To be or not to be.... that is the answer!

To be..or not to be...

Some say this is the most commonly quoted soliloquy in Shakespeare. But why use it as a question, rather than an answer? We tend to define ourselves by our beliefs, customs, outlook and perception of things. We tend to regard others by their appearance, actions and words. Is it nobler to ask questions last? Or to put into consideration that we are no more righteous than John Doe and Jane Smith, because we, ourselves, may face the same criticisms from others, by the exact same standards we seem to exhibit. Yet, still, no one knows what's in our minds. To be... or not to be...

Or is it better to say, "I think, therefore I am!"? I am a human, so I will exhibit humanistic qualities. I am male, therefore I will give my family the support and masculine strength, emotionally, physically, spiritually and financially. I am me, therefore, I will be true to myself, and not follow the status-quo, nor be unreasonably dedicated to my own personal identity, to the point where others' values, sacrifices and accomplishments are forsaken.

Be...or don't be. Be honest or be untruthful. Be kind to that rude man who cut in front of you in the line, or be up-front and say "That was really inconsiderate". Be noble, or be ignorant. It's your decision. The "be's" and "don't be's" of life tend to determine who we are and where we go. The ideology is what's behind it. Evaluate your position and life and decide if that mistake was worth making. Being true to yourself means walking the philosophy and not calling shots from the bleachers.

Be...or don't be... that is the answer.

In nominie fnordus fnordium, Fnord

Nominal Discordianism, or How to Fit in By Making No Sense

I'm only Discordian when it's convenient. That's it! Why should I be any other time? Does it make sense not to make sense all the time? It's a circular argument, in effect. Any continual sense of abnormality equates, effectively, to normalcy. Hence I'm only Discordian when it makes sense not to make sense! And normalcy will inevitably evolve from a day to day routine to an unending pattern of monotony.

I am a nominal Discordian. I pick and choose when to be "true to the cause", and when to fall in line with convention.

Religious people of most Western societies practice their proclaimed faiths foremost within context of convenience. After all, it's easier to feel guilty for not attending Sunday mass on Easter Sunday than it is during a Winter blizzard, or a Summer day you'd rather spending at the beach! If the most "logical" response to a situation depends upon the motivation of the individual, then why should I not take a break from objective reasoning and relevance once in a while to give my synapses a rest?

Occasionally we all need a tension breaker. I prefer to counteract my own perplexity with life by confounding the confusion of others. The random utterance of the most obscure "free association" at any misplaced point in a dialog makes for an amusing end to its participants' interest. Hey, if nobody else finds your jokes funny, why not laugh at your own? As vexed or ambivalent as your accompanying crowd may become to such non-sequitur exposition , it is never half as resonating as the humor you will find in missing your own punchline!

Perhaps the most "conventional" application of convention lay in totally disregarding convention, even at the dismay of others, and the random, self-imposed illusion of lunacy you impose upon yourself. There are many smoke screens and red herrings (two words which, incidentally, have a total disregard for sense) in this world by which people further their own agendas. I may as well have a defensive/offensive technique of my own! Sometime the best reason is "No reason!"

And the cold wind blew.....