Tuesday, January 8, 2008

January 8, 2008: Class Reflections

Well, as we must keep a digital notebook for this Reflective Planning Theory, I have chosen to do mine in the form of a blog. I haven't exactly figured out how I'm going to do this but I'm going to upload pdf files with my notes, handouts, etc and link them to this site so that it truly serves as a digital notebook.

On to reflections of today...

I am a novice at considering things in the existentialist context so today was mentally exhausting for me. I can't imagine what it must be like to think this way all the time, but I bet in a way it's freeing. In the work that I do I get caught up in this idea that whatever we're working on at the moment is way better than whatever has come before and that no one could ever doubt it's greatness. In fact, I get a little miffed (although I'm getting better at this) when community members come in at the last minute and want to change everything because they couldn't be bothered to get involved earlier and every thing's wrong because they weren't involved earlier. I still resent that, but in truth, in the grand scheme of things does it matter? The answer is no, it doesn't and worrying about it doesn't make it better.

So, I'm kind of coming at this from an eastern philosophy. The four noble truths are:

1. Life means suffering
2. The origin of suffering is attachment
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable
4. A path will lead you there

I think this existentialist philosophy is kind of sitting at 1 and 2 of the four noble truths. It acknowledges that life is suffering and that attachment to control, for example, is the origin of that suffering. I still wonder if it goes so far as to say that the cessation of suffering is possible because that almost implies a rationalist perspective. I'm kind of thinking that if life means suffering, it doesn't matter. We should just embrace that suffering and some how muddle through. I haven't thought too deeply about this, obviously, but these are my initial thoughts.

I think I'll have to check into I (Heart) Huckabees again (even though the name "Huckabee" makes my stomach turn right now).

OH! One more thing about rational action. It reminded me of a quote from Star Wars ... "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers..." Princess Leia.

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