Studying Buddhism has led me to ponder the essence of the conventioniality which we give significance to due to our trivial need to reify things which are really of no importance of all. My gradual analysis of things has led me to believe that most things which we give importance to are nothing more than arbitrary designations. So why would it be important to take pride in such things at all?
Some good and some bad has come from this. It doesn't really matter to give a damn about foolish pride or stubborn arrogance anymore... when I just sit and think about what is actually significant about stuff beyond the obvious, a blank usually hits as the ultimate truth. The bad though, is that this has killed a lot of my passion towards random outlets in life... its as if it killed some of my essence, that being a somewhat idealist/perfectionest drive towards anything. Some may say that snapping out of the straight line of my usual ideals would be a good thing, as "change is good", but lacking a passion for the few things which I happened to have a passion for already can lead for a pretty apathetic life.... which leads to boredom. And of course... boredom is a vice...
edit* Here is a quote I recently read out of my professor's lecture notes... it relates in an interesting way. "Part of this may be because Buddhism comes from so long ago and far away. But part of it has to do with our own way of thinking, specifically individualism. Individualism is so bred into us that we can’t think any other way. In fact, I have noticed in myself and others a certain ambivalence toward the truth for fear that it is going to tell us what to think. The very idea of truth threatens to take away our individuality. And nothing is more important to us than that. Some philosophers, like Kant, have disagreed, arguing that truth is consistent with individuality. But the idea there is still that individualism is non-negotiable, even if that individualism, in addition to being intellectually indefensible, makes us perpetually unhappy."
What is a remedy to this problem? I believe its creating joy externally; that is, creating joy within others through compassion. An approach towards life that aims only to satisfy one's self is an approach that is self spawning... one would ultimately find his personal satisfactions to be fleeting and empty. Only through instilling joy within others can one experience a true happiness... existing in a world of happiness and peace which he created...
"From what can you rob yourself of which also takes away from others?"... the inverse of this is "From what can you give to others which is also giving to yourself?"... just some food for thought.
Anybody know why philosophers hated the Matrix ideology? I thought the series was intriguing... but I don't really know much compared to like Ph.D's in philosophy and social sciences.
I have some ideas about how the "dynamic" or "static" individual can influence a relationship to create a "dynamic" or "static" relationship... but like Amy just experienced, it takes some time to elaborate upon... so I'll save it for next post : P | 
