David B. Calhoun’s Blog

I was studying late at the Library tonight. Well, technically I was outside of the library, since it was closed (they were supposed to be open until 12:00am tonight). About halfway through my study, this 3-person group comes and sits at a table in the courtyard area. Two girls, one guy. The sexual tension was just oozing from them, haha.

They were just talking about relationships, and all that junk. Nothing but. I remember looking in this one book at a used bookstore, called “Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Watching Star Trek” or something to that effect. I didn’t buy the book, just for the record. But one of the chapters started with something like this: “Below average people talk about people. Average people talk about things. Above average people talk about ideas.”

This just says it so well, but just when I think I have it figured out, I pause to think… I would say that each person needs a healthy dose of each - talk of people, things, and ideas. I guess what it really means to say is that the majority of their conversation consists of X (people, things, ideas). In which case, this group of three was a below average group. Haha. Well, I think this group was pretty average. Maybe talking about people nonstop if just average behavior. Anyhow, I was really sick of it - by the time they finally left, I had only advanced a couple of pages - mostly because I was eavesdropping. I’ll just say that there is a LOT to be thankful for for not being in a “relationship” with a girl. Unless it’s someone you plan to marry, it’s such a waste of time…

During their stay in my makeshift study center outside of the library, one of the girls was reading off of her laptop, and randomly blurted out: “Life is understood backwards, but must be lived forwards”, or whatever that quote says. Kierkegaard! Either it was a coincidence or God has a very good sense of humor. So maybe there is something to be desired in people such as these..

It got me thinking about philosophy in general. The way I was treating those people tonight was pretty snobby and elitist, now that I think about it. This is pretty much how philosophy is. Philosophy, as it exists today, seems to be set up primarily for philosophers. Is this obvious? Should it be? I would think that one of the roles of philosophy is to spread Truth. One of the things we take for granted is that if we put someone in a good situation and give them enough education, they are able to reach this Truth. So why does philosophy not involve itself with reaching beyond the Ivory Tower?

Well, it’s pretty satisfied in the system it has built up around itself. And philosophers think it’s fine that it only benefits them. Yet it remains inaccessible to maintream thought (except the occasional nugget of philosophy that might find its way into public consciousness 50 years down the line..). It shouldn’t be though. Something is very very wrong with philosophy today, as I see it. Let’s hope I am wrong about this one.

“One who is clever conceals knowledge,
but the mind of a fool broadcasts folly.”
Proverbs 12:23

Notes: This was totally unexpected, but fits so well with what I was talking about. I guess part of having knowledge is keeping it for yourself. But I still believe there is an obligation to spread at least some basic understandable truths. Perhaps it’s best to keep both in mind - guard knowledge but also give it to those who are capable of understanding.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 5th, 2005 at 2:08 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.