Pointlessly.org » Readings

The Overindulgence of Mindless Activities

Ros — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:47:06 +0000

Today, I came to the realization that relative to my time spent on things, I do not spend enough time reading for myself — reading books on my own to-read list, reading up on current news/events in the political, social, and economic spheres…

While I give myself credit for the overloaded class + extracurricular schedule I always have for myself, relative to my own time management and time-spent-on-other-things, I could totally be reading “for myself”…it’s just that I choose not to. One “excuse”/reason is that many books I do want to read tend to be nonfiction (thus usually more ‘dense’/educational)…which makes this type of reading similar to the types of readings I have to do for my classes (so then it’s as if I never get a break), but it honestly is NOT an excuse.

I started to think about how much I used to read through middle school and the first half of high school… And I realized that partially, it was because I really did not watch TV. Nowadays, I’m following TOO many shows for my own good and perhaps spending too much time socializing on weekends… And that’s when I realized/decided that this type of hedonistic lifestyle I’ve adopted for myself during my free time isn’t really what I want for myself. Or is it?

I watch so many TV shows and indulge in mindless activities…all of this only makes me a victim fallen prey to our escapist-, entertainment-obsessed society that I too criticize. I mean, while I am not watching TV shows/indulging in mindless activities, I know it’s not like I’m “wasting my life away” and being unproductive, but when I do have the “free time,” I AM being “unproductive.” Perhaps we all need the “mindlessness” of such activities and the escapism into worlds that are not our own — but when done in excess it becomes a dangerous lifestyle, at least for myself.

I always used to justify my love for mindless things, such as watching chick flicks, watching trashy TV shows, watching non-trashy-but-purely-entertainment-based TV shows, etc. by saying it is one of the few times my poor, over-analytical and over-evaluative brain gets to rest… Maybe it’s true. But it does not serve as an excuse!!!

Anyway…this has been probably one of my more pointless rambles… Just documenting my “journey” of attempts for self-improvement, don’t mind me…

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Short paper on Daoism

Ros — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:56:18 +0000

I wrote a response paper for a Chinese literature (taught and read in English) class earlier this year on Daoism, because we had read Laozi’s Daodejing and a portion of the Zhuang-zi. After reading the primary texts (or at least a part of it), I’d have to say I definitely made too broad of assumptions (if they were assumptions at all to begin with) in my religion paper I wrote on Daoism my senior year of high school (see Religion Paper Excerpts). I just think it’s interesting how my views on Daoism have changed. Obviously, I’m not suggesting I completely understand it, but from what I’ve read, this is just my own interpretation, which is all that matters for me, right?

Anyway, just thought I’d post this up… I also have it in PDF form, with the sources cited. Otherwise, here it is–

The Zhuang-zi and Laozi texts attempt to identify human’s vain desires for materialistic goods and temporal values, and in turn, suggest an alternative – the Way of the sage. Both texts are filled with contradiction after contradiction, paradox after paradox, all of which amount to one conclusion: that there is no answer, and that in itself is the answer.

Both Zhuangzi and “Laozi” highlight the emphasis humans place on fleeting values and tangible goods, such as wealth and jade. Laozi states that when the Way weakened, humaneness, rightness, intelligence, and wisdom emerged (84); he juxtaposes the Way with concepts that humans and society define as “good.” Zhuangzi, likewise, criticizes “knowledge,” arguing that human’s quest for knowledge triggered division and the “so’s and not sos’s” (117). Zhuangzi and Laozi’s critiques of human values stem from their argument that everything in the universe is constantly changing and transforming, and thus “the placement of value distinctions…[are] merely fleeting moments in the game of life that all come to naught” (Cook 66). Does this mean, then, that there is no point to knowledge, honor, wealth, and even virtue? What is virtue?

Zhuangzi and Laozi regard the sage as one who lives in harmony with the Way and disregards such temporal temptations and values. The ability to live amongst the paradoxes and contradictions is what Laozi characterizes as “profound virtue” (83). According to Laozi, a sage “accomplishes things by doing nothing” and furthers teaching with no words (80). The sage exists amongst ordinary men, amidst argumentation and conflict, but has the ability to consider, take positions when necessary (without argumentation), and make distinctions (Zhuangzi 119). The sage’s purpose is to harmonize with the Way as well as teach humans how to be stripped of natural desires such as ambition, knowledge, and wisdom. The sage, by doing nothing, brings society into order (Laozi 81), because “by doing nothing, nothing is left undone” (87). How does “doing nothing” result in “something”? What can be attributed to as “undone”? What is the meaning of words?

Present in both texts is a continuous play on words and strings of paradoxes. Zhuangzi presents pages and pages of dialogue about flutes, finger-pointing, there-is’s and there-isn’t’s only to say that we don’t know if we “know that what [we] call knowing is not, in fact, not knowing…[and] what [we] call not knowing is not, in fact, knowing” (Zhuangzi 119-120). The paradoxes and contradictions in the texts (and the texts themselves) become physical manifestations of the Way: ever-changing, open to interpretation, and words that may or may not mean anything and may or may not make sense.

Laozi and Zhuangzi’s manipulations of words and twisting of ideas throw the readers (like myself) in all directions, leaving me wondering what it is that Zhuangzi and Laozi are trying to convey about the Way. Only after reading the endless paradoxes and anipulation of language can I finally begin to comprehend “the wordless teaching [of the Way] and the advantage of doing nothing” (Laozi 89).

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Wow, times have changed..

Ros — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:06:36 +0000

Recently I read some of the blog entries I wrote about 1.5-2 years ago.. (all of those links under “The Girl”). And damn have I changed. Some of those entries..some of my thoughts are quite scary. Looking back, I’m not sure how I allowed such intense pessimism and cynicism to get the best of me. Damn did those feelings have such great impact on me. It’s funny because looking back and reading them, I think I could pinpoint the main thing(s) that led me to write all those different entries, and I could still remember how I felt back then..those memories are still very real, but I think I’ve learned to move on and accept certain facts (if you could call them facts) about life, and not be so hung up over things that just aren’t worth getting hung up on.

I think maybe it just didn’t quite hit me just how much my ideology and way of looking at things in life have changed until I started reading Moby Dick again for Philosophy. I remember when I first finished reading Moby Dick two years ago, how much I idolized Ahab and how much I seemed to have identified with him. A little part of me still does worship Ahab (or more, the idea of Ahab and what he stands for) and his actions, but nowadays I’d say I am much more like Ishmael if anything… and none of this probably makes sense if you haven’t read Moby Dick but if you haven’t, you should..it’s such an amazing book and the ideas in the book are just..amazing. Too much amazing’s but that’s the only word I can seem to come up with.

I think my classes this past semester have exposed me to more ideas and ways of life. I’ve realized that I shouldn’t live my life with such conviction that I become narrow-minded and closed to new and different ideas, especially those pertaining to “religion” and the principles behind religious beliefs. Yes, I am an Atheist. My core, fundamental beliefs and world views haven’t changed..those are still the same. And I still hold strong convictions about them. But that doesn’t mean I can’t open my mind to all the other ways of life, because learning and understanding different ideas makes life all the more worth living and definitely more interesting. And although I may never (and am not sure I’d be able to nor want to) understand fully all the other ideologies and ways of life, there is no harm for me in attempting to do so, right?

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Newly Added: Books Library

Ros — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:16:40 +0000

Yayyy I added a wordpress plugin for my virtual library of books I’ve read/am reading/want to read. View it here!

I didn’t add all the books I’ve read recently but I added the ones I could..they’re mainly from the past half a year to a year.

(I got internet again, can you tell?? )

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Moby Dick

Ros — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:36:56 +0000

In my philosophy class, we’re about to cover Moby Dick. I get to re-read it..and, even better, hear what my professor has to say about it. I’m so excited.

Call me a nerd if you want, but I don’t care!

I love my class.

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