2011.10.07
Time Isn't Lost
"The past resembles the future as water resembles water"
--Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)
 Here's another change of perspective I found useful: I used to place no value on the past. |
 Now, I see that to have a realistic appreciation of my life, I can't be so casual about disregarding an ever growing part of it! |
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 Time is past, present, and future. |
 Besides the standard advice of being in the moment, and appreciating the time at hand, people need to learn to value their own past experience, |
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 to see the days gone by as little precious items that we peruse and enjoy in and of themselves. |
 (Not that you should 'live in the past' either while you still have plenty of living in front of you.) |
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 Our optimistic natures cause us to always look to the future, to make up for the shortcomings of the past, to have a chance to accomplish the things we've always wanted to do. |
 But our pasts live on, in our selves, and we need to treat ourselves with the respect we deserve. |
Finding The Point
" 'Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-- 'God damn it, you've got to be kind.' "
--Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
 I suppose one risk of over-rationalizing death is failing to appreciate life. |
 When you manage to stop fearing the idea of dying, you had better make damn sure you appreciate why you're living- |
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 doubly so if you're a skeptic without a Deity telling you taking your own life is wrong. |
 I can't tell you why life is worth living, or what the point of life is, |
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 though I suspect part of the point is to figure out what the point is. |
 I do think life is better than death because it's interesting; that alone is a start of a reason to keep dancing. |
Avogadro's Number: About # of graphite atoms in a pencil led. Or in grapefruits, Volume of THE EARTH. Mind blown. Atoms are so so so tiny.
Paraphrase of Steve Jobs paraphrasing a song: "We're all just renting time here on planet Earth." Any idea what song?
Sometimes when I read technical concepts that seem to have poor power/weight ratios, but maybe I'm just dumb, I think of EJBs circa 2000AD
- I find this weird Red Sox "John Lackey" parody weirdly compelling. Whut-Ev-Uh!