The Observer

Dear Reader

A wise mentor of mine told me today to resist the urge to see others as “stupid robotic inferiors” and to learn from them, to make a conscious attempt to view the world through different perspectives.

This is difficult for me to do.  I know that in some of my writings, I may come off as arrogant, encouraging you to put conscious thought above all else, urging you to resist becoming the unthinking human, the robot who follows and does not listen, the one who watches with blind eyes the happenings of the world but refuses to analyze them…

 These people that I urge you not to be are part of your journey, and you can learn from them.  After all, they are human, and as much as you may not like to admit it, so are you.  And so am I.  i can tell you, I don’t like to admit it.  Watch them.  Place yourself in a position where you can see the people around you through an enlightened perspective.  This is a place where you aren’t hurt easily; a place where you are armed with the knowledge of who you are.  In watching others, in observation, we can learn from them.  We can learn who not to be, we can learn new modes of thinking that may very well change our lives, we can learn more about our own minds, for there are things within our minds that we may not have discovered yet.

Many see my words and claim I urge you to be like me, but by no means am I a final product, or even something to model oneself after.  I want to stress to you that I’m in the same place you may be.  I struggle with myself.  I wage war inside my head, between different philosophies, between what is and is not my self.  I’m on a journey of discovery, just as many of you may be.  I’m discovering my mind as I go, creating new ideas, throwing out old ones to replace them with those sturdier, fortified with beliefs and truths I’ve come upon.  The mind is in a constant state of motion: changing, transforming, and hopefully becoming more and more beautiful, being closer to identifying its vessel.

Our lives are dependent on healthy self improvement, on making oneself all he or she can be.  To be completely distant, to avoid observing your fellow human beings, to avoid empathy and compassion for those who want it is dooming yourself to learn from only yourself.  With your own mind as the only source of knowledge, you will never reach your full potential.  It is only by observing the world around us that we are able to grow.  For upon realizing what we are not, we can come to the educated and enlightening conclusion of what we are.

Dear Reader

Do you know yourself?  Truly?  I view the human mind as a puzzle.  It’s a metaphor that works well for me, because it’s how my mind has developed.  At the beginning of life, the puzzle in your head is in pieces.  You see everything around you in a random mess of visions and colors that assault your senses, attract you.  Soon, you begin to associate them with other images.  You begin putting the pieces together.  Through your life, there have probably been times when you attempted to force pieces into places they aren’t meant to go, attempting to make your puzzle look like others say it should look.  The orthodox puzzle of the average human being is black and white.  This is what society wants you to be.  In some instances, this is what your peers want you to be.  Black and white, understandable, easy to relate to, etc. 

Your puzzle will never be complete, for as you age and grow more mature, your mind matures with you.  You begin to find yourself, building upon the puzzle, making it more and more beautiful.  You find your passions and your philosophies, fitting the pieces perfectly and always being surprised at the tight sense of security it gives you.  Don’t despair, but you will never be perfect.  I have to tell myself this day in and day out.  I have to remind myself that the thing that I seek will never be available, will always remain just out of reach.  The puzzle that is your mind can grow.  It can become beautiful.  Let it happen. 

In the same way, it is okay to simply not know.  There are many people who believe that in order to be a philosopher, a thinker, you need to know for certain your opinions on that which is not absolute.  You need to know how you accept yourself, how coming to being is achieved.  This is a lie.  Uncertainty is the empty space in which philosophy levitates.  Uncertainty brings questions.  Questions prompt us to explore our minds and the minds of others, to explore our world for the answer.  This conscious thought is philosophy.  If nothing was uncertain, there would be no questions.  What then would we think about?  What would keep us up at night, musing at the stars above our heads?  Keep building your puzzle.  Accept the fact that it will never be finished.  Accept it and grow upon it.  It is beautiful.

The Observer

Dear Reader (who is not yet in existence)

Dearest reader, I want to express to you my goals in our relationship.  In your reading, you accept this relationship.  It is not a binding one, for you can stop reading at any time, and yet, it is an intriguing one.  For through my words and your eyes, we are connected.  I promise to take care of you as best as I can.  My goal in writing is to open your eyes, and perhaps, through the process, you can help to open mine.  I want to tune your senses, to make you think.  Truly think, not think about grades or work or the required thoughts that society imposes on all of us.  i want to make you think of the ant that crosses your path, but a little spot of ink on the grey parchment of sidewalk.  I want you to think of a leaf falling from a tree and the beauty it contains as it tumbles over itself.  Beauty is all around you.  If you learn to recognize it, to appreciate it for what it is and make it part of yourself, your mind will thank you.  

In order to do this, I will share with you my thoughts.  If this goes as well as planned (What ever goes as well as planned) we can start a community of thinkers.  Your mind is the most important tool you have.  It sickens me to see those who live their lives without any conscious thought.  They walk to their next destination like robots, following orders, spending money, eat, sleep, etc.  They have no philosophy of their life, no purpose for living than to simply continue.  We are different than them, fellow observers.  We contain the philosophical insights of the world.  Do not dismiss this as arrogance, but let it happen.  Let your mind believe in itself, for it can overcome the monotony of daily life.  Through each other, through conversation and debate and protest, we can achieve conscious thought the way it is meant to be achieved.

The Observer