Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tao Te Ching Ch. 2
I think this part of the Tao Te Ching is trying to explain that opposites make up the universe. For something to exist, it must have something that counteracts it. To measure the meaning of a descriptive word such as long, high, before, difficult, and being, one must be able to describe other things as their opposites: short, low, after, easy, non-being. One must also then be able to differentiate the two opposites, which is done by relative measuring. Thus, the Tao Te Ching describes a world that is measured by relativity and peoples' perceptions of a thing. When Chapter 2 talks about the "Master," it is talking about a higher power of organization that rules over all by simply playing by the rules of relativity. If a person can live according to Chapter 2 and "go with the flow of life," then that person can find the truth of life by discovering what perfect quality is based on their relative definitions of everything in the world. One must completely seperate oneself from emotions and simply act according to inclination and not worry about past actions. What has happened is, and what will happen will be, according to Chapter 2 of the Tao Te Ching.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Quotes from The Little Prince
"Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."---Here, the fox is telling the Little Prince that what is important to life are not the deeds that you do, but the emotions you get from doing those deeds. By committing acts of love, one's soul can be cleansed and pure joy in life will unfold. The fox basically tells the Little Prince that with a little care, anything he does is valuable.
"You must become responsible for what you've tamed."---The fox, again, tells the Little Prince if he makes an emotional bond and becomes attached to what he tames, the he himself is tamed by that which he tames. Therefore, he has a lingering responsibility to always care for it because he has committed to that thing emotionally.
"I would put myself on his level and talk about bridge and golf and politics and neckties. And my grown-up was glad to know such a reasonable person."---This quote embodies what the entire book is about: it is a satire/commentary on how the world is handled by adults. It looks at adult society and questions its validity. It mocks adults comprehension of seemingly useless topics of conversation and doesn't focus on questioning themselves and their way of life.
"One sees clearly only with the heart."--- Again, this quote involves one's self-recognition and discovery through emotional attachment. Once a being is tamed, there is no escaping the truth one sees in the love and care one gives its partner. The book defines true life as a discovery of one's passions and values amidst care and love given to a certain topic, thing, place, or being.
"Look up at the sky. Ask yourself, “Has the sheep eaten the flower or not?” And you’ll see how everything changes. . . . And no grown-up will ever understand how such a thing could be so important!"--- At the end, the narrator asks the reader to question a seemingly unpractical occurrence (to grown-ups that is), and he restates the purpose of the book: to show that adults do not always think outside of the box; that sometimes, simple questions can lead to thought-provoking discussions and revolutionary answers that could lead to a better understanding of the human race.
"You must become responsible for what you've tamed."---The fox, again, tells the Little Prince if he makes an emotional bond and becomes attached to what he tames, the he himself is tamed by that which he tames. Therefore, he has a lingering responsibility to always care for it because he has committed to that thing emotionally.
"I would put myself on his level and talk about bridge and golf and politics and neckties. And my grown-up was glad to know such a reasonable person."---This quote embodies what the entire book is about: it is a satire/commentary on how the world is handled by adults. It looks at adult society and questions its validity. It mocks adults comprehension of seemingly useless topics of conversation and doesn't focus on questioning themselves and their way of life.
"One sees clearly only with the heart."--- Again, this quote involves one's self-recognition and discovery through emotional attachment. Once a being is tamed, there is no escaping the truth one sees in the love and care one gives its partner. The book defines true life as a discovery of one's passions and values amidst care and love given to a certain topic, thing, place, or being.
"Look up at the sky. Ask yourself, “Has the sheep eaten the flower or not?” And you’ll see how everything changes. . . . And no grown-up will ever understand how such a thing could be so important!"--- At the end, the narrator asks the reader to question a seemingly unpractical occurrence (to grown-ups that is), and he restates the purpose of the book: to show that adults do not always think outside of the box; that sometimes, simple questions can lead to thought-provoking discussions and revolutionary answers that could lead to a better understanding of the human race.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Test
Situation: A young student recieves a test along with the rest of his classmates. He is used to doing well on tests, and his classmates are used to him doing well too. They always look at him during tests because they believe looking at him will give them the power to get answers right.
I was confident like always, and I was ready. As I recieved the test, I realized I could not understand any problems. He started to sweat as he frantically searched through the pages, seemingly unable to find a problem he could start on. He sat there knowing so much, but not knowing how to apply it anymore; it was as if his brain was full but turned off, like a car full with gas but not running will never propel its driver and passengers forward. His classmates looked at him as a fountain of power and knowledge, but they noticed that he was struggling immensely. He and they knew what had happened, over-confidence had impaired his knowledge and had turned him into a foolish failure.
I was confident like always, and I was ready. As I recieved the test, I realized I could not understand any problems. He started to sweat as he frantically searched through the pages, seemingly unable to find a problem he could start on. He sat there knowing so much, but not knowing how to apply it anymore; it was as if his brain was full but turned off, like a car full with gas but not running will never propel its driver and passengers forward. His classmates looked at him as a fountain of power and knowledge, but they noticed that he was struggling immensely. He and they knew what had happened, over-confidence had impaired his knowledge and had turned him into a foolish failure.
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