Infinite Universe

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
~Albert Einstein  

So...is that a good thing?

If the Universe is truly infinite, then imagine how far the human race can progress.  If we have the given ability to adapt to our surroundings, to understand and utilize what is given to us, imagine what we can achieve.  I'm pretty sure Einstein meant to be ironic, but I'll turn around his meaning of his statement.  If human stupidity is infinite, then human knowledge is infinite.  Since we have the capacity to be infinitely unreasonable, our capacity to be reasonable is comparable.  Why?  In the midst of confusion, of every stupid action, a truth will rise from the rubble.  Whether it may be a truth to our existence, a truth about a lie, a truth to our stupidity, we will learn from out mistakes.  Thus, we will infinitely learn from our mistakes because of humanity's nature to adapt.

Merry Christmas,

Dan

Tick Tock Tick Tock

“Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

What a bad ass...

A great quote from a French Emperor that had it all and then lost it.  This reminds me of my father who always said, "do it now."  That phrase has been pounded in to my skull, yet I never listened to his advice.  Now I have Napoleon saying the same thing to me.   There will be a time to stop and smell the roses, but what good is there by sitting and pondering on a rock?  Our actions speak volumes while our thoughts stay within its bounds.  Ladies and gentlemen, the age of individualism is passing and the age of integration is rising.  We all can't look after our own self interests for the majority of the time, we have to establish our identity and move onwards to help our community.  Preservation of the human race depends on the preservation of our communities, our societies, not ourselves.  Yes, it is vital to find your identity, and it should be your first priority, but the greater goal for one's life is the life of others.

And so clock continues to tick, the gears continue to click, and the chimes will infinitely ring until time itself will destroy the keeper of time.  What can we keep from time?  Our struggle for existence.  If time will certainly mean the doom of humanity, then resisting the, perhaps, futile test of time is reason enough to live.  There is no nobility in ending your life because there is nothing else to struggle for, but there is greatness in the fight to defy death.  Live to prevail.

Another stream of conscious,

Dan Huh

Perspective is Relative to Passion

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy."  Ludwig van Beethoven
A bold statement by a revolutionary man.

It is important to observe that all statements by any individual should not be taken by its surface value, but rather to meditate upon.  However, those who take Beethoven's word with a grain of salt will not understand the full extent of his imagination.  Then how should we, are we even able to, interpret this quotation?

Beethoven had an incredible passion for music and opened himself up to the world.  He used his music to translate his emotions and ideas to society's uncensored ear.  The melodies scripted by his imagination tell stories beyond anyone's hopes and dreams.  Because his experiences are strictly unique -- particularly his musical and life experiences -- we may never understand his motives, his subconscious, yet we people accept his works as great.  Why do we?  Because Beethoven mastered the art of communication through carefully coordinated sounds.  He did what many of us could not, share his sentiments, his perspective through the art of music.

What mode of art do you use to express yourself?  If you don't, pick one up!

Regards,

Dan Huh

Existentialism and Humanism

Many apologies for my late blog entry. Last week has been very busy for me.

"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads." Albert Camus

I remember the first time I stumbled upon the word existentialism and its definition.  I took the surface of the meaning without taking in applications of the philosophy behind it. 

Here's my original definition: to live your life to the fullest regardless of the time you have left in your life.

I do not object to this definition I procured four years ago, but I believe there is more depth to discover.  Existentialism is about the life between point A and point B, birth and death.  There is no measurable value to your life, there is no correct way to live your life; however there are particular "guidelines" given to us through human nature.  Thanks to human diversity and variation in human interaction, there are unlimited possibilities to live which disregards societal pressures to conform, with reservation -- there are basic human interactions which influences other individuals to commune.  Now the question rises, if there are unlimited possibilities to live, how do we distinguish between moral and immoral actions?  This is where humanism intertwines with existentialism.  Humanism require individuals to create an environment suitable for human progress, to work towards the betterment of the humanity.  This disregards what we call criminal acts, murder, theft, racial profiling, etc.  We now have filtered through the ifs and buts of the purpose of life.  Excuse my cursory explanation of existentialism and humanism, but for the sake of blogging, this will do.

My original definition fits in beautifully with the provided definition above, however, there are particular applications that may contradict the purpose of existentialism and humanism.  The element of time poses a threat to the meaning of life.  Because the length of an individual's life is unknown, one may choose to merely "budget" their life.  In other words, a form of indifference arises in the midst of life, giving him the liberty to make conscious decisions to live life to the fullest at any given time.  This labels the individuals who live life through a telescope, who live through strict daily routines, stone schedules, agendas that serve to constrict one's life to their anticipated destinies.  I do not mean to live life without a calendar or a watch, but to release your dependence on time.  Indifference is a vice in humanity and it is influenced by time.  We are not a machine set to code, we are human beings with the liberty to express ourselves at any given moment. 

Now to my revised definition of existentialism.  I believe that we must live freely without the hindering thought of death and only encounter death once our eyes meet.  However, we must not depend on time to designate our actions.  We must see through a humanist lens to continuously strive for the betterment of humanity and not wait for right moment.  There are right moments in every breathe we take and the beauty of diversity gives way to unlimited possibilities for humanity. 

This is only one of many revisions.  Many which I will strongly disagree and others that I will plaster a smile on my face, but in the meantime, I've got some life to be livin'. 

Sincerely,

Dan Huh

Stop and Smell the Heliconias

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." ~Abraham Lincoln

Quality over quantity, huh? I sincerely believed that my goal in college was to graduate, to finish my classes with high marks, to add some HGH to my resume, to meet extraordinary and ordinary people. But what then? If I accomplish these menial goals, these short-term successes, how will these endeavors define me? I'll be the person who always tried to meet the expectation, the guy who lived life through a telescope. I want to be more than the expectation.

Yesterday, I stopped to smell a Heliconia flower -- this plant looks like a bird!



See?! To be honest, it did not smell great, but rather ok. I pass this flower every day, but I never take the time to stop in my tracks and stare at this bird flower. But when I did, this is what I said: 'It's beautiful.' Nothing more. If can say those two words, then I can assure myself that I am human. What is human? Being able to tell difference between a photograph and a painting, a speech and a song, searching and wandering. I do not want to strive for my goals merely for the satisfaction of others, let alone for my influenced psyche. I want to achieve happiness through my actions and later translate my happiness to an ever so curious world.

Where logical reasoning and the human psyche find common ground I am still unsure. How do they intricately weave between each other? There are a number of questions swelling my mind leaving me scrapping for answers wherever I can find them, but I'm sure I will find the answer during my time here at USD -- a good excuse for more blog entries -- the people I've met here thus far are more than I could have ever wished.

Until next time,

Dan Huh

Dear People,

"A bachelor's life is a fine breakfast, a flat lunch, and a miserable dinner."
- Francis Bacon

Too true Mr. Bacon, too true.  

I, Dan Huh, have decided to take the time to produce, create, curate, become God over...make a blog.  Poetry on Facebook could only appease half of my conscious -- the other half would wander off towards the Sun.  Now, today, October 29th, 2009, 11:32pm, a sweet 60 degree night, minutes from Halloween-eve, I've decided to take the liberty to express myself over a the world-wide-web, which is more than likely to be viewed by more than my 487 Facebook friends -- a creepy thought indeed -- who some of them will more or less smile at my sarcastic remarks, frown at my depressing moments, or just stare blankly at a virtual screen, all emotions which I welcome with open arms.

Now on to business.  There is no obvious reason for me to give birth to a blog, let alone post personal information on the WWW invented by the infamous Al Gore.  Do I have anything to gain from typing virtual letters on a virtual screen?  Yup.  Here is my thesis for my blog:  By developing a personal blog, primarily for the stranger's viewing pleasure, I have created an expressive outlet for me to freely paint my abstract soul through the most intimate and creative words given to me in the English language. 

So why the quote?  Francis Bacon has written some amazing literature during his lifetime, my favorite being The Great Instauration.  The new excites the naive, sparking new interests in a bright, Sunny world, instilling confidence in a worried filled society.  A shot of adrenaline and euphoria seems to be the cure for all of our problems.  Once we become acquainted with our lives, following a content lifestyle, we begin to lose our zest, that once tingly taste at the tip of your tongue; we become use to the happiness we experience during our livelihood.  And we die miserably alone?  True -- with reservations of course -- I'm not a pessimist.  Do we want to be sent to the old people's home or walk with an annoying limp?  Nope.  There are two mindsets to consider in this interpretation: it is imminent to obtain the effects of aging or to find happiness in the unfortunate circumstances in life.  The choice is yours to make, live with your given fate or live free. 

There will be updates every two days so stay tune for future posts!

Warm regards,

Dan Huh