Thoughts on Imprudence and Laziness

On Inactivity: Analyzing the Source of Procrastination

Over the years, much like the rest of you, I have encountered countless trials and tribulations that have either delayed my ambitions, or negated them entirely. Despite the unforeseen obstacles that thwarted my initial efforts, much like the rest of us, I managed to progress in some way. When I use the term progress in its verbal form, I do not mean it in its colloquial sense. Rather than perseverance that translates to success, I am attempting to convey the skeletal essence of the word - active and intentional behavior to avoid immobility. After having abandoned the notion that progress is only made when someone continues to prosper, I began to recognize the key aspect in my life that was lacking - action. Being somewhat of a ruminator (euphemism at its finest), I often found myself stuck within the confines of my own exhaustible cranium, worrying repeatedly about insignificant ideas via syllogistic reasoning errors. Ironically, I attempted to make decisions and conclusions about things without adequate evidence (sometimes without any), often producing results that were the byproduct of emotional tirades and maudlin stupors. Somewhat anti-scientific, one may be inclined to say. Herein lies the second layer of irony - had I appealed to my own interests and meager knowledge, I would have been able to derive more meaning and wisdom in one analysis than in a year's worth of obsession. By this of course I refer to the literal meaning of the word progress, and its etymological origins. Fashioned from the beautiful Latin tongue, its constituents are pro- (a preposition which here means "forward" or "ahead") and gressum (the fourth principal part of the verb -gressi, which means to walk or move). In short, progressum directly translates to "something having gone/moved forward". As long as one is not stagnant and inactive, they are by definition progressing. This may be a bit reductionist and perhaps even laughable by virtue of its apparent pseudo-profound simplicity, but neglecting its transformative power can be equally as frivolous. 

One could argue quite justifiably that no one  can truly ever be stationary in life, because even willful indecision renders results and manifests consequences. In short, choosing to not act is in itself an action. Here is my best attempt at making a rebuttal to this obvious elephant in the room. Although that it is entirely valid, there remains a remarkable distinction between progression with intention, and accidental movement. It is reasonable to propose that someone would have a better chance of reaching their desired goals if they measure and tailor their behavior. It is highly unlikely that someone would achieve that with the same efficiency or satisfaction, if they resorted to desultory indifference. 

Here is a relevant and ubiquitous real-world application of this framework; procrastination in academics. It is my position that the proliferation of irresponsibility in institutions of higher learning is due to one rife misinterpretation- the reasoning that leads to procrastination. I used to make the same fundamental error, and made menacing noises of self-pity ad nauseam. The confusion results from conflating action with success. It is as simple as that. Students often feel that they cannot bear a workload and all its implications, so they are hapless and become unproductive. If there were even the smallest trace of reconsideration, I believe a huge burden could be lifted. Nobility resides within the effort to address the work and its demands - not necessarily to complete every ounce, let alone with haste and perfection. Now, I am certainly not advocating for fecklessness or carelessness with regards to one's academic duty, nor am I ignorant of the fact that some students' lives depend upon excellence due to external forces. My point addresses those who are so fortunate that they have the luxury to adjust their intensity, should their sanity require it. If you fall under this category, remember that excessive frustration drawn from workload stress is not necessarily a predicament to which everyone can be sympathetic. There is a hint of arrogance and over-inflated sense of self-purpose, seeing that a difference in arbitrarily assigned numbers on a personal screed does not have any directly influential repercussions on the rest of society. Yet another instance to check one's value on a larger scale. 

For a significant portion of my academic career, I drew much of my self-worth and motivation from academic prowess and feigning an omni-present intelligence. Although I still struggle with human pride and an innate desire for intellectual supremacy, I am earnestly and intentionally trying to rectify it. The sobriety and humility yielded from challenging one's personal beliefs about this matter is extraordinarily soothing. It forces one to question their priorities and principles at large, and almost inevitably decreases ego-centrism. So please, try re-evaluating your tasks and chores, and see if they truly are as cumbersome and worthy of public concern as you think they are. 

Who am I to adjudicate on this topic?

Just another primate, like you.

Thought and Action SoundCloud Podcast: An Intro

As of recently, a close friend and I have decided to embark upon a new journey in social media - pod-casting. The notion appeals to me simply because I get to prattle on, while others lend their time to my rantings on different subjects. The reason for our mutual excitement surrounding this idea stems back to a very deep-seeded characteristic expressed in both parties; the desire to speak freely about topics we enjoy, without having to pander to those of a larger crowd. Our methods may differ, but they are inextricably linked by the confines and demands of life and prosperity.

My friend's interests (whose material is available at his casually.formal Instagram page) pertain to men's style and conducting a formal lifestyle through a casual demeanor. His approach to life in general is much more hands-on and impetuous. More attracted to spontaneity and mobility, he tends to be intrigued by activities that call upon the use of the body, and concentrate on physical involvement. Thus, it is no surprise that he is enamored with fitness, exercise, and sport. With regards to employment and higher education, his early career trajectories focused on engineering and a subsequent change to construction management. However, much like the rest of us, his passions and skills are at the mercy of time, personal growth, and the vicissitudes of life. As such, change has rendered his previously supposed certainty and stagnancy moot, and begs personal introspection and reconsideration of his own motives. In short, this is very time when he requires a more elaborate and philosophically inclined analysis of his goals - cue me.

This does not mean that he lacks any sense of calculation, or that he is entirely devoid of thought. That would be a fantastic insult, and would also insinuate that I am smarter or wiser than reality demonstrates. If anyone is familiar with my work, they will realize that I operate on a different wavelength than my comrade. My focus is plagued with rumination and excessive analysis that unfortunately foster inactivity. At times I can be completely inert and unresponsive due to my ignorance of anything that resides outside the realm of academia. From my best efforts at self-reflection, I believe that I could benefit from being more resourceful and self-reliant. This is where the representative of the latter half of our brand shows up - promoting a more pro-active lifestyle to enhance the likelihood of reaping dividends. 

The beauty of this enterprise is derived from the nature of its participants - two proponents of diametrically opposed methods who unite for personal improvement and dialectic. There is a whole gamut of various topics to explore: from the potential existence of a God and questions about our own consciousness, to how to effectively date to suit your needs and desires. You are formally invited to help us casually investigate our universe and the contents within it. 

To the best ability that two mammals can, of course.

Stay tuned for updates on release dates and content!

Yours truly, half of T & A

A Generation of Quasi-literacy: How Excessive Coddling Relates to Censorship and Ignorance

To any other resident dissenters on political correctness, take heart! You are not alone. As someone who accepts the value of criticism and argument for their own sake, I cannot help but feel alienated from my fellow millennials. A fact of which I am quite proud, to say the least. The New Age nonsense that seems to be permeating and thriving in the West is incredibly nauseating. Charlatans like Deepak Chopra appeal to the credulous crowds with their salad of misappropriated letters and misused scientific jargon. Alleged authors muster up terrible romantic fiction at a cloying rate. The worst part of it is not the material in itself, rather how swathes of the young population ravenously inhale the drivel and regurgitate it as though it were literature worth conserving. The proclivity toward this pseudo-mysticism is baffling, and I believe it is a result of babying young adults. Political correctness directly contributes to the barricading of free speech, and as such precludes people from being able to analyze thoughts produced by everyday humans. Mere primates, one may be tempted to say. In an age and a society where the practice of religion is just beginning to dwindle and we are reaping the benefits, I am not inclined to surrender to a new supernatural swindle so soon. 

Make no mistake, my contempt for this idea does not peat out at the religious. It also extends to those who want to replace works from Balzac, Proust, Dostoevsky, Eliot and Tolstoy with the tripe produced by Rowling or Meyers. This includes the heavenly auguries with which The 50 Shades series has been met - a screed whose literary content and quality can be easily superseded by anything written on the stall door found in a local tavern's facilities. This is not just an attempt at making jeers toward popular culture, it is rather a cry for action. Literacy is a concern far too often overlooked; especially in America. Imagine, if you dare, an entire generation of people who are simultaneously illiterate and hypersensitive. The thought tends to preoccupy even the slowest mind. Although there is an alarming number of individuals who can neither read nor write (or can only do one of the two, mostly with feeble accuracy in a marginal capacity) I am not asking them to heed my message (not that they could if they wanted to). My address of illiteracy is aimed at the majority who either cannot be bothered to read anything that does not simultaneously offer a service in which one can advertise their face and sexual preferences to the general public, or the odd time that their much resented education requires them to do so. I do not intend to portray myself as an elitist, but I weep for the day when championing literacy constitutes snobbery. Leisure reading is not only pleasant, it also illuminating and humbling. I am prepared to say that the more often one runs their eyes across a printed page, the less likely they are to feel so entitled that they think they have the capacity to mandate legislation on bathroom nomenclature - simply because they feel offended. An empty charge whose power and influence is far too strong in a supposed multi-cultural society. A place in which anyone should be allowed to broach and discuss whatever they like, whenever they choose.

Now recall what I just said about a zeitgeist founded upon unlettered ignorance and maudlin melodramatics. This is the very generation to which I so disgracefully belong, and the people who are eventually going to be responsible for dictating countrywide curriculum. In other words, the barbaric babies are already through the gates - and the barbarians only take a city if someone holds the doors open for them. This speaks to the glib parents who profess to be so self-righteously ashamed of their progeny, the very individuals whom they predominantly helped to sire. 

Their children hysterically and fearfully protest the implementation of the Trump/Pence era for our neighbors to the South. Grievances about the fate of the science class and its value have been expressed, and quite justifiably. Exchanging substantiated empirical data for bronze age superstition, or even equating the two as equivalent hypotheses, is cardinal sin. Of course I refer to the denigration and violation of evolution, and Darwin's theory of natural selection. Yet I propose that at the current rate, education and objective scholarship will experience the same type of backward censorship from a crowd other than the Messianic fanatics - those who are perpetually insulted. Although the process may be slower (yet just as pain-staking), we can already see it in the inept alteration of words in academia - lest we be accused of hurting someone's feelings. Fatuous words such as Global North and South, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, physically/mentally challenged and all their equally impotent forms, Intelligent Design, and insurgent are all examples of linguistic dilution. The ridiculous attempt to assuage people's nerves by bludgeoning words in already controversial topics. It is absurd to assume that someone needs to be previously ensconced in pillows, should they decide to jump from a high-rise building in an attempt to take their own life. 

The question remains - does anyone willfully want to contribute to a societal regression to infantilism? As Sam Harris so elegantly inquired "Are these the causes with which you want your generation to be identified?" I am hard pressed to believe that anyone responded affirmatively. If you did, and you enjoy the idea of capitulation to totalitarianism (in whatever smarmy new ingratiating form it takes), then you are and will most likely remain an enemy of civil progression and intellectual enlightenment. 

An enemy of mere mammals, though.

Yours truly, someone who sincerely does not care that you are insulted