Free Thinker

Now I may be digressing considerable with the question, but I'd like to hear what your opinions are. So the purpose of my existence is happiness, contentment, peace, pride, etc. All of those, by their nature, reduce down to emotions or pleaure. Granted, those emotions are significantly different from, let's say, the feeling one gets after eating an enjoyable meal, or the pleasure one gets from sex, etc. The goal of happiness demands setting goals and achieving them, which takes much longer and involves much more energy. When the dust settles, however, the end result is an emotion/pleaure. Hedonism, by definition is : "Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. Philosophy. The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good. Psychology. The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. " (source - http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hedonism) Apart from the short sightedness and Nietzchean implications of such ideas, are we as value seekers hedonists? Is it possible to divorce the aforementioned characteristics from hedonism, or are they inexorably linked?

I recently discovered the R & B singer Amerie. Her single, "1 Thing", has a wonderful and refreshing look at love. The lyrics are typical of mainstream riff-raff, but I still recommend the song. She reminds of 50's pop standards.

Technical ability and content, I agree, are the standards of art. Content far outweighs technical ability, however. Jay - Z (for example), raps about pretty shallow,hedonistic, and racist/sexist themes, but can be admired for his lyrical ability and creativity . He is also is into business; recently becoming CEO of Rocafella. 50 Cent, on the other hand, has some technical ability, but the violence and sexist themes protrayed in his music far outweighs any ability he has. Popular music is usually always a mixed bag.

Whoa, you are from the UK? Cool!

I did some more thinking about my problem. I accept that ultimately every psychological problem boils down to a concept. (A sensory difficulty is, I imagine, more of a medical problem). Any doubt or haziness that I'm feeling is a direct consequence of my view of reality. If reality exists, and my existence exists, and A=A, then all my dreams are possible. On the other hand, if A=?, then this is the feeling that I get. I suppose it seems stuipid to post a question then to answer.

I honestly am not sure. I suppose it does rely on the conceptual level, but it feels as if my very senses are going haywire. The best way I can describe it is with an analogy. Have you ever had it happen when you are laying in bed, trying to go to sleep, and then you think about what it will actually feel like to go fall asleep (that threshold between the two), and as soon as you do that you are unable to actually go to sleep because you keep thinking about that threshold? Either you get that or my analogy will make no sense. I have no idea where this "murkiness" came from. I just started feeling this way one day. I was really hoping someone had gone through this before and could give me some advice.

The Rodeo, I imagine. ( I am from the good ol' North - Minnesota) Or maybe harassing some women at an abortion clinic. In all seriousness, I have visited relatives in TX probably every year for 5 + years, and it is probably the most dull state in the US.

I am having this problem. For a while, I was successful in identifying my emotions and correcting false ideas. Lately, however, I am having a problem on a sensory level. It's hard to describe, but it feels like a oil slick. Its kind of a murkiness; this sense that is clouding my judgment. I am unable to see in the long range, its a corruption. Can anyone tell me what's wrong?

The same thing happened to me and rap music and grunge. I fully "suscribed" to Objectivism, but I would find myself changing the radio station or poping in a cd that I knew to be imoral. I would try to rationalize it later by saying that either there are some positive things about it, or that self expression, not honesty, it really the only standard to art, or that the "beat" is really all that matters. I think that the key is that in music, one is attracted first to the melody (not at all unlike being physically attracted to a beautiful woman). However, because we are not simply animals driven by pleasure, we look to the message behind it. I found that the more I listened to destructive music, the more those songs became controlling of my behavior. If you look at my "woman" analogy, just dating a girl because she is pretty will bring you unhappiness in the long run. If, on the other hand, you wait for a woman who is both to you ( afirming of your vaules and attractive) , your life will be much more enriched and happy. As much as metal may be appealing to you guys, I think that, if you are honest with yourselves, it doesn't bring you lasting happiness, just momentary and evasive peace. PS - Have you heard of Rush? I like them a lot!

What is "Capitalist Paradise"? Is it a website?

I too have never met someone who is completely in tune with reality and has induced all of AR's principles on their own, but to find people have have induced the essentials of her system are rare - those are the geniuss. It seems that you either find a person with a proper "sense of life", or isloated principles, but never both.

I agree. Every shot could be frozen to make a portrait.

Okay, sorry about that. I am in agreement with you then.

For one who isn't well aquainted with Vermeer's work, this movie (however embelished/false) was wonderfully done. Certain themes of individualism could be traced through the movie. Vermeer was protryed as a valuer; a "Randian" hero. PS - For those who have seen it, is the love story historically accurate?

That's good to hear. As a black man myself, it seems that many of the movie targeted to my race are riddled with "white people suck, they are so uncool" or "I got beat this guy in a rap battle/dance off/singing contest". If this movie includes the things that you say, I for one applaud it.

If someone has a proper relation to reality and a good sense-of-life, I think it's entirely expected that they should reach certain of Ayn Rand's ideas without ever having read her books. Rather than being astonished at Joe Average defending self-interest, I'd probably feel something along the lines of: Great, the world really is as good as all that. I talked to Galt some more today. It seems that you are correct that it really doesn't take a "genius" to come to those ideas, just a proper relation to reality. I say this because (not because he is an idiot), but he still holds some pretty bad ideas (predominately in esthetics). I don't think that self-interest, as AR defines it, is common in American culture. I think that the influence of the church is strong; and the ideas of altruism and guilt ridden conciousness is all too prevalent. Capitalism (as broad a concept as that is), maybe. Laissez faire, rare. Most people think that, "Well, of course there has to be rules! Corporations are naturally "exploitative!""

Wow, I guess it never dawned on me that that song was one big metaphor. Duh! (Good observation!) I LOVE Spike's song!! I also like the: I know, I should gooo.. But I follow you like a man possessed. There's a traitor here, beneath my breast, And it hurts me more, than you'll ever guess. If my heart could beat, it would break my chest! But .....(and so on...) Did you type that out from memory as well, Ariana?

As it does to me.

No

No, I haven't. I think I want to talk to him a bit more first. I want to see which of his ideas he came to himself, before suggesting AR.

I have watched all the Buffy and Angel episodes except fot the final season of Angel, which my friend has yet to lend me. I really love Joss Wheldon's work. I would like to pose my question again. In Buffy, for instance, Spike struggles and goes through a lot of pain for Buffy. Is that moral? Should he have simply cut his loses and moved on, or is that kind of devotion admirable?

I have watched "Buffy the Musical" several times, and enjoy some of the music on it. Firstly, has anyone else seen it? Secondly, what does everyone think stories, such as Buffy and "The Phantom of the Opera", where the guy struggles and fights but "doesn't get the girl"? Are they moral, or do they, in a sense, justify angst?

I was at school the other day and I began a discussion amongst a few people (dealing with corporations). One person involved, who I'll name Galt, began defending explictly Objectivist positions. He attacked the hatred of the good, he attacked selflessness, he defended the profit motive. I was amazed - for he was not an Objectivist and had not read any AR! This is the first time I have met such a person; a "Natural" Objectivist. Natural, for they have arrived at AR's principles without knowledge of her existence. I thought it would be interesting to start a thread concerning this and see if anyone else has had the same experience.

I just watched the anime "Millenium Actress" last night. I have to say, I was blown away by the philosophy. The movie showed one woman of incredible integrity seeking, for the majority of her life, one man whom she loves/loved. I highly recommend it. It is one of the "legends"