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izmeina"Who is your favourite philosopher / thinker / literary figure, and why?"
Pruffie certainly conjures cruel and evil questions for indecisive serpents such as Izzie. Now how shall I even begin?
Firstly I have not read half as many as I would have liked to. So that means that Jung and Nietzsche are not going to make it onto the list.
I have read a lot of stuff about them and they sound like extremely interesting insightful creatures. But one day I will finally manage to see for myself.
Poor Nietzsche should really get himself some spin doctors. He always gets lumped together with the Nazis. Iz gets the impression he is rather more a disillusioned idealist rather than a cynic. Would I be right in thinking that question 5 consists of a quote from him.
Viktor Frankl is pretty high up on the list. This is a guy who knew what he was talking about. Pity the books have such horrid old fashioned He-man titles.
(By the way, Izzie has no time for the patronising arrogant and downright insulting 'Man embraces woman' theories of grammar. Let's see how many of their pathetic justifications can make it past this colorful obstacle )
Viktor Frankl was particularly unusual in his refreshingly quaint belief that people are actualy RESPONSIBLE for their actions. No namby pamby self indulgent 'my inner child came from a dysfunctional family' poor little victim stuff with him.
He said something to the effect that in between stimulus and response is a very small space where we can choose. Even in the Nazi death camps some people chose not to betray their friends in order to gain advantage for themselves. He was there and observed it.
I am also rather fond of one of his...what you might call 'spiritual descendants' a very wise and funny woman by the name of Dorothy Rowe.
Her 6 golden rules for how to become depressed are priceless. They can be found in "Depression - the way out of your prison" There is also the wickedly wonderful "Wanting Everything" where she runs through many of the games people play in order to get everything and why they don't work. And unlike most of the so called 'serious' psychologists, her books are full of the most wonderful cartoons. Like Izzie she is especially fond of Michael Leunig who really is an amazing astute observer of the human condition.
The two writers who always make me feel happy, joyful, amused and curious when I read their works..and who introduced me to the most magical of worlds are J K Rowling and D R Hofstadter. Their passion just oozes off the pages.
My inner Myrtle is most fond of Ecclesiastes....All is vanity. There is nothing new under the sun etc.
Izzie likes a good story teller who is wise and intelligent with courage and integrity. So I guess first prize goes to the carpenters' son from Nazareth. He tells stories that even goblins like Izzie can understand. Even the trick questions dont' faze him. But it is what he does in the Desert that really impresses Izzie. He says no to stuff....material wealth, fame, glory, power and the chance of a lifetime to show off...opportunities that lesser beings would kill for because he knows at the end of the day that they are the very things that lead to disappointment and disillusionment. "Is that all there is" is the lament of many rich, famous and powerful people. He knows who he is and has no need to prove himself to anyone. I would love to have heard his replies to 'After all I have done for you...'or the equally insidious 'If you really loved me you would...'
It is so so easy to accept other people's definitions of ourselves without examining their accuracy or intent. And it is so rare that some one has enough inner resources to resist this temptation.
But there are many more levels to this story and much better places than here to find them
Pruffie certainly conjures cruel and evil questions for indecisive serpents such as Izzie. Now how shall I even begin?
Firstly I have not read half as many as I would have liked to. So that means that Jung and Nietzsche are not going to make it onto the list.
I have read a lot of stuff about them and they sound like extremely interesting insightful creatures. But one day I will finally manage to see for myself.
Poor Nietzsche should really get himself some spin doctors. He always gets lumped together with the Nazis. Iz gets the impression he is rather more a disillusioned idealist rather than a cynic. Would I be right in thinking that question 5 consists of a quote from him.
Viktor Frankl is pretty high up on the list. This is a guy who knew what he was talking about. Pity the books have such horrid old fashioned He-man titles.
(By the way, Izzie has no time for the patronising arrogant and downright insulting 'Man embraces woman' theories of grammar. Let's see how many of their pathetic justifications can make it past this colorful obstacle )
Viktor Frankl was particularly unusual in his refreshingly quaint belief that people are actualy RESPONSIBLE for their actions. No namby pamby self indulgent 'my inner child came from a dysfunctional family' poor little victim stuff with him.
He said something to the effect that in between stimulus and response is a very small space where we can choose. Even in the Nazi death camps some people chose not to betray their friends in order to gain advantage for themselves. He was there and observed it.
I am also rather fond of one of his...what you might call 'spiritual descendants' a very wise and funny woman by the name of Dorothy Rowe.
Her 6 golden rules for how to become depressed are priceless. They can be found in "Depression - the way out of your prison" There is also the wickedly wonderful "Wanting Everything" where she runs through many of the games people play in order to get everything and why they don't work. And unlike most of the so called 'serious' psychologists, her books are full of the most wonderful cartoons. Like Izzie she is especially fond of Michael Leunig who really is an amazing astute observer of the human condition.
The two writers who always make me feel happy, joyful, amused and curious when I read their works..and who introduced me to the most magical of worlds are J K Rowling and D R Hofstadter. Their passion just oozes off the pages.
My inner Myrtle is most fond of Ecclesiastes....All is vanity. There is nothing new under the sun etc.
Izzie likes a good story teller who is wise and intelligent with courage and integrity. So I guess first prize goes to the carpenters' son from Nazareth. He tells stories that even goblins like Izzie can understand. Even the trick questions dont' faze him. But it is what he does in the Desert that really impresses Izzie. He says no to stuff....material wealth, fame, glory, power and the chance of a lifetime to show off...opportunities that lesser beings would kill for because he knows at the end of the day that they are the very things that lead to disappointment and disillusionment. "Is that all there is" is the lament of many rich, famous and powerful people. He knows who he is and has no need to prove himself to anyone. I would love to have heard his replies to 'After all I have done for you...'or the equally insidious 'If you really loved me you would...'
It is so so easy to accept other people's definitions of ourselves without examining their accuracy or intent. And it is so rare that some one has enough inner resources to resist this temptation.
But there are many more levels to this story and much better places than here to find them
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no subject
Date: 2003-08-02 09:43 am (UTC)When I was most depressed, a friend pointed me to Frankl, and the whole idea of the "search for meaning". Sadly, my friend died not two months later, and it was this that helped keep me sane.
His ideas have made an impact. I choose to do those activities that I love and really work at it - and that gives me a sense of accomplishment that is always lacking when I'm down in the dumps.
Yes, the existentiatlists have made their mark....