Category Archives: create | 一切是創造

3.6 Now-here-I

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David Brower:

Think Globally, Act Locally

小處著手 大處著眼

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An Anglican bishop:

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits,
I dreamed of changing the world;
As I grew older and wiser I realized the world would not change.

And I decided to shorten my sights somewhat
and change only my country.
But it too seemed immovable.

As I entered my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt,
I sought to change only my family, those closest to me,
but alas they would have none of it.

And now here I lie on my death bed and realize
(perhaps for the first time)
that if only I’d changed myself first,

then by example I may have in
my family and with their encouragement
and support I may have bettered my country,
and who knows I may change the world.

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Mahatma Gandhi:

We must be the change we seek in the world.

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(myself: )

Now-here-I philosophy:

Transform all your goals to a single step that you can work on now and here, by yourself.

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2008.04.12 Saturday \copyright CHK^2

History

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These hints, dropped as it were from sleep and night, let us use in broad day. The student is to read history actively and not passively; to esteem his own life the text, and books the commentary. Thus compelled, the Muse of history will utter oracles, as never to those who do not respect themselves. I have no expectation that any man will read history aright, who thinks that what was done in a remote age, by men whose names have resounded far, has any deeper sense than what he is doing to-day.

— Emerson

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2008.01.29 Tuesday CHK_2

Self-Reliance 5

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Self-Reliance is an essay written by American Transcendentalist philosopher and essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was first published in his 1841 collection, Essays: First Series. It contains the most solid statement of one of Emerson’s repeating themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts and ideas.

In this essay, Emerson conveys his Transcendentalist philosophy and belief in self-reliance, an essential part of which is to trust in one’s present thoughts and impressions rather than those of other people or of one’s past self. This philosophy is exemplified in the quote: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Emerson stresses the need to believe one’s own thoughts, while actively searching one’s internal mind in order to capture the flash thought that may or may not come across. However, Emerson articulates that although one may have unlimited potential, few actually possess the confidence to develop their minds fully. Emerson then writes, “Trust yourself,” for God will not have his work made manifested by “cowards”. Immediately afterwards, he asserts that everyone has the innate tendency to express independent, genuine verdicts when young, but when young men become adults, Emerson argues, they will become, “clapped into jail by [their] consciousness.”

The essay states that, “To be great is to be misunderstood,” Emerson illustrates this by showing how enormously influential historical characters (Jesus Christ, Pythagoras, Copernicus) were fiercely opposed during their lifetimes, while time later demonstrated their genius.

Emerson also stresses originality, believing in one’s own genius and that creativity lives within all people. From this springs the quote: “Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide.”

— Wikipedia, December 2007

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2008.01.06 Sunday CHK_2

Self Reliance 4

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Man is his own star; and the soul that can
Render an honest and a perfect man,
Commands all light, all influence, all fate;
Nothing to him falls early or too late.
Our acts our angels are, or good or ill,
Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.

— Epilogue to Beaumont and Fletcher’s Honest Man’s Fortune

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01.01.2008 Tuesday CHK^2