My philosophy on life was largely formulated during my childhood upbringing during a time of war. It has been confirmed and consolidated in adulthood, despite the different paths and approaches I have attempted.
1. I have low expectations regarding rationality. I was not brought up to anticipate it or work within a rational system during childhood. During adulthood I have noticed that what seems to be rational behaviour on the surface is really just an arbitrary imposition of social order, without any deeper meaning than that.
2. I find verbalisation of positions and attitudes to be ultimately tiring. I became very tired of it towards the end of my PhD and found reprieve at last only in the realm of the non-verbal. To me, being out in the bush or practicing martial arts is non-verbal activity.
3. I don't see the task of humans as being anything related to reproduction. I actually can't relate to this by any means, which is why school teaching (bringing up the next generation) is out of the question for me. My deeper feelings are that there should not be a "next generation" and that humanity should end here.
4. I have an aesthetic attraction to certain severe regimes or training systems. Living in a place like Sparta would not be inimical to me. My happiest dreams are to be in the company of like-minded Spartans.
5. Happy and fortuitous dreams are when I go down to the beach to face enormous tidal waves. They crash over my head and leave me in one piece: I am always fine.
6. I don't find harsh experiences to be all that bad, but rather "interesting". When I mention difficult experiences, very modern people wrongly assume that I must be complaining. This makes for a grave misunderstanding. What I'm more likely to be saying is that life has much texture for me and is very interesting. If something is oppressive, by all means, deal with it or help me to do so. But don't take my remarks for complaining -- it's much more likely I am urging you to act right now.
7. I can't even begin to understand those who go through the various stages in life and allow each stage to "happen" to them. I can't understand people who suddenly find they need to get married or are with child. These events befall them at a certain age and they don't question them. These milestone issues I have questioned through and through.
8. I have the idea that if others believe they know what is good for me and how I should be treated -- for instance if they feel I ought to be converted to religion for my "own good" -- then I also have the right to treat them randomly and capriciously, according to whatever I might be feeling on the day.
9. I devalue verbal meanings and communication, whilst observing underlying attitudes and behaviour.
10. Deep down where it hurts, I think identity politics are systems of manipulation and self-deception: nothing more, nothing less. I distrust those whose first method of communication is to try to relate to me on the basis of their views of my identity.
STAY SANE AND SAVAGE Gender activism, intellectual shamanism
1. I have low expectations regarding rationality. I was not brought up to anticipate it or work within a rational system during childhood. During adulthood I have noticed that what seems to be rational behaviour on the surface is really just an arbitrary imposition of social order, without any deeper meaning than that.
2. I find verbalisation of positions and attitudes to be ultimately tiring. I became very tired of it towards the end of my PhD and found reprieve at last only in the realm of the non-verbal. To me, being out in the bush or practicing martial arts is non-verbal activity.
3. I don't see the task of humans as being anything related to reproduction. I actually can't relate to this by any means, which is why school teaching (bringing up the next generation) is out of the question for me. My deeper feelings are that there should not be a "next generation" and that humanity should end here.
4. I have an aesthetic attraction to certain severe regimes or training systems. Living in a place like Sparta would not be inimical to me. My happiest dreams are to be in the company of like-minded Spartans.
5. Happy and fortuitous dreams are when I go down to the beach to face enormous tidal waves. They crash over my head and leave me in one piece: I am always fine.
6. I don't find harsh experiences to be all that bad, but rather "interesting". When I mention difficult experiences, very modern people wrongly assume that I must be complaining. This makes for a grave misunderstanding. What I'm more likely to be saying is that life has much texture for me and is very interesting. If something is oppressive, by all means, deal with it or help me to do so. But don't take my remarks for complaining -- it's much more likely I am urging you to act right now.
7. I can't even begin to understand those who go through the various stages in life and allow each stage to "happen" to them. I can't understand people who suddenly find they need to get married or are with child. These events befall them at a certain age and they don't question them. These milestone issues I have questioned through and through.
8. I have the idea that if others believe they know what is good for me and how I should be treated -- for instance if they feel I ought to be converted to religion for my "own good" -- then I also have the right to treat them randomly and capriciously, according to whatever I might be feeling on the day.
9. I devalue verbal meanings and communication, whilst observing underlying attitudes and behaviour.
10. Deep down where it hurts, I think identity politics are systems of manipulation and self-deception: nothing more, nothing less. I distrust those whose first method of communication is to try to relate to me on the basis of their views of my identity.
STAY SANE AND SAVAGE Gender activism, intellectual shamanism
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