The Journey

Sartre believed that an authentic person faces up to his own total freedom, which is often scary and difficult. An inauthentic person, on the other hand, denies himself his freedom because he is afraid of it. This person allows his path to be chosen by others, instead of harnessing his inherent passion and independence and channeling it towards greatness and strength. The concept of authenticity inspires ME to strive for greatness - my authenticity pulsates within me and exposes itself more and more each day. I was not born to be inauthentic, and I refuse to allow fear to block my path. Our freedom is the key to experience, and therefore to learning - which I believe is the most important task of human life.

tefainmania:

According to Socrates, the unexamined life is not worth living.

Though it may not be “worth” living in this scientific, realistic, materialistic, egoistic, analytic realm that Socrates legitimately standardizes and qualifies, I beg to differ.

The unexamined life may not be worth living by virtue of materialistic success and scientific development, but since there is no such thing as linear time according to Hinduism: reality is an illusion that god has created, but reality is god.  I realize that by “examining” you lose sight of the holistic, animistic, and divine phenomena that is living itself.

By just existing, we are making the irrational, rational.  The philosophy of BEING is a philosophy in itself.  By negating “worth”, we realize we are above the illusion of this reality and we can transcend into what really matters.  Enlightenment.

I digress…

From the beautiful and genius Hannah Tehrani…..

There are days when I would love nothing more than to ‘transcend into enlightenment’ and desert all logical, material thinking. But in the past two semesters, I’ve studied extensively the teachings of both Socrates and eastern religions. Though it appears that Socrates’ logical thinking opposes the values of religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, the two systems are more closely linked than it seems.

Socrates’ goal in life was to make others question their own beliefs - he believed that people’s opinions could only be valid if they had been truly considered. In his pivotal quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” he does not necessarily devalue the so-called ‘simple life;’ he just urges each of us to live according to a system in which we can truly trust.

Socrates was a single, and therefore radical, monotheist surrounded by a polytheistic culture. He came to his conclusion through what he considered sheer logic, whereas the other citizens of ancient Athens allowed their mythological beliefs to be mapped out by society. For Socrates, the given theories of Athenian society were insufficient; he didn’t mind different beliefs, as long as they could be supported by those who held them.

He spent his life being the devil’s advocate of Athens, trying to create a wiser society by making its citizens examine every aspect of their opinions. Yes, Socrates’ view is indeed based upon logic and the accumulation of wisdom, but his goal was still utmost happiness - a concept he called eudaimonia.

Socrates’ teachings have long been associated with those of eastern religions - both believe in the cyclical reincarnation of the soul, and both believe that it culminates in an ultimate, final stage that embodies purity and contentment. In fact, one of Socrates’ most beautiful theories explains that, when we learn something ‘new,’ we are really just re-learning something our souls already knew from a previous life. Furthermore, both entities teach that, in order to achieve enlightenment (or eudaimonia), earthly materialism and indulgence must be balanced with reason, selflessness, moral behavior, and divinity.

Now my interest in the subject should be clear - it all comes back to balance.

Logic can be applied to the world of the divine - Socrates made it happen when no one else understood. Similarly, other-worldliness can compliment reasonable thought. It seems to me that the two entities must exist in balance for us to reach a state of fulfillment.

Thanks, Han, for making me think, and for making me apply school to my real world. And thanks to the CGS department of Humanities for actually having something of value to teach me.

Still lost, of course. This balance thing, as it seems, is a lifelong journey.

I can feel my body longing to find it. It looks quizzically to my mind, begging for a solution; it yearns for the strength of which I deprive it. Its confusion is so apparent as it struggles to digest the toxicity I force into it, trapped in the denial of a necessary physical, spiritual outlet.

My body’s struggle disables my mind as well - they must work together to find balance. I know that the potential to succeed is there, but I’ve yet to find a way to harness it. There is no other word but ‘struggle’ to describe this dynamic; the responsibility is shoved back and forth between these two entities that compose me.

This is where I am right now - the process goes through phases, but it remains drenched in confusion throughout.

I’ve learned throughout my Jewish education that Yom Kippur is a ‘Day of Repentance.’ This description, however, is extremely broad. To whom and for what are we ‘repenting?’ I’ve been thinking a lot about the meaning of this holiday, thus prompting me to do a little research. The most important piece of information I found was this: on Yom Kippur, we are meant only to atone for our sins against GOD. Sins against others, however, must be dealt with beforehand, presumably during the time between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (referred to as the ‘Days of Awe’).

Though I understand this concept, it’s one I haven’t considered before - I just kind of assumed that all repentance must take place only on the day of Yom Kippur (don’t tell my teachers - or parents - that I missed this seemingly important point).

It is our responsibility as people of our own will to seek out the ones we have wronged and personally apologize. As someone whose nature is that of confrontation, I value this concept very much. I believe strongly in face-to-face communication, expression of discomfort (and anything else, for that matter), and the importance of honesty.

I think this ‘Days of Awe’ idea is a pretty awesome one - a time set aside to deal with your past actions in a society where everyone constantly tries so hard to look forward. Dwelling in one’s mistakes, if only for a short time, is extremely important in the process of moving on and becoming a better person.

In terms of my own process, I’ve made many mistakes in the past year. I’ve offended, trash-talked, judged, lied, cheated, and more. There were times when I was extremely selfish.

My beliefs are still unclear in terms of a higher power or ‘God,’ but I do think that if there were such a being, he or she would indeed be offended by such ‘mistakes.’ Therefore, I see Yom Kippur as a time to reflect upon the cycle of human-to-human sin - the process of committing such an act against others, and then atoning through confrontation. Yom Kippur is the designated period to achieve a deeper forgiveness; to not only repair our relationships with others, but to acknowledge our personal moral progress through reflection.

I wish I could apologize to every single person who fell victim to my actions this year, but unfortunately, this is simply unrealistic. I would like to conclude both by expressing my regret to the people in my life who have felt wronged by me, and by giving forgiveness to those who seek it.