My father has always been a philosopher. In fact if his life were to take on a title I would very much like for it to be "Adventures of a philosopher-hitchhiker." As a child I would sit for hours while he would converse with my older brothers, workers in his studio or complete strangers. These were never normal conversations in the sense that they never pertained to the happenings of the day except in the most philosophical ways. My fathers conversations always spanned the physical and metaphysical worlds in single bounds, crossing the boundaries of science, history, economics, philosophy and religion without permission or excuse. I rarely participated in these conversations in the early days but I would sit quietly and listen, always considering those discussions and lectures my primary education, far surpassing the disjointed facts I was required to ingest and regurgitate at "school."
As I grew older I began to participate in these conversations and I was constantly challenged on my opinions and ideas. This was done, of course, in my father's own compassionate and non-antagonistic way. I was never "wrong" but never totally "right." He never disagreed with me flatly but always had something to add or comment on and in the same vein he never agreed with me outright. I would argue fiercely for non-existent points in a game without rules or referees and my self-appointed opponent would always simply ask another question.
Admittedly my father and I have grown apart in the past years for a number of specific reasons as well as the normal rhythm of life. However, whenever we get together the conversations unfold naturally without boundaries. Nowadays, my father is usually the one who sets the topics as he has no shortage of time to think about and research theories on all subjects. I on the other hand usually think about the theory and apply it to my recent life experiences commenting on its strengths and weaknesses. It is a strange reversal of roles. In my teenage years I would often come to him with theories (usually false or half-thought through but creative nonetheless) and he with his many years of life experience would critique them with what seemed to me at the time infinite wisdom.
In our past few visits my father has been wrestling with the idea of the unification of opposites. He says that only by bringing into prosperity those things that we consider most alien to one another can we find true wisdom and ingenuity. The idea is not a new one. Ancient yogis from India claimed that the universe was naturally dyadic (two-fold) because both its physical and metaphysical planes relied on a fundamental of duality. They claimed that all things in the natural world, whether they be physical or metaphysical, had an opposite and that only through their unification could "tantra"- ultimate wisdom- be achieved. We see the unification of opposites everywhere. Love VS Hate - We must learn to love what or whom we hate and sometimes we must learn to hate what we love. Confidence VS Humility -We must be confident we will succeed and yet humble in our successes. Freedom VS Equality - The antagonistic relationship between Freedom VS Equality represents the basic tension in our economic philosophy, it appears that we must always choose between more freedom or more equality. "I-ness" VS otherness. Subject VS Object. Man VS Woman.
I must admit that the philosophy as a practical concept escapes me and when I attempted to research the subject more intensely I got lost at tantra. That being said I did find one unification of opposites that stood out as not only logical but also very practical. Solitude VS Participation. I found this concept in a blog I started reading lately called http://zenhabits.net/. The author of that blog was looking for habits of very creative people that he could emulate. He found two that all creative people practice, solitude - finding time to be alone with one's thoughts- and participation- actively taking part in the world. Through solitude we are able to hone in on our own creativity and capability because we have blocked out the noise and distractions that define modern life. On the other hand, participation in the creative process with others allows us to refine those ideas and creations through review, constructive criticisms and challenge.
If I was a betting man, which I am, I would venture that most people in the world today face a challenge in the first of these two opposites. People today fear being alone. We seek out interaction with others 24/7. Almost every new product from TV's to Cell Phones to Rabbits (No seriously http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2257195,00.asp) are now WiFi enabled so you can be "connected" at all times. I'm not saying that this connectivity is negative, participation in the world is a good thing, it keeps us honest in many way. I struggle with participation. I have no problem locking myself away in my room for days and just reading and studying and thinking and writing. Where I face a challenge is in bringing my ideas to the outside world. This is born out of fear. When I put time into things I put myself into them and therefore I am afraid to to expose them to potential criticism. Because of this many of my ideas or dreams never come to fruition.
My father says that his children are his gateway to the world. He has plenty of time for solitude and thoughts and I have a challenge to go out and participate in the world for good or for bad. Perhaps the next time we meet we can bring this pair of opposites together.
As I grew older I began to participate in these conversations and I was constantly challenged on my opinions and ideas. This was done, of course, in my father's own compassionate and non-antagonistic way. I was never "wrong" but never totally "right." He never disagreed with me flatly but always had something to add or comment on and in the same vein he never agreed with me outright. I would argue fiercely for non-existent points in a game without rules or referees and my self-appointed opponent would always simply ask another question.
Admittedly my father and I have grown apart in the past years for a number of specific reasons as well as the normal rhythm of life. However, whenever we get together the conversations unfold naturally without boundaries. Nowadays, my father is usually the one who sets the topics as he has no shortage of time to think about and research theories on all subjects. I on the other hand usually think about the theory and apply it to my recent life experiences commenting on its strengths and weaknesses. It is a strange reversal of roles. In my teenage years I would often come to him with theories (usually false or half-thought through but creative nonetheless) and he with his many years of life experience would critique them with what seemed to me at the time infinite wisdom.
In our past few visits my father has been wrestling with the idea of the unification of opposites. He says that only by bringing into prosperity those things that we consider most alien to one another can we find true wisdom and ingenuity. The idea is not a new one. Ancient yogis from India claimed that the universe was naturally dyadic (two-fold) because both its physical and metaphysical planes relied on a fundamental of duality. They claimed that all things in the natural world, whether they be physical or metaphysical, had an opposite and that only through their unification could "tantra"- ultimate wisdom- be achieved. We see the unification of opposites everywhere. Love VS Hate - We must learn to love what or whom we hate and sometimes we must learn to hate what we love. Confidence VS Humility -We must be confident we will succeed and yet humble in our successes. Freedom VS Equality - The antagonistic relationship between Freedom VS Equality represents the basic tension in our economic philosophy, it appears that we must always choose between more freedom or more equality. "I-ness" VS otherness. Subject VS Object. Man VS Woman.
I must admit that the philosophy as a practical concept escapes me and when I attempted to research the subject more intensely I got lost at tantra. That being said I did find one unification of opposites that stood out as not only logical but also very practical. Solitude VS Participation. I found this concept in a blog I started reading lately called http://zenhabits.net/. The author of that blog was looking for habits of very creative people that he could emulate. He found two that all creative people practice, solitude - finding time to be alone with one's thoughts- and participation- actively taking part in the world. Through solitude we are able to hone in on our own creativity and capability because we have blocked out the noise and distractions that define modern life. On the other hand, participation in the creative process with others allows us to refine those ideas and creations through review, constructive criticisms and challenge.
If I was a betting man, which I am, I would venture that most people in the world today face a challenge in the first of these two opposites. People today fear being alone. We seek out interaction with others 24/7. Almost every new product from TV's to Cell Phones to Rabbits (No seriously http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2257195,00.asp) are now WiFi enabled so you can be "connected" at all times. I'm not saying that this connectivity is negative, participation in the world is a good thing, it keeps us honest in many way. I struggle with participation. I have no problem locking myself away in my room for days and just reading and studying and thinking and writing. Where I face a challenge is in bringing my ideas to the outside world. This is born out of fear. When I put time into things I put myself into them and therefore I am afraid to to expose them to potential criticism. Because of this many of my ideas or dreams never come to fruition.
My father says that his children are his gateway to the world. He has plenty of time for solitude and thoughts and I have a challenge to go out and participate in the world for good or for bad. Perhaps the next time we meet we can bring this pair of opposites together.
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