Forget The Past, Attack The Present, Live The Future

When you are a kid, the world is everything that belongs to you. As you grow older, we are able to see things that do not belong to us. With each passing day, these things increase in number and sometimes it whittles away at our sanity. Again, as we grow older, we do see new ways of obtaining that which we do not already have.

We do this because it is important for us to have that which we do not. If we do not get what we want, we suffer. Babies cry when they are not fed or loved, we adults become depressed if we cannot afford a house - or even worse, when we think about the mistakes we have made that prevent us from buying that house.

These things, many of which begin from small, easily managed events, compound upon one another - causing us to spend more time thinking about the past, rather than the events we now face that determine the future. Ignoring the present and doing so without the future in mind is unsafe.

Choosing to think about the past is never entirely avoidable. I would strongly urge, however, that we strive to make the better decision in the now despite what we have done in the past. This might mean changing or subverting our beliefs to create new ones. Remember, though, those beliefs were forged because they worked at a time when they were once needed. If they need to be changed, then change them. Otherwise you will be stuck, depressed and your ability to move forward will be significantly hindered.

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Conforming to something that works is worthwhile.

Personality: Whats In a Type?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could pop open the head of someone of interest and discover anything and everything they were about? Of course this is impossible, but to what extent? Is there a way to pick someone’s brain in order to wrap yourself around that person better? Or perhaps worse, but lets assume we all would have decent agendas.

So first things first, how do we get such information? Recently I partook in a subset of the Meyers Briggs personality test. While the portion of the test I took is in no way as complete as the full version, we can begin to see what my personality type likes and dislikes. Personality tests like this one are a window into someone’s frame of mind. While it cannot predict everything a person might do, it can give some serious insight into how a person will react to different stimuli.

When I took the test my result was an INFJ. In order to replicate the data to obtain a more accurate result, I had a friend take the same test in my place. The results as found on many websites relating to the Meyers Briggs test and on Wikipedia and most likely similar to results the actual test would produce describe my type in detail, and most of my friends and family members agree with them. This leads to an interesting concept. There are things on the test that none of my friends or family members have ever observed in me, and that I myself have not observed.

The interesting part is that these unobserved traits have shown themselves clear over the past few weeks as I interpreted my actions and observations in terms of the test results. One example is that my type experiences physical stress and health problems when stressed. Now, don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that this website told me who I am, but the physical problems manifesting themselves due to the fact that I am mentally stressed from college and work seems a likely constant.

Like I said before we cannot get a perfect picture from someone from just a test. However, knowing someone else’s personality type can allow us to cater to that person in ways we never thought we should. Instead of forcing a hard over introvert to succumb to the woes of a loud obnoxious party, one might cater to such a person by inviting only the friends that person is familiar with and enjoys the company of. Not only will this allow them to feel more comfortable with the crowd, but it will also win you brownie points with them if they are aware of who did the planning; and perhaps it couldn’t hurt to hint as to why.

There are many subtle clues as to what makes people tick. It may not be possible to get the same level of understanding from someone who has not taken the test, but I would encourage anyone interested in improving relationships to not only take the test themselves, but to also read up on the other 16 or so types to understand how each one typically operates. Then when presented with a new aquaintence or old relationship that could use a bit of mending, attempt to find out what parts of their personality types stand out. Then remember what that type likes and dislikes and either avoid or directly confront the person on the strong points and weak points of their personality.

It again may not be a perfect way to understand someone but it can sure as hell stop you from saying something that could ruin a relationship before it even starts. Good luck and happy testing!

Squaring With Failure

Sometimes it seems that we get caught up in what we do. And it is this very integral concept which drives much of our action. Although it seems that too much is lost when we speak out of turn or throw ourselves inexplicably at one another, regretting our actions too soon after, it would be wise to stand back at this point and re-evaluate our perspective. Is it so bad that you've experienced? Is it so bad that you cannot go back and change who you are or what you know you are going to become in the next moment? It is an interesting notion that perhaps when one ignores the consequences of an action, especially for the fulfillment of one's hopes and dreams, an image burned so indestructibly in one's mind, that an understanding of such failure becomes evident. It may just be that we are all in some ways seeking the one want which we cannot have; furthermore it seems that we do not even know what that is. We can clearly see now that that desire is the motivation to move forward, to experience, to fail. It is also then apparent that a human must fail at the highest; that is if they wish to understand and to move forward.

- I will always be here for those who are troubled by their failing aspirations. Attempting to have them enjoy the troughs as well as the crests. At the very least a post where they may indulge in expressing anything without the threat of persecution.

On Right and Wrong

A formidable topic my buddy Mike and I were discussing recently centered around the definition of right and wrong. A good starting point for this is thinking about the common definitions of moral values. Morals in general revolve around a common set of sociological norms. Some of these may include but are not limited to: murder, sexual crimes, cheating, and fraud. The list goes on. But society and the individuals of that society have the same general opinion on these actions as being morally incorrect.
The real meat and potatoes of this discussion isn't so much society's definition of these norms but rather the integrity of their merit. What makes these norms so "right"? Although I agree with the majority of these predefined morals I find myself questioning their rightness. The only true way it seems to properly hold a set of morals is to experience them first hand. Now it may seem silly to reinvent the wheel when it comes to say, cheating on another individual. It is important to note though that just because it doesn't work 99 percent of the time doesn't mean that it isn't the right thing to do.
Now don't think that I intend to give merit to cheating. But in the event someone is about to and/or is currently in the process of cheating the thought process or driving force in that person's mind is "correct". It is correct in the sense that it is their best view of the orientation of the universe and their position in that universe. It is easy to see that their understanding of what is real is inherently flawed. This flaw cannot be avoided however. Take for instance the child who puts his hand on a hotplate. His lack of understanding drove him to experience the touch of that plate. And while it may be construed as stupid or unintelligent, the experience was required for that individual to understand. The same can be said about cheating or any other morals.
So as far as determining the relative values of different morals, it is important to conceptualize the understanding of an individual. Their lack of knowledge must be obtained by experience. And while many are quick to point out the error in another's way, it is probably more important to realize the whole of the situation. No matter how incredulous another's actions may be, they are deep in a process of better understanding the universe around them. And while it may seem that someone else is weaker or stronger than yourself it can be safely said that the both of you are interested in the same thing: understanding the truth.
There are many different paths to understanding. So it does not make much sense to criticize the actions or experiences of another.

Introductions

Hey peoples. This should be fun, but at the moment I am at a loss for what to post about. Hopefully the subsequent posts here will be informative, thought provoking, and perhaps rather entertaining.