The Tempest

And so I would have it begin here. Project: Thoughtvault is underway and I should hope that it emulates a tempest. A whirlwind of ideas, emotion, and opinion, designed to spur a downpour of questions and answers.

Looking at that, maybe it will be better if I cut the whimsicality and just start writing.

What's coming to me right now is one word; Introspection. The act of looking inward, at ones self. Actively looking inward at ones self from an objective perspective is relatively difficult. It requires a certain portion of your mind to part your self image from who you actually are. Objectively speaking, it is a difficult process to engage in - because our self image is knit so tightly with who we are. But what good is it to you?

I can't answer that question beyond my own realm of understanding. For me, it has always provided me with a sense of solace. Introspection has provided me with an effective way to examine who I am in all things. The easiest way for me to explain how I do it is by example. For instance, we'll take something as simple as my distaste for peanut butter (a staple sandwich-making item in our society). If I was to view my distaste for peanut butter introspectively, I would follow this pattern of thought. "Why don't I like it?" to which the answer would be something to the effect of taste, which can further be questioned and explained by the quality of its taste, texture etc.
Riveting, I know.

At any rate, this has allowed me, personally, a means by which to rationalize my own feelings. Having said that, it doesn't necessarily fix anything in the short time - but it is nice to be able to do so. It helps in examining others as well. One who better understands themselves can much easier understand another fellow human being.

Which brings me to a more pertinent points. Fellow man. Human beings, man king, humanity. It seems to me, from where I sit, that as human beings our differences only go so deep. At the very core, we all seek some pretty basic things. I'm not saying we all need food, water shelter, that goes without saying under any circumstances. I'm speaking more to our social and emotional desires, which tend to be tied together quite closely. It's not terribly difficult to observe - everyone wants a friend, nobody wants to feel alone, and no one wants to get hurt. To me, these are some pretty profound (yet simple) paradigms for humans as a social animal - which is why I become so perplexed by the desire of some to hurt others. Whether it's personal gain, or just a desire to 'watch the world burn', it's a phenomenon that escapes me. So I guess I pose a question - what is it in someone that would possess them to be malignant towards another person? After all, people are people, right?

I suppose I'll close there, and leave that question open ended. I should hope that you, as a reader, would like to engage in dialogue, however if you do not - then all I ask is that when you walk away, you take with you that question. "What is it in us that ostracizes and degrades others?" At that, I take my leave and take to a new week, and should hope that all is well for those sitting on the other end of this downpour of verbosity.

Take care~