It is a common occurrence that an individual believes that he is somehow
lacking in his area of expertise. Though is he fully committed to the pursuit
of success (he is not a dilettante, someone with an amateurish and
superficial interest in a topic) he has a phobia that he is really inadequate. In
fact, this attitude only assists in one's success. Studies have shown that
successful people tend to think that they are somehow inferior, thus motivating
them to try harder. Since they are (in reality) in fact equal in competence and
ability, this extra dose of motivation pushes them over the edge. Many people
think that it is exigent (urgent) to take care of inferior self images, as though
it is a mental illness and can handicap them. I would posit that in some sense
it is beneficial to believe that one is lacking for this is an effective
motivator. However, both people with much self confidence and those severely
lacking tend to be voluble (talkative). I wonder why. I would grovel at the
knee of a psychologist if he would be able to assist me in understanding these
areas. As I sit here, I am filled with vim, though my grandfather is tired. Is it
an effrontery to talk honestly about one's family? Is there a moral obligation
to one's family more than other human beings? My intent is not to abase family members,
rather simply to understand the crucial ethical components of life. These remarks
seems acidulous; that I am cold and stolid. However, the accretion of question
can buildup and cause frustration. Someone recently told me about the position
of Peter Singer that one has no more an obligation to his family than to any
other human being. But check out what was written in the New Yorker:
"When Singer's mother
became too ill to live alone, Singer and his sister hired a team of home
health-care aides to look after her. Singer's mother has lost her ability to
reason, to be a person, as he defines the term. So I asked him how a man who
has written that we ought to do what is morally right without regard to
proximity or family relationships could possibly spend tens of thousands of
dollars a year on private care for his mother. He replied that it was
"probably not the best use you could make of my money. That is true. But
it does provide employment for a number of people who find something worthwhile
in what they're doing.''
Sometimes, I may wish
for analgesia. To be able to be awake is the moment of living. Sleeping is the
closest we get to death, so extra sleep is comparable to suicide. Why do we
view smoking as terrible? It diminishes lifespan. So does sleep. Can we not
husband our living hours economically? Though this would lead me to believe
that to spend time gamboling in the park or swimming on the beech should have
the same taboo! From the moment of conception throughout the period of
gestation to death, we have a mission, a goal, a responsibility. These ideas
all have fetid smells. They reek of western ethics and pragmatism. I don’t care.
I have debt on life, and I will amortize this with essays.
