Lyrical Philosophies and Identity

Your identity is unique to you.  The way you view life, love, people, the world--all of that make up your personal philosophy and that's what contributes to your personal identity.

Philosophies about life and love and happiness and adventures are as vast and varied as we are as individuals.  Figuring them out, deciding how you want to look at the world, and how you want the world to look at you, is an integral part of the search for identity. 

 Googling quotes about those things may provide a glimpse into something worth exploring, so start there if you wish, but remember--we are, for better or worse, a gang of intellectuals.  And to that end, we shall explore to depths a quick glance at quotes would never allow.

Many of you use music as a gateway. To sanity, to serenity, to solace and/or to solitude. Music, to many of you, is an escape from the harsh realities of teenage life. 
So, now it is also going to be a tool in which you come to a greater understanding of how you see the world, and how you see yourself. I'm trying to ruin music for you--quite the opposite, actually.  I am kind of hoping you'll get a clearer understanding of why you like music that you do.

Think about all the music you love to listen to. Specifically, think about the lyrics to songs you love. Now, I want you to pick one or two songs that adequately encapsulate how you feel about life, your life. Of course, like a quote, nothing can COMPLETELY "sum up" your entire life--I understand that. But many songs, either through explicit or implied messages in lyrics, can at least provide a concrete example of either what you want out of life, what you want out love and how you want to be perceived, taken, understood etc.

So, your task this week is to tell us about a song, copy a few of the refrains/chorus/passages, and explicate their meaning(s) to you.  
First, try to look at the song objectively--from a purely lang-intellectual standpoint.  That is, identify metaphors or imagery, hone in on concrete and abstract language, and try to analyze how the songwriter put together the lines to tell a story.  
Why does one lyric come first? Why is that the chorus? Etc.

Then talk about what the song means to you, specifically. Try to pick ones that have some depth and that will provide a deeper understanding of your innate beliefs.

Speechless

Let me take you to a place you may have been countless times in your life--I know I have. Your telling someone--your best friend, significant other, parent, teacher or whatever--a story.
 It's a great story, rife with vivid imagery and catchy dialogue and suspense and just...well, all the hallmarks of a great story. And then, you get to the best part, the juiciest detail, the apex of this recount that is going to knock your listener right on his or her butt, and you are trying to describe this one moment...and you can't think of the word to give that moment its due justice.

You are literally stumped for a word and you end up going with some lame synonym that pops into your head (probably from Bunje's damn SAT Vocab list) but you know that your story falls flat because that was SO not the word you wanted. Ever happen to you? Why, do you think?

Well, I have a theory. It's in its nascent stages, but a theory nonetheless. I have procured said theory by perusing ( a word that does not mean what many of you think it means, incidentally) The Global Language Monitor. You all thought I was the world's hugest dork when I told you about it!
Remember how many words we now have?  Forgot?  Go here: http://www.languagemonitor.com/global-english/no-of-words/

This site is dedicated to tracking trends in language, specifically the English language, and it is chock full of all kinds of fascinating facts about word etymologies, global trends, colloquialisms etc. It's really cool, especially if you're a geek like me (and many of you are--don't even try to front).

Anyway, it was while I was on this site that my theory began to crystallize about why we, at the worst possible moments, are suddenly at a loss for words.


BTW--Know what the millionth word was?? "Octomom."  Such a disappointment. Which is just one more  idea proving that pop culture is the crux of societal knowledge. (If the blog had emojis, I'd put the one that looks like it is contemplating something, here)

Anyway, 1,000,000 is a pretty impressive number by any standard, especially when you consider that the French Language has fewer than 100,000 words total. The average human has approximately 14,000 words in his or her repertoire. Shakespeare had 24,000--1,700 of which he made up--floating around his brilliant brain. Man, I love that guy.
So, all this to say..what? Well, even with all of those words zooming through the ether, the bottom line is there is sometimes no word to describe, define, pinpoint or whatever, the "undefinable." That's why we can't finish the story in the scenario I mentioned earlier. Undefinable words usually fall into one of three categories: feelings, abstract concepts and phenomena.

When I say feelings, I mean like, that sensation that washes over you the first warm day after a long, cold winter when you are driving in a car with all the windows down and radio tuned into your favorite song. Or, the feeling you get when you just get your crush's phone number and you're staring at your cell phone, sweating, pacing, wondering if you should start to text.

Occasionally, mixed in with feelings are some abstract concepts, like the idea of strength, character, courage etc.
And I know we have all experiences some weird phenomena-type occurrences that we write off as "coincidence" which is a catch-all word that doesn't really encapsulate the notion that, for example, when someone you know gets pregnant suddenly all you see are pregnant women or maternity stores or baby paraphernalia. Or, when you buy a new car you begin to notice that there are 4 of that same car within a mile of your house.

All of these things and so many more, despite the much-vaunted number the GLM is broadcasting about the English Language, simply do not have a word that really captures the essence of their true meaning.

That is, until this blog.

Your task this week, Langers, is to put a word to those notions, concepts, feelings and/or phenomena. So, first I want you to think of one of those moments--the feelings, concepts or phenomena that you personally have experienced. Then, I would like you to talk about the "synonym" that would closely describe it, even though you know in your heart that synonym doesn't do it justice. Then, in a whimsical fit of language acquisition, I want you to MAKE UP a word that would better describe what you're talking about. Hell, if Mary Poppins can do it, why can't we?  :)

The Things We Leave Behind

In Buddhism, HH (which stands for His Holiness),the 14th Dalai Lama once said, "The creatures that inhabit this earth-be they human beings or animals-are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world."

I am not sure where I heard or read that, most likely in a liturgy at a Temple I used to attend, or any one of a thousand (hyperbole) books on HH, but I think about that particular notion quite a bit. It goes along the same lines as that age-old query, "Why am I here?" I suppose, but when I think of my contributions to the world and what I can do to be a part of the sum total of beauty and prosperity, only two things ever come to mind.
One, of course, is you. Collectively.
I teach. That's something I can do because in so doing, I am afforded the opportunity to, hopefully, broaden minds and open hearts, which will in turn allow you to do the same things with whomever is lucky enough to come in contact with you as you dance through your time on Earth.

What do you do?
What will you do?
 Do you believe in HH's idea about contribution?
Does it make sense but seem impossible?
Does it seem like a bunch of nonsense?
What has been your greatest contribution so far?
 Don't say nothing or start wailing, "I'm only a teenager--I haven't done anything yet!" because that is a total cop-out. Think about all the people you have known, both superficially and deeply, and imagine how many more you have impacted in ways you might not even know yet. Maybe it's a friend, a sibling, a stranger on the street. Things that you may not even think twice about doing or saying can have an impact that changes someone's life forever. That's chilling and exhilarating and awe-inspring concept.

So, what do you think will your legacy be? And more importantly, what do you WANT it to be?

World Views and other Scenes from a Teenage Perspective

Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights. ~Georg Hegel

The other day, I had a conversation with an old friend from college. It was more of a spirited debate, actually, about the nature of good and evil, right and wrong etc. My world view, will, I'm quite sure, be of no surprise to you--I believe "good" is a matter of perspective and convenience, and that "right" is determined by whoever has "the bigger gun" so to speak. (This is not a political world-view--meaning, regardless of the politics of the times, I always think this way).

I don't know if I am right about this, but it seems to me that the good people of the world outweigh the bad. My perspective on this rarely shifts, and is also reinforced when tragedies such as the one in Newtown, Connecticut, or Ferguson, MO, or San Bernardino, CA, or Berlin Germany, Nice, France (I could go on but why depress us all further) occur.  I believe it is an objectively unfair universe we inhabit, although I have a hunch it has a way of righting its ownself from time to time.
So the debate between my friend and I ensued.

My friend's world view was quite a bit different than mine--much more idealistic and much more indicative of his personality. In his eyes, my friend (his name is Ahmed) is certain that good always conquers evil, the meek shall inherit the Earth, all you need is love etc etc etc. He goes on to posit that good things come to good people and eventually, all the pieces will fall into place if you live a good life.  Seriously, that's really what he believes.  He's a really sweet guy--it boggles me.
(I keep him around, this college buddy, because he gives me hope, and when I am feeling way too misanthropic and cynical for my own good, he gives me balance. All of the other times I mock him shamelessly for his "dreamy" and (what I consider to be) unrealistic view of the world).

So, my question(s) for you this week is--where in our spectrum does your world view fall? Do you think people are mostly bad or mostly good? What determines that? Do you think that the person who does the right thing always wins? If so, what's the prize? Are there clear-cut answers about what's right and what's wrong? How is it all measured? Let's get a little Lang-y and tell a story (real or metaphorical--no matter) to illustrate/exemplify your points.  Try to think of an example about which you feel passionately. It is usually passion that dictates what your true beliefs are.  However, when we use passion to describe or talk about them, we run the risk of sounding like we can't be taken seriously.  So, try to temper your passion (your pathos) with your logic (your logos).

Last Guys Don't Finish Nice

I am a Robert Greene fan.  If you have no idea who that is, look him up here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/dec/03/robert-greene-48-laws-of-power

That book he talks about? I have that one. And 4 of his others.  People's opinions of him vary--some think he is a psychopath, some credit him as being the most brilliant strategists since Sun Tsu.  Both are extreme impressions and I dislike eveything about extremism, so it is unlikely any of these reviews sway my opinion of the man. But, he's a smart guy and he gets people.  So, he makes my list of influential authors.  In many ways, we are very like-minded, Greene and I.  We share many of the same opinions on people, on relationships, on power and the power of power.
I guess his outlook could best be described as pessimistically real. So, I suppose that makes him a pessimistic realist.

The following quote may be a tangible example of that theory:
"Niceness is a decision. It is a strategy of social interaction; it is not a character trait."  --Robert Greene

So, dive right in.  Forget about what anyone will think or say.  Be as honest as you can when you consider and answer the question: Is Robert Greene correct about his assertion regarding niceness?
Include explanations, examples, proof etc.

The Winds of Change

On January 20, the 45^th President of the United States will be sworn in, and approximately 6 billion people globally will watch it happen. And there are some who won’t.  But, that won’t stop it from happening.  That seems to be the thing about life—when we least expect it, when we’re not ready for it, when we think we need more time—it happens. Life, that is. So, no matter what side you are or were on during the past 15 months of the election debacle, here we are.

Tensions are high; you don’t have to be an expert in emotional intelligence to recognize that some people are dealing with the upcoming inauguration in very different ways, and those ways don’t often reflect the views of their friends, family members or maybe even general society.  This often creates even more tension.  So, let’s try to take the anxiety down a notch.  Let’s try to remember that at the end of the day, most people try to be decent citizens and quality humans.  Let’s try to extend kindness to one another so that kindness becomes the norm, rather than the exception.  Let’s all remember who we are.

To do that, maybe we should take a look at some of those who came before us.  Let’s look at someone who dared to stare down the hostility and degradation of racism not with the arrogance of a pointed finger and a rolled eye, but with the kindness of a smile and a soothing word or two.  It seems fitting now, one day passed, to talk about MLK and what he stood for then, as well as what his legacy stands for now. 

You all know the “I Have a Dream” speech, and you all know that it is a rhetorical masterpiece, ripe with all the devices and strategies that good literature is famous for, but what it also is is one man’s blueprint for his own American Dream.  54 years ago, Dr. King delivered that speech about his dream of equality.  In some ways, the world is a very different place now than it was then.  However, there are some who would say it is not nearly as different as it should be.

So, your challenge this week is to carefully consider the upcoming National event of the inauguration and what that means to people, as well as think about the state of the world you currently inhabit.  If Dr. King were alive today, do you think his dream would be different?  How so?  If you think it would be the same, how come? What is your own dream about the future of the world? Construct your own “I Have a Dream…” and show me how you conceive of the American dream.  What kind of impact will the next four years have on that dream?   

"Everything has Beauty, but Not Everybody Sees It"--Confucius

It has never really bothered me, (much), but, I have never been called "beautiful," so that word has always held for me a foundation of unattainability, and therefore, mystery.  Kind of makes me wonder--What makes something--or someone--full of beauty?

The great and powerful Sophia Loren once said, "True beauty is a mirage." True beauty? What IS that, anyway?  In your mind, what is "true beauty?"

Myself, I am awed by things of beauty, no matter what--or who--they might be (Johnny Depp...ahem…sunsets...butterflies...puppies...creme brulee).

This week, I would like you to muse with me about this concept. Over time, across cultures, the mystery of beauty has both vexed and captivated all walks of life. The animal kingdom even has its own notion of what makes them attractive—peacocks fluff their plumage, ducks wiggle their butts, all in the name of beauty.  They do it to attract mates--is that why we do?

Do we chase beauty?  Do we worship it?  Are beautiful people treated differently that those considered less so?

Men and women have been frustrated and fascinated by beauty, have been rendered powerless in their attempts to capture it, bottle it, enhance it, ignore it, use it and celebrate it. WHY??  Why do you think human beings are so enthralled with the idea of trying to capture "beauty?" (this is kinda the same question as the one earlier, but as you can see, I feel strongly about this.)

Why? Its importance and its role in our lives will be the subject of this blog discussion, and I would like you to seriously consider what your definition of “true beauty” is. Why is beauty the object of both admiration and envy? Why does the pursuit of beauty bring us pain as well as pleasure? Consider both sexes when you ask yourself these questions—think about the pursuit, the pain, the pleasure from all angles.
Do you see yourself as beautiful?  How do you measure it?  Who is the most beautiful person you know?  Why?