Incompatible Notions

       “Oh, 'twould be marvelous if the world and its moral questions were like some game board, with plain black players and white, and fixed rules, and nary a shade of grey.”― Glen Cook

       Simplicity. Structure. Sagacity…

       You might be rather confused – and somewhat amused – by this apparently random array of words.  Three unrelated, incompatible notions.  

       Let me give you a hint: they are just that – notions. They are simple illusions, conveniences we have conjured up in our attempt to define and subdue, and control the chaos and chance, and shades of grey that are usually our lives.

       You have all heard, I have no doubt, an almost endless procession of delightful, motivational stories and speeches. And I know how urgently we need such words of comfort and hope. We are all human – or try to be, at the very least. When we feel lost and confused, which – if I you really think about it – is most of the time, we need them. When it seems that our lives are to be spent stumbling through darkness in search of that single shred of clarity, we need them.

       It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that those apparently random words – the unrelated, incompatible notions – are in fact central to our lives. Illusions are the path to humanity; they are the wings in our ascent and the rope in our fall. They help us – and they help us come to the aid of others.

       Our illusions, ultimately, define who we are. For no dream was ever born of seeing the world only for what it is.      

A Matter of Perception

       ‘...as neere is Fancie to Beautie, as the pricke to the Rose, as the stalke to the rynde, as the earth to the roote.’ – John Lyly

       Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, they say… If the verity of that statement is accepted as final, then the logical extrapolation would consist of fascinating conclusions – exempli gratia, truth is subjective. So is morality. So is each and every ideal our species has given rise to over the centuries.

       This irrefutable relativity of our perception has significant consequences. Indeed, the way we choose to see this world is a prominent source of ambiguity: from it stem both personal miscalculations and global dilemmas. 

       Yet, if this path of logic is pursued, we may also safely assume that our choices, opinions, ideas and motives do have certain importance – they entail implications for at least one person, ergo they matter.

       Which probably means that – the chances are – someone, somewhere actually gives a damn about what you think. They are also likely to be interested in you as a person – at least on a very broad, general level. A logical inference of this possibility is the fact that you are not alone.

        Loneliness is, after all, simply a matter of perception.      

The Obligations Profusion

       ‘They steal our yesterdays and leave us no youth but that of our children…’ - Glen Cook

       There is an increasingly insufficient selection of means through which I may expound upon the dwindling number of restful moments I have been capable of seizing from the wretched and decadent structure of measuring the progression of Life.

       Or if I may vocalise this in a different manner – there is too much I have to do at this moment, and I don’t have the time to boost my self-esteem with the writing of this blog. Speaking of which… I’ve got to run – no time.

       Addendum: I hope you enjoyed the incredibly droll first paragraph (after the quotation). I cackled like a mad man while writing it – at its exaggeratedly superfluous and resolutely meaningless attempt to get a point across.        

The Confidence Insufficiency

‘Only as high as I reach can I grow,

Only as far as I seek can I go,

Only as deep as I look can I see,

Only as much as I dream can I be.’ 

       – Karen Ravn

       Confidence begins with the self…

       Let us embark on a journey of conjecture, shall we? Let us say that you try hard to do your very best each and every day… However, it’s highly likely that you will fail to bring about the reality of your dreams.

       But worry not – the board is not set against you, the system is not rigged, there is no grand conspiracy to keep you miserable. That would imply that the world actually gives a damn…

       Still with me? If you are, then you probably possess the same general lack of faith in our fellow human beings. As a logical – and natural – consequence of that, you may also be experiencing acute depression and extreme despair.

       If you do, it might be said, with some assurance, that you care far too much. (I don’t mean to portray that as a character flaw, mind you.) I know I do – I sit and ponder, and drown within the depths of the complex webs of understanding (or the lack thereof).

       What happens, I find myself wondering, when the best you can do, the very best you could ever achieve in a certain situation, is simply not good enough? When you endure each and every challenge this world has to offer you? When you go above and beyond what is expected... and then still remain irrelevant, your efforts – in vain, your dreams – shattered, broken? Are there no boundaries to the ability of the human spirit to persevere?

       Should it so happen that you find an answer to any of those troubling questions, do share it with my humble person, will you?

       Finally, I feel I must say this… If you still think everything is coloured in shades of grey – do consider not doing that. You might want to embrace a more optimistic perspective.

       Confidence begins with the self, remember?