My name is Bill. This is me.
I love beer and wine. I am a strong believer in intellect through inebriation.
In this blog, as you can probably imagine, I plan to share some of my many thoughts with those who are interested in knowing them.
Why do I want to do this? Well, like most people, I have many thoughts and I love for them to be heard. There is no need to be coy about it. People write books, recite poetry, do comedy, do philosophy, create art, design buildings, build buildings, build their bodies, compete in games, go to school, graduate, and do all the other activities generally deemed as self-betterment because they want someone else to read it, know it, see it, or otherwise appreciate it and attribute it to them (anonymous or otherwise). I blog for the same reason everyone else does, to have my ideas heard and attributed to me.
For those who know me, you may find that last position to be slightly egotistical for my nature. I wouldn't say it's necessarily egotistical. Rather, I would say that it is an embodiment and recognition of my inevitable human nature... which, I guess, can more or less be associated with egotism.
I will talk a great deal about human nature and many other things which many of you will disagree with. I welcome disagreement at all times. Please feel free to comment as you like. Just remember that you are commenting because you want someone else to read it, thereby a disagreement on this point is debunked by disagreeing.
The first order of business is to do away with two failed life philosophies: "Live every day like it's your last" and "you can sleep when you're dead."
Obviously, neither of these are good life philosophies when taken literally. If the former were enacted, there would be much more raping, pillaging and bankruptcy. Even though many of us would spend their last day on earth in a more favorable manner, most would not, and, in either case, we would likely lose sight of the big picture and have to face the negative consequences of our actions, financial or otherwise, in the morning. The latter is an obvious, feel-good misunderstanding of death; nobody sleeps when they're dead, they're dead. Sleep is a privilege reserved for the living.
These philosophies are, of course, recommending a lifestyle. But, the lifestyles which they recommend are over simplified and unsustainable. The former tries to remind us that life is short (another philosophy to be done away with) and that we should take advantage of what comes to us and handle the consequences later. The problem is that if the consequences of your actions aren't fully considered, than you may easily lose out on more favorable future advantages. Instead, we should always fully contemplate the best course of action with an eye to the foreseeable future at all times, investing when we can and acting at the opportune moments.
The latter philosophy tries to tell us that you are not living when you are sleeping, that life really occurs when you are awake. So, you should spend less time sleeping and more time experiencing life. First of all, sleep is what allows us to fully and healthfully enjoy those experiences that waking life has to offer. So, more sleep increases the enjoyment quality of your life, which is really all you have to take with you. Secondly, science has shown that sleep has much more to offer in the way of experiences than is generally thought. Granted, they are not 'real' experiences, but the mind behaves as if they are. Our dreams are usually quite enjoyable or at least valuable and interesting.
I propose that we take these failed, feel-good life philosophies and replace it with a more encompassing life philosophy, put forth by one, Abraham Lincoln: "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that counts. It's the life in your years."
This tells us to consider everything, sleep, invest, contemplate, and make wise life-decisions. Focus on the whole before you consider the parts, but always consider the parts equally with the whole.
