Philosophy – A Pondering Mind

Reading….

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what read ours. -John Locke

January

To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June. ~Jean-Paul Sartre

“There’s simply no polite way to tell people they’ve dedicated their lives to an illusion.” ~Daniel Dennett

Daniel Dennett, Philosopher

Change

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. ~ Alan Watts

“Things of this world are in so constant a flux, that nothing remains long in the same state.” ~John Locke

Alertness

drink water to stay hydrated … drink coffee to stay awake … and alert

A

good book good coffee a comfortable place to do it

Opinions

“New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.” ~ John Locke

“The world we see that seems so insane is the result of a belief system that is not working. To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds.” ~ William James

Expression Of An Opinion

“The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: ifContinue reading “Expression Of An Opinion”

“Who are we to tell anyone what they can or can’t do?” ~John Locke

“Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality.” ~John Dewey

John Dewey – Philosopher, 1859 – 1952

The wording on the mug says it all

Photo by lilartsy from Pexels

Children

“There is frequently more to be learned from the unexpected questions of a child than the discourses of men.” ~ John Locke, Philosopher, 1632 – 1704

Yup I Do

Photo by Prateek Katyal from Pexels

3 For 3

Photo by Bruno Cervera from Pexels

My Philosophy

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

I Second The Motion

Photo by Simon Noh on Unsplash

Early Sunsets

With daylight savings time done for the next four months… it won’t stop me from taking my early evening walks…I’ll admit that I enjoy it….even when there is snow and whatnot on the ground…plod on…plod on….

Great Advice

Photo by Reafon Gates from Pexels

Soooooo

you can’t have your cake and eat it too … fine … i don’t eat cake… _____________________ just tell it like it is

Yup

sunday night sitting on the living room couch which is accommodating a retired person like me so…i have no qualms about it…yup

All Truth

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer

A Syndrome

so I have been self-diagnosed with brain fog syndrome no long term effects the only cure is to wait it out ________________________ just something to write – that’s what I did in my other life

I

just go with the flow its a great feeling

Gloomy

day good for puttering around apartment good for kicking back relax good for taking a siesta good for doing anything a person chooses to do

Jack Kerouac

Finishing up Jack Kerouac’s novel: The Town and The City. Its the second time I have read it, and its an interesting read. The beginning of the book, he mentions the city I was born and raised in, the city I reside in now, and the river which is only two blocks away. When IContinue reading “Jack Kerouac”

October

now its October the days are getting shorter the air a tad cooler …. the leaves slowly turning their collective colors soon to be naked indicating winter is on its way

Calm State Of Mind

alone at his favorite outdoor table while quietly thinking … blocking out the sounds of the traffic and people passing by … completely focused on the other world that he knows will never happen

Sundays

are for kicking back relaxing reading writing crosswords sports on the boob tube or… just being a lazy ass…

“Those who fear the facts will forever try to discredit the fact-finders.” ~ Denis Diderot

Denis Diderot, Philosopher, 1713 – 1784

Independent Thinkers

“A society with too few independent thinkers is vulnerable to control by disturbed and opportunistic leaders. A society which wants to create and maintain a free and democratic social system must create responsible independence of thought among its young.” ~ John Dewey, Philosopher, 1859 – 1952

thursday 3:41 p.m.

what to think…say…write…will it make sense…what to make of it…it looks and sounds daft to me

yup

morning coffee will make the lousy weather a bit more tolerable

7:44 a.m.

its a new day but the same old same old

me

an easy going guy get along well with others but generally keep to myself as I don’t like to get caught up in someone else’s bullshit religion is not my thing and politics…well that’s a subject that can get you into a lot of trouble… so tend to stay away from the subject what keepsContinue reading “me”

time

the times are changing along with the climate nothing stays the same

you know

wake up in the morning enjoying the first cup of coffee open the laptop to read and view the latest news lo and behold come to realize nothing has changed everything is the same not really surprised but…you never know a morning in the future may stun the mind saying that it is to goodContinue reading “you know”

7:16 a.m.

pouring rain a mug of coffee a book to read makes for a perfect start of the day

a thought redux

what I don’t see, hear and/or know about doesn’t bother me, and I am fine with that. so with that said, all is well and good and I will leave it like that.

a thought

working people seem to dread manic mondays while a retired person like me looks at it as mild-mannered mondays its a fair assumption

yup

72 years.. 5 months 5 days i’ve been circling the sun and it never gets old…and i don’t feel old…as age is only a number… so with that said…i plan on sticking around for quite some time

11:35 a.m.

today is a day to do as i please no harm … no foul

A Higher Revelation

Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soils in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents. Ludwig van Beethoven

Six Words

question everything… rebut if you want

4:27 p.m.

no rhyme no reason just writing whatever comes to mind

11:07 a.m.

busy as a bee no rest for the weary the end will be at no appointed hour

8:44 a.m.

couch potato using the laptop instead of watching tv or does it watch me when its on anyway… living the comfy life the only way to be

7:24 a.m.

beautiful morning rain later in the day oh well….just make the best of it

3:38 p.m.

lazy day idle time no rush to do anything that’s what sundays are all about

6:02 a.m.

up earlier than usual and that’s okay it gives me more time to do whatever I feel like doing life is good

7:45 a.m.

saturday morning rain is done clouds are slowly departing looks like a beautiful day in the neighborhood is in the cards

Poor People

There are two types of poor people, those who are poor together and those who are poor alone. The first are the true poor, the others are rich people out of luck. ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

“The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking.” ~Martin Heidegger

“Nothing is everything that doesn’t happen at this very moment.” ~Martin Heidegger

Philosophically Thinking

oh to be young again … nah. it would be nuts wanting to be of a younger age … i’m better off now, knowing what i know now from past and present experience, even though it is a known fact, that while i’m still at my age of 72 years, equals to the amount ofContinue reading “Philosophically Thinking”

Pondering Thought #22

living a wholesome lifestyle in a fragmented environment

Pondering Thought #21

just tell like it is. no harm. no foul.

Pondering Thought #20

the older one gets, the faster the time goes by.

Pursuit Of Money

“In constant pursuit of money to finance campaigns, the political system is simply unable to function. Its deliberative powers are paralyzed.” ~ John Rawls, Philosopher, 1921 – 2002

“Lawyers sometimes tell the truth. They’ll do anything to win a case.” ~Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham, Philosopher, 1748 – 1832

“There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.” ~David Hume

An Opinion

writing whatever you write, is therapeutic

Bricks

“A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window.” ~ Gilles Deleuze, Philosopher, 1925 – 1995

“No matter how thin you slice it, there will always be two sides.” ~Baruch Spinoza

Two Ways To Be Fooled

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Words

Words differently arranged have a different meaning, and meanings differently arranged have different effects. ~ Blaise Pascal

The Poor

The poor don’t know that their function in life is to exercise our generosity. ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

The secret of theory is that truth does not exist. ~Jean Baudrillard

Pondering Thought #19

half-baked truth[s], should be baked thoroughly through … then its the whole truth, and nothing but the truth …

Six Words Redux

whatever it is … then its it

Six Word Sunday

lazy ass day, it feels great.

Six Words

being a nonconformist, can be exhilarating

Bon Mot #5

if I ain’t walking, then I’m sitting

Pondering Thought #17

new month new day no complaints

Freedom Of Choice

“When we can’t think for ourselves, we can always quote” ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple. ~Jack Kerouac

Pondering Thought #15

living the life of solitude

Living

What is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying. ~Albert Camus

Hell isn’t other people. Hell is yourself. ~Ludwig Wittgenstein

Treasured Wealth

Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. ~Henry David Thoreau

The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth. ~Albert Camus

Mostly it is loss which teaches us the worth things. ~Arthur Schopenauer

Senseless To Think Of Complaining

It is therefore senseless to think of complaining since nothing foreign has decided what we feel, what we live, or what we are. `~Jean-Paul Sartre

Every book is the wreck of a perfect idea. ~Iris Murdoch

“Rules for Happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.” ~Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant, Philosopher, Born: April 22, 1724 – Died: February 12, 1804

Three Great Things

The three great things of life are: good health; work, and a philosophy of life. ~Jack London

Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don’t know. ~Bertrand Russell

People

To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do rather than what they say. ~Rene Descartes

Shoes

“Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip.” ~ John Locke

Okay so

to me, back to normal, when the pandemic is over and done, to some people is scary and worrisome. the life I am living right now is normal. the pandemic never stopped me from going outside, and taking several walks a day. I was careful as to what stores I went to, which was notContinue reading “Okay so”