Oddworld Forums - My Life Philosophy

Follow your heart, everything in moderation, and live a life with no regrets. There are so many ways to lead your life; I can't really say I follow just one. The only ultimate truth I believe in is balance. Everything must be balanced. Even then balance isn't the answer to everything. I spend all my time acquiring knowledge of all sorts from a plethora of sources. With knowledge I obtain multitude of perspectives to view the world. Every time I gain a new perspective the world alters before my eyes. I find this absolutely fascinating and wish everyone could do the same.

It has taken me a good amount of time to start writing this essay; partly due to my laziness, but it is also due to my fear of being defined. By writing this paper my being would be defined on paper. An unchangeable document declaring my beliefs and outlook on life. I don't like being so confined. People change in time as we are not always the same. I have personally gone through a few life altering experiences since I first decided to write this paper. Also I don't believe that the way I lead my life is the way everyone should. I don't think it is right to push your beliefs onto someone else. I'd like it if people just read my paper and tried to see from my perspective. That would make me happy.

Laws, rules, and mandates place limitations on us in order to protect us. Though I don't think particularly high of the US government I am a lawful person. Law is such a beautiful thing, without it unrestrained humans would harm each other without consequence. We are sinful creatures by nature and always look to our own wants before others. By establishing governments we are forfeiting some of our natural rights in exchange for protection from each other. As I stated before though I'm not too happy with our government, but no I'm not turning chaotic nor will I complain and do nothing. The marvelous thing about our democracy with its living constitution is its ability to change. Our government was made to support the people whom are all equal. It is our duty as citizens to stand for what we believe in. Nobody else is going to do it for us.

Another thing I strongly believe in is working for the community. All of the US is one giant community. Some of us water plants, some of us file papers, and some of us flip burgers. Work is not an enjoyable thing, but it is something that is required. Have you ever woken up at the sound of your alarm clock and thanked the company that produces those alarm clocks? How about when you go into the bathroom and turn the light on? Do you thank the workers that provide you with that energy? All our jobs help the community in some way be it mandatory for life or a nice convenience. Everyone has worked to benefit the community since the beginning of mankind. The boys went out to hunt and the girls would weave clothes, pick berries, and raise the children. We all must give back to the community that we take so much from.

Now as for Education... what do I think is important? Without hesitation I can say reading is the most important thing. It is ridiculous that a lot of my fellow seniors can barely read; Struggling with extremely simple words and not even attempting to read words at their own grade level. How do they expect to manage in the real world without the ability to read? Due to this inability to read students will of course not choose to read with their free time seeing as they do their best to avoid it during school time.

It just shocks me so much to see so many people that don't read. Reading has been a major thing in my life since the 6th grade. It all started with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." This book had me turning pages without even realizing I was doing so. I was so lost in the story that I had no idea what was going on around me. My mother very happy to see I was getting into reading bought me the other three books which at the time were the only ones in existence. Now I was out of Harry Potter, but still had such a love for reading. I picked up various books from Piers Anthony and later Terry Brooks. After that I began reading any book that looked interesting. Now I never noticed this at first, but gradually with reading I obtained a broader vocabulary and a wider perspective. It became very easy for me to take a step back and look at myself and my situation. With this wider perspective I could easily analyze myself and others. Always analyzing life as if it were reading material has helped me with a lot in my life. To be able to look at something with an unbiased view, to have an argument with someone completely understanding why they think the way they do, and to look at the world around me and judge its significance. Reading has opened my mind and is what makes me such a deep thinker. To view the world like I do is such a great feeling to me. I want nothing more then for everyone to do the same. Just imagine a world where everyone was a deep thinker who battled only with their words.

Now what do I think about US schools compared to foreign schools? Well for starters I actually dislike the summer vacation. Most schools around the world only have a two week break while we have two months. This long time out of school causes a lot of students to forget what they have learned as they never study during their break. The only reason we have such a long summer break is due to the older days when children needed to go back to the farms to assist their family. I personally don't know any farmers in my generation and think we need to stop this old tradition which does way more harm then good. Another thing is the intelligence between American students and students of other countries. Students in the Philippines are in college by the time American students would get into high school. Japanese students have to take exams in order to decide which high school they get into. Students of other countries also learn a lot about the world as a whole while American students learn simply about America. I simply think we have set our standards for our students to be way too low. Where most American students study maybe a few times a year before a major test most students else where study five hours everyday.

An unavoidable thing in schools is the multifarious groups we break up into. Jocks, preps, goths, anime/gamer geeks, weirdos, bookworms, etc. Now I don't have a problem with most of these groups as it allows people with similar interests to get together and make friends, but Fate Above how I hate gangstas. How can you be a gangsta in freaking Virginia Beach? I grew up in Columbus, Ohio now there was where you could be a gangsta. You didn't mess with guys down there because you wouldn't exchange words you would be dead. People would steal from their own neighbors and try to sell it back to them in hopes of getting money for drugs. I have seen the people at their lowest level of degradation... their is nothing glamorous about life as a gangsta. Anyways back on topic these gangsta kids are getting involved in drugs, petty fights to prove their masculinity, and they treat women like objects. "O brave new world with such people in it." I completely detest any music, movie, or television show that promotes the gangsta life style.

Well while talking about things I detest how about people that strive for the perfect body. When will people realize that there is no perfect body only one that society views as attractive. Guys have to be all big and muscular and girls have to incredibly thin with large breasts and wide hips. Well men aren't pressured as badly as women when it comes to this, but none the less they have the problem as well. Women, however, who in today's society are treated as objects are worthless unless they meet society's criteria. Insecure girls hide themselves under make-up and many starve themselves developing disorders. This is just so ridiculous in my eyes why can't people be happy to just have a healthy body? I believe it is very important to not listen to what everyone says. You can't let peer pressure force you to change things about yourself or you are no longer yourself. Why do you listen to all these anonymous people? Only people that care nothing for your well-being would force you to change yourself.

Parenting... man my thoughts on this subject have changed a lot over the past few weeks. Well I'll begin with my experiences. I grew up at first under my mother and father who both loved me greatly. Not for long however as my father practically disappeared from my life at about three. I had two sisters and the three of us were raised by my mother. She used to read books to us when we were younger and tried to imprint the protagonist's moral code onto us. This worked only on me and not my sisters who were too young at the time to grasp right from wrong. I grew up to detest lies, only wanting to do things the right way, and follow my heart. My mother always explained things to us answering our many questions about the world around us and rarely did she ever physically punish us. My mother would invent fun ways for us to stop disputes amongst ourselves such as a mock court. My mother has done a lot to get me to where I am today there is no one I respect more then her.

Now when I raise a child of my own I would also want to teach him to follow his heart. I've found following what my heart feels to be an easy way out of many difficult situations. I would not want my child to be prejudice as there are many different people out there, but really we are all the same inside. Honesty is another important trait. I would much rather my child tell me the truth about something bad he did then for him to hide it. I would always praise my child to tell the truth and would always listen carefully to what he says and never get angry for him telling me something bad he did. That would just condition him to not tell me things. I would teach my child to use common sense which isn't so common. Simply when in a situation stop and think before you act. I personally believe that how I raise my child will affect his personality. I believe a person develops their identity by reflecting what he sees from his parents, friends, and anyone else they interact with. Like my mother before me I won't preach my religious beliefs to my child, but allow him to choose his own. I believe that anyone that teaches their child their religion pretty much is forcing it onto them. The child accepts everything their parents believe as truth without developing his own ideals.

Lastly on the whole parenting thing I know I will be adopting. The world is full of children without families so why wouldn't I want to help them? The only desire I have for having my own child comes from wanting my blood to live on. This is just a old instinct animals have wanting that allows their species to continue. Blood has nothing to do with family it is all about love. I can love a child that is not actually related to me just as much as one that is. I don't like to imagine all the children that grow up never experiencing what it is like to have a family. So I know that when I am ready to raise a child I will be adopting.

The only thing I enjoy more then the pursuit of knowledge is probably connecting with another human soul. I just love learning the wants/needs/feelings/beliefs of another human. We are all so different and yet the same. Every time I walk down a sidewalk and happen to meet someone as I walk I consider our chance meeting. Is this a fortuitous happenstance or just a random pairing of strangers? A stranger is just a friend you don't know yet. I'm a very trusting person and like to get to know everyone I meet. A person I connected greatly with was a complete stranger. I was walking home once and encountered a tall girl who appeared to be a student from a different school. I started talking to her and found her to be a very interesting person. The two of us opened up to one another and became fast friends. From then on I treated every person I met by pure chance to be a possible great friend. It's an amazing thing to meet so many people and to view the world from their eyes.

Do I have someone close to my heart that I admire then all others? Well yes that would be my boyfriend Jake Eric Hanes. Well actually he is a girl by the name of Breanna Rae Loree, but he very much wishes to become a guy and I respect that. Now I don't believe in love at first sight, but I do believe in love. Most relationships in high school are purely physical and the love is nonexistent. I don't believe that you love just anyone you date. Love is only something that only comes with time and trust. Loyalty and devotion to just one person may seem odd to those who have been hurt and don't believe in love, but I swear to you that it exists. Every time I look into my boyfriend's eyes and see them looking back into mine I feel it. When ever I he gets mad because I'm trying to teach him something I feel it. When my boyfriend is hurt either physically or emotionally I feel it. I'm not trying to say that my relationship is pure love and perfect. We have our problems like my insecurity and his stubbornness, but I am willing to fight for him. Perhaps we will break up one day, but it will never be because I cheated on him or a lie. I will remain honest to him forever and if he will have me I will always be there by his side.

Now those are my thoughts on emotional love, but what about physical love? Sex is something our bodies want just like food or water, but it is more complicated due to the fact we have to interact with another human being for it. To have sex with someone is to expose yourself completely to another. Some people do this to only people they love while others do it frequently with complete strangers. I don't think either of these ways are right or wrong. I believe it all depends on the individual. If they perceive sex as a thing only to be shared by lovers then so it is. If someone perceives sex as something to do as many times as humanely possible then more power to them. Having sex is fine just as long as the people doing it are careful and no one gets hurt. As for no sex before marriage I think it's a very good idea. Relationships that involve just sex may have the partners believing they are in love when really they are just physically attracted to one another. Such relationships are normally doomed to fail. A relationship without sex is more likely to have the partners truly care for one another and their relationship will not falter so easily over a petty argument and they are less likely to cheat on one another if sex isn't their only desire. Again though I believe it all depends on the individual.

The most controversial topic ever good 'ol Religion! There are a lot of religions out there each with differing beliefs. Most religions all demand loyalty to that religion, preach how you should live your life, and explain the unexplained. Religions have been around for as long as civilization and has changed through out the years. I personally am a Atheist though I am open minded and wish I had a religion. Why do I not believe in a religion? Well that is because I am an analyzer. I analyze things and try to understand them fully. You see I was looking at various religions and was wondering which one was the right one. What if I became a follower of Shinto, but the right religion was Christianity? I would then burn in hell for all eternity. That is a very scary thought isn't it? To burn in hell for all of eternity. So should I become a Christian due to my fear of death and suffering? No something in my heart just tells me that it is not right to devote yourself to something to escape your fears. You can't run away from your fear or problems. You must face them.

It was then that I realized that religion was just a way to control the masses. Think about it now I'm not trying to say there is a secret conspiracy just stop a moment and think with me. Do you know how the Egyptians controlled their slaves? With religion. The slaves believed that by doing their work they would make the almighty Pharaoh happy. Also when they died their morality would be tested, if their heart was weighted by sins then their heart would be eaten and they would cease to exist. However good souls would ascend to an eternal afterlife. Think of Roman mythology there are countless stories that have the Gods disguise themselves to test their subjects. Christianity like ancient Egyptian religion would only allow you to ascend to heaven if you led a good life. What is a good life? One that follows the ten commandments. What are the ten commandments? They are a list of rules to live your life by. All religions have a code for you to live your life by. Fear of eternal damnation would control the masses to behave in a good way. Another thing that perplexes people is the unknown. All religions have their various explanations. How do I know the sun will always be there? Why because there is a God whose job it is to pull the sun around the world for all eternity in his mighty chariot. Why did the sun go all black? How do I know it won't stay that way? Well you see the sun Goddess Amaterasu had become jealous when someone said she wasn't the most beautiful Goddess so she hid in a cave turning the world black, but the other Gods tricked her back out of the cave and blocked it with a big boulder so she could never hide again and will forever on shine us with her beauty. Religion calms our fears of the unknown and teaches us to live a moral healthy way. I'm afraid of death, but I will not run to a religion to shield me from my fears.

Now with religion we have the various shrines, temples, and churches for them. I'm not very fond of organized religion because it tends to be corrupt. Any religion that asks for money in my eyes is a cult. You should be able to practice a religion and have your beliefs without paying money. Just think back to the feudal era when the church was at its most powerful. The church could grant land and have powerful vassals devote themselves and their men to the church. To be in the church was to have a very powerful position in the world. Then it didn't matter how righteous or holy one was, but who had the most to offer. A lot of the men that became bishops or got a high position in the church were just money hungry. Organized religion today... they try to lead their followers to do various tasks they might not even understand. Leaders of organized religion should only be there to help you with your faith not to further their own goals.

Now the thing I detest more then anything in this world are zealots. A zealot is a fanatically committed person. When I refer to zealots I normally mean those that try to push their beliefs onto you. Their is a zealot who makes my blood curdle, but I don't remember his name. After the terrorist attack on September 11th everyone suddenly remembered the Crusades. This particular zealot wrote books saying that he had new evidence proving that Christians were not as bad as they were portrayed back then and he blamed everything on the Muslims. You can not change history. Pope Urban II used Byzantine emperor Alexios I's appeal for help to resist Muslim invaders into his territory as an excuse for the Crusades. He made his followers believe that all Muslims were bad and diabolic in nature and that it was their duty to eradicate them. The Crusades started with a army formed mostly of peasants on a march to the holy land. On the way the rag tag army attacked many Christian towns on the way killing follow believers of the faith for food and supplies. The Crusades was a horrible war started by disillusioned followers of Christianity that murdered countless innocent Christians, Muslims, and Hebrews in pursuit of power for the Church.

Another example of zealots would be the Salem Witch Trials. Their was no logic behind these trials it was just a bunch of idiocy. If you called someone a witch they were then a witch. Because by their logic only two people knew who a witch was: The witch and her victim. Why would the witch expose herself? The 'victim' would get all the belongings of the witch after she was killed. This led to a bunch of innocent people being killed. The only way to save yourself was to declare yourself a witch and repent to God. True morally good people would not lie to save themselves. "O Brave new world with such people in it."

Crazy enough we still have zealots today. There are people who believe that Halloween is the Devil's day and they will not allow their children to join the festivities. Atheist zealots bash Christians and laugh at them for their beliefs. I may be an atheist, but you will never find me trying to force someone to share my beliefs. It's crazy how some atheist zealots will tear a Christian's faith apart and ridicule them for their faith in God. My least favorite zealots are those that believe only a man and a woman should be together and fight to stop homosexuals freedoms. Homosexuals are just people that care for another person of the same sex. Is it wrong to love someone with all of your being if they happen to be the same sex as you? What if you met someone and fell in love with them after living with them for a year only to discover they had been hiding the truth of their sex from you because they feared rejection? Would you stop loving them? I personally am a pansexual a sexuality not so common. I love someone for who they are their sex/gender has nothing to do with it.