Nikola Tesla: "I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything."
When you work hard, you feel great. When you work hard and accomplish a goal you don’t need anyone to validate your hard work. The reward is enough. Extra praise is always welcome, but have you ever noticed that it is nothing more in your mind than an affirmation of the obvious?
How happy does hard work make you? Consider this, have you ever worked really hard on something and had someone come up to you and tell you, “Great job!”
If you think about this for a minute you will notice that had to restrain yourself from saying, “I know.” Even if the work was cleaning up your lawn and planting flowers, or cleaning your house you feel good when the project is complete. When your work has resulted in an invention, or the improvement or perfection of an existing object or process you feel even more joy.
Why is this? This is one of the questions I worked (There’s that work again) on for quite some time. At first it made no sense to me that working on my yard would make me feel happy. My first thought was that work makes you happy because you add value to yourself. When your lawn or your house looks better, it’s probably worth more. When your car is clean and well maintained it is perceived to have more value. The atheist, and perhaps the scientist would tell us that this is only natural. Our DNA allowed us to evolve because we value work, as it adds value to ourselves. This is just one of those issues that arises from time to time that leads me to believe science and philosophy do not mix.
I would love to be an artist. I would love to be able to paint, or draw. I cannot. I have tried. I have a logical mind, and my logic tells me that I can just practice and practice drawing until I get really good. So this is what I did. I drew eyes. For hour upon hour day after day month after month I drew eyes. I never could draw a nose, but after all of my practice, I could draw very good eyes. When I would spend a few hours on a set of eyes, I felt great. I had really accomplished something. But it added absolutely no value to me. I just thought they were visually appealing, if not quite beautiful, and I had created a set of eyes that belonged to no human being. They were my own creation.
This is the type of work that proves the point, work is good for the soul. There is a spiritual benefit to work, and a human a realistic benefit. When God created the universe he clearly created quite a few things that were not necessary for us to sustain life. Why? The very act of creation brings joy. Creation and perfection bring you joy by their very nature, but hey, if you’re not in to that, they also bring value to you. And by bringing value to you, this work also brings value to all of mankind.
Are you one of those people who feels guilty because you work hard and you are able to afford material items you do not need? Even worse, are you one of those who actually derive pleasure from luxury? Luxury is often misunderstood or deliberately described as something which it is not. Real luxury does not exist without comfort. A luxurious car often offers better safety features and reliability. This is a trade for a worthwhile product. But if the car has more comfortable seats or features, the car is a luxury. There is nothing wrong with comfort as part of your reward for hard work. But you might be surprised if I told you that this also benefits everyone. As the demand for certain comforts goes up, the price goes down, which of course benefits more people. As the price goes down, more of the product is manufactured, which creates more jobs.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
What is beauty?
Why are things beautiful
The answer may surprise you, but the logic is inescapable. This is one of those proofs that points to success in your own life, and proof of God. When you look at a great painting or sculpture why do you find it beautiful? The realist will tell you that your mind has evolved to appreciate balanced geometric patterns or shapes. But if you look at a balanced picture of modern art comprised only of triangles and squares of differing colors, you will not say it is beautiful and you will not feel it is beautiful. And you will hold no honest respect for it as art.
When you look at the great works of Rembrandt you define it as beauty. Why is this? If you look at an automobile designed to offer basic transportation and another that is designed meticulously to look beautiful and perform at a high level, you will acknowledge the beauty of the latter and the utility of the former. You will hold in your mind and in your heart a kind of reverence. Now consider some of the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch which depict suffering and hell. While aesthetically you may not define these as beautiful you still appreciate them, admire them, and feel somehow captivated. Lastly let us consider a famous equation that many have described as beautiful; E=MC2. Why is this seen as beauty? And what is the common thread among all of these things? All of them are clearly the result of a great deal of work.
The post modern artist may be provocative, but when no work goes in to the product, the art must be subsidized and we are told must be seen as art through a filter, or as seen in context. In context with what? We are never told. When we question the designation of something as art we are told that we do not understand it. The fact is you understand it all too perfectly. It cannot be art, because there is no work involved. Consider for just a moment the things around you that you consider beautiful, or that you admire and respect. From a well manicured lawn, to a fine piece of furniture we celebrate the craftsmanship that went in to creating the object. The more we consider what we perceive as beautiful and admirable the more profound the logic. There must be a great deal of work behind the object or we will not consider it either art or beautiful.
The secular atheist, the realist, and the pure objectivist will tell you that this is correct and to be expected. Evolution and life experience have led you to a point where you understand that the result of work brings value to life. A great painting eases the mind and turns your focus away from anything but itself for a time. This is refreshing. The well crafted piece of furniture provides exceptional utility and it lasts a long time. When we see the detailed adornment, and we know this was done by man, we reason that the man put the same level of quality throughout the piece. Thus our perception of beauty is just our natural way of acknowledging value. Why then do we say that flowers are beautiful. Why does a snow capped mountain range, a blowing field of wheat, or a painted desert take our breath away? For the same reason the Rembrandt painting inspires you. God’s work and creation are behind the flower and the mountain range. This of course is not a mathematical proof of God. I believe that logically this will always be out of reach of man’s mind, and that is by design. But when you reason through the process and build logic based on observation you start to build a rational case for the nature of beauty. When that case is built soundly upon observances of human beings and the world we inhabit, does it not make sense that the same logic may hold true for God? As we change our focus away from the single piece of evidence and towards the mounting bits of evidence as a big picture it turns out that God is hiding in plain sight.
The answer may surprise you, but the logic is inescapable. This is one of those proofs that points to success in your own life, and proof of God. When you look at a great painting or sculpture why do you find it beautiful? The realist will tell you that your mind has evolved to appreciate balanced geometric patterns or shapes. But if you look at a balanced picture of modern art comprised only of triangles and squares of differing colors, you will not say it is beautiful and you will not feel it is beautiful. And you will hold no honest respect for it as art.
When you look at the great works of Rembrandt you define it as beauty. Why is this? If you look at an automobile designed to offer basic transportation and another that is designed meticulously to look beautiful and perform at a high level, you will acknowledge the beauty of the latter and the utility of the former. You will hold in your mind and in your heart a kind of reverence. Now consider some of the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch which depict suffering and hell. While aesthetically you may not define these as beautiful you still appreciate them, admire them, and feel somehow captivated. Lastly let us consider a famous equation that many have described as beautiful; E=MC2. Why is this seen as beauty? And what is the common thread among all of these things? All of them are clearly the result of a great deal of work.
The post modern artist may be provocative, but when no work goes in to the product, the art must be subsidized and we are told must be seen as art through a filter, or as seen in context. In context with what? We are never told. When we question the designation of something as art we are told that we do not understand it. The fact is you understand it all too perfectly. It cannot be art, because there is no work involved. Consider for just a moment the things around you that you consider beautiful, or that you admire and respect. From a well manicured lawn, to a fine piece of furniture we celebrate the craftsmanship that went in to creating the object. The more we consider what we perceive as beautiful and admirable the more profound the logic. There must be a great deal of work behind the object or we will not consider it either art or beautiful.
The secular atheist, the realist, and the pure objectivist will tell you that this is correct and to be expected. Evolution and life experience have led you to a point where you understand that the result of work brings value to life. A great painting eases the mind and turns your focus away from anything but itself for a time. This is refreshing. The well crafted piece of furniture provides exceptional utility and it lasts a long time. When we see the detailed adornment, and we know this was done by man, we reason that the man put the same level of quality throughout the piece. Thus our perception of beauty is just our natural way of acknowledging value. Why then do we say that flowers are beautiful. Why does a snow capped mountain range, a blowing field of wheat, or a painted desert take our breath away? For the same reason the Rembrandt painting inspires you. God’s work and creation are behind the flower and the mountain range. This of course is not a mathematical proof of God. I believe that logically this will always be out of reach of man’s mind, and that is by design. But when you reason through the process and build logic based on observation you start to build a rational case for the nature of beauty. When that case is built soundly upon observances of human beings and the world we inhabit, does it not make sense that the same logic may hold true for God? As we change our focus away from the single piece of evidence and towards the mounting bits of evidence as a big picture it turns out that God is hiding in plain sight.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Introduction to the last philosophy.
The goal of every human being is happiness. If you live your life in a state of fear you cannot be happy. Why are you afraid? Your logical mind lets you know clearly that you cannot pursue happiness if you are not alive. You require a base level of security to be alive. You need food, water, shelter, clothing and your health. You have these things today but you worry that tomorrow they will be gone. People all over the world begin to look to a government to at least provide that base level of security. The initial rationalization is if you had that security you would be free to pursue and hopefully attain a state of happiness. But a contradiction arises within you. If someone else is providing that security it is an irrational security, and thus no security at all. If your security is not derived by you, it can be withdrawn.
The foundation of happiness is rational security. To attain rational security you must work for it by your own volition and towards your own self interests. In the last philosophy I will show you logically that the very pursuit of the rational security will not only create a solid foundation for building happiness, but done in the right way, the path itself is a happy one. The work itself towards the goal is reward and brings about a state of happiness. I will also show you that the philosophy is not in contradiction to the goals of the altruistic or religious who insist that you must sacrifice your own good life, for the benefit of others. The pursuit of your own rational security, and your own happiness will do much more to benefit mankind than a blind sacrifice.
To develop and prove this philosophy requires us to expose several aspects of life that you must think about in a new way. We must also discard some of the old notions and philosophies. We discard these not as a slap to their creators, or because they are not valid. We discard them because they are not absolute necessities of our lives and our pursuit of happiness. They are introspections that can be pondered upon at a later date. There are discoveries both scientific and otherwise that do not affect positively your happiness and thus should be pursued as hobbies or entertainment as opposed to philosophical necessities.
Descartes proved his existence by saying, “I think therefore I am.” This is considered by many intellectuals and modern philosophers to be one of the great statements of philosophy ever made. It is not. You exist because you exist. There are biological reasons for your existence, and I believe there was a reason God created you. Accepting both of these statements is the first order of business. Look at the hands holding this book, agree that they belong to you, and get busy living, because you do exist.
Reflecting on why you exist can bring meaning to your life. Reflecting on whether or not you exist is a waste of time. Within the entire body of philosophy you will find that there are only two questions that lead to ultimate truth. Why and how do I live?
The foundation of happiness is rational security. To attain rational security you must work for it by your own volition and towards your own self interests. In the last philosophy I will show you logically that the very pursuit of the rational security will not only create a solid foundation for building happiness, but done in the right way, the path itself is a happy one. The work itself towards the goal is reward and brings about a state of happiness. I will also show you that the philosophy is not in contradiction to the goals of the altruistic or religious who insist that you must sacrifice your own good life, for the benefit of others. The pursuit of your own rational security, and your own happiness will do much more to benefit mankind than a blind sacrifice.
To develop and prove this philosophy requires us to expose several aspects of life that you must think about in a new way. We must also discard some of the old notions and philosophies. We discard these not as a slap to their creators, or because they are not valid. We discard them because they are not absolute necessities of our lives and our pursuit of happiness. They are introspections that can be pondered upon at a later date. There are discoveries both scientific and otherwise that do not affect positively your happiness and thus should be pursued as hobbies or entertainment as opposed to philosophical necessities.
Descartes proved his existence by saying, “I think therefore I am.” This is considered by many intellectuals and modern philosophers to be one of the great statements of philosophy ever made. It is not. You exist because you exist. There are biological reasons for your existence, and I believe there was a reason God created you. Accepting both of these statements is the first order of business. Look at the hands holding this book, agree that they belong to you, and get busy living, because you do exist.
Reflecting on why you exist can bring meaning to your life. Reflecting on whether or not you exist is a waste of time. Within the entire body of philosophy you will find that there are only two questions that lead to ultimate truth. Why and how do I live?
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