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The questions are back
Sep. 8th, 2003 05:40 pmThis time from Heather.
1. If you could only have one in your life--truth or meaning--which one would it be? Why?
I have never said to mysefl, in so many words, "I am going to seek truth," or, "I am going to seek meaning." I don't like boiling my life down to those solid blocks; I prefer to merely take them as they come. However, that said, choosing to have only one, I would take Meaning. You can find a meaning in fiction, but a meaningless truth is just a worthless fact.
2. Define happiness.
For me, happiness is a sense of control. The sense that I'm in charge of my own destiny is a very important feeling to me, and times when I've lost it have been among the worst times of my life. That's not to say that happiness is getting what I want. Getting everything I wanted would be boring and pointless. But when one thing slips away, if I am in control I can shrug it off, let it go, and move on to other things. When I lose control, there is nothing else.
The time I most vividly remember being unhappy was when we were trying to leave Scotland. Due to a computer mixup, we missed our flight out of Gatwick and were stuck with no guarantee of being home in even the next few days. There were things I wanted to be doing at home, preparations for college, but there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing else but sit around the hotel or airport and think about not being able to go home.
3. What is the last thing that truly disappointed you?
When She left, I confessed to her that I was terrified of losing touch, that we'd never speak again. We made that usual empty promise, that we'd still talk.
I haven't seen or heard from her in over a month.
4. You are a doctor in a low-income neighbourhood and a person comes up with you with a kidney, which he obtained illegally and which someone had to suffer greatly for and begs you to operate on his dying 7 year old daughter. If you do not perform the surgery, she will surely die. Do you do it?
The chance of an illegally obtained kidney matching her blood type and being compatible with her body is miniscule; if I perform the operation, she's almost as likely to die quicker than without it. That said, though, the kidney has already been removed and I can't do anything about it. I'll make sure the man knows the risks, then perform the operation. If she dies anyway, I won't feel bad for him, only for her.
5. Which is more frightening: jumping or falling? Why?
The most terrifying moment is the half-second while your weight shifts; your feet are still grounded but your body moves up and forward. In that instant you can no longer turn back, you have to consciously let go of your ground and surrender yourself to the open air. Once you've jumped, there's no turning back, but when you can still give up, you can still doubt.
[break]
Happy 8th September.
click
1. If you could only have one in your life--truth or meaning--which one would it be? Why?
I have never said to mysefl, in so many words, "I am going to seek truth," or, "I am going to seek meaning." I don't like boiling my life down to those solid blocks; I prefer to merely take them as they come. However, that said, choosing to have only one, I would take Meaning. You can find a meaning in fiction, but a meaningless truth is just a worthless fact.
2. Define happiness.
For me, happiness is a sense of control. The sense that I'm in charge of my own destiny is a very important feeling to me, and times when I've lost it have been among the worst times of my life. That's not to say that happiness is getting what I want. Getting everything I wanted would be boring and pointless. But when one thing slips away, if I am in control I can shrug it off, let it go, and move on to other things. When I lose control, there is nothing else.
The time I most vividly remember being unhappy was when we were trying to leave Scotland. Due to a computer mixup, we missed our flight out of Gatwick and were stuck with no guarantee of being home in even the next few days. There were things I wanted to be doing at home, preparations for college, but there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing else but sit around the hotel or airport and think about not being able to go home.
3. What is the last thing that truly disappointed you?
When She left, I confessed to her that I was terrified of losing touch, that we'd never speak again. We made that usual empty promise, that we'd still talk.
I haven't seen or heard from her in over a month.
4. You are a doctor in a low-income neighbourhood and a person comes up with you with a kidney, which he obtained illegally and which someone had to suffer greatly for and begs you to operate on his dying 7 year old daughter. If you do not perform the surgery, she will surely die. Do you do it?
The chance of an illegally obtained kidney matching her blood type and being compatible with her body is miniscule; if I perform the operation, she's almost as likely to die quicker than without it. That said, though, the kidney has already been removed and I can't do anything about it. I'll make sure the man knows the risks, then perform the operation. If she dies anyway, I won't feel bad for him, only for her.
5. Which is more frightening: jumping or falling? Why?
The most terrifying moment is the half-second while your weight shifts; your feet are still grounded but your body moves up and forward. In that instant you can no longer turn back, you have to consciously let go of your ground and surrender yourself to the open air. Once you've jumped, there's no turning back, but when you can still give up, you can still doubt.
[break]
Happy 8th September.
click
