upon me, even
the ones that I don't much favor, like Spanish <shiver>, Japanese
<shorrors>, and French <shudder>. My favorites are my native "Texan
English", Classical Latin, Polish, and Old English. As an old friend of mine
once put it, I collect languages like other men collect coins. At least I like
to think so! Though really my vocabulary in most languages surpasses my ability
to actually speak them or have conversations in them.
Like I said in a recent message to
the list, I no longer claim the title of list philosopher. Though I'm very
willing to prove my philosophical side if given an apt subject.
To answer the question of just what
it is for which our life exists, I would say that there is not a reason, not a
meaning, because there is no all-controlling force to give it any meaning or
purpose or reason. Evolutionarily speaking, each individual exists merely for
the purpose of continuing his genes in to an other generation, which in turn
attempts to continue those genes, if they are strong enough to out-do their
competition. (Un?)Fortunately, we humans have developed mental power beyond that
of our lower ancestors, to the point where we have conceiced of the brilliant
concept of "I." Now, this is a very interesting and downright ingenious concept
when one truly thinks of it. Outside of humans and our very close primate
relatives (I'm thinking chimpanzees, gorillas, et cetera), only dolphins and
ravens have ever been shown to demonstrate any feeling of individuality. All
other animals "think" of themselves entirely in terms of "I" am hungry, "I" am
in pain, et cetera. The most complex thought that most animals (excluding apes,
dolphins, and as a matter of course my patron corvid friends, which go somewhat
beyond this) ever ratiocinate is the memory of some event connected with a
particular location, or other animal such as "There is an armadillo that lives
in that hole." But a man can think beyond such things, and can tell himself
quite confidently, that "he" is totally separate from all others, that "he" is
"unique" (peculiarity's being itself a grand concept). This is what truly
separates us from animals - insight; "in+sight", the ability to see within as
well as without ourselves. It is just this insight that makes man, in awareness
(even if subconscious awareness) of the lack of true meaning in his life, want
to create a meaning for it. This moment in our noetic revolution was the pivotal
point, the climax if one wills it, of human history. It is from this epiphanic
ratiocination (that one's got a nice ring to it, eh?) that man proceeded to
fabricate his religions, his governments, his sciences, his wars. So the meaning
in your life is nonexistent. To the suicidally-inclined members of our fair
list, that's not encouragement - I imagine that death hurts. :) I just mean that
people "search" in vain for a "meaning" that is not there (such a thing as a
meaning can not be seen, heard, smelt, tasted, or felt primvm dvm, ergo one
is searching for that which can not be found primvm dvm). To quote the
olden lay, "...nothing is forever, not life, not love, not death, or loss.
Only change is eternal, and only destruction can the seed of creation
form...for only in acceptance of mortality will you learn the secrets of
immortality...". Id est vocare, 'tis the very realization of the finitude and
lack of verifiable "meaning" in our lives that prompts us to live forever in an
other sense, to make our mark in this world, not in a hypothetical
afterlife.
<sitting back in satisfaction>
Yep, they don't call me the best for naught...
The only reason that I put quotation
marks around "real" in relation to the C.A.P.P.F.W. was to make a subtle
philosophical point (yeah, right, but it sounds good come to think of it now) -
what is "real?" 'Twas a satire of your question regarding whether or not 'twas
an actual organization.
And that is an excellent quotation!
I will certainly use that in the future, dziekuje Ewa, &
dobranoc.
'Smatter o' course, anyone else that
feels like it can jump in on this thread any time that they feel (Jim? Steve?
Nightstorm? Don't leave me hanging guys...).
Jackson Wade Crawford - The Raven of Texas/ Corvvs Texanis/ Kruk
Teksasu
International Director, Corvist Association for the Preservation and
Perpetuation of Free Will